Even the heat could not diminish me. The scorching heat of the sun had a cauterizing effect, burning away the sick and dying parts of my being so that the healthy parts of me could grow back, fuller and more vital than before, Closer to the river there was shade, a rich, deep shade provided by the flanking groves of thickly clustered trees that grew beside the idly flowing water.

Here, the only sounds were those of nature—birds chattering in the highest branches, the gentle rustle of an unseen creature of the forest, and the sudden splash of a fish breaking the surface of the shallow river. It was, I mused, like entering the gardens of paradise after sojourning in the underworld. The plague and London seemed a long way off, and the dark halls of Greywethers even farther.

I gathered the folds of my skirts in my hands and waded into the river, lifting the hem of my dress clear of the water. The rippling coolness washed my skin above the ankles, and went no farther, turning instead to push my way upstream, enjoying the feel of the smoothly washed pebbles beneath my tired feet.

I walked a goodly distance, splashing a little as I went and humming happily to myself, a tuneless ditty of my own invention. Coming to a place where the river bent in its course, and the trees grew still more thickly, I paused and ventured even deeper, raising my skirts accordingly.

The birds startled me, rising from the trees without warning in a panicked, beating cloud that dipped and shifted in perfect unison against the burning sky, and then was gone. The noise was like a blast of cannon fire in that still place, and in alarm I lost my footing, falling backward into he water with a loud splash and an unladylike oath. Pushing the wet hair from my eyes, I looked to see what had so frightened the birds, my own heart pounding an echo of their flight.

At first, I could see only shadows. Until one of the shadows moved, and became real, and the greenwood parted to reveal a tall dark rider on a gray horse, moving with leisured grace along the riverbank toward me.

Twenty

Richard de Mornay reined Navarre to a smooth halt a few feet from the lazily flowing water and leaned an elbow on the horn of his saddle, regarding me with interest over the horse's broad neck.

'Good morrow, Mistress Farr.' He swept the wide-brimmed hat from his dark head and presented me with a fair imitation of a bow. 'I did not know that you numbered swimming among your many accomplishments.'

To return a proper curtsy from my position would have appeared ridiculous. Besides, he was laughing at me, and I resented it. I rose swiftly to my feet and tossed my head proudly.

'I have a multitude of talents, my lord,' I told him curtly, spreading my skirts to survey the damage.

'Of that I have no doubt.' A thoughtful expression replaced the laughter in his eyes, and he swung himself from the saddle, gathering the reins in one large hand. 'You have wetted your dress,' he said, as though it were a revelation. 'You must walk in the sun to dry it.'

I stubbornly held my ground. 'I do not wish to walk in the sun, my lord. I find the coolness of the woods refreshing.'

'You must walk in the woods, then. Come, let me help you.'

He extended his free hand toward me, his eyes challenging mine. After a moment's consideration, I placed my hand in his and let him assist me in stepping out of the water onto the riverbank. It was welcome assistance, I was bound to admit, since the wet fabric of my dress weighed heavily against my legs and threatened to drag me back into the river. When at last I stood upright, I released his hand as though it were a snake, breaking the warm contact.

'Thank you, sir,' I told him sweetly. 'You are most kind.' Taking my leave of him, I began once more to walk upstream, on land this time, feeling less than graceful in my dripping gown but keeping my head held high.

'Tis no trouble.' Richard de Mornay fell easily into step beside me, leading the horse behind us. 'You will not mind, surely, if I walk with you. I would be less than a true soldier if I let a lady walk through the woods unattended.'

I attempted a casual demeanor. 'I did not know you were a soldier.'

'I come from a family of soldiers.' He smiled, but it was a smile without humor. 'Brave knights and gallant cavaliers, and me the only one remaining to champion the family's honour.’

'Then I need not fear to lose my virtue in your company.' It was a bold statement, and I knew it. He turned amazed eyes in my direction and laughed outright, a pleasant sound that echoed in the secluded wood.

'You are a brazen wench.' He grinned. 'No, you need not worry. I'll not demand the lordly privileges of my estate. I've never yet had cause to force a woman to my will.'

I looked up at his handsome, laughing face and did not doubt that he spoke the truth. Perhaps it was my own intentions that worried me, and not his....

'Tell me,' he went on, changing the subject, 'how fares your uncle? He must be ill indeed to let you venture forth like this. In truth, 'tis but the second time I have seen you talking on your own. Come, tell me, why did he let you off he lead this morning?'

I smiled at the expression. 'He sent me from the house by his own order,' I explained. 'He fears, he told me, for my health.'

'Ay,' he said dryly, 'he is a most compassionate man. 'Tis why he uses his household so civilly.'

I glanced at him. 'You do not like my uncle, I perceive.'

'I find him cruel and callous,' he said, with a shrug of his broad shoulders, 'and there is little love lost between us.'

I nodded understanding. 'He told me once that the devil dwells in you.'