Black Richard's Heart (The MacCulloughs #1) - Suzan Tisdale Page 0,90

for ye.” He placed the thick parchment in her hands.

“Me?” she asked, furrowing her brow.

Rory warmed himself by the fire. “The messenger said ’tis from yer mother.”

Worry and dread filled her stomach. Truly, she hadn’t expected her mother to write to her believing her father would have forbidden it.

“Can ye read, m’lady?” Rory asked.

She giggled softly at his question. “I do ken how to read. However, with me eyes the way they are, ’tis often difficult.”

“Would ye like me to read it to ye?”

Aeschene tucked the parchment into the pouch at her waist and politely declined his offer. “Nay, thank ye. I will ask Richard to.”

He bid her good day and quit the room, leaving Aeschene’s imagination to run rampant.

Aeschene did her best to wait patiently for her husband’s return. While he’d only been gone for the better part of a day, it felt like much longer. Most people would have remained indoors on such a blustery, rainy day as this one. But then, her husband wasn’t most people.

Intentionally, she did not tell Marisse about the letter. She worried her mother was writing to tell her that Tiberius had moved on with his life and had given his heart to someone else. That was not the type of news she wanted her friend to read. Matters of the heart needed to be handled with the utmost delicacy.

’Twas just before the evening meal when Richard finally returned home. Aeschene had been nervously pacing the floor of their bedchamber. When she heard him enter, she greeted him with a smile and a sigh of relief. “Och! I am so happy ye have returned!” she exclaimed.

Before entering the chamber, all he could think of was shedding his wet clothing, warming himself by the fire, and filling his growling stomach. He found his wife’s greeting more than just a bit odd. “What is the matter?” he asked as he sat on the small stool and began removing his boots.

Aeschene fidgeted with the pouch that hung at her waist.

After placing his boots by the fire to dry, he turned to study his wife more closely. “Aeschene?” he asked with a raised brow.

She pulled the letter from the pouch. “I received a letter from my mother today. I was wondering if ye might read it to me?”

Was this, perhaps, another way she was trying to prove herself to him? Here, read this letter from my mum to show ye I have naught to hide. ’Twas a strong possibility.

“Why?” he asked with a raised brow.

Aeschene gave him a look that questioned his intelligence. “While I ken verra well how to read, my mother is infamous for writing in a verra small hand.”

He chuckled slightly. In truth, he wanted nothing more than wash, change his clothing, and hurry downstairs to eat.

“Why did ye nae ask Marisse to read it?”

“I worry there will be news about Tiberius,” she said.

He waited for further insight but it wasn’t coming. “And that would be bad, why?”

“My brother was verra much in love with Marisse. I believe she loved him as well. If there is news that Tiberius has moved on with his life, I want her to learn it from me, not read it in a letter.

Although he was hungry, cold and tired, he found himself unable to deny her request. “Allow me to shuck out of these wet clothes, then I will read it to ye.”

“Thank ye, Richard,” she said with a smile.

As quickly as he could, he washed up in the basin and put on fresh clothes. He lit another candle and sat it on the table before taking the parchment from her hands. He took one look at the letter and realized his wife was right. ’Twas mayhap the smallest handwriting he’d ever seen. Either that, or his vision was worsening with age.

Clearing his throat, he held the letter close to his eyes and began to read.

My dearest daughter,

I am certain Marisse will be reading this letter to ye. Know that I am thankful that ye are there with my daughter, Marisse. It does give me some comfort in knowing she is not alone.

To my daughter: I hope this letter finds ye well. ’Tis the truth I miss ye and worry about ye every waking hour and pray that God is keeping ye safe.

Broswile has just announced she is with child.

“Who is Broswile?” Richard asked as he looked up from the parchment.

“My eldest brother’s wife,” Aeschene said. While she didn’t know Broswile well, thanks to her incarceration in the