Chloe’s pov
I stood by the great stone hearth in the main hall, holding a warm cup of herbal tea that had long gone cold in my hands. Beside me, Ted sat on a wooden bench, his broad shirt unbuttoned so Lisa could apply fresh salve and linen wraps to the jagged sword s***h across his flank.
Over in the corner near the wide timber stairs, Alma sat in her high velvet chair. Nash’s mother looked frail, her pale face lined with worry, her dark eyes fixed on the front courtyard windows as she waited for news from the northern ravine.
A soft, hesitant rustle of skirts echoed from the dark corridor near the lower washhouse.
I turned my head sharply.
Tabitha stepped out into the hall. She wore her faded gray wool servant's dress, a damp shawl pulled over her shoulders. Her face was pale, her d
