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Hugh felt challenged, but he wasn’t untried. He knew just how he would bury his lance in her. They’d been celibate since they had left the abbey’s grounds, and he’d been almost too busy to care.
He wasn’t busy now.
“But she might have thanked me!” Edlyn said.
Her resentment made him blink. “For what?”
“For what? For talking you into letting them stay.”
That made no sense to him. “It wasn’t your decision.”
“I know that, but they would have been thrown out without coin or goods if I hadn’t insisted.”
“Insisted?” Nothing could dent his good humor, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You begged.”
She tore herself away from him. “Aye, I’m good at that.”
He blinked at her back as she swept away. What did she mean?
He tried to remember. The only time he heard her beg was in bed. He stroked his chin. Was that what she meant? He watched her walk ahead of him using that sway that so attracted him. That was probably what she meant. She knew he liked it, that’s why she walked that way, and that’s why she’d mentioned making love to him.
Although why she sounded bitter, he didn’t understand.
Probably it was a woman thing. Probably she was remembering how good it had been on their wedding night. The saints knew he was remembering.
Especially when she walked like that. And she’d removed her cloak too. She said it was warm enough without it, but now he knew better. Probably she wanted him to see her in that traveling gown he’d bought her. She wore it for him, so he’d know he possessed her just as he possessed the gown and everything she had. And he deemed that important. He believed it was better to have a woman who depended on him for everything. He’d seen too many noble marriages where the wife owned land and was related to great men, and the husband never knew if she’d remain with him should he have troubles.
Edlyn did depend on him for everything, and look-she now sent out clear signals she wanted him. This was a right and proper arrangement.
Neda had moved ahead, but he lagged behind and now she hurried back. “You’re tired after your journey.”
Hugh blinked. Tired? He thrived on traveling. He’d done it his whole life.
“I should have realized it at once.” Neda made a “tsk, tsk,” noise. “My lady is drooping, too.”
If the steward and his wife were to remain in their present positions, Hugh had to break them of the dreadful habit of interrupting when Edlyn was deliberately enticing him.
“Follow me and I’ll show you the bedchamber.”
On the other hand, perhaps Burdett and Neda could have some intelligent ideas.
Burdett spoke now. “We’ve had our servants work with your squire-Dewey, I think his name is-and your possessions have been moved into the solar, my lord. I apologize for anything that is missing. We’ll do our best to locate it, of course, but your man Wharton told us of your incident on the road, and most things seem to have been repacked in a most haphazard manner. Neda will see to it in the morning.”
“Aye.” Hugh didn’t care about that right now. Edlyn had kindled a fire in him, and he longed to let it burn him. “Does the solar have a door?”
Burdett didn’t seem to understand that. “Aye, my lord, it…it does.” Trying to anticipate any other odd queries, he said, “It’s spacious, as I think you will see, with a fireplace, many fine tapestries to block the drafts, and glass windows of which we are particularly proud.”
“Does it have a bed?” Hugh asked.
Comprehension dawned on Burdett’s face, and he exchanged a conspiratorial smile with his wife. “A very large one, my lord, and it has been aired and is ready for occupancy.”
With a spring in his step, Hugh followed Edlyn up the spiral stairs to the story above the great hall.
The long, wide landing held a single large wooden door. Neda flung it open and asked, “Will the lord and his lady wish to eat in the privacy of the solar?”
“Nay,” Edlyn said.
“Aye,” Hugh said.
