His Forsaken Bride (Vawdrey Brothers Book 2)

by Alice Coldbreath

  Fen raised her head again to frown at him. “But you only forgot with your head,” she said with a sigh. “Here,” she said, placing a hand over his chest. “you never forgot. That’s why you wore my locket all those years.” She pulled the chain around his neck until the locket lay in her palm.

  A look of regret crossed Oswald’s face. He seemed to struggle with this a moment. “I didn’t remember you gave me the locket,” he admitted. “At one point, I even thought it must have been my mother.”

  Fen tipped her head to one side. “That just means, on some level, you knew it was given you by someone who loved you,” she said softly. “I still have the key you know,” she said, struggling to raise up from the bed. His arms tightened around her and he gave a low rumble from his chest. “I only wanted to fetch it,” she gurgled with laughter. “To show you.”

  “No, stay like this,” he objected with a growl. She subsided against him with a sigh.

  “Fen,” he said awkwardly after a moment. “I want you to know that I did not forget because it was inconsequential to me.” He paused heavily before continuing. “After my injuries at Adarva, there was a chapter in my life that was lost to me. To my infinite regret, this is part of it.”

  Fen was silent a moment before sliding a hand down his shoulder blade to touch his scarring. “It’s a very small price to pay for your safe return,” she said lightly. “and it isn’t truly lost now that you’ve returned to me.”

  “When did you give me the locket?” he asked after a moment.

  “Before you left to go soldiering. You came to bid me farewell at my Father’s house. We went for a walk in the grounds and you were very kind to me.”

  “How was I kind?” asked Oswald with a faint frown.

  “You humored a young fifteen-year old girl, and accepted her locket as a good luck token. You held my hands.” She threaded her fingers through his. “We were stood under the oak tree,” she reminisced. “When your father came to fetch you.”

  “We were stood under an oak?” asked Oswald. “Holding hands?”

  “Yes,” Fen was puzzled by his tone.

  He gave a short laugh. “No wonder he kept sending you those gold coins.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “To his ancestors that would have been as valid as a marriage ceremony.”

  “Oh,” said Fen. “Oh!”

  “What?”

  “I’ve just realized what he meant,” she marveled. “You’ve been sleeping under an oak tree… He meant that tree… that I’d been waiting for you to return, all these years.” She raised her head to look at him, her eyes filling with tears.

  Oswald tipped his head. “Is that a line from the play?” he asked in confusion. “I don’t remember…”

  “It’s nothing, just something young Cuthbert said.”

  “Cuthbert accused you of sleeping under oak trees?”

  Fen laughed softly. “It does almost feel like a dream,” she said softly. “You know, I’ve always been confused about our actual wedding. I remember we received a blessing at the betrothal ceremony at Vawdrey Keep, but if that constituted our marriage ceremony…”

  “It did,” said Oswald tightly.

  “Then I was really not aware of the fact,” said Fen firmly.

  “You were too young at the time,” he said. “But I do think it would be a good notion for us to repeat the vows in a holy place.”

  “Perhaps we could re-visit the oak on my brother’s grounds when we are next down in Sitchmarsh?” she suggested.

  “That is an excellent suggestion. But we should visit the chapel at the palace too, perhaps with just family in attendance. We could send for your brother,” he added as an afterthought.

  “We should really go and visit with him,” said Fen perking up. “In light of his news.”

  “His news? Tell me,” He looked distracted, his hand stroking over her hip.

  “But I did already,” said Fen. “He’s getting married tomorrow on Solstice Eve.”

  “He is? I thought that was just a ruse, for you to run away from me.”

  Fen blushed. “Not entirely. It seems Orla and Gil have been spending a lot of time together.”

  “Mmm?” he repeated. “Gil. Your brother, and Orla?”

  “Yes. It seems Orla will be my sister-in-law once again, what say you to that?”

  Oswald frowned. “What?”

  “She has decided she will marry Gil. And bring him up to scratch.”

  “What do you think of it?” he asked, stalling for time.

  “Oh, I think it is the very best notion. She is five years older than Gil and will not stand for any of his nonsense. And she has always wanted to run her own house, so she will soon put an end to his drinking and carrying on.”

  “So, we will still have family links to Thane?” asked Oswald not sounding best pleased.

  “Oh, but when she marries Gil, she will become a Bernard,” said Fen smugly. “And she and Ambrose are completely estranged as she took an unaccountable disliking to Lady Colleen. I think it is the very best notion, for I do not like Sarah Yondy and...”

  Oswald rolled her onto her back. “Presently you may tell me why you do not like Sarah Yondy,” he assured her. “And I will be very interested and supportive and say all the right things.”

  She laughed up at him. “Presently?” she repeated. “But not right now?”

  “No, he said,” lowering his head to hers. “Not right now.”

  Much later, as Fen was drifting off to sleep in her husband’s arms, he murmured. “Why was she dressed as a boy?”

  Fen started to raise her head to explain, but he tucked it back into his neck.

  “Tell me later.”

  Epilogue

  The Royal banqueting hall, The palace at Aphrany

  Fen stared down at the many-handled wassail bowl and grasped it gingerly. There were so many spouts she just knew she would get drenched with the mulled punch as soon as she tipped it to her mouth. Her husband reached around her and plugged some of the spouts with his fingers and thumbs. Fen admired their matching posy rings with ‘Not Forgot’ inscribed inside the bands.

  “Try it now,” he murmured against her ear.

  “Boo!” yelled King Wymer, slapping the table top. “Cheating! The Vawdreys are cheating!”

  “Ah-ah,” The Lord of Misrule upbraided him, striking the back of his hand with a staff entwined with holly. Wymer yelped and sank back into his chair. “Damn that fellow,” he muttered with a scowl, rubbing his hand.

  Queen Armenal laughed. “You must abide by the rules of the feast, my dear,” she reminded him. Next to the Queen sat Princess Una with her extraordinary frizzy wig. Her dark eyebrows were raised, giving her a perplexed look. She gazed around her as if at a roomful of crazy people.

  Fen tipped the bowl and swallowed a mouthful of the spicy brew. By some miracle, her gown remained unsoaked. The Schaeffers sat opposite led the applause.

  “Bravo!” yelled Hester Schaeffer. “You did it!”

  “My newest lady-in-waiting has passed the test,” said the Queen with satisfaction.

  Fen passed the bowl to her left and Roland took it from her with a wink.

  “The King’s champion must kiss the girl who finds the silver token!” cried the fool, who was relishing his role presiding over the celebrations. He turned a cartwheel and then danced back up to the other end of the table. A burst of laughter greeted him as the boisterous knights toasted his health.

  Fen’s eyes widened. “But I saw who found the token,” she whispered to Oswald.

  “And who was that?” he murmured, his arm slipping about her waist.

  “Twas Eden Montmayne!” Oswald’s hand at her side drew her closer, propelling her to scoot across on the bench and sit on his lap. “My lord!” she said in scandalized tones. “What will his majesty say?”

  “His majesty, the Lord of Misrule will entirely approve,” replied Oswald unabashed. And he was probably right, for the King’s fool was cap
ering up and down in a mad dance, as Wymer sat sulking.

  “Roland will never kiss Eden,” said Fen a little sadly.

  “Ah, but tonight is given over to misrule,” Oswald reminded her. “And everything is turned upside down.”

  Fen glanced down the table, but Eden was clearly not going to own up to having found the silver coin in her honey cake. Even as Fen looked, Eden slipped it under a napkin.

  “My cousin found the silver token!” cried Lenora Montmayne, with uncustomary exuberance. A whole roomful of heads turned in her direction. “See!” she pointed, flipping over Eden’s napkin.

  Everyone bellowed and cheered, drumming their knives and goblets against the table. Even in the flickering candlelight Fen could see Eden turn pale.

  “Roland…” Fen started, but her brother-in-law was already out of his chair, and swaggering toward Eden.

  “I claim my prize,” he said loudly and the knights all hooted and drummed their feet against the flagstones.

  “Oh dear,” said Fen.

  Eden was sat ramrod straight in her seat and glassy-eyed.

  Fen turned back to her husband, “I do hope Roland doesn’t-”

  “He’ll be fine,” he said.

  “It’s not him I’m worried about-” she started, but Oswald caught her chin and kissed her soundly. She barely heard the hooting and clapping in the background, and when her husband released her, she snuggled into his side and glanced up again to check no-one was watching them. She needn’t have worried, for all eyes were still fixed on Roland and Eden who were both stood up from the table, staring at each other.

  “What happened?” asked Fen in surprise, for Roland had a strange, stunned look on his face. Eden straightened her head-dress, and sank back into her seat, her face aflame.

  “I don’t know,” admitted Oswald, as his brother made his way back to his seat looking a little unsteady on his feet. “But I rather think his kissing the Lady Eden had some unexpected consequences.”

  “Such as?” asked Fen.

  “He found he liked it,” said Oswald shrewdly.

  Fen drew in a breath, “But-”

  “Ah-ah, wife,” objected Oswald holding up a finger. “Don’t get distracted with Court intrigue. Remember, we are returning to our town house this evening. It’s Solstice Eve. Yule logs burn in every grate. You have a full staff to train and a kitchen to supervise in the decoration of the honey cakes.”

  Fen sighed happily. “Linnet said she, Mason, Cuthbert and the children will join us all day tomorrow. The girls were vastly pleased with their knight puppets,” said Fen happily. “And Bryce absolutely loved his fur-lined hood. He said he will join us also, and Roland and his two friends.”

  “I like my present too,” said Oswald, referring to Fen’s portrait. “But that doesn’t mean anyone else is seeing it.” It hung now in their new bedroom, above the fireplace. Poor Eden had been very put-out when Fen had explained Oswald had forbidden its exhibition. Her husband had also had her tapestry betrothal gift packed up for the new house, and her childhood portrait. Fen was greatly touched by how much he now prized the gifts from her girlhood. And she absolutely loved her new house, on the town square, in the middle of bustling Aphrany. Meldon and Trudy were already comfortably installed there hanging greenery and ribbons from every beam.

  “I shall write to Orla and Gil tonight, inviting them for a visit with us in the new year.”

  “A good plan, but you won’t be writing letters tonight,” responded Oswald.

  “I won’t?”

  “No, for I’ve other plans for you tonight wife,” he said, rubbing a hand steadily up and down her back.

  “I’ve been thinking,” Fen whispered in Oswald’s ear. “I believe we should give Roland a puppy for a Solstice gift.”

  Oswald drew his head back and looked at her askance. “A puppy? We don’t want to overload him with responsibilities. He’s only just agreed to take on Cuthbert as his squire.”

  “He’ll miss Bors too much now though,” pointed out Fen frowning.

  “Sweeting, we agreed we’ll stay in the palace at least once a month,” Oswald pointed out, squeezing her hip. “He’ll still see Bors.”

  “True, but…”

  “Also,” said Oswald, “I’ve now gifted him with our ancestral home, which many would consider gift enough. My Father’s pack of dogs are still installed there. A more yapping, ill-behaved throng of hounds I’ve never seen. Believe me, he’ll have more than enough dogs to contend with.”

  Fen considered this. “Oh. Very well.”

  “And I must say, wife. If you’re going to sit on my lap and whisper in my ear, I’d rather it wasn’t about Roland!”

  Fen wound her arms around his neck and smiled. “I love you Oswald Vawdrey,” she murmured, and kissed his jaw.

  “That’s better,” he conceded.

  “I’m going to make our home the happiest in all Aphrany.”

  He squeezed her tight. “My love,” he whispered. “You already have.”

  THE END

  I do hope you enjoyed this story. If so, perhaps you would be kind enough to leave me a rating on Amazon or Goodreads, or to sign up for my newsletter via my website: www.alicecoldbreath.com

  Many thanks from Alice.

  **

  COMING SOON:

  An Ill-made Match: Vawdrey Brothers Book 3

  He may be the King’s champion, but if handsome is as handsome does, then Roland Vawdrey is the ugliest knight in the kingdom. According to him, there’s only one way to measure a maiden’s worth and that’s her face.

  Eden Montmayne is one of the most accomplished ladies in the land. She plays, sings and dances to perfection, but all Roland sees is a prim, uptight paragon of virtue with only passable looks.

  Find out how this unlikeliest of pairings fare, when thrown together in unexpected matrimony!

  More tales to come from the Kingdom of Karadok by Alice Coldbreath:

  Wed by Proxy

  Thrice wedded, but never bedded, Mathilde Martindale has long lived in the shadow of her indomitable mother, and meekly done as she was told. Until one day, she decides to become mistress of her own destiny and leave the royal court to find her own path.

  Married by proxy, Lord Martindale has never even met his bride of three years. Wed only to unlock his friend’s inheritance, he bitterly resents the mercenary wife who cares only for wealth and prestige.

  And then he meets her.