Page 35 of Suddenly a Bride
Gwyneth smiled. “I am. Are you Mrs. Hardraw?”
“I never saw the other Lady Blackwell. Didn’t know he managed to catch another wife.”
She fought to keep her smile from faltering. “Might I give you a small gift?” She reached into her basket and offered a wrapped cake.
The woman stepped beyond the doorway to take the package, keeping the door closed behind her. She was dressed in a plain, sturdy gown, and she was obviously well fed, which said much about the success of the farm. She eyed Gwyneth, and Gwyneth smiled back.
“Do you have children, Mrs. Hardraw?” she asked, wondering what else she could talk about with such a reluctant woman.
She nodded slowly. “Three.”
“How wonderful! How old are they?”
In the few minutes they talked, Gwyneth pulled only a few facts from Mrs. Hardraw and only glimpsed a child’s smudged face, but she was thankful that the woman’s suspicion seemed to be retreating.
Until Edmund walked back up the path with Mr. Hardraw.
His wife pushed the child back, ducked inside, and firmly shut the door. Gwyneth stood there, feeling foolish as she stared at the closed door, then back at her husband.
Edmund’s look asked,What did you expect?Aloud he said, “Hardraw, my wife, Lady Blackwell.”
Mr. Hardraw clutched his hat between his hands and gave her an embarrassed nod. “Milady.”
Gwyneth smiled back. “Good day, Mr. Hardraw. Please tell your wife that I enjoyed our conversation and look forward to seeing her again.”
Edmund nodded to the farmer and turned toward his horse. Gwyneth quickly caught up.
“Can you use the wall to mount?” he asked.
She nodded and received a pleasurable surprise when he put his hands on her waist to boost her up. She was back in his lap in no time, and the height did not seem as frightening. As they trotted away, she waved toward the house in case someone was watching.
Feeling thoughtful, she rode in silence, leaning against his chest with a bit more confidence than she had before.
“Did she actually talk to you?” Edmund asked.
“Aye, she did, though it was a strangely coerced conversation.”
“I have never seen her before.”
She glanced up at him sharply, but he was staring over her head at the path that angled beside the river.
“Some women are shy,” she offered, watching his reaction.
One corner of his mouth tilted upward, but it wasn’t a smile. Was he implying that it was fear of himself that kept Mrs. Hardraw in her house when he came by?
Chapter 9
They spent the morning visiting farm after farm with varying degrees of success. Gwyneth met all the wives, while her husband collected the rents. Most women did not cower in their homes as Mrs. Hardraw had when Edmund approached, but their wariness was ever present, although they gladly accepted her gifts.
Children never made an appearance.
At each house, there was always a stone wall or stair-stoop for her to step on to mount The General. Only once did Edmund have to lift her straight up from the ground until she could reach the stirrup. She felt like a sack of wheat suspended in midair, and in her embarrassment, laughed up into his face.
He was not angry; in fact he seemed almost bemused. To Gwyneth’s amazement, she heard chuckles from the couple they were visiting and thought that the wife gave her a fond smile, such as one would bestow on a blissful bride and groom.
Gwyneth leaned sideways against Edmund and thought that that was an accomplishment of sorts.
“And what is our next destination?”
