Free The Winter Love by April Munday

slightest that it might have been interesting to be watched by Henry as she undressed. No, that was definitely not something that she would think about.
    Having spread the wet and dirty clothes out on the trunk to dry, Eleanor took up her place beside Henry. Only then did she realise that she was still hungry. Deciding that going hungry would be better than confronting Edward again, she remained where she was and continued her prayers for the nuns she had left behind in the convent and for Henry’s continued protection.
     

Chapter Four
     
    That afternoon they arrived in Southampton. Eleanor heard the noise from the quay even before the ship stopped moving. People were shouting and waving from the quayside and the sailors were shouting and waving back. She wanted to go onto the deck to see what was happening, but she had no wish to go alone, so she contented herself with the little she could see from the cabin door.
    Some time after the ship had stopped moving Henry was able to stand and walk out onto the deck with her. It had stopped raining and she saw that they were moored next to the town wall, which seemed to rise straight out of the water. The sailors were unloading Edward’s cargo and it was being loaded into carts on the quay. There was a growing crowd of women and children gathering on the quayside and Eleanor guessed that they must be the sailors’ families. Every now and again one of them would break away from his work to take a woman into his arms or have a baby presented to him. Eleanor smiled; at least some of them were glad to be home.
    All along the quay were ships of different shapes and sizes. English was not the only language that she could he ar being shouted, but she knew no other language well enough to know what they were saying. Henry seemed to accept it all as normal, so she decided that she would, too.
    A thought occurred to her. “Do you live here as well?”
    “No, my home is about a day’s ride away to the north. Edward lives here, but our parents and my other brother live to the west in a place called Abbot’s Ridge. We will go to them tomorrow and you will remain there when I go to my own house.”
    “I am not to go with you?” Eleanor was dismayed. Henry was her one certainty in this world and now he was abandoning her. Worse, he was abandoning her to people she did not know. She reminded herself that a few days ago she had not known Henry, but it did not help.
    He turned to look at her. “It would not be proper for you to be in my house. I have been away for a year and I don’t know what I will find. I do know that I can’t protect you there, should it be necessary. My parents’ house is large and comfortable and is surrounded by a stone wall. You will be welcome there. Not,” he added quickly, “that you wouldn’t be welcome in my house. But you’ll be safe with them.”
    Eleanor looked away from him and up the wide river to where it disappeared into a forest. She would survive this, too. She had asked for none of this, but she was strong enough, she was certain of it. “When will I go back to the convent?”
    “I don’t know. I must make sure it is safe before you return.”
    “Do you know why those men wanted me?”
    “I have an idea, yes.”
    Eleanor waited, still looking away from him. When it became clear that Henry was going to say no more she asked, “Is it the same reason why you took me?”
    Henry pulled her round gently to face him and lifted her chin so that she had to look at him. “No, Eleanor, not for the same reason at all. I took you for your own protection. Do you believe that?”
    She nodded , certain that he was telling the truth. Could she then trust him to leave her with people who would look after her?
    “I think they would have done you harm, but I could not defend you against so many, so I had to bring you away. That was not my intention when I arrived.”
    He stopped and Eleanor knew better than to ask what he had intended. Instead she said,