by Phoebe Conn
At the mention of a child, Celiese blushed deeply. "It is too soon for me to be positive, Mama, but each day I grow more certain, and an annulment would be most inappropriate if I am to bear Mylan's child."
Devastated by that possibility, Marie was near tears as she rose to her feet. "We must pray such a travesty does not come to pass, for now that you are free of the man, the last thing you need is the responsibility of rearing his son."
"He would be my son as well, or perhaps I will have a daughter, Mama, your grandchild. Can you not think of a babe in those terms?" Celiese hardly dared hope she was pregnant, but if she were, she would love Mylan's baby as dearly as she had loved him. With a smile she thought how shocked he would be to hear he had an heir; it was an even better surprise than she had hoped to give him by completing her house without his help.
Before Marie could respond, the stone walls of the ancient convent reverberated with a din as deafening as thunder, growing in intensity as the small wooden door at the entrance creaked and groaned under repeated blows from a battering ram. Celiese lay her mending aside as she leapt to her feet. With her mother's help, she managed to wrench open the narrow leaded glass window so they could look down upon the scene below.
Marie was terrified at the sight of the six muscular Danes who were moving back with carefully measured steps, preparing to strike the splintered door another fearsome blow. Celiese, however, called down to the tall blond man standing to one side who had been shouting directions. This time she remembered to use his Christian name. "Michael, if you wished to see me, you needed to do no more than ring the bell, and I would have come to the door."
"That is your husband?" Marie gasped in horror, her fair skin growing deathly pale. The young man had not only height and obvious strength, but the beauty of a god, as well. The sun sparkled upon his tawny curls, and his light eyes glowed with the golden gleam of a wildcat's as he looked up at her. He was the most attractive of men, but that did not diminish her fear, and she gripped her daughter's arm tightly, "Do not let him break down the door! Send him away at once, he must not be allowed to enter!"
The terror in her expression was too real for Celiese not to readily comprehend its cause, and she hugged her mother warmly as she reassured her there was nothing to fear. "Mylan has come to speak with me, Mama, not to harm you or any of the other dear sisters. You will see, please have faith in me if you cannot as yet have any in him."
Looking out again, Celiese saw the young men had dropped the log they had carried and had moved back to stare up at her. Waving, she called to her husband, "I will be but a moment, please wait for me." Stopping to be certain her mother had recovered from her initial shock at finding so threatening a group of young men at her door, she ran from the room and with flying steps hurried down the winding staircase to reach the first floor. Several of the younger sisters were working together to push heavy pieces of furniture behind the battered door in an attempt to keep the men outside from forcing the entrance, and Celiese had first to convince them to move the makeshift barricade aside before she could leave.
Once unlocked, the old door dangled precariously on its hinges, but with the assistance of the sisters she was able to open it wide enough to slip through. She smiled at the men she recognized from the Surf Falcon, and they grinned sheepishly in return, obviously embarrassed to have been involved in so unnecessary an assault. Mylan, on the other hand, seemed merely astonished, and none of the pretty speeches she had been rehearsing in her mind to greet him seemed appropriate when he had arrived bent on storming the walls rather than politely requesting a chance to talk with her. Thinking she should hear the explanation for the violence of his action first, she held her tongue and waited for him to speak.
Mylan could not believe the ease with which Celiese had simply walked out to meet him as if he had knocked in a gentlemanly fashion upon the convent door, and he felt utterly ridiculous for having behaved in so outrageous a manner. She looked even more beautiful than he had remembered, which he had not thought possible. Her smile was enchanting, her fair complexion glowing with the bloom of health, her shimmering curls falling loose about her shoulders, and as always the desire she inspired overwhelmed him and he blurted out the first thought that came to his mind.
"They allow you to wear your own clothing rather than insist you dress as the others do?"
Celiese glanced down at the pretty silk gown, pleased by his admiring glance. He apparently still thought her attractive. "Why yes, of course, for I am no more than a visitor here." Suddenly realizing the nature of his concern, she inquired softly, "Is that what you thought, that I'd entered the convent?"
Mylan glanced up at the frightened faces peeking out of the narrow windows of the upper stories of the large stone edifice. He gave the ladies a reassuring smile, but none of their expressions changed to more friendly ones, which did not surprise him. He had undoubtedly scared them all nearly witless, and he could think of no suitable way to apologize for mounting such a senseless attack upon their home.
"I had expected to find you at your house. André was there with some other men who were gathering stones. He said only the name of the convent, and I remembered your telling me that when women entered the order they remained inside forever." While his mistake was an understandable one, he was appalled by the enormity of his error.
Celiese wanted only to throw her arms around him and cover his face with lavish kisses, but she waited patiently for a more appropriate time to display the affection filling her heart to overflowing. "I can see how you misunderstood his message, and I am certain if you and your men would be so kind as to repair the door, you will be forgiven for the rashness of your actions. I will explain to the sisters that you did not realize my stay here was only temporary, and they will understand why your reaction was such a desperate and reckless one."
At least she hoped they would be sympathetic, but she would have to use her most forceful arguments to convince them her handsome Danish husband had only the purest of motives when he had mounted such a furious assault upon their sacred residence.
Blushing with embarrassment, Mylan pointed to the damaged door. "What is left of that door is beyond repair; we will have to make a new one."
"That will be even better. I am certain they will appreciate it," Celiese offered agreeably. "Now would you care to walk a few paces into the woods with me where we can discuss the reason for your visit without attracting so much attention?" Taking his arm, she gestured toward the forest that surrounded the convent walls, and he readily accepted her suggestion. But once they could no longer be observed, he seemed unable to find any explanation for what he had done, so she prompted him.
"You frightened my mother, as well as all the others, quite badly. Perhaps after she has had time to regain her composure, I can convince her to come to the entrance so I may introduce you."
"I doubt she'll want to bother after that ridiculous display of stupidity!" Mylan was furious with himself, but he had thought her lost to him forever, and he had gone after her in the only way he had known how. However, his deed had not been the heroic one he had imagined, but merely foolish, and the accompanying shame appalled him.
Seeing a fallen log, Celiese sat down upon it as she continued to give her husband her full attention. "I am not angry with you, please don't be so mad at yourself. We are quite alone here; now what was it you wished to say to me that was so urgent? I will be happy to listen for as long as it takes you to explain."
Her expression held only concern and not ridicule, and he went to her side, but he sat down upon the carpet of fallen leaves and leaned back against the log, hoping his task would be an easier one if he did not have to contend with her distracting beauty. "You told me once that I should be patient, that even as man and wife you and I were strangers still, and that misunderstandings were bound to occur between us. Do you recall that conversation?"
With a sweet smile, she recalled the exact time and place. "Yes, we were in your father's home, in yo
ur room, in fact. We had just gone there after leaving the party celebrating our marriage." His marriage to Olgrethe, she was tempted to say, but thought better of it.
"Yes, and I had only one thought on my mind. You were a lovelier bride than I had dared hope to have, bright and so considerate, but you were right in saying we were strangers. I thought we would have a lifetime to become well acquainted, but that one night was all we had. I did not mean to be such a poor husband to you, to accept you that night and then turn my back upon you at dawn."
Surprised by his candor, Celiese reached out to give his shoulder a comforting pat, and he took her hand in his, bringing her palm to his lips for a sweet kiss. "We have never had the time to become friends, have we? So much has happened to us, so many terrible things, and we've never had the time to simply get to know one another as we should have in the beginning.
"It might have happened when we were on my farm, if only I'd not kept insisting you were my slave. I was such a fool then, and obviously I am still one today."
"You are no fool, Michael, please don't think so, for the evidence was always against me, and you cannot help that your mind is a most logical one."
That she would not insult him even when he deserved it pleased him greatly, and he reached up to pull her down across his lap and he hugged her tightly. "I should not have left you as I did, but I thought it was my only choice that morning. You seemed to delight in tormenting me with problems I thought you created yourself, but when I chose to leave you, I found it impossible to go."
"What do you mean? You were gone, when I went down to the beach your ship had simply vanished." She knew that for a fact.
"That's true enough, but the second day of our voyage we ran into a fog bank that seemed endless. I tried not to think about you, but I couldn't keep your striking beauty from filling my mind. Finally I gave in to my memories and began to wonder how things might have been different for us. When it dawned on me that if I had accepted all you told me as the truth from the beginning, then everything would have fallen neatly into place. I came back as fast as I could make the Falcon fly through the waves. I swear to you that in the very instant I decided to change our course the fog lifted and the wind grew brisk to give us the speed we'd need. A very minor miracle perhaps, but one for which I am sincerely grateful."
Celiese hesitated to comment for a long moment. The silence between them was not an awkward one, however, but quite comfortable. Finally, she spoke, "Please do not misunderstand me, but I think the days we've been apart have helped us both to see our lives more clearly. I have been a very poor wife; whether you considered us married or not, I failed you in so many important ways."
"Oh, Celiese," he argued impatiently. "The fault was all mine, every damn time."
"It takes two to argue, Michael, and you must admit we had fights aplenty." She was ready to argue this point, too.
"At least you remember my name now, that is an improvement." He had missed her so terribly, and yet now merely holding her in his arms filled him with a contentment he had feared to be lost forever.
"Thank you. I am attempting to change for the better, truly I am. I know I do need to be more thoughtful, and to curb my temper. You were the one who convinced Robert to let me reclaim my estate, and I did not even take the time to thank you for your help. That was why I came to the convent, to learn how I might be a better person, because I knew you would come back some day, and I didn't want to lose you again."
Mylan pulled her close, kissing her temple softly, "Would you have remained shut up in that drafty old place until I finally had the sense to return?"
"The convent is far more comfortable than it appears to be from the exterior, but no, actually I did not plan to stay much longer." She blushed, her cheeks filling with a burst of color she couldn't suppress, but she could think of no way to confide her suspicions.
"Celiese?" He wound his fingers in her lustrous curls to force her gaze to his. "What is it, tell me. I don't care what you'd planned to do, it could not have been nearly so silly as battering down the door of the convent. You were sweet enough not to laugh at me for that folly, and I will not laugh at you now, I promise."
She looked down at his hand, that held hers so firmly. His skin was deeply tanned, his grasp warm, as comforting as his words, but her eyes filled with tears as she explained, "No, I am not afraid you will laugh, nor be angry; it is only that I did not want a child until you were proud to call me your wife, and I was uncertain that day would ever come."
Thrilled, he turned her gently in his arms, kissing her damp eyelashes sweetly before he spoke. "I adore you and will never call another woman my wife."
Celiese smiled, her eyes sparkling with the affection she no longer had to hide. "You are the only man I have ever loved, only you, and no matter what you choose to call yourself, I will love you still."
He hugged her tightly, returning her enthusiastic embrace with a satisfied grin. "Now is there still some doubt as to the depth of my pride in you, my beloved bride?"
She shook her head, too happy to respond in words when she would be moved to tears with joy. She kissed him instead, her obvious pride in him making her gesture irresistibly appealing.
"I hope this babe is only the first child of many for us, for a woman as loving as you will be the best of mothers. I helped to raise my three younger brothers, and I don't think I'll do too badly as the babe's father, do you?"
Astonished that he would ask such a question, she hastened to reassure him. "You are so very clever, you'll be a marvelous father. You have sailed to so many exciting places and know how to raise abundant crops, as well as hunt with a skill any man would envy. I could ask for no finer man to help me raise a family and rebuild my home. Our home." She corrected herself quickly and was relieved to see by his amused glance that he was not offended by her unintentional slip.
"The first thing I am going to do is teach your countrymen how to use a sword effectively, for I certainly don't want to have to depend upon them to form our defense armed with no more than their pitchforks."
Surprised by that prospect, Celiese gripped his hand tightly, "Do you think we will need to defend ourselves now that our province is the property of a Dane? Surely Robert's name alone will keep other Vikings from attacking us."
"I am certain it will, but skill with weapons will give the men the confidence they lack, and they'll be better farmers as a result."
She understood his reasoning well, for in the months they had been together Mylan had again become the man he had once been, courageous and proud, and she liked to think it was her belief in him that had made the difference in his attitude toward life. She reached out to touch the shiny silver hammer he wore suspended around his neck, but did not ask him to return it, for she wanted it to again be his gift to her.
As if he could read her mind, Mylan took the silver chain from around his neck and slipped it over her head. "Forgive me for taking this. I only wanted something of yours to keep."
She gripped the tiny hammer in a firm grasp. "Thor has brought us both good luck today, hasn't he?"
With a deep chuckle, he helped her to rise, then got to his feet and brushed the leaves from his clothes. "Well, let us hope his magic works with my mother-in-law, as well. I will have to rely upon you to translate my words into something she will understand and admire, and then I will see to the new door."
His mind suddenly filled with tasks that needed to be accomplished without delay, and he continued, "When we get back to your home, I think we should give the reconstruction of the house more thought. I think we should build a larger one." He took her arm, hurrying her along toward the convent. "I do not want our children to lack for room in which to play and grow."
"Larger, Michael? It was of considerable size; perhaps you cannot visualize it as well as I can, but it was an enormous house."
"You were a child when you last saw it, and I'm certain houses must seem larger to children. No, I am right, you will see."
; She opened her mouth to argue that the proportions should not be changed, but then she began to laugh with a delicious giggle that made him laugh as well. "I am certain you can build a magnificent home, and as long as you agree to reside there I will be content. You have changed your mind about not living with me, haven't you?"
"You must have known I could never have kept that vow," he admitted with a rakish grin.
"I only hoped that you would not wish to," she teased playfully. "May I tell you again that I love you? I know I cannot hear it too often from you."
Mylan pulled her around to face him, his slow, deep kiss the only response he cared to give. She truly had changed, but so had he. She was no longer the high-spirited young woman he had wanted to tame, but the wife he adored. He pressed her close, wanting only to savor her nearness to the fullest before they joined the others, but when he drew away, her eyes were bright with mischief, not tears.
"My mother was so terribly frightened by your arrival I doubt she has had sufficient time to recover, and I can hear the sounds of hammering, so your men must already be working upon the door. Must we go back just yet?" She raised her hands to his chest, then his neck, as she whispered seductively, "Must we?"
They had made love in the forest near his farm, as well as all along the coastline on their journey to France, so it seemed quite natural to take her hand in his and lead her back to the soft bed of leaves in the small clearing where they had stopped to talk. "I believe I fell in love with you the moment we met, and if it takes the rest of my life to make up for taking so damn long to admit that truth, I will gladly do it." He sent hungry kisses down her throat as he peeled away her silken garments. She was so precious to him, and he had had no hope the reception she would give him that day would be such a warm one.
"Had I known how dearly you love me, Celiese, I would never have left you, never."