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Dalton looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. Teresa, wearing an alluring rose-colored dress he didn't recall seeing before, was sweeping into the room.
He smiled. "Tess, darling. What brings you up here?"
"I came to catch you with a mistress."
"What?"
She went past his desk to pause and gaze out the window. A green velvet sash gathered the waist of the dress, accentuating her curves. He envisioned his hands where the sash embraced her.
"I was pretty lonely last night," she said as she watched people out on the lawns.
"I know. I'm sorry, but there were messages I had to-"
"I thought you were with another woman."
"What? Tess, I sent you a message, explaining that I had to work."
She turned to him. "When you sent- word you would be working late, I didn't think much of it. You've been working late every night. But when I woke up and it was almost dawn, and you weren't there beside me… well, I thought sure you were in the bed of another woman."
"Tess, I wouldn't-"
"I thought of going and throwing myself at Lord Rahl, just to get even, but he has the Mother Confessor and she's more beautiful than me, so I knew he would just laugh and turn me away.
"So, I got dressed and came up here, just to be able to say I knew you weren't really working, when you later lied and told me you were. Instead of an empty office, I saw all your messengers scurrying around like they were preparing to go off to war. I saw you in here handing out papers, issuing orders. You really were working. I watched for a while."
"Why didn't you come in?"
She finally glided over to him and settled herself into his lap. She put her arms around his neck as she gazed into his eyes.
"I didn't want to bother you when you were busy."
"But you aren't a bother, Tess. You're the only thing in my life that isn't a bother."
She shrugged. "I was ashamed to have you know I thought you were cheating on me."
"Then why now confess it?"
She kissed him, with a kiss only Tess could give, breathless, hot, wet. She pulled back to smile as she watched him look down her cleavage.
"Because," she whispered, "I love you, and I miss you. I just got my new dress. I thought it might tempt you to my bed."
"I think you more beautiful than the Mother Confessor."
She gri
He patted her bottom as she stood. "I'll be along shortly."
A
Alessandra, at first taken by surprise, had said, "No, why should it?"
Sitting on the bare ground inside her grimy tent, A
She prayed that Alessandra would feel just a ray of warm Light, and open her heart to it.
When she finished, she reached as far as the chains would allow and kissed toward her ring finger in fidelity to the Creator, to whom she was symbolically wedded.
She knew Alessandra would recall the indescribable satisfaction of praying to the Creator, of opening your heart in thanks to the one who had given you your soul. There were times in the life of every Sister when she had quietly, privately, piously wept with the joy of it.
A
Alessandra had pledged that soul, given by the Creator, to the Keeper of the underworld-to evil. A
"Thank you, Alessandra. That was kind of you to let me say my prayer before I eat."
"Nothing kind to it," the woman said. "Simply gets the food down easier so I can get on with my other business."
A
CHAPTER 54
"What are we going to do?" Morley whispered.
Fitch scratched his ear. "Hush, I'm pla
Fitch had no idea what to do, but he didn't want Morley to know that. Morley was impressed that Fitch had found the place. He had come to depend on Fitch knowing what to do.
Not that there was that much to know. Mostly they rode hard. They had all that money Dalton Campbell had given them, so they didn't have to know much. They could buy food; they didn't have to hunt it, or gather it. They could buy any gear they needed; they didn't have to fashion it themselves.
Fitch had learned that money went a long way toward making up for what a person didn't know. Having grown up on the streets of Fairfield, he did know how to guard his money, and how to keep from being cheated, robbed, or tricked out of it. He was careful with the money, never using it to buy flashy clothes or anything that would make it look like they were worth knocking over the head, or worse.
The one surprise was that no one much cared that they were Hakens, or even seemed to know. They were treated decent by most folks, who thought them polite young men.
Fitch didn't let Motley talk him into buying drinks at i
Morley had wanted to spend some money on whores at one town they went through, but Fitch didn't want to. He finally gave in and let Morley do it, being as the money was his, too. Fitch had waited with their horses and other things outside town. He knew what sometimes happened to travelers coming into Fairfield to visit prostitutes.
Afterward, a gri
Morley, he was big and strong, and manly. Women wouldn't laugh at Morley. Beata used to always laugh at Fitch. He didn't want to have some woman he didn't even know start laughing at his ski
He finally decided he didn't want to risk his purpose, or waste any of their money on it. He didn't know how much it would cost to get to where they were going and feared ru
As it turned out, he needn't have worried about money. They hadn't spent much at all-not compared with what they had. The money had helped make it a swift journey. With money, they could trade for fresh horses and keep going without having to care for the animals by slowing their pace.
Morley shook his head. "All this way, and here we are stuck this close."
"I said hush. You want to get us caught?"
Morley fell silent, except for scratching his stubble. Fitch wished he had more than a few hairs on his chin. Morley had a beard coming in. Fitch sometimes felt like a kid next to Morley, with his broad shoulders and stubble all over his face.