Brides of the North: A Medieval Scottish Romance Bundle

by Kathryn Le Veque

  “Where are her pets?” he asked.

  “In bed, with her.”

  Satisfied that the girl was safe and warm, and the pets were also, he turned back to Diamantha.

  “I am sorry it took so long to return,” he said. “Were you waiting up for me?”

  Diamantha grinned. “Who else would I be waiting for?”

  Cortez returned her grin, rather flattered by her teasing answer. “Me, I had hoped,” he confirmed. Then, he pointed at the bed. “Please, be seated. I have a story to tell you.”

  Obediently, Diamantha sat on the small bed, hardly big enough for the two people who were going to soon be sleeping on it. She looked up expectantly at Cortez, who seemed strangely nervous. He was dressed for travel, in his mail coat, tunic and breeches, with his big broadsword strapped to his side. He began to fidget with his broadsword, unfastening it from his waist.

  “As you know, I wanted to purchase a wedding ring for you,” he said as he pulled at the sword. “When I went back into the town tonight, most of the merchants were closing down as Matins approached. However, I found one merchant who seemed willing to do business, even in the face of sin. Of course, it helped when I put a gold crown into his hand simply as an incentive to let me look his wares over.”

  Diamantha giggled. “You bribed the man to risk his immortal soul?”

  Cortez nodded. “It was either bribe him or beat him,” he said, a twinkle in the dark eyes. “He took the bribe.”

  Diamantha couldn’t fault the man his determination. “I see,” she said. “Continue with your story. I am growing intrigued.”

  He could see the mirth in her eyes as he went on. “The man had any and all manner of goods,” he said. “I looked at his cookware and jars, but thought that would not be a good wedding gift. Nothing says ‘thank you for becoming my wife’ better than an iron pot and, by the way, go cook my supper, you silly wench.”

  Diamantha’s giggles increased. He was a very animated and humorous story teller. “You didn’t get one for me, did you?”

  Cortez was starting to chuckle, laughing because she was. She had such charming laughter.

  “Nay, I did not, but I will admit I was tempted,” he pretended to warn her as he continued. “I looked at fabric, wooden dogs, and small houses for birds. Then, I finally told him why I was there and he pulled out a vast array of jewelry. It would seem the man has family in Rome, and they send him valuable things to sell. He had a great array of Roman jewelry, things I had never seen before. When I told him I wanted to purchase a wedding ring, he presented me with what the Romans used to call a Posey Ring. It was odd, truly. The moment he showed the ring to me, I knew it was meant for you. It looked like something you should wear. In fact, I told him I would take it before I looked at anything else, so strongly did I feel about it. But then he showed me the inscription on the inside of the band. And that is when I knew… it was divine providence, my lady. That ring spoke to me and told me that it belonged to you. To us. So I bought it.”

  By now, Diamantha’s giggles had faded because he seemed so serious. He seemed almost philosophical and mystical about the ring and she was growing increasingly eager to see it. Before she could ask, he dug into his scabbard and pulled forth a tiny silk pouch. Opening the pouch, he pulled out a band of dark gold. Then he sat on the bed beside her, holding the ring up in the dim light.

  “You see this?” he asked, pointing to the exterior of the rather wide band. “There are flowers worked all around the band. That is why it is called a Posey Ring; it was an engagement ring of sorts, when young Roman men would purchase these rings for the women they loved in the hopes that the women would marry them. Posey Rings were meant for young women who loved flowers, considered a very feminine and fertile symbol. But this ring has something more, it has an inscription on the inside. The young man who had this ring made for his ladylove was a determined young man, indeed.”

  Diamantha was fascinated by the wide gold band with its array of intricate flowers all around it. It was truly a lovely piece. “Why?” she asked, gazing at the band. “What does the inscription say?”

  Cortez turned it sideways, pointing at the Latin writing on the inside of the band. “It says quaerenti tibi est.”

  “What does that mean?”

  He took her left hand and sliding the ring down over her third finger. It was a snug fit, but not too snug. In fact, it was rather perfect. Then he looked up, gazing into her miraculous dual-colored eyes.

  “It means my quest is you,” he said softly. “The young man who had this ring made must have been pursuing his young lady rather strongly, much as I have been pursing you. My quest is you. But more than that, you and I are on a quest to find Robert. It could also mean that your quest is Robert. But I like to look at it from my perspective. My quest is you, Lady Diamantha. Now do you see why I had to have it?”

  Diamantha was astonished. She held the ring up, looking so lovely on her slender finger, her wide-eyed gaze moving between the ring and Cortez. “It truly says that?”

  “Truly.”

  She looked at the ring again, admiring the craftsmanship. “That is truly one of the most remarkable stories I have ever heard,” she said, duly impressed. “What a story it will be to tell our children.”

  He just sat there, watching her as she looked at the ring. Then, he scratched his neck rather awkwardly. “As things stand, the event of children would be something of a miracle.”

  She looked up at him curiously. “What do you mean?”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Children are not born when two people merely sit on a bed as we are,” he said, somewhat ironically. “There has to be a little more to it.”

  Diamantha should have been embarrassed by his inference of the lack of intimacy between them but she wasn’t. He was correct. With a grin, she looked back at her ring.

  “Ah, yes,” she said, nodding knowingly. “We may have to actually make more of an effort.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  “It is also true that this is not a legitimate marriage until we consummate it.”

  “That is my feeling as well.”

  “Then mayhap we should get on with it.”

  Cortez was careful in his reply. “I do not want to force you to do something you are not ready to do,” he said quietly. “We have only been married for two days, and we have only been re-acquainted with each other for three.”

  She looked at him as if scrutinizing him. “Is this the same Cortez de Bretagne who charged into George’s solar to inform me that I was to be his bride?”

  “The same.”

  “Yet your forcefulness has significantly diminished,” she noted, feigning suspicion. “Why?”

  He sighed faintly and looked away. “You are my wife now,” he said, trying to explain something he didn’t quite understand himself. “I suppose in my own way I am trying to be considerate of you. It is not easy for me, I assure you. It is my desire to have my way in all things. I have already forced you into a marriage you did not want. I do not want to push you into other things to the point that you would hate me for it. That is not how I wish for our marriage to be.”

  Diamantha studied his masculine profile, his comely good looks. She was starting to see much more to the man than just his handsome features. She was coming to see that beneath that selfish exterior lay a man of feeling and of compassion. A truly selfish man would not have backed away from his pursuit, leading her to understand that perhaps Cortez was not as selfish as he believed himself to be. He had the capacity to put others first, which was a rare commodity.

  “How do you wish it to be?” she asked softly.

  He shrugged, looking at his hands as he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “My parents were quite fond of each other,” he said. “Helene and I were quite fond of each other. I was hoping you and I would be the same.”

  Diamantha watched the man for a moment before reaching out and grasping his hand gently. Startled by the gesture, Cortez immediate
ly clasped her hand, sitting up to look at the woman, wondering why she had impulsively touched him. He had hope that it was because she wanted to and when he saw her expression, gentle and kind, optimism burst in his chest. Could it be possible that she had finally accepted him, that he had finally overcome some sort of barrier between them? Had his patience come to fruition? God’s Bones, he hoped so. He fervently hoped so. Then, he did the only thing he could think to do. He leaned forward and slanted his warm lips hungrily over hers.

  My quest is you.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Diamantha could only feel unadulterated lust and passion as Cortez kissed her deeply. Being that she was not a maiden, his attentions did not frighten her. In fact, they seemed to kindle something deep within her, something hot and liquid that seemed to be begging to be unleashed. For the first few moments of Cortez’s kiss, she didn’t respond. She simply sat there and let him take the lead, allowing herself to become accustomed to his taste and scent. But once she’d experienced the first few moments of the man, she knew she had to have more.

  Her hands came up, timidly touching his face, and that seemed to further ignite her. When she realized that Cortez had a wildly intoxicating taste, she began to take the offensive, snaking her tongue into the man’s mouth and listening to him groan with pleasure. They were losing themselves in each other, one becoming bonded to the other as they had never experienced with anyone else. It was lust beyond lust, and hunger beyond hunger. Just as Diamantha began to immerse herself in all that was Cortez, he suddenly leapt to his feet.

  “My armor,” he breathed heavily. “Help me with it, please.”

  Nodding unsteadily, for she was fairly breathless herself, Diamantha stood up next to him and helped him remove his tunic, mail coat, and padded undertunic. When the latter came off, exposing his muscular chest, Diamantha could feel the heat of desire flushing her veins. It made her knees feel weak. She stood back and watched him as he sat on the bed and practically ripped his boots free from his feet and then finally pulled free his breeches.

  The man was quickly naked, standing before her in all of his smoldering glory. Diamantha could see that he was already aroused, his male member thick and large. She could only imagine what it would feel like within her and with that thought, it was as if she had no control over her actions. Something wild and uninhibited took over, and she let it. She no longer harbored resistance or reluctance towards Cortez. Now, she wanted him. She wanted him very badly and there was nothing left to stop her.

  Dropping to her knees in front of him, she took his throbbing maleness into her hands and fondled it gently. It was soft and warm and stiff. As Cortez groaned and wound his fingers into her hair, she took his member into her mouth, suckling on it as she used to do with Robert, only this time, there was something more to it. She had to admit that there was something much more to this tasting than there had ever been with Robert. Perhaps it was lust alone, perhaps not. In any case, she was drunk with it. Using her mouth, she plunged down on Cortez’s manhood, suckling it enough to cause the man to tremble. She continued to suckle him even as he pulled the shift from her body, leaving her naked and on her knees in front of him. But she didn’t care, all that mattered was the wildfire of passion raging out of control within her.

  Diamantha manipulated Cortez until the man couldn’t take it anymore. Swiftly, he picked her up and put her on the bed, but she ended up on her belly. It didn’t matter to Cortez. He fell on top of her, sinking his teeth into the soft flesh of her shoulder as his hands snaked underneath her, fondling her soft, full breasts. Using a free hand, he reached down and pulled her thighs apart, wedging his big body in between them. The same hand moved to the fluff of dark curls between her legs and he began to stroke her, realizing she was already wet and ready to receive him. Waiting no longer, he thrust into her, long and hard, from behind.

  Diamantha groaned with utter pleasure, stifling her cries in the pillow as Cortez thrust deep. His heated body was all round her, his hands on her breasts, as he plunged repeatedly into her quivering body. She could feel his fullness as it built up that exquisite friction that would culminate in a burst of ecstasy rolling through her body, tremors without end, pleasure personified. She’d never known lovemaking like this in her life, something so emotionally and physically powerful that it literally consumed her. As Cortez drove his body into hers, she had to put her hands out to brace herself, preventing him from ramming her head into the wall next to the bed.

  Cortez’s powerful rhythm was unstoppable and it threatened to bring Diamantha to her peak faster than she had ever achieved it. She could feel the glow beginning, that marvelous sunburst looming, but just as she neared the peak, Cortez swiftly withdrew and flipped her over onto her back. Settling himself between her legs, he thrust into her again as his powerful arms went around her.

  Warmth. Comfort. Desire. Diamantha was incoherent with lust and pleasure as Cortez held her tightly. Her physical reaction to him was astounding but it was also her mind that was responding, accepting his domination without hesitation as her hands on his buttocks encouraging him to go deeper. Within the first few powerful strokes, the glow in her loins swelled to bursting and she cried out softly as her body convulsed with passion. Cortez, feeling her climax as it throbbed around his manhood, thrust himself as deeply as he could go into her sweet body and joined her in her pleasure.

  But it didn’t stop there. He continued to move within her, feeling his hot seed as it made her so very slick and wet. His hands were all over her, touching her silken flesh, as his lips moved along her jawline. After the lust and fire had died down, there was genuine warmth and tenderness now as Cortez shifted to take his body weight off of her, his arms still holding her close. Diamantha was so overwhelmed that it was difficult for her to catch her breath. She had no idea she could respond to a man, any man, as she had responded to Cortez. There was some fear there, perhaps. Cortez had a good deal of control over her and didn’t even realize it.

  As Diamantha stared up at the ceiling and struggled with her thoughts, a tender hand cupped her face and Cortez softly kissed her cheek.

  “Are you well?” he whispered.

  She nodded, turning her head to look at him. “Are you?”

  He grinned, that glorious gesture that had sent many a female heart to swooning. “I believe I am,” he murmured. “Are… are you sure you are well?”

  She nodded again. “Why do you ask?”

  He lifted his eyebrows, unsure how to put his thoughts into words. “Well…,” he said, paused, then continued. “It was rather… and the bed is small. Did you hit your head?”

  She smiled faintly. “I did not,” she said. “But I thank you for asking.”

  “You are welcome.”

  “I believe our marriage is valid now.”

  “It most certainly is.”

  She laughed softly, as did he. But he sobered, gazing into her features, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind. But he would not voice them. He wasn’t even sure where to start. All he knew was that somehow, someway, the act of intercourse with his new wife had changed him. He felt different inside as he looked at her, but it wasn’t anything he could put his finger on. Therefore, it was best not to say anything or risk frightening her. He’d never forgive himself if he did that, delicate creature that she was.

  Carefully, he shifted so he was off her completely, wedging his big body against the wall. Reaching down, he pulled up the coverlet, covering them both up in the chill of the room. His arms were still around her as he snuggled down into the bed, pulling her close. Her body, soft and supple, didn’t resist. She moved in closer still against his warmth. Sleep eventually claimed them both in one of the best, most restful sleeps either one of them had ever had.

  From that day forward, the situation between them was never the same again as the memory of Robert Edlington slipped further and further away. He was no longer the obstacle that had kept them apart. Now, he was that which had brought them together. Thing
s were changing, indeed.

  My quest is you.

  Almondsbury, Berkeley, Gloucester.

  It was a steady stream of interesting and bustling towns they passed through, especially Gloucester, which was very large and had a massive cathedral in the middle of it. Rather than skirt the city, as Cortez had done with Almondsbury and Berkeley, he took his party into Gloucester because they were running low on some supplies and needed to restock. He sent James and Oliver out to scout merchants willing to sell them large quantities of flour, salt, and ground oats while he found a place for the party to rest near Gloucester cathedral.

  It had rained heavily the day before on their trip past Berkeley but this day was bright and sunny, with wispy clouds overhead. The wind had picked up and it was gusty at times, blowing things around the wagons that weren’t tied down. One of the things it blew around was the oiled tarp that had been rigged over Sophie’s play area, so eventually, Andres pulled it down. Sophie and her caged animals didn’t seem to mind.

  Sophie had been inordinately good to travel with. As long as she had her poppet, Rosie, her pets at arm’s length, and a view of General as he plodded along behind the wagon, she was as happy as a lark. As the group waited for James and Oliver to return, Diamantha climbed off her palfrey and went to sit in the back of the wagon with her daughter. Sophie immediately climbed on her mother’s lap, and the two of them sat together and petted the baby rabbit, who was growing steadily. Clover the bunny had quite a diet of greens along the road as the men would grasp great handfuls of grass and clover, and then hand it over to Sophie for her pets. As a result, the little bunny looked like a furry round ball.

  So they lingered away the morning because it took a couple of hours for James and Oliver to return with great sacks of flour and salt tied across their saddles. Quickly, the soldiers moved in and began to untie them, shuttling everything over to the quartermaster so the man could take an inventory. Meanwhile, Sophie had grown restless so Diamantha put the rabbit back into the cage, put the cage beneath the wagon bench for some shade against the sun, and pulled her daughter out of the back of the wagon.