Bhric slipped in beside his wife on the bench. He rested his hand on her thigh and gave it a squeeze while looking at Bernard. “Tell me.”
Greta responded. “From what Bernard tells us there are various possibilities that can be causing the illness… poison being one of them and a distinct possibility.”
That Bhric had not expected to hear. “What makes you suspect poison?”
“Bernard is not ill while the whole clan suffers,” Greta said. “The question is why?”
“Birger sent me to scout deeper into the woods to see what might be afoot,” Bernard explained. “I was gone several days and returned to find the clan struck with sickness.”
Hertha continued to explain. “He had not eaten any of the food the others had and once home he ate what food he had with him.”
“All ate the food from the storage shed,” Bernard said. “I am eager to return and dispose of all the food there. If it proves the food is poisoned, the clan will heal and get well.”
“They are only poisoned enough to make them ill?” Bhric asked. “What of the ones who have died?”
“It would seem so,” Greta said, “and as for those who died? They either consumed more than others or they were weak to begin with and not strong enough to fight the poison. Or they could have gotten a portion of food that was more heavily poisoned.”
Bhric did not like what he was hearing.
Sven felt the same. “Someone tries to weaken the clan, make them unable to defend themselves.”
“Aye,” Bhric agreed. “I will have a cart prepared with food for you to take with you. See that Birger has guards posted on the food shed once you restock it and ask about who was seen coming and going from it. A troop of warriors will go with you, but they will camp a distance from Clan Strathearn. They will scout the area and see if they can find anything and keep you all safe until the sickness passes. You will keep them apprised of how things go, and they will pass it on to me. You will rest tonight and leave in the morning.”
“Aye, my lord, I will see to it, though I would prefer to leave as soon as the cart is ready,” Bernard said. “The faster I return, the faster many may heal. Besides, I have come to care for a woman in Clan Strathearn and she has taken ill. I would like to return to her as soon as possible.”
“You are a good and brave warrior, Bernard. I will not forget it,” Bhric said.
“Thank you, my lord, but I do nothing more than my duty.”
“You will rest while the cart is prepared with food for you,” Bhric ordered.
“I am grateful, my lord, and look forward to reporting good news to you.”
“Come and rest at my cottage,” Greta offered. “Hertha and I will prepare a mixture that will prove helpful to those more ill than others.”
“Bernard,” Tavia said as he stood to go with Greta and Hertha. “Please tell my da to get better soon so he may come and visit with us and see how happy I am with my husband and new home.”
“I will tell him, my lady, and I am sure he will be pleased to hear how well you do for he has worried over you as do others in your clan,” Bernard said and walked off with Greta and Hertha talking.
“I will see all is made ready for Bernard,” Sven said and left as well.
Bhric’s hand left his wife’s leg to slip his arm around her slim waist and tuck her close, pleased by her remark. “So, you have come to realize what a wonderful husband I am?”
Tavia kissed his lips lightly. “There are some things I favor more about you than other things—” She scrunched her face.
Bhric did not like hearing there were things about him she disliked. “What are those other things?”
She ran a gentle finger over his lips. “When you fail to kiss me throughout the day. When you are gone too long from me, and my heart begins to ache. When you leave our bed before I wake in the morning. When it has been too long that I have felt your hand in mine. When I look upon you and fear that this is all a dream, and I will wake one day to find it all gone.”
His hand went to the back of her neck, taking tight hold. “Do you feel my grip on you?”
Tavia nodded, his hand strong there that all but boasted, I will never let you go, and that brought her not only relief but a spark of pleasure.
“It is no dream. It is all real between you and me, and it will always be that way. Somehow I fell not just in love with you but deeply in love with you. A depth of love that can never be broken, never wane, never end. I cannot say when I realized I loved you or if the prelude to my disfavor with you was actually that I favored you, since I did find you appealing, and refused to admit just how much I did.” That thought had him pausing a moment. He had not known she was his wife when he had nearly run her down with his horse and yet he had felt a stir in him for her. That was before she had visited with the witch. That meant his feelings for her had begun with a first look when he had had no knowledge of who she was. He rested his brow to hers relieved. “The love we found was relentless and refused to be denied no matter how stubborn each of us were and still are. I only wish I had been as quick to see what my mother knew and saw… that you would make me a perfect and loving wife.”
They kissed again, lightly and tenderly then Tavia rested her head on his chest, his hand drifting off her neck and his arm going firm around her. She wondered over the fact that she had found love with a man she had thought would find nothing but disappointment with her for their entire married life.
Love surely was strange, absent from your life one minute then suddenly appearing the next and wondering where it had come from. How had it snuck up on her? Or how had she been so blind not to see it in the first place? And now knowing it, feeling it, relishing it, she never ever wanted to let it go. The thought had Tavia hugging her husband’s arm as if somehow her meek hold could keep him with her forever.