only just, for though she had no idea what the cause of the quarrel was between England and France, like every man, woman and child in England, she'd heard the rumours that the hated French were threatening to invade and, if they succeeded, would rampage through the countryside burning the villages, raping the women and slaughtering the children. Any Englishman who helped the French must be as wicked as they were.
Elena glanced up at Raffaele's stony profile and swallowed hard.
'Master Raffaele,' she whispered.
He didn't give any indication he had heard her. She raised her voice a little.
'I heard two men talking in Lady's Anne's chamber this evening. She wasn't there and I'd gone to fetch ... I thought the room would be empty. I heard men's voices coming from inside. I didn't mean to listen.'
Raffe turned to look at her, frowning. 'In Lady Anne's chamber? Were they trying to steal from her? You should have called me at once if there were strangers in the manor.'
'No,' Elena said hastily. 'They weren't thieves. At least, I don't think they were; they were just talking. But... it was about a ship, a French ship . . . coming here bringing men.'
Master Raffaele abruptly stopped and whirled to face her. 'Are you sure? Tell me everything. Tell me exactly what you heard.'
Elena told him all she could recall of the conversation she had heard. She knew her account was garbled and he had to prompt her many times to get the whole story, but she could remember all the names they had mentioned. She had always been good at that.
Finally, Raffaele asked, 'These men, would you recognize them?'
Elena shook her head. 'I could only hear their voices. But they didn't talk like Gastmere men. I think maybe ... they came with Lord Osborn.'
'And you are sure they didn't know they were being overheard?'
Despite the bitter cold, Elena felt her cheeks grow hot. 'I don't know ... I bumped into the door afore I ran off. They must have heard the thump, because one of them opened the door and called after me. But I didn't dare to turn round to see who he was.'
Raffaele grabbed her shoulders, almost lifting her off her feet. His face was creased with alarm. 'Are you saying that these men saw you?'
Elena flinched, trying to pull away from him. 'He couldn't have seen my face, but he might have seen my back. Will he ... do you think they'll come after me?'
The thought had not occurred to her before. She glanced fearfully back up the road towards the manor. When the man had not pursued her out into the courtyard, she assumed that he had thought her not worth bothering with. But now, when she saw the fear on Master Raffaele's face, she realized that what she had overheard could put her in grave danger.
Raffaele relaxed his grip on her shoulders and awkwardly tried to pat her arm as if she was a child. 'They didn't see your face, that's good, but it is as well you left tonight. Sooner or later they would have run into you if you'd stayed in the manor, and if they'd recognized your kirtle or your ...' He briefly touched her red curls.
Elena was shivering and not just from the biting cold.
'Come now,' Raffaele said in a more gentle tone than he had used all evening, 'I must get you inside before you freeze to death.'
Raffe did not trust himself to speak again until they reached the door of Athan's cottage. The village of Gastmere was silent, even the dogs were too deeply asleep or too cold to bother to bark at the footsteps crunching on the frozen mud. Here and there a few thin slivers of light from rush candles slid out between the shutters or cracks in the doors, but most had long been extinguished.
Elena hesitated before the door. 'Will you come in for a warm, Master Raffaele, afore you go?'
He backed away, bringing his hand up across his face as if to shield himself. It was more than he could bear to see that virile young man take Elena in his arms, to glimpse the bed where tonight they might. . .
'Elena, remember, I am still your friend. If you need help, if you need anything, come to me.'
The words blurted out of his mouth before he could stop them. He strode rapidly away, not even turning round to watch her enter the house.
His head was throbbing as if