by Alexa Aston
At the stables, she asked a stable boy to saddle her horse. She mounted Destiny with his assistance and he wished her a good day.
The early November day proved overcast and damp. Merryn was glad she’d chosen to ride and not walk since rain might fall soon. Her horse galloped across the meadow, taking her favorite shortcut to Kinwick. She spent many hours in this meadow and surrounding forest, gathering herbs and flowers. Merryn had first come here with Sephare, the healer at Wellbury. Sephare had passed on her knowledge of herbs and plants to Merryn and taught her which ones could be used to cure various ailments.
Merryn took the lessons to heart. Her reputation as a knowledgeable healer grew every year.
She reined in Destiny and came to a halt as she approached Kinwick. The castle’s beauty always moved her. One day she would serve as its mistress. Pride swelled within her. Kinwick and its surrounding lands had some of the best farmland in the south of England. It would be a privilege to live there as a de Montfort.
Though many betrothed girls moved from their own family homes to live with the family they’d marry into, her father and Lord Ferand decided against that action. Merryn’s mother had died in childbirth when Merryn was three years old. The men thought it best for her to remain at Wellbury during Geoffrey’s absence abroad and use her woman’s touch to help maintain the estate as she grew older.
The skies darkened. Before Merryn could nudge her horse on, she heard hoof beats approaching in the distance. A rider topped the hill and stopped. She would know him anywhere. His profile. The way he sat on his horse.
Geoffrey had finally come home.
Her heart sang as she heeled her mare forward. Destiny took off like the wind, bringing her closer to her beloved.
“Merryn!”
She heard her name and watched him gallop toward her. Her heart beat fast. Would he be the same? Would he still care for her? She’d adored him since she was a child. The sweet memory of their kiss had sustained her these past five years.
They reached one another. He leapt from his saddle as she dropped her reins. Before she could dismount, he grabbed her waist and pulled her from her horse.
His mouth crashed down on hers, with hunger and longing. In desperate need. Merryn wrapped her arms about his neck. He parted her lips with his tongue and plunged in, his mouth dominating hers, his arms tightening about her.
Her knees weakened as he left her breathless. Suddenly, he swept her off her feet. His mouth never left hers as he twirled round and round, joy evident on his face.
Merryn grew dizzy.
Geoffrey finally slowed and broke the kiss. He set her back on her feet. He gazed at her so lovingly, she knew nothing had changed.
Except it had.
Her entire body vibrated with need. His kisses had awakened something within her.
“I thought you’d never come home,” she said breathlessly.
“I thought I’d never be here.” He laughed. “But I am.” He pulled her close.
Her breasts pressed against his broad chest. They seemed so sensitive beneath her smock and kirtle.
Warmth flooded her as she rested her cheek against his chest. Finally, Geoffrey pulled away.
“I am home for good, my love. And I have so much to tell you.”
“What? Tales of war?” Killing did not interest Merryn, but she sensed his need to speak of it. “Tell me,” she urged, wanting to be supportive.
“You should have seen the action at Poitiers. Our archers fired arrows in a dizzying shower at our enemy.” His hazel eyes lit with excitement. “They couldn’t penetrate the invincible French armor, so they went for the flanks of the horses.”
She stiffened. “They shot the horses?”
“Aye, in their flanks. We stopped their cavalry charge that way. As their horses fell, so did their battle lines. It devastated their troops. The French bastards never penetrated the protective hedge we used to our advantage.”
It saddened her to think of so many slaughtered animals, as well as the men.
“Our infantry decimated them after that in fierce combat. Our infantry moved in. Combat proved fierce. The Black Prince’s strategy counted on a large reserve of soldiers concealed deep within a nearby wood. While Englishmen attacked from the front, these hidden soldiers circled around and attacked the French from the sides and their rear. The Dauphin and two of the king’s other sons fled, while King Jean and his son, Philip, remained and fought.”
“We have heard that King Jean was captured. That he will be held for ransom in London.”
“Aye, indeed.” He kissed her hard. “’Tis why I’m here. The war is over.”
Joy filled her. “And we can marry now?”
He grinned. Though he was a battle-hardened man full of experiences she might never understand, he had come home, to her.
“As soon as possible, my love.”
Geoffrey captured her mouth with his again. Merryn returned the kiss with enthusiasm. She never realized when the rain came.
Chapter 4
Merryn danced around her bedchamber with joy, wearing her new silver smock. ’Twas her wedding day. It marked a new life, being joined with the man her father had chosen as her husband. She tamped down the grief that passed through her suddenly, knowing her father would not be present to witness the happy occasion. Instead, she thanked Christ Almighty that Geoffrey’s parents, Lord Ferand and Lady Elia, were still alive to celebrate with them.
Geoffrey’s father frightened her at times with his gruff manner, but Lady Elia had mothered her from the time she was small. She looked forward to living in their household and being a daughter to them.
Geoffrey had arrived home taller and more handsome than she remembered. His dark hair, still thick, curled at the nape of his neck. She would play with it tonight. Run her fingers through it. Touch his hard, muscled body. Join with him so that they became one.
She understood love play. The old healer had taught her not only about using herbs to heal but also what passed between a man and a woman. Merryn knew her heart would show her the way so that she would please her new husband. Already, his kisses filled her with need.
Tonight that need would be satisfied.
A knock sounded at her chamber door. Tilda entered carrying the midnight blue cotehardie Merryn would don for the nuptial mass. It was the first time she had seen it.
“Oh, it’s lovely, Tilda. I thank you for every stitch you made.”
The servant nodded curtly, but Merryn saw the tears glistening in the older woman’s eyes. “Let’s get you dressed, my lady.”
Merryn raised her arms and allowed Tilda to slip the cotehardie over her head. The silk garment rippled like water.
The servant smoothed the material. “Blue is for purity.”
The gown matched the blue garter she wore on her leg, another symbol of bridal purity. She’d shown it to Geoffrey, who’d teased that her sapphire-colored eyes would turn green once they’d wed, since green was the color of love.
Remembering his words caused her cheeks to heat. She had daydreamed about Geoffrey so often. Yet, upon his return, his kisses were nothing like the ones they’d previously shared. They told her how much he desired her. In the two weeks before their wedding, they’d shared many kisses. Merryn had already learned much about how pleasurable kissing could be.
Geoffrey promised her the best was yet to come.
Tilda helped guide her feet into her new shoes and finished fussing over her by placing a circlet of gold atop her long, chestnut hair. The servant stepped back and studied her appearance.
“You are a beautiful bride, my lady.” She wiped another tear away.
“Are you sad to see me leave Wellbury, Tilda?”
“You’ll be close by. Once we get your brother married off, we’ll see you more often.”
“Did I hear something about my bride?”
Merryn turned and saw Hugh smiling from the doorway. He’d returned to Wellbury two days after Geoffrey came back. The men had
been thick as thieves, reliving stories of the war. She was happy that her brother would be present at her wedding.
“You look most handsome, Hugh.”
He approached and took her hands. “You, my dearest sister, are exquisite. Geoffrey is a lucky man.” He kissed her cheek. “You have a gentle spirit, Merryn. I hope the woman I marry will be the same.”
Hugh’s intended died from a fever while he was away. He’d only met the girl briefly, so it did not surprise her that he seemed unaffected by her death.
Before she knew it, Merryn found herself being led to the church. The minstrels guided her along the path as they played a merry tune. The people of Wellbury fell in behind her and were joined by those from Kinwick and the village beyond. She even recognized a few guests from Winterbourne, but didn’t see the Earl of Winterbourne among them. The last she’d heard, he hadn’t returned yet.
Her father hadn’t liked the man and his absence did not bother her.
As they approached the closed doors of the church, Merryn saw the priest standing in front of them. Ferand and Elia were to his right.
But where was Geoffrey?
He appeared suddenly and her pulse quickened. He’d tamed his thick locks by brushing them back from his face. His hazel eyes sparkled as she drew closer. His broad shoulders filled his dark green gypon and cotehardie to perfection.
This glorious warrior would soon be her wedded husband.
A fluttering swept through her as her heart pounded loudly. She stopped in her tracks in order to catch her breath.
She wanted this man. Only him. For all time.
Geoffrey met her and slipped Merryn’s arm through his. She appeared to him to be a little off-balance and he wanted to steady her. Then he escorted his bride-to-be the last few feet to Father Dannet and signaled his cousin Raynor to move closer.
Raynor had proudly told Merryn the night before that he would serve as Geoffrey’s best man. Tradition held that the best swordsman stood by the groom to make sure a wedding would not be interrupted. Raynor had promised she and Geoffrey would find wedded bliss on his watch. Merryn saw Raynor surveying the crowd, taking his role as best man seriously.
“Are you of age?” the priest asked them.
“Aye,” they both replied.
“Do ye have parental consent?”
“Aye.”
“And finally, are ye related in any way by law?”
“Nay,” they responded.
The priest nodded solemnly, satisfied with their answers. “We shall begin.”
Geoffrey’s fingers entwined with hers as they stood next to one another, facing Father Dannet.
The next part of the rite involved reading what the dowry involved. Church law required it to be read aloud for those witnessing the ceremony. Merryn had perused the tedious contracts years earlier. She was eager for the priest to complete this portion and continue the ceremony.
“The coins?” the priest asked.
Raynor handed Geoffrey a small bag. He turned the bag over to Merryn.
“I give this to you, Merryn Mantel of Wellbury, to distribute to the needy. You shall do so as my wife.”
He’d explained to her that once they joined in matrimony, she would be responsible for the financial management of his affairs if he was gone from Kinwick. His responsibilities would increase once his father passed and the title came to him.
Merryn thanked Geoffrey and clutched the cloth bag in her left hand. His fingers again laced through those of her right.
Father Dannet gave a short homily.
She found her mind wandering to what their wedding night would hold.
“It’s time to exchange your vows,” the priest said.
Merryn faced her betrothed eagerly. Geoffrey was the most honorable man she knew. The words he would speak to her would bind them together for eternity.
“I, Geoffrey, take thee, Merryn, to wed.”
“I receive you.”
“I, Geoffrey, give my body to you in loyal matrimony.”
“I receive it.”
She repeated the same vows and the priest called for the wedding ring.
Geoffrey took the gold band and slipped it onto her thumb. “In the name of the Father.” He removed it and placed it on her first finger. “And of the Son.” He then changed fingers again. “And of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” He slid the ring onto the third finger of her hand, its final resting place. Merryn smiled at the symbol of her commitment to Geoffrey.
“With this ring, I thee wed. This gold and silver, I thee give. With my body, I thee worship, and with this dowry, I thee endow.” His eyes blazed with determination. She knew she married a good man who would keep these sacred vows.
Father Dannet nodded to her and she opened the bag of coins. The children present politely lined up in front of her to receive a coin a piece, which they would give to their fathers.
With the coins now distributed, the church doors opened.
Merryn and Geoffrey followed Father Dannet inside, the crowd following behind.
After the mass, the priest offered the kiss of peace to the groom. In turn, the groom offered it to his bride.
Geoffrey’s lips met hers. It reminded Merryn of their shared kiss five years ago. Simple. Sweet. Full of promise. And hope.
They parted. She gazed into his eyes, seeing contentment. She was now his wife.
The priest uttered the nuptial blessing and Geoffrey led her from the church. Once outside, he swung her around, pressing her back against the stone structure. His hands encircled her waist. Merryn gripped his shoulders. Geoffrey kissed her deeply, his tongue branding her as his.
Chapter 5
“If I eat another bite, I’ll burst!” Merryn proclaimed as a servant placed another platter before them.
“You said that after the cheese and eggs. Then after the boar’s head and pigeon. And after—”
“Enough!” she cried.
Geoffrey’s eyes filled with mischief. “So you think you’ve had your fill?” he asked.
She nodded.
He reached for her hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. “But my dearest wife, you haven’t had your fill . . . of me.” His lips brushed her earlobe, sending tingles down her spine. “I plan to fill you up all night. Every night.”
Merryn pushed him away playfully. “Do you enjoy being so outrageous?”
Geoffrey smiled. “Only with you.” He looked around the great hall. “I think we should slip away to our bedchamber while everyone continues to make merry.”
Raynor, Geoffrey’s cousin, suddenly knelt by her elbow. “I assume ’tis time to bed now that you’ve wed?”
Before she could reply, Raynor slipped a hand under her garments and ran it along her leg.
“Raynor!” Merryn slapped at him. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Raynor tugged until he slipped her garter down her leg and over her shoe. He held it up for Geoffrey to see. “Did you not tell her, Cousin?”
“Tell me what?” Merryn looked from one man to the other.
“It’s customary for the unmarried male guests to try and snatch the bride’s garter when the happy couple leaves the feast,” Geoffrey explained.
“Why would they do that?” She looked back at Raynor. “It’s not as if you would wear it.”
“Nay, my lady. But I would give it to another.”
Her husband put an arm around her. “If my cousin can find a woman he has an affection for, he may give her this blue garter as a sign that he will be faithful to her.”
Raynor gave Merryn a smile. “I didn’t want you to be embarrassed while you and Geoffrey left the great hall, my lady.” He rose. “I shall let everyone know that I have your garter in my possession. That way, you will be granted a peaceful departure.”
He headed across the room, twirling the garter on one finger, moving amongst the trestle tables to show off his prize.
“Let us make our escape while Raynor entertains the crowd,” Geoffrey told her.
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br /> Lord Ferand stopped them from leaving, delaying their exit by calling for final toasts in their honor. Lady Elia embraced Merryn and told her how happy they were to have her as their daughter.
At last, she and Geoffrey ascended the stairs to Geoffrey’s chamber—their chamber. Being married would take some getting used to, she thought.
Sconces with lit candles lined the walls of the corridor. A cold draft caused Merryn to shiver. Her new husband wrapped his arm about her waist and drew her close.
Merryn was happy to find the bedchamber warm, a fire blazing in the grate. Wine and cheese had been set out on the table between two chairs near the hearth. Geoffrey closed the door and faced her, a hungry expression on his face.
Nerves gobbled her up. What if she failed to please him, no matter how hard she tried?
Merryn tried to stifle her growing panic. She possessed intelligence and could read and figure numbers with ease. She understood about crops and how to make candles and weave tapestries. More than anything, her familiarity with herbs and practice with the sick had sharpened her skills as a healer.
But she now ventured into uncharted territory.
Geoffrey moved to the table and poured some wine for each of them. She took the pewter cup he handed her and drank nervously. She set the empty cup down and wandered around the room.
“Merryn,” he said softly. “I have something for you.” He pulled something from his pocket but kept it hidden in his hand. Her curiosity grew.
He cupped her cheek, the warmth of his touch a comfort.
“I provided gifts for our guests and the priest, but it’s customary for the groom to bestow a gift upon his bride, as well.”
“A gift?”
He caressed her face. “I am supposed to compensate you for your lost virginity.” Geoffrey encircled her waist and tugged her close, then dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose.
Merryn felt cherished in that moment. Her worries vanished. She might be inexperienced, but she knew her husband would take good care of her.
“I had this made in France.” He opened his right hand.