Page 54 of Castle of Refuge

Audrey felt herself blushing. But perhaps he only meant that no one else in the area knew how to read or was willing to teach girls.

“You have not said what your sister—Maris, is it?”

“Yes.”

“What she said to you?”

“She said if I didn’t go home with her that she would do something to harm my old nurse, Sybil, my friend Helena, and... you.”

“Me? Why me?”

“She does not want me to be happy, and she had surmised... Or the villagers were saying...” This was harder to say than she had imagined.

Lord Dericott and Golding were staring at her. Golding seemed to sense she was having a difficult time and he turned, walking a few feet away.

Audrey spoke very quietly. “Maris seems to think you and I have... tender feelings for each other and that we may get married. But I don’t know why she would think that.”

Her cheeks burned. Should she laugh and pretend to think it was humorous? Her face was on fire now, but she had no choice other than to finish her explanation.

“I told her that you are engaged to marry Lady Ophelia, but she thinks she can hurt me by separating me from you. And if I will not leave with her, she will hurt me by harming you and the people I love, Sybil and Helena.”

“I see.” Lord Dericott nodded. He opened his mouth as if he had something to tell her, not quite looking her in the eye, but then he seemed to change his mind and pressed his lips together. Finally, he said, “We should get out of the middle of the road. Come.”

They started walking toward the castle.

What was going through his head? Did he realize Maris was right about her having tender feelings for him, or at least the beginnings thereof? It was so humiliating, since he was planning to marry an earl’s daughter. He could not care for her in that way.

The situation was more painful than she’d realized. She’d made sure not to fall in love with him so that she could protect herself from the pain of rejection. But now he probably was as embarrassed for her as she was for herself. After all, he’d just seen her running as fast as she could down the road with her hair blown back, exposing her scars.

She’d snatched up her head scarf and pulled her hair down over her scarred ear, but not before he and Golding had seen it. Was there a nobleman in the world who would want to marry her? She was under no delusion that he would.

Perhaps he thought nothing of Maris’s assumption. She had not confessed any love for him. Maris had only assumed that. But that was only her desperately wishing it to be so.

Once they reached the castle, they went into his library and he shut the door behind them. They sat, and he continued their conversation.

“Your sister is quite malicious. But I pray you not to believe her capable of harming me. I can take care of myself, and I have many trained guards. But you must always take a guard with you from now on when you go to your lessons, lest she try to take you by force. Unless you wish to go home?”

“No! That is the last thing I would wish. I am happy here at Dericott Castle. Everyone is very good to me, and I love teaching my girls and don’t want to leave them. But I also don’t wish to cause you any more trouble. Maris already tried to burn your stables. There is no knowing what she might attempt next.” Her heart seemed to weigh a hundred pounds.

“You needn’t worry about me. But you are probably worried about this Sybil and Helena, are you not?”

“Yes. I can’t possibly protect them.”

“As long as she and her man are here in Dericott, she cannot harm your friends, can she?”

“Perhaps not, but she already coerced Father to send Sybil away. I don’t know where she is.” Tears flooded her eyes.

Oh no! She could not let Edwin see her cry. She blinked furiously, unable to look at Lord Dericott.

After a few moments of silence while Audrey got herself under control, Lord Dericott said, “We can do something about that. I’ll make inquiries with your father and find out where she is. And if she is willing, I will bring her here.”

“You would do that?”

“Of course. It would be my pleasure and would be no trouble.”

In spite of what he said, what he proposed to do would cause him at least some trouble. But she wanted Sybil to be safe and protected so much that she could not refuse.

“You are so very kind.” The truth of her statement made her heart constrict. He was. So very kind. God could not have provided a better benefactor. Tears threatened again.