She thought he didn't hide anything? He almost laughed, but it would only have been bitter, and more than a little unfair. Instead, he listened to her carefully, and at last nodded. "Well, I can't say you're wrong," he admitted, rather dryly. In fact, she'd just described Cuthbert better than he ever could. "If it's openness you want, Alain's more your man. But after the display downstairs, he knows you wouldn't let me be hurt." She had said she appreciated her honesty, and so he was honest: "If he had thought for a moment that you were disloyal, he would have let Henry shoot you, for all that he thinks well of you."
It wasn't much in the way of reassurance, and he knew it. But then, he had never pretended to be a reassuring man, only an honest one. He knew Bert, and he knew the depths of the other's ruthlessness when it came to protecting what he loved. He had seen it. Hell, he had been on the receiving end of it enough times.
"You had his respect from the moment you beat him on the range," he said after a moment. "You'll have his loyalty as long as I stand by you. But it's only now you've won his trust." A thin little twist of a smile, wry and sharp. "I'm telling you this because if he changes how he treats you more than an iota, I'll eat my hat. As for finding your footing... I've known him since we were both in swaddling, and he still throws me every so often. If ever you find solid ground with him, you'd better tell me, for it's a skill I could use." Again, not reassurance but honesty - and honesty delivered with a wry edge that was almost humour.
The humour was predictably short-lived. Settling down a little lower in the water, so his head was pillowed against her breasts, he looked up at her. "Next question. Have you killed?" Asked so casually he might as well have been asking what she liked for dinner.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2015-02-06 02:58 pm (UTC)It wasn't much in the way of reassurance, and he knew it. But then, he had never pretended to be a reassuring man, only an honest one. He knew Bert, and he knew the depths of the other's ruthlessness when it came to protecting what he loved. He had seen it. Hell, he had been on the receiving end of it enough times.
"You had his respect from the moment you beat him on the range," he said after a moment. "You'll have his loyalty as long as I stand by you. But it's only now you've won his trust." A thin little twist of a smile, wry and sharp. "I'm telling you this because if he changes how he treats you more than an iota, I'll eat my hat. As for finding your footing... I've known him since we were both in swaddling, and he still throws me every so often. If ever you find solid ground with him, you'd better tell me, for it's a skill I could use." Again, not reassurance but honesty - and honesty delivered with a wry edge that was almost humour.
The humour was predictably short-lived. Settling down a little lower in the water, so his head was pillowed against her breasts, he looked up at her. "Next question. Have you killed?" Asked so casually he might as well have been asking what she liked for dinner.