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"A note from Evelinde and Cullen sayin' they're comin' to visit?" she asked hopefully, and then pointed out, "'Tis their turn."
"Aye, it is their turn," he agreed, and then added, "And they did indeed send a note saying they shall come, but that is not what this missive is."
Merry smiled happily at the news that the other couple was coming to visit, but asked, "So what news is it ye thought was more important than that?"
Alex opened his mouth to answer and then paused and threw one leg over both of hers before admitting, "A note from your father announcing that Kade has finally arrived back at Stewart."
Merry sucked in a long draught of air, instinctively trying to push Alex's leg off so that she could leap off the bed and start preparing. "Get off me legs, Alex. I needs must pack. We must head to Stewart at once, and--"
"Merry," Alex interrupted, his expression stern as he turned her face to his. "I know you have waited forever for Kade to return, and I know you want to go see him, but you are due to deliver our babe any day now. You cannot travel."
"But Alex, 'tis Kade," she moaned miserably.
"I know, but he will still be there after you have had the babe. Or perhaps he will be here before that. There is no reason he could not visit us."
"Aye," Merry agreed at once, her expression brightening. "We could have him visit while Evelinde and Cullen are here. That would be nice."
"Aye, it would," Alex agreed, and they fell silent for a bit as Merry concentrated on what they would do and what she should have Cook make, and--
"Now," Alex interrupted her thoughts and drew her to rest against his chest as he asked, "why do you not tell me the truth about what you were thinking about when I entered?"
Merry hesitated, but then admitted, "I was thinking about Edda."
"I suspected as much," Alex said quietly. When she glanced at him with surprise, he shrugged. "You have done it very rarely since that night, but I think I have been aware each time you have thought of her. You get this look of regret as if you felt sorry for your part in her death."
"Aye." Merry sighed. As glad as she was that it was Edda and not they, and as much as she would do everything the exact same again if necessary, it was hard to know she'd had a hand in ending a life. It was a large responsibility to bear, and she found herself occasionally fretting over there possibly being another way she might have handled it that might have prevented anyone dying. Merry shook these grim thoughts aside and added, "But that was not what I was thinking about this time."
"Nay?"
Merry smiled at his surprise. "Nay. Though ye're usually right when guessin' what I am thinkin', husband, sometimes ye're actually wrong, and this is one o' them."
Alex smiled and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Then tell me."
"I was thinkin' on how I grew up sure that men were usually evil sinners and women the saints."
Alex nodded solemnly. "'Tis how it was in your family."
"Aye," she agreed, and then said, "But nay."
When he pulled back to peer at her with confusion, she laughed and explained, "My father and brothers may be drunkards and fools, but they are no' truly evil like Edda was."
"Nay," he agreed solemnly.
Merry nodded and then added, "And I was realizing that me prejudice in thinking that men are evil and women saints blinded me to Edda's true nature."
"You could not know--"
"I was told repeatedly," she reminded him. "And yet even that last evening, after hearing what you thought and what Evelinde had to say, I still couldna believe Edda wasna a good woman until I read the letter and realized that Godfrey was her nephew. That prejudice nearly got us both killed."
"No, it did not," Alex said firmly. "Even had you suspected her, you could not have foreseen what would happen on that tower unless you had known who Godfrey's parents were and you did not know because I never told you."
Merry considered his words silently and felt herself relax a little inside. But she nodded slowly and said, "I see. Then 'tis really yer fault fer no' tellin' me things."
"Aye," Alex said. He then frowned as he realized what had been said, but caught the twinkle in her eyes and started to chuckle. "You are an evil woman, wife."
"And ye're a saint fer puttin' up with me," she said, smiling.
"Then we are a perfect match," he murmured, and kissed her again.
