Candace C. Bowen - A Knight Series 01 (33 page)

Hylda handed a nervous Fulke his daughter before
returning to Reina. “Rest now, my lady.” Caressing her cheek, she said softly,
“Your dear mother would have been very proud of you.”

Catching Hylda’s hand, Reina gently squeezed it.
“You have always been a mother of my heart, Hylda.”

Hylda smiled as Reina closed her eyes in exhaustion.

Turning to Fulke, she admitted, “My lady could not
have found a finer man, your lordship.”

With burning eyes, Fulke briefly glanced away from the
wonder of his daughter. “You have my undying gratitude, Hylda.”

“Consider us even, your lordship.” She dabbed absently
at her cheeks with the sleeve of her kirtle. “I best ease the minds of the
louts below,” she said fondly.

Fulke absently nodded as he gazed tenderly at his
daughter.

By the time the men heard the door in the upper
passageway even Rowan had trouble focusing.
 

The men watched in silence as the two village women
descended the steps.
 
Without a word or
glance at the anxious men, they left.
 

Seeing Hylda make her way down the steps, they stood
as one.
 
Her expression giving nothing
away, they held their breaths as she made her way to Rowan. Wrapping her arms
around him, she began sobbing into his tunic.

Wide-eyed, the men fell heavily into their seats.

Regaining her composure, Hylda lifted her head.
 
“My Reina has a daughter,” she sobbed happily.
 

Albin stood with a roar, “Zounds woman!
 
Do you think you could have imparted the good
news another way?
 
You had us panicked
near to death.”

Returning more to her normal self, Hylda assessed the
infuriated knight. “Perchance if I entered a hall of sober knights instead of
drunken louts, I would have.”

His stomach unclenching, Albin chuckled. “I think
madam that I am quite fond of you.” Albin raised his tankard high with a grin.
“To Castell Maen’s newest mistress.”

As the rest of the men raised their tankards, Talan
shouted, “God help the men who are brave enough to seek her hand.”

Laughing their relief, Guy caught Gervase staring at
Hylda. “By all that is Holy, what is wrong with you, Gervase?”

Eyeing Guy’s hand, Gervase shrugged.

* * * *

Fulke ran a finger lightly through the soft down
of
 
his daughter’s blond hair.
 
“Wondrous,” he breathed.
 

Opening her brilliant blue eyes at her father’s touch,
his daughter studied the imposing figure he presented.
 
With a soft cry, she shoved a tiny fist into
her mouth. Holding out a finger, he watched in fascination as she wrapped her
tiny hand around his thumb.

A fierce protectiveness flowed through him as he
stared down at the miracle love had created. Unashamed, he felt tears track
down his face. “You are as beautiful as your mother, little one.” Bending to
kiss the top of her head.

Glancing up, he found Reina watching him with tears
sparkling in her eyes.
“My love, meet your
daughter, Catrain Malina.”

Overwhelmed his mother would live on through him,
Fulke could not voice the words he wanted to say. Gazing at Reina with all the
love in his heart, he could only nod.

Before her, he never would have believed it possible
that he would be placing his infant daughter into the arms of his beloved wife.
Leaning down to kiss her, he managed a shaky, “Thank you, my lady.”

Cupping his cheek, she gazed into the clear depths of
his eyes.
“No, thank you my love, my lord, my life.”

* * * *

Fulke made his way through the darkened castle,
cradling his infant daughter. “There are some people I would like you to meet,
little lady.”

Entering the Great Hall, he smiled to see his men
passed out in various positions, too far into their cups to make it to their
beds. “I shall introduce you to the rest of the family on the morrow, I have a
feeling you will grow as fond of them as I.”

Stepping out into the humid night air, he moved away
from the castle to gaze at the twinkling cluster of stars above him.

This time when the warm breeze caressed his face, he
would have sworn he heard the sound of laughter.

Although I only briefly touch on the White Ship disaster, the sinking
itself changed the course of history.
 
Along with hundreds of nobles from England and Normandy, King Henry I’s
only legitimate son drowned.
 
Henry spent
the remainder of his reign fighting to name his only legitimate daughter,
Matilda, the first Queen of England.
 
Upon his death, England was thrown into Civil War, also known as The
Anarchy or Nineteen-Year Winter. It concluded with Matilda’s son proclaimed
future king, giving birth to Plantagenet rule in England.
 
I believe everyone is familiar with the
infamous king that ruled close to four hundred years later, King Henry VIII.
 

Exhibiting a lifelong passion for history and writing,
Candace Early was inspired to create a story about a deaf heroine after seeing
Marlee Maitlin's performance on Dancing With the Stars. Based in the twelfth
century court of King Henry I, A Knight of Silence is the first volume in a
Knight Series.

Currently hard at work on Volume II, A Knight of
Battle, Candace resides in Pompano Beach, Florida with her husband and young
son.

A member of Romance Writers of America, you can learn
more about Candace by visiting her website at www.knightseries.com.