Velvet Bond
Page 28
She hushed him with a finger on his lips. “Nay, Raynor, say no more. I understand, and there is no need for you to go on. You have done what you must to shelter her. You are like the wolf, and once another has been admitted to your small pack, you protect and keep them no matter what cost to yourself. How I have longed to be allowed into that select group you love so well. To openly show you my love.”
For a long moment, he simply stood there trying to comprehend her words. Then he reached toward her with a groan, pulling her back into his arms. “You love me.” His tone was hoarse with amazement. He rained kisses on her face and throat.
She wrapped her arms around him, holding to him with something bordering on desperation. “Of course I love you. How could I not?”
She drew back slightly, trying to read the expression in his eyes. “But what of your feelings? I swear on my life that I meant no harm in speaking to Harrington. I knew I loved you, and that I had to do as you asked, without explanation, as far as Willow was concerned. It was the only way for us to begin any kind of life together. I thought you might be coming to accept our marriage just a little, and I wanted nothing to jeopardize that. Besides, I’d seen for myself how much you love Willow, and I knew you would only act for her good.”
He kissed Elizabeth again, then looked down at her, his eyes dark with pain. “I admit that when I saw you with Harrington my heart did a turn. It hurt to think you had come to meet him after I had asked you not to.”
He hugged her tightly, as if he would never let her go. “But what hurt even more was seeing you in danger. I knew then that I loved you, no matter what you had done. For good or ill, my heart was given into your keeping. When I saw him with that knife...when I thought he might...”
Elizabeth pulled away from him and saw his pained expression. “I knew. I could see it in your eyes, Raynor.” She reached up to touch his face. “But I could also see that it brought you no joy to love me. Is that how it must be, Raynor? The next time you are faced with the choice of trusting in me or doubting, which will you decide? Is there no happiness for you in loving me?”
He stared at her, his gaze holding hers. When he spoke, it was slowly, every word enunciated as if he were determined to make her see that he spoke from his soul. “Aye, Elizabeth, there is happiness in loving. Greater than I ever dreamed of. The months that we have been together have been the strangest, most maddening, happiest times of my life. Before I met you, I wasn’t even alive. You helped me come out of myself and learn to see the good things around me, my daughter, you. When you showed me that you were willing to believe in me, I realized I must look inside myself and find the same faith in you. You've been nothing but honest with me. Even about our marriage. You took the blame for that on yourself, and though I let you, not all of it was yours. It was I who kissed you that night, not because you asked me, but because I could not stop myself. Even then there was something about you that drew me, despite my efforts to deny it. I have learned my lesson in this. There will be no more doubts.”
At the expression of unwavering love in his eyes, Elizabeth cast her uncertainty aside with a cry of gladness. “Raynor, I love you, and I do believe in you, also.”
“As I do you,” he said, going down on one knee before her. “Elizabeth, my wife and my love. I pledge to love, honor and care for you all the days of my life. It is I who should be asking for forgiveness. Will you...forgive me...for taking so long to discover that I cannot live without you?”
She knelt down with him, tears pouring down her ivory cheeks, her blue eyes shining. “There is nothing to forgive. You acted out of your own pain. I can simply rejoice in the fact that you now love me. I add my pledge to yours, to love, honor and care for you all the days of my life.”
Their lips met across the space that separated them, sealing their love for all time to come.
But even as he took her in his arms, Elizabeth knew that as long as the specter of Nigel Harrington lingered, they could not find real contentment. Now that she knew what he had done to his own stepsister, she understood why Raynor hated the man.
But mayhap she was wrong, and the confrontation with Raynor had put enough fear in Harrington to make him leave them be, despite his threats.
Elizabeth could only pray it was so.
Chapter Fifteen
Standing at the top of the steps to the keep, Elizabeth squeezed her husband’s arm close against her side. He returned the pressure as she looked around the cluttered courtyard with a smile of happiness.
Raynor had arranged this celebration in honor of their newfound joy. On the night he told her of it, Raynor had held Elizabeth close in the darkness of their bed, telling her that he wanted everyone to share in their happiness.
He felt he’d been clear enough about his displeasure with their marriage. Now he wanted one and all to see how very much Elizabeth meant to him.
Hence here they were, some eight days later, surrounded by happy faces, vivid color and bustling activity.
It was like a fair.
Tents were set up all about the castle grounds, their colors bright in the afternoon sunshine. The narrow walkways between these were crowded with the occupants of both keep and village. When those folk closest to the steps of the keep saw Elizabeth and Raynor emerge from inside, they cheered a welcome.
All understood that this day was marked as a celebration of their lord’s wedding, no matter that it came some months late. The people of the keep who knew Elizabeth had already come to love her for her generosity and fairness. The others had learned of her by reputation alone. But since word had been good of this new lady of Warwicke, they were willing to offer the couple their best wishes without restraint.
Both Elizabeth and Raynor waved to the crowd of well-wishers and started down the stairs, Elizabeth leading Willow by her free hand.
The little girl seemed spellbound by the sights before her, and she looked up at Elizabeth with shining eyes.
Elizabeth laughed as she turned to Raynor. “Nothing could have pleased her more, my love.”
He looked into Elizabeth’s sapphire gaze, and for a moment he couldn’t think past the swell of happiness in his chest. That she loved him, this beautiful, giving woman, would be a source of joy for the rest of his life. Raynor could not resist pressing his lips to those sweet red ones, however briefly. “I wanted her to enjoy this day with us.”
They moved through the crowd together, man, wife and child. But progress was slow, as the three paused to accept many wishes of congratulations as they went.
They also paused often to gaze upon the many sights that greeted them along the route.
Many of the booths contained merchants selling unusual and exotic goods. There were books in one, various knives in another, cloth of rich and brilliant color in yet another. Some even sold food, though there was to be a massive meal later, at which one and all would be welcome.
As they strolled past one particular booth, Raynor stopped when the merchant called out to him. The man reached across the barrier and handed the lord of Warwicke an odd-looking doll with strings that attached its arms and legs to sticks. By holding the doll by these sticks Raynor was able to make it move about as if by magic. When Raynor tried to pay, the man waved his arms and declared the toy a gift.
After offering his thanks, Raynor handed the object to his daughter with a flourish. “My lady.”
Willow was completely entranced, and accepted the toy with enormous brown eyes. “Thank you, Papa,” she breathed. She turned to the robust merchant, who smiled widely, showing large, widely spaced teeth. “My thanks to you.”
When she tried to make it work as her father had done, the toy refused to obey her tiny hands, but she did not cry, merely looking to Elizabeth for help. Elizabeth laughed and told her that it would simply take some practice to work the thing properly. With a determined expression, Willow tucked it under her arm.
Elizabeth and Raynor exchanged a tolerant glance. They thanked the man again and moved on.
Elizabeth realized she was wearing a ridiculous grin, then also realized that she didn’t care. Never had she been so happy as she was at this moment.
She had her husband and her child—for she did think of Willow as her own, as surely as if she had borne the little girl herself. No matter that she hoped to give birth to Raynor’s babe, Willow would ever be her daughter in all but flesh.
Drawing a deep breath of sheer happiness as they moved along, Elizabeth caught a deliciously spicy scent and realized that she was hungry. Glancing about, Elizabeth saw that the clove-and-cinnamon-laden smell of roasted pears came from a booth to her right.
She looked up at Raynor from beneath her black lashes. “I find I am famished, my lord husband. I fear I was most wakeful during the night, and need more sustenance than usual.” From the darkening of his walnut eyes, Elizabeth knew he understood what she was saying. They had made love until the wee hours of the morning, when they had fallen into each other’s arms, sated, at least for that moment.
Raynor smiled down at her, his expression warm with suppressed desire. He leaned close to her ear. “Ah, my lovely maid, I had best feed you then, for I would see you have enough strength to sustain the same level of activity this eve.”
A pretty blush colored her creamy skin, and her blue eyes brightened. “You are most considerate of my health and happiness, my dearest lord.”
He laughed, kissing her with barely held longing, and her toes fair curled with response as she thought of the coming night with anticipation.
Then, with great reluctance, Raynor turned to purchase the three of them roasted pears.
The fruit was delicious, and just the right temperature to hold in the hand. When hers was gone, Elizabeth licked her fingers with delight, blushing anew when Raynor took her hand to flick away a morsel with his own tongue.
She gasped at the heat that coursed through her lower belly. “Raynor, not before the child! What will she think?”
A bawdy chuckle escaped him, and then he sobered, meeting her uncertain gaze. “She will think nothing but that I love her mother very much.” He turned to Willow, who watched them with a grin as she finished her pear. “Is that not true, little one? Do you not see how I love your mother?”
“Aye, you love her.” She nodded sagely. “And I love Mother, too.”
Elizabeth’s heart soared at the words. It was the first time Willow had addressed her in this manner, and she determined anew to be worthy of the title. She, too, would protect Willow from all that might hurt her, regardless of the cost, and that included Nigel Harrington. She leaned down and gave the tiny girl a hug.
When Elizabeth looked up at Raynor, he seemed to sense how much the moment meant to her, to them as a family, for he reached down and picked Willow up. They continued on that way, their daughter nestled in the crook of his arm.
In the center of the rows of tents, a space had been left clear. As they entered it, Elizabeth saw that the area had not been left bare by accident. A loose crowd of observers were grouped around a troupe of acrobatic entertainers who performed at its center.
As they stopped to watch the exhibition, Elizabeth saw Olwyn in the crowd across from her. And the serving woman was not alone.
At her side stood Bronic.
Clearly he had decided to make his suit known to all. The very attentive air he directed toward the tall blond woman told the world of his feelings. Though he did not touch her in this public setting, Bronic’s attention and care were totally centered on Olwyn.
And hers on him. She seemed oblivious of everything as she stared up into the golden-haired man’s blue eyes.
Elizabeth could not prevent herself smiling as she nudged Raynor.
He looked where she directed, then smiled himself. His expression when he turned to his wife was one of gladness. “I am well pleased,” he said. “Bronic loves her. I hope she will make him as happy as you have me.”
Elizabeth nodded. “They are most suited to each other.” Her shrug was teasingly smug. “Though I knew that from the very beginning.”
Her husband raised dark brows. “Oh, did you now?”
“Aye,” she told him. “As I knew we were.”
As if he could not help himself, Raynor kissed her, to Willow’s pleased laughter.
Elizabeth realized he had been right before. It was good for Willow to see them happy, to see them loving each other.
But feeling her pulse beat increase so drastically with just that simple kiss, Elizabeth knew it would be best for her to turn her attention to something else. At least for the moment.
When they were alone, now, that would be another matter entirely.
The acrobats were a true wonder. There were five of them, dressed in colorful costumes of brightly patterned reds and blues. And they appeared to have no small amount of skill in their work. Having seen such performances before, at the king’s court, Elizabeth felt she had some basis for deciding this.
She watched as a man climbed atop the shoulders of his fellow, then stood on his hands while the one beneath hopped on one leg.
The crowd of onlookers cheered in encouragement while the men went on to demonstrate other such astounding feats. They made human towers, walked on their hands while singing, and tumbled over and about one another in wild abandon.
Willow clapped happily in her father’s arms at each new trick, and they began to bow and smile in her direction, obviously marking her as the daughter of the house. Elizabeth felt Willow was truly an adorable child, but she also knew this deference was part of the performance.
She shrugged. It was no shame for these men to pay special attention to the family of the one who might give them a few coppers. They had to earn their livelihood.
Besides, Willow was enjoying the special attention greatly, if her squeals of delight were any indication.
While the five began to string a sturdy line from the stone wall to a heavy post in the ground, Raynor turned to set Willow on the ground beside Elizabeth. When he straightened, he smiled at her warmly. “I have just remembered something I have to do, Elizabeth. Would you be so good as to excuse me for a few minutes?”
Pensively she frowned. The barely suppressed excitement in his dark eyes made her wonder what he was about. But she said nothing. Raynor was up to something, but she trusted him enough to know it was something good. The frown disappeared.
She smiled at her husband, lazily, seductively. “Aye, my lord. But do not be so very long that I forget who brought me to the fair.”
He gave her a swift, hard hug, whispering intimate reminders of exactly why she would not forget him. The words, however hurried and low, left her feeling weak at the knees, and even more eager for night to fall.
He held her away from him then, his eyes knowing as he saw the desire in hers. “I will return ere long. Stay right here.”
“Yes,” she answered breathlessly.
As Raynor left them, she watched his broad back with an incredible sense of yearning. And unaccountably she was reminded of the loneliness she’d known so many times in the past, watching his back as he walked away from her. Quickly Elizabeth set the thought aside. All that was gone. Raynor could accept his love for her now, and would not reject her again.
Elizabeth came out of her reverie when she felt a tug on her skirt. Looking down, she saw Willow studying her strangely.
“Well?” the child questioned.
“What is it, love?” Elizabeth asked. “I am sorry I was not attending that first time.”
“Why are the men putting up that rope?” She pointed a chubby finger toward the scene before them.
“Well, I cannot imagine,” Elizabeth told Willow, her blue eyes round with feigned wonder. “But if we watch, we are sure to find out. Don’t you think?” Elizabeth did ha
ve some idea of what was to happen, but she didn’t want to give it away and spoil Willow’s delight in the possible surprise of seeing the men walk on that piece of rope.
Soon the next phase of the act began, and Elizabeth saw that her suspicions had proved true. And the expression of complete amazement and awe on Willow’s face told her she had been right to keep the knowledge to herself.