Read The Blight of Muirwood for Free Online

before walking again. The kitchen door opened and she heard his boots on the grass behind her. She was mortified beyond anything. This was worse than Reome’s teasing her about Duerden over and over. Worse than Getman’s contempt towards her and his grinning leers at Sowe. She kept walking as fast as she could, but he caught up with her before she made it around the corner of the kitchen into the shadows where the moon could not reveal her disfigurement.
    “Lia, wait!”
    His voice. She had starved to hear his voice again. For nearly a year, she had waited for him to return to Muirwood, to explain himself. To apologize. For weeks after Whitsunday, she had prepared little speeches in her mind. Not a single word from any of them came to her.
    Fool, fool, fool! she cursed herself. She was a hunter! She should have noticed the signs that something was different. Careless. So careless in her exhaustion. Stopping suddenly, she turned in time to see Colvin reaching out to grab her cloak.
    “Do not touch me!” she screeched at him. She flung her cloak behind her, knowing it was still infected with the sap’s poison. She took two steps backwards and swallowed heavily, trying to find her voice through the humiliation. He stopped, stunned, his eyes widening with shock and hurt.
    “Please…please do not touch me,” she said and groaned at herself.
    His voice was stern. “Show me your face.”
    She shook her head violently and backed away further. “Go. Please go.”
    “What happened to your face?”
    “I cannot see you. Not like this.”
    “I do not care what you look like! You have seen me at my worst before.”
    She said nothing.
    “Can I see you tomorrow?”
    She nodded lamely.
    Pasqua’s voice bellowed from the doorway. “Lia! Child! Where are you! Lia?” She sounded frantic.
    “We are guests at the Abbey,” Colvin announced. “There is so much I have to tell you. So much to explain. I am sorry, Lia. I truly am. I will see you tomorrow.”
    He hesitated before leaving her, his hand slowly clenching and unclenching. She had seen that gesture so many times during their moments together. Then he turned and walked back to the kitchen, his voice low when he spoke to Pasqua. “She is around the corner. Edmon. We must go. Now.”
    Lia crumpled and leaned against the kitchen wall, unable to stop tears from burning her eyes. She hated crying! She buried her face in her hands and wept, struggling to understand her feelings. For though she was embarrassed and humiliated and undone with tiredness and shock, yet Colvin had finally returned to Muirwood. He had come as he had promised. She was not prepared for how strong the relief would feel.
    That he had not forgotten her after all.
     

CHAPTER FOUR:
Colvin
     
     
    Lia wrung water from her crinkly damp hair, regretting that its color was not as fashionable as Sowe’s as her friend began coaxing tangles out of it with a comb. It was always a battle taming her hair. Bryn brought over a tray of bread, cheese, nuts, and a cup of cider. Lia’s body was still wet from bathing, still stung from the scrubbing of the lye soap, but the spare dress was warm and soft and she felt less constricted without her hunter leathers, which were in a basket waiting for her to purge them the next morning. With a thought, she caused the Leering by the ovens to flare hotter, helping fight the evening chill. The other two glanced at the sudden spurt of flames, but were used to her doing it.
    Lia ate quickly for she was starving. She looked up at Bryn and said between mouthfuls, “How long are they staying?”
    Bryn did a bouncy step and a twirl. “A year. Maybe more. What Pasqua said is that we are to feed the Aldermaston’s guests until they leave. They are not going to eat at the learner kitchen. Since they will be staying at the manor, we are to prepare the food ourselves and let no stranger into the kitchen. Ever.” She stopped amidst another twirl. “With the battle won and the old king