The Brat Page 0,84

out to cover her with it as the men hurried to take the litter."

Osgoode nodded and added enviously, "She must love you very much to go to such ends to see you safe."

Balan paused and stared at his cousin. Love? Had it been love that made her drag him naked from the river to the castle? Could she really love him? The idea almost made him smile, but then he recalled that, had she loved him, surely she would be here when he woke. Which she wasn't.

"Where is my wife?" he asked with a growl.

"She went below to see if she could come up with something to help with your pain when you woke. She said your head would be splitting when you finally did." Seeing Balan's irritation, Osgoode added, "But she was most worried for your well-being and would not leave until both Cecily and I agreed to stay with you."

"Hmmmph." Balan shifted in the collapsed bed. He supposed her leaving to see to his comfort was acceptable. And insisting upon two people to watch him was good. It showed more care and concern than asking only one to stay. Still, he wished she'd been here when he'd first opened his eyes. Actually, he wished she'd been there with something for his pain. The dratted woman was right - his head was splitting.

"Do you remember what happened?" Osgoode asked suddenly.

"How did you end up falling in the river and hitting your head?"

"I did not fall in the river and hit my head," he announced grimly. "Someone crept up behind me and hit me over the head. I fell in the river ... or perhaps they pushed me in after. Whichever the case, this was no accident."

Osgoode sat back on the mattress, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. They were all three on the straw-stuffed mattress on the floor. Balan lay on his back in the middle, and the maid and Osgoode were seated on either side. There were no chairs in the room.

"You do not think Murie - ," Osgoode began.

"Osgoode!" Balan snapped and regretted it at once. Clutching his head, he said through gritted teeth, "You have just finished telling me that my wife stripped naked and dragged me back up the path to the castle to save my life. Do not dare suggest the woman tried to kill me first and then tried to save me. Should you be foolish enough to do so - aching head or no aching head - I shall rise up out of this bed and strike you down."

"Nay, of course not," Osgoode said quickly. "It was just a thought."

Balan started to shake his head with disgust, but paused with a grimace at the pain that engendered. Shifting impatiently in bed, he muttered, "Where is my wife?"

"Very well, I have arranged it so that Cecily and Osgoode stay by my husband's side. Now, what is it that was so important you had to drag me away when he most needs me?" Murie asked, her gaze sliding over the group gathered at the castle wall. Everyone was there: Gatty, her son and two daughters, Juliana, Clement, Thibault and every last one of the soldiers as far as she could tell. Murie supposed they'd chosen the wall to avoid leaving it unmanned, while also avoiding leaving anyone out. That fact made her curious, but - much to her exasperation - no one was answering her question; instead they were all avoiding looking at her and shifting uncomfortably.

Murie knew what the problem was, of course. They had seen her naked as the day she was born and were now embarrassed in her presence. She understood, though she did wonder that they should be reacting thus when she was the one who should be squirming. However, odd as it might seem, their very discomfort eased her own, and she was the only one not blushing.

"Anselm?" she asked finally. As the man Balan left in charge of Gaynor when he was away, the soldier seemed the most likely leader of this procession.

The man hesitated, his eyes skating to her and then away as if she were still naked rather than in a clean new gown of pale cream. She was about to prompt him again when he spoke.

"We have been thinking, my lady," he started. "And it occurred to us that the only people on the journey between court and Reynard were Lord and Lady Reynard, their men-at-arms, the Reynards' servants, your maid, Cecily, and Osgoode."

"Aye," Murie murmured, knowing