“Belinda?” Connor asked.
“That would be fine.” The details hardly mattered. She looked down at her half-eaten meal with regret. As hungry as she’d been at breakfast, she’d already lost her appetite completely, although the roasted pheasant with truffle mashed potatoes was the most elegant meal she’d ever been served.
“Connor, why don’t you show your bride around the tower?” Sir William said kindly. “I think we can sort out the rest of the details on your behalf.”
“Belinda, we’ll come fetch you no later than four,” Evelyn said. “Eight hours is barely enough time to prepare for a wedding.”
With that, Connor stood and bowed to his grandparents. “Thank you, all of you.” He held out his hand to Belinda. “Shall we?”
She repeated his thanks and followed him from the room.
Chapter Five
“While it’s called Kay’s Tower,” Connor said, “it’s actually got several turrets, as you saw from the outside. The central one is the oldest, and still has the medieval great hall at the heart of it.” He knew Belinda was only listening with half an ear, while most of her thoughts were on their upcoming wedding. He let go of her hand to slip his arm around her waist and draw her closer. “You might want to pay attention, you know, since this will be your home too, soon enough. Although I hope it won’t be ours in truth for many, many years.”
“Of course not.” Then her brow furrowed and she glanced up at him, wild confusion still swirling in the dark depths of her eyes. “You live here? With your parents and grandparents and sisters? All the time?”
“Don’t panic. I lease my own townhouse in Edinburgh. I spend most of my time there, as do my parents—they have a bigger house, a mile or two away. There’s also a grand pile in London that any of us use when we need it. The grandparents don’t travel too much anymore. Geneva lives with her husband and son in the Hebrides, and Melody spends most of her time working on airships, wherever the Order needs her. So we’ll have plenty of privacy, never fear.” He paused at the top of the grand staircase, allowing her to gaze out over the ancient hall lined with antique weaponry and pennants representing nearly a thousand years of family history. “Of course, I will be gone quite often on missions. I hope you’ll be able to stand that. Being married to a Knight of the Round Table isn’t the easiest life.”
“The Order of the Round Table.” She shook her head and one curl fell out of her sedate chignon to bounce against her cheek. “I still think you’re all bamming me on that one.”
“No.” Connor swallowed hard. “It’s time for me to tell you about that, but I have to warn you. If you change your mind about marrying me, one of the Droods will have to come and cast a spell to remove the memory. I’m told that process isn’t pleasant.”
“You can do that?” She pulled away to stare up at him. “You would do that?”
“I wouldn’t have a choice.” Connor spread his hands and shrugged. It was a vile thing to do, to alter someone’s mind, but in rare instances it was necessary. “Not that I could do it myself—I’m not that powerful, but there are those in the Order who are. I told you as we drove in that the Droods are descendants of Merlin and Nimue. I wouldn’t have said that much if I hadn’t already decided that we would marry. Nothing about the Order is public knowledge.”
“So what do you do in this Order of yours?” She raked him with an intense gaze, studying him from head to toe. “Other than break accused witches out of gaol, of course?”
Connor grinned at the sarcastic bite in her tone. While most men might find that off-putting, her prickly wit drew him in. He didn’t want a meek, subservient miss—he’d be stultified within hours. Belinda would never be boring. “I’ve actually never done that before.” He took her arm again and led her down the staircase. “Basically, the Order is responsible for monitoring supernatural activity in the realm and keeping it under control. We hunt vampyres, rogue werewolves, take down the occasional evil wizard, whatever needs to be done.”
“So you’re saying you risk your life on a daily basis.” She bit her lip as they reached the stone floor of the hall. Her eyes settled on a massive claymore hanging above the hearth. How much blood had flowed across that blade? How much had Connor faced in his young life and how much more could he survive? “Based on what I saw last night, I’d say you engage in silly, reckless behavior that could easily get you killed. I’m not sure I like that notion. I don’t have any interest in being a widow again.”
“I’m sorry.” He led her over to a wide leaded-glass window that had been cut into the stone sometime in the sixteen hundreds and drew her down onto a leather-padded window seat. Taking both her hands in his, he looked into her eyes. “I can’t change who or what I am, Belinda. Despite what you think, I’m not silly when I’m working, nor am I unduly reckless. I’ve no death wish.” He wondered if perhaps he had been a little more cavalier than usual since Wink’s marriage to Liam. He hadn’t courted death, not exactly, but he hadn’t cared much about his own life. Now that would have to change. He’d have responsibilities of his own, an idea that was more appealing than he’d have expected.
“I still think this is all a harebrained idea.” She continued to nibble her plump lower lip. One of the dogs wandered in and sat on the floor beside her, leaning against her knee. Belinda absently scratched its head and it looked up at her with adoring dark eyes. Connor was glad to see that she wasn’t afraid of the dogs.
“If something does happen to me, you won’t be alone. You’ll have family to look out for you and the funds to live in style and comfort for the rest of your days. Besides, the Order takes care of its own. You’ll never have to struggle to survive again.” He had to remember to get a marriage settlement written before midnight—one that would keep Belinda secure, no matter what. Likely, his father was already drawing it up.
“I don’t give a fig about your money,” Belinda said. “I just don’t want to mourn another husband.”
Warmth filled his heart. He believed her. She didn’t want him for his money or family status, but oh, she wanted him. He could see that in the way her breath fluttered when he soothed her bitten lip with his thumb. “Life is always uncertain. Accident or illness can happen to anyone. None of us knows how much time we have.” Even in this so-called modern age, women died in childbirth all the time. For a moment, he entertained the hope that Belinda might not fall pregnant. It was astonishing, given the speed of their so-called courtship, but already he didn’t want to lose her. “Don’t turn craven on me now, please. We’ve a wedding in, oh, ten hours or so.”
“I know that, of course. Micah was not quite fifty when he died. Still a young man by most standards.” She withdrew her hands from his, folded them in her lap and gave him a quirky half smile. “I’m not a coward, and I gave my word. I can manage on my own when you’re gone on your missions. I’m no hothouse flower who needs constant tending. Speaking of flowers, does your house in Edinburgh have a garden?”
“A small patch.” He let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Not what you’re used to, of course. We’ll have to look for something bigger anyway, if or when we start a family. Then you can choose your own garden.”
She lifted one eyebrow as if to remind him that having children might not be in their future. “A small patch would be fine. You won’t want your wife to be in trade, so I’ll only need enough herbs and flowers for my own use.”
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll find plenty of customers without resorting to a barrow in the market if you want to keep making your creams and tinctures.” Even the squire had acknowledged the efficacy of Belinda’s herbal products. “My grandmother, for one, plus Melody and my mother. Geneva when she visits. She might want to stock up on things to take back to Torkholm with her, since she doctors the whole island. The wives and daughters of our friends. The Order itself may even purchase some of your healing salves. I’ll not stop you from doing what you enjoy. Many of the younger women I know maintain professions, including my
sisters, and several of them after marriage. You’ll meet a couple more tonight.” Including Wink. He hoped Belinda wouldn’t sense Connor’s feelings for the other woman. She didn’t deserve that, particularly not on her wedding night.
That thought reminded him of something else. He stood and tugged on her hand. “Come on. I have something else to show you.” Connor’s own dog, a two-year-old male, joined them as they walked. The young bitch followed at Belinda’s side. His father must have brought Rowan up from town. Connor scratched Rowan’s wiry head and gestured to the younger dog. “Would you’d like Willow there for a wedding present? She seems to have chosen you. If your cat won’t mind being with dogs, that is.” He supposed he could leave Rowan here, if Belinda didn’t want the deerhounds in their home, but he hoped he wouldn’t have to.
She grinned and leaned down to look into Willow’s eyes. “Really? Willow, would you like to come live with me in Edinburgh?” The dog wagged its tail and licked Belinda’s face, making her laugh. “Well, I guess that’s settled. You’re sure your grandparents won’t mind you giving away their dog?”
Connor shook his head. “The dogs usually choose for themselves as they grow up, although most of them decide to stay with the family. If Willow wants you, that will be that. She and Rowan get on, so there’ll be no problem there. But what about Lucifer?”
“Luce ignores other animals. He seems to believe they’re beneath his dignity, but he never had any problems with the collie Micah used to keep.” She dropped a kiss on Willow’s massive head and then reached around Connor to scratch Rowan. “Poor old Butch died barely a month after his master and I’ve missed him. I’ll be glad to have dogs, especially if you’re away on a regular basis. Between them and Luce, I won’t feel so alone.”
“You’ve been alone a long time, haven’t you?” he asked. “How did you manage?”
“Lucifer helped a lot,” she said. “I survived, but I can’t say I enjoyed the loneliness. It will be good to have more company when you’re away.”
“Good.” He drew to a stop in front of a pair of massive double doors. “Close your eyes.”
She shot him a skeptical look, but complied. He opened the door, and drew her into the newest part of the house.
“I smell flowers,” she said.
“Open your eyes.” She did, and he watched in delight as she gazed openmouthed at his grandmother’s conservatory. “You won’t be the only gardener in the family. So let’s go pick out your wedding flowers.”
* * *
Belinda sat on the bed in the room she’d been assigned, Lucifer draped over her lap and Willow panting at her feet. The two had sniffed at each other, Luce had batted away Willow’s nose when the pup tried to play, and then they’d settled down into peaceful coexistence. Belinda only hoped she and Connor could manage to live together with as little strife as these two. While he seemed to have no concerns, she was far less sanguine about the idea of marrying a virtual stranger. How long would it be before he grew tired of an older woman, not just in years, but in experiences? Not to mention one who hadn’t been raised or educated in the same manner as he. Yes, the passion between them was remarkable, but how long would that last?
A tap on the door startled her out of her gloom and she rose to open it, expecting Connor again, or perhaps a maid. Instead, the elder Lady MacKay stood, a basket in her slender arms. “May I come in?”
“Certainly.” Belinda lifted the basket and set it on the bed while the other woman came in and took a seat on the vanity stool. “What can I do for you, ma’am?”
“Call me Nan, dear. All my grandchildren do.” She nodded at the basket. “I’ve brought some things for you to use. I wore the pearl hairpins at my own wedding and would be pleased if you would borrow them. I know you already had a bath this afternoon, but there are some scents and things in there, in case you couldn’t bring any of your own. I brought violet and rosemary, since I wasn’t sure what you like. The girls will have other choices if you prefer.”
Belinda smiled. “You guessed correctly. I usually blend the two. Thank you.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Evelyn said. “You’ll have to make me some to try.”
“Here.” Belinda handed over the one small pot of hand cream she’d brought with her. “There’s a touch of lavender as well, since it soothes the skin.”
Evelyn rubbed a dollop on her age-spotted hands. “This is a lovely texture. You’re very gifted.”
“Thank you.” Belinda sat on the edge of the bed and wound her fingers through Luce’s fur. “Was there something you wanted? You could have sent a maid with the perfumes and hair pins.”
Evelyn’s eyes, a soft green that might have once been emerald, sparkled with humor. “I wanted to speak with you, of course. You are about to marry my only grandson.”
“And yet you’re all being very kind,” Belinda said on a sigh. “Which I don’t understand at all. How can you be sure I won’t murder him in his sleep?”
“We can’t.” Evelyn gave her a sad smile and sat next to her, patting Belinda’s hand. “That’s a lesson I’ve had to learn the difficult way—by experience. Our family has seen its share of grief, my dear. Fergus wasn’t my only son. Gideon was my baby, the light of my life. But he grew into a violent young man, jealous of his brother’s power, of his acceptance into the Order. He joined forces with other angry nobles and worse yet, a vampyre lord. He killed a number of good people before he was stopped.”
Belinda heard the mother’s heartbreak in the older woman’s tone. Some hurts never went away. “I’m so sorry about your son, Lady MacKay, but what does that have to do with Connor and me?”
Evelyn held on to Belinda with one hand and scratched Willow’s floppy ears with her other. “My point is that you can never totally know someone, even if you’ve raised them from the day they were born. None of us guessed that Gideon would become obsessed with power to the point where he would choose to be infected by a vampyre and kidnap an innocent girl. Connor was the only one in the family who thought something might be wrong with his uncle, but he was only a youth, away at school at the time, and none of us listened. Since then, we’ve all come to trust his instincts—even when our urge is to coddle or protect him. He may seem like a capricious child, but that’s just his way of coping with the world. Underneath it, he is a seasoned warrior, more than old enough to know his own mind. His work for the Order is dangerous. Are you prepared to accept that?”
Belinda wiggled out of her overskirt as she pondered that. “We discussed that while he was showing me around. I can accept who he is. I don’t want to be widowed again, but as you say, life is never certain. We all take chances whenever we cross the street.”
“That’s very true. And some of us are lucky enough to grow old with one another. Tomorrow, William and I are celebrating sixty years together. Even after losing Gideon, I wouldn’t change that for the world.” She leaned over to kiss Belinda’s cheek and then stood. “It wouldn’t break my heart to hold more great-grandchildren before I die. You might want to have that chat with Geneva. She has a sense for such things, which is why she became a doctor.” She stepped over to the door. “I’ll be back with the others in an hour or so to help you dress. Have a nap if you can—I intend to.”
“Thank you.” Before Evelyn could leave, Belinda had to ask one more thing. “This Order everyone’s mentioned...is it true that Connor and the others are all descended from King Arthur’s Round Table? And that their magick is passed from father to son?”
“It’s true,” Evelyn said simply. “Though often, I think, the daughters have powers of their own, like Genny’s gift for sensing medical concerns. The Order is starting to recognize that in recent years. I believe there will be women in the Order within your lifetime. The men in charge have slowly come to accept that their daughters and granddaughters are also forces to be reckoned with. That will be something to keep in mind if you have daughters of your own.”
“And Sir William is one of those men?”
“Yes. Of course, he’s mostly active in an advisory capacity these days. Fergus has taken over the reins of the Edinburgh headquarters. Connor spends most of his time there or in London. I hope you won’t have any problem with living in the city.”
“Edinburgh or even London sound heavenly after being in an isolated village for ten years. Thank you, Lady MacKay—Nan. For everything.”
The green eyes twinkled again. “You’re welcome. I’m looking forward to having a pair of young hands to help in the conservatory and still room. Neither of my granddaughters is an avid gardener.”
“I can’t wait. You won’t be able to keep me away.”
After the older woman left, Belinda lifted her small jewel case off the dresser where her borrowed lady’s maid had left it. She withdrew a heavy gold band and smiled. Here was one thing she could bring to this unexpected wedding that was hers and hers alone—another legacy from her grandfather. At least Connor’s family wouldn’t have to provide his wedding band. She tilted it and read the inscription, in Italian, faded nearly smooth from decades of wear. “Forever together,” she whispered. It had been true for her grandparents. Holding the ring, she felt the band warm against her skin, uncannily like Leo Smith was giving her his blessing. Perhaps he had been, in advance. He’d known she’d need the caravan one day—perhaps he’d known she’d need the ring as well. She slipped it on the thumb of her right hand, just to feel him close for a moment.
She’d napped earlier, and anxious as she was, there was no way she’d be able to sleep. Her body was already recovering from her ordeal at the gaol. Picking one of her notebooks and a pencil out of a carpet bag, she settled in the window seat, enjoying the sunshine of the autumn afternoon while she wrote. Despite her nerves, the words flowed, and her little fairy tale took on a whole new dimension of magick, and the enchanted castle became stronger and sturdier, made of aged, mellow stone instead of white marble.
The minutes flew by so fast she was startled to hear a knock on her bedroom door. A glance at the clock on the bureau told her it was nearly five. Her stomach rumbled, confirming her observation as she set her notebook aside and opened the door.
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