She found herself watching for his response. She shouldn’t care what he thought; he said he’d help, and in that she believed him. She might not trust him now, and he might think her a whore for the King, but she did need help. That was her only concern.
‘This is different from what you used to do,’ he said. ‘I thought your sister was more interested in the efficiency of the industry.’
‘She is, and I can’t wait to share this information with her so she can start something on her own land, but I have realised I can look at it from my point of view as well—from the views of the spinners and their families. This might be a solution for them to earn more, too.’
‘So you’re helping people.’
She nodded.
He exhaled, his expression easing. ‘I’ll help today and over the next week. The weather’s changing already. I’ll see if Eldric can spare some time.’
Despite herself she said, ‘This wasn’t what you expected when you followed me here.’
He opened his mouth, closed it. Started to speak. ‘I think, when it comes to you, I’ll keep my thoughts to myself.’
He smiled a little then, as if in jest. She knew otherwise. He had been expecting something, and it hadn’t been answered here.
‘Do you intend to keep following me?’
‘We met by happenstance in the market, Alice. You were unaccompanied.’ He tilted his head. ‘I merely fitted a role.’
Not one that she wanted him to. He wanted something from her, and he would keep following her until he had his answer. She didn’t need him around, not when she had other tasks to do, but it wouldn’t be terrible if she could get Hugh out of her wayandthe extra hands she needed.
‘Well, your role today is hard labour.’
‘Scaring me away with work? You’ll have to do better than that.’
She knew too much of him to believe anything she said would turn him away. He might carry a storm in his eyes, but it was as if that storm was in his life as well. He had been relentless in achieving knighthood. Tireless in helping his father.
No, she didn’t want to scare him; she simply wanted his questioning, calculating gaze to be gone.
‘Why are you here?’
He looked away, shrugged. ‘I think you need me.’
And there was the reason she wanted him gone—because while it was true his extra hands were needed, his words seemed laden with other meanings.
And he was wrong; she didn’t need him. Not any more. She’d made a life for herself here, and the King threatened it. She didn’t need Hugh to complicate matters.
‘I need to find Mitchell now,’ she said. ‘He must be on the other side of the barn.’
Hugh’s countenance darkened, but she turned before he could answer. She was eager to get to work. To accomplish something this day so that all was not lost.
* * *
The sun was setting, the fires were blazing and there wasn’t enough light to work any more. Instead of readying for the night, Hugh and the others were cleaning their tools and preparing for the next day.
Wrapping the last of the hammers with heavy linen, he stood to roll his shoulders and knew his blistered hands would give Eldric the advantage in training tomorrow.
But the wall was mounted, the eaves were assembled for placement, and most of the thatch was ready to apply. A couple more days and there would be a roof. Which was good, because the mist was heavy, the clouds dark. Soon the heavy rain and the snow would bury the ground.
It was madness to build in weather such as this. But it was inspiring too. Many of these people looked as if they couldn’t afford tools; they needed this worknow. They also needed the work that would come from this kind of production.
Alice was changing people’s lives here. She’d done it before—by saving puppies, by giving food where needed—but this...this was providing a way forward. Not merely for these people in Swaffham, but for the wool business, too.
Whowasshe?
I command the King.
