“And what about me, Matthew? How will she be with me?” Alys asked, finally voicing her concerns. Alys and Bess had never been friendly, instinctively avoiding each other as rivals often did.
Matthew looked down at her, his blue gaze warm and understanding. “Don’t challenge her, Alys, and she’ll be good to ye. Let her have her way.”
Alys nodded. Matthew was right, as usual. “Ye have such an uncomplicated view of the world, Matthew,” she said.
“When ye strip away the pride and artifice, people are simple creatures at heart. Figure out what they want, and they’ll be eating from the palm of yer hand.”
“And what do ye want?” Alys asked, looking up at him shyly. Surely he needed more than to go to work with his father and come home to his mother.
“Same as Bess—freedom.”
“But ye have freedom; ye’re a man,” Alys replied, not quite understanding what Matthew was referring to.
“No man is free as long as he has a lord over him, or a father who will exercise his will, regardless of his son’s feelings.”
“But yer father’s never been cruel to ye.”
“Nor has he been kind,” Matthew replied. “There’s more to being a good father than sparing the strap. Now come on, we should get back to the party or our families will have us before the priest in no time.”
“Would that be so terrible?” Alys asked, her voice small, her gaze searching Matthew’s face.
“Ye don’t want me for a husband, Alys,” Matthew said. “Ye should forge yer own path, as will I.” A note of defiance had crept into his words, but she couldn’t fathom what had brought on his sudden change of mood.
Chapter 4
Alys spent the next week following Matthew’s advice. She bit back every observation, every retort, and every bit of criticism, which wasn’t easy, since Bess had been spoiled by her doting mother and didn’t know much about running a household. She was wasteful and slovenly and had wisely relegated the cooking to Alys after burning the porridge to cinders and then serving Will meat that was scorched on one side and nearly raw on the other. Instead of seeing to her chores, Bess had examined every item in the house, making an inventory of her newfound possessions. She even went through Alys’s things, taking a silver ring that had belonged to her mother and slipping it on her own finger. For Alys, that was the last straw.
“Yer wife has taken Mother’s ring,” Alys cried as she confronted Will at the forge. Will had sat down on a bench in the corner to eat the dinner Alys had prepared.
“It is her right,” Will replied calmly as he crumbled his bread and mixed it into the stew.
“Mother left it to me,” Alys snapped. She felt the prickle of tears and a lump had formed in her throat, but she wasn’t going to act like a child. “I want it back.”
“Ye’ll have a new ring soon,” Will replied.
“How’s that, then?”
“John Selby came to see me yesterday. He wishes to marry ye.”
“But I don’t wish to marry him,” Alys replied, stunned that Will hadn’t said anything until now.
“Bess thinks he’ll be a good husband to ye.”
“She would, wouldn’t she?” Alys cried. “She just wants me gone.”
“Now, why would ye say a thing like that, Alys? That’s unkind.”
“Unkind?” Alys gaped at her brother. Did he even live in the same house, or was he so smitten with his bride and her welcoming quim that he couldn’t see the wood for the trees?
“Alys, ye are of an age to be married, and John Selby is a good man. He’ll take care of ye,” Will explained patiently.
“Like he took care of the other two?” Alys hurled back.
“Don’t ye dare question the will of God, Alys. John is not to blame. He’s in need of a wife, and ye’re clearly in need of a husband. I’ve been too lenient with ye, on account of yer grief for Father. But it’s time ye were wed. I’ve given my consent.”
“Without speaking to me?” Alys was trembling with rage. What was it Matthew had said about forging her own path? She hadn’t even been consulted on Will’s choice of husband for her.
“I consulted Bess, as is right and proper. I’m the head of the household, and she’s my lady.”
“And I’m nothing but unwanted baggage,” Alys snapped.
“Ye are a young woman whose duty it is to marry and give yer husband children.” Will’s expression softened as he looked at her. “Alys, it’s not as if ye have a sweetheart and I’m betrothing ye to another man, is it? I know ye care for Matthew, but he’s not inclined to marry.”
“Ye mean he’s not inclined to marry me,” Alys wailed. For all his outward indifference, Will knew exactly what was in her heart.
“I’m sorry he doesn’t love ye, but ye can’t waste the best years of yer life waiting for someone to see yer worth. Can ye?” Will added, smiling wistfully at her. “John is a good prospect. His farm is prosperous, and his children are young enough that they’ll never compare ye to their mother and find ye wanting. They’ll come to love ye, and ye’ll grow to care for them. They’ll be a help to ye once yer own children come.”
“So, yer mind is made up, then?” Alys asked.
“It is. John will speak to the vicar, and the banns will be read on Sunday. Seems
