“Sore, and made worse by the saddle. But not bruised because I did not mean to bruise,” he muttered softly.
Suddenly Emma thought she’d simply swoon with rapture, and she hated herself for what she was feeling. And she hated herself for being disappointed when the touch went away. Yet the archer soon returned his fingers upon her skin, and shefound he’d dipped them in a salve which felt like a cooling balm upon her scorched bottom. Emma breathed in deeply, simply enraptured by the strange sensation of bliss that his soothing fingers were working upon her skin. Soon she came to understand that her quim was becoming soaking wet due to Master Archer’s ministrations and she strived hard to keep her head clear. She felt relieved when he let her off his lap, clearing his throat.
“There, all done,” he muttered in a voice that, to Emma’s ears, sounded both husky and contrite.
“Thank you, husband,” she said stiffly, looking away from him and telling herself it was the right way to behave in order to plot her escape from him.
Yet her heart skipped in her chest as his keen brown eyes rested upon her, coming to fall upon the purse that lay fastened at her belt. His face suddenly darkened.
“The coin you spoke of—I will have you tell me truthfully how you came by it,” he said and his voice sounded no longer warm but icy.
Emma’s fingers protectively clasped around the purse. It was nearly all she now possessed in this world and it would help her set up a new life for herself. It was the only wealth she had, apart from the two ruby rings she held stashed in her slippers. And she would not give it up.
Master Archer scowled at her, then swiftly came to pry her fingers away from the purse. He was quick and nimble, and Emma did not even have the chance to slap his hand or struggle. He unfastened the purse from her belt, and peered inside it. As he did so, his face darkened further.
“You must have stolen this, just as you did at the inn,” he said in a hard voice.
Emma shook her head.
“Nay. I swear I did not! I–”
“Don’t lie!”
“I’m not! I…”
Master Archer stared away, as if he was sickened by the very sight of her.
“Or perchance you took coin for bedding others, took coin for breaking faith with me,” he muttered in a voice which sounded as weary as yesterday before he’d spanked her.
“No!” Emma protested, strangely not wanting this man to believe she could behave so dishonourably.
Master Archer shook his head savagely, still refusing to look at her.
“It’s of no matter now, is it? What’s done cannot be undone,” he whispered.
When at last he deigned to look upon her, he spoke in a voice that to Emma’s ears sounded heart-breaking.
“We are still bound, aren’t we? And, as your husband, I also bear the burden for your transgressions. I’m warning you then, as your husband. I’ll have no more of it. No more!”
And for a moment Emma truly forgot they were not bound to one another, and found herself nodding to what he had said.
“I vow,” she muttered, with a fierce blush of her cheeks.
She then nearly shook her head to herself, astounded by how she was behaving. She was not this man’s wife, and she would never be in truth bound to him. Silence fell between them, and at last Master Archer waved his hand.
“We’ll go now,” he said tersely, slinging his bag across his shoulder.
Emma’s eyes followed the purse which he still held clasped in his hand.
“My coin. It’s mine. Mine, by rights,” she found herself saying.
He shook his head with the same hard look in his eyes.
“I do not believe you. And I shall hold on to it lest its rightful owner should come to make us pay it back. Do you even care how your recklessness has harmed those you left behind? Did you look back when you ran away, taking all the coin we owned?”
Emma lowered her eyes under his piercing stare, although she knew herself not to be guilty of anything. She felt deeply ashamed by what Rowena had done. And she did not blame this man for wanting to take the money to make up for what he’d lost. Rowena was indeed reckless, and Emma herself now saw she’d been dragged into this recklessness.
The rest of their journey took place in silence. They ate and slept by each other’s side, yet Master Archer did not talk to her at all, and Emma knew there was nothing she could say that he wanted to hear. He did not touch her again, just wordlessly handing her the jar of salve to tend to herself whenever they made a stop.