Beyond a Doubt

chapter Twenty-Seven




The market was hectic. People threw packages of raw meat over Lucy and Bryce’s heads. Hawkers stood beside stands and argued loudly over the price of every item, from a piece of fruit to a bolt of cloth.

Packs of raw vegetables and a loaf of bread lay in Bryce's arms. Normally a man who enjoyed vast quantities of meat, Bryce would willingly give up his favorite food to leave this place behind.

Lucy slid through the crowd with ease. Her short stature and tiny frame allowed her to maneuver through the people and stalls. The largeness of his own body created a problem in the tight quarters. At one point the lass escaped his vision and an onset of trepidation took hold.

Taller than most individuals, Bryce scanned the ground from above. When he spotted a head of brown hair, he saw that it was Lucy haggling over a handful of apples. Bryce moved closer.

“Too much.”

“Nay, if you don’t buy it someone else will.”

“I doubt it. Everything here is bruised and half-rotted. You’ll be lucky if you can give this stuff away.”

When she turned her back to leave, the man called out, agreeing to her stated price. A smile of satisfaction flitted across her face as she added yet another item to Bryce's arms, already full of food.

The shopping took longer than expected, and by the time they finished both of them were exhausted. Bryce offered to assist with the cooking and Lucy agreed.

They worked alongside one another. The heat in the kitchen caused sweat to dot Lucy’s brow. Bryce found a rag and wet it. At first he thought to hand the piece over but as he watched Lucy, he realized he wanted to touch her.

With a gentle hand, he pulled her close. He pressed the cool cloth to her flushed skin. A sigh of contentment rushed past her parted lips.

Bryce favored each of her closed eyelids with a kiss. Feelings for Lucy swelled within him. Taking a step backward, he left a gap between them. He dropped his arms to his sides.

Lucy’s eyelids fluttered open. A tear slipped down her cheek which she quickly swiped away. Seeming to ignore the moment they shared, Lucy stood over the fireplace and stirred the food in the hanging pot. Bryce followed suit and continued to chop vegetables.

The food finished, they carried it to a large table in a richly decorated room. When they sat down for dinner each bowed their heads in silent prayer.

Bryce made sounds of enjoyment, complimenting Lucy. Bite after bite brought an overwhelming sense of flavor to his mouth. The meal consumed, he offered to clean up but Lucy staunchly refused.

“Nay. Go check on the horses. There should be some hay out back so you can feed them.”

Bryce reluctantly complied. Perhaps the lass needed time alone after their encounter. In fact, he needed time alone as well, time to think through the shared kiss and what it all meant. Was it possible he’d set things in motion that could never be taken back? Part of him hoped so.

First he piled hay within the stalls for the weary beasts. Then he rubbed down their shiny coats. Without the animals, travel would have taken forever. He offered a prayer of thanks for their existence.

The animals secure and fed, he hastened back inside. Pots of steaming water hung above the fireplace.

Humming came from the hallway, and Bryce followed the noise. Peering inside a tiny slit in a door that was opened a crack, Bryce saw Lucy. She had removed her gown and only her thin chemise remained. Her brown hair was pulled up and securely pinned upon her head, exposing the creamy top of one shoulder.

With his body unconsciously moving toward her, Bryce bumped the door and caused a creaking sound. Alerted, Lucy looked up. A smile spread wide across her face. “Bryce, I’ve prepared us a bath.”

The way the words tumbled from her mouth, her sense of sincerity, had him gawking like a fool. Lucy must have realized her mistake. Words bubbled from her throat incoherently as she struggled to correct herself.

“I mean, well, I filled a tub for you in your room and a tub for me here, in my own room.”

Bryce could feel the heat flood his face. Without comment he fled down the hall and barricaded himself in his suite of rooms.