The Robber Knight's Love (The Robber Knight Saga #2)(144)

That made Ayla laugh out loud, and Dilli joined in. “Oh yes,” Ayla gasped, “he'd be very pleased indeed. So pleased, in fact, that his mustache might turn gray from the terror of the experience.”

It was a good, long time before they could stop laughing. When their mirth finally subsided, Ayla felt ten times better than before.

“Thank you, Dilli,” she said, hugging the maid once more before releasing her. “Thank you for putting up with my silly antics.”

The maid's face was once again serious. “They aren't silly at all,” she said, gently stroking Ayla's hair. “It's all right to be worried. I would be worried if you wouldn't be worried, with that sort of man. But…if you forgive the question, Milady—what is it in particular that has you worried?”

Ayla hesitated a moment. Finally, she decided that talking about her fears in a general way couldn't hurt. Not with Dilli, whom she trusted wholeheartedly.

“I…I think he has secrets.”

Dilli actually gave a little laugh. “Of course he has, Milady! He is a man.”

“But what if his secrets stand between us?”

The maid thought for a moment. “Well, then there's only one thing to do.”

Eagerly, Ayla clasped Dilli's hand. “Yes? What? Tell me! I'd do anything! Anything!”

“Ask him.”

“Wh-ask him?”

“Yes, ask him.”

“But I can't do that!”

“Why not, Milady?”

“Because…because…” Ayla thought hard. But it was no good. She couldn't think of an explanation. Not of a rational one, anyway.

“Because I'm afraid of the answers he might give,” she said finally.

“I see.” Comfortingly, Dilli kindly stroked her mistress's hand. “But still, you won't get an answer until you find the courage. You won't know if your fears are justified until you ask.”

“I know. I know. It's just…”

Suddenly, Ayla looked over to the window. Through it, the sun was visible, by now well over the horizon. The lady of the castle gasped. “Oh Lord, look how late it is! I have completely forgotten that I have to check up on my patients!”

She started to scramble out of bed, but Dilli held her by the shoulders and firmly pressed her back down. “No! You won't get up. Not until you've eaten. You've hardly touched a thing while we were under siege. You need to be fattened up!”

“No, I don't.”

“Yes, you do. And don't worry, you'll still be more than pretty enough for your man.”

Color shot to Ayla’s cheeks. “He’s not my man!”

“Really? Judging from the way he looks at you, I’d say something different! Now eat!”

Ayla was so flustered that Dilli had dumped the platter with her breakfast on her knees before she knew what the maid was doing. Resigned to her fate, she sighed and picked up a slice of bread.

“You've become strangely high-handed for a maidservant, lately,” she remarked grumpily.

“Only where your welfare is concerned, Milady,” Dilli said firmly. “Now eat.”

“Yessir,” Ayla muttered so low that Dilli couldn't hear. The maid remained kneeling besides her mistress for a few moments longer, just to check if her commands were being obeyed. When she saw that Ayla was digging into her breakfast, she rose to her feet again.

“See how lucky I was to bring you bread and not gruel,” Dilli remarked. “It would be long cold by now. You eat. Then you can go and look after your patients. Should I still take the goat cheese away?”

“No thanks, Dilli. I'll deal with it somehow.”

They both knew Ayla meant more than just the cheese.

Dilli smiled and curtsied. “I'm glad to hear that, Milady. Until later.”

~~*~~*

As instructed by superior powers, Ayla finished her breakfast and only then went to see how her patients had fared during the night. When she finally had looked them all over, she was happy to announce that everyone she had yet feared for was out of danger. They were all going to survive.

“You're going to be all right,” she told a castle guard with a sword-wound she had feared might fester. “Your wound is healing just fine, now that I've cleaned it and bandaged it. Soon, you'll be on your feet again.”

The guard gave her a weak smile. “Thank you, Milady. You are as one of God's angels.”

“No, I'm not,” she replied, smiling back at him. “I can't sing or play the harp. Now rest.”

Leaving the injured behind, her heart was more full of hope than it had been yesterday. Perhaps that was because there had been no further deaths today, or because of the celebration yesterday which had shown her how much reason there was to rejoice. Still, while she wasn't sad, she was anxious. Her nightmare lingered in her mind, as did her talk with Dilli.

Should she ask Reuben about his strange…ability? About his past? She doubted she would find the nerve to. Somehow, an iron curtain seemed to separate the Reuben of today from the dark and bloody figure he had once been. She was afraid to look beyond that curtain, probably for good reason.

She wished there was some place she could find two quiet minutes to think, a place where she would see her path more clearly in front of her.