So Great A Love (39 page)

“Destroying domestic order,” Catherine
responded promptly, “which Aldis and I will now have to restore. I
have no doubt a thorough cleaning will be needed as soon as we
reach Wortham. We will be busy for days.”

“May heaven have mercy on everyone who lives
in my poor, benighted castle, and on our guests!” Royce cried,
laughing at his daughter.

“If Catherine becomes too enthusiastic about
her housekeeping,” Margaret said to Royce, “you could always send
her back to us for a while – or to Isabel at Cliffmore, where she
will learn how to care for a new baby.”

“Now, there's a fine idea.” Royce kissed
Margaret on either cheek. “Be happy, dear daughter,” he
whispered.

“I will,” Margaret said, returning his
embrace. “Thanks to you and your unselfish love for Arden, I have a
husband whose heart is almost whole again, three new relatives whom
I love dearly, and more happiness than I ever dreamed of
knowing.”

“Farewell for now, Arden. I'll see you again
soon.” Royce embraced his son, then hurried down the steps to mount
his horse.

“Father knows about Tristan,” Catherine
whispered, wrapping her arms around Margaret and hugging her
tightly yet again. “He has known all along of my infatuation. Being
my dear, loving father, he thought it best to allow me to recover
from my childish affection in my own time, and in my own way.”

“Are you sure of this?” Margaret asked,
returning Catherine's enthusiastic embrace.

“Oh, yes,” Catherine said. “We talked last
night, after you and Arden went to bed. I told Father that I have
quite grown out of loving Tristan, which is why he has been teasing
me about needing a husband.”

“Do you want a husband?” Margaret asked.

“Not just yet,” Catherine said. “For the next
few months, I shall be content to resume my old life. But, in the
future, perhaps—”

“Do let me know what you decide,” Margaret
said with dry humor.

“I will, and probably before I let Father
know,” Catherine promised. She ran laughing down the steps to where
a stableboy stood waiting, holding her horse's bridle.

After embracing Margaret with warm affection,
Aldis was about to follow Catherine when Arden caught her by the
shoulders and hugged her.

“Be happy,” Aldis whispered to him. “Don't
worry about me. I suspect concern for me is part of the reason why
you have been so unhappy. But I am fortunate; I have a family that
loves me.”

“Including me,” Arden called after her as
Aldis descended to the courtyard.

The ladies were quickly mounted and they
waved their final goodbyes. Tristan climbed upon his horse and sent
a cheerful salute to the couple at the top of the manor house
steps. Royce waved his hand. And then they were all gone, passing
through the gate and leaving Margaret and Arden in sudden
quiet.

“Look at those clouds,” Arden said, regarding
the sky and noting the way the rising sun was streaking the eastern
portion of the heavens with bright red. “We will have snow tonight
or tomorrow.” He slipped an arm around Margaret's waist and drew
her inside.

“I must remember to ask Sir Wace if his toe
is aching,” Margaret remarked. “Perhaps we will be snowbound
again.”

“Just the two of us this time,” Arden said,
forgetting the dignity required of the lord of the manor long
enough to nibble at Margaret's ear.

“The two of us,” Margaret agreed, chuckling,
“and also Sir Wace, the kitchen staff, the maidservants, and half a
hundred men-at-arms, squires, stableboys, and assorted other
retainers. Not a very intimate arrangement, my lord.”

“It will be as intimate as we want it to
be.”

Margaret saw the smile lurking on Arden's
lips. It did not quite reach his eyes. She knew he was going to
need time to recover from the horrors he had experienced in the
Holy Land. Perhaps he would never recover completely.

Still, Margaret treasured every sign that his
spirits were improving. Since his confession to his father, Arden
was more open and friendly to others. He had not stinted in his
affection when he bid farewell to Royce, to Catherine and Aldis, or
to Tristan and Isabel. Arden's last words to Father Aymon had been
warm as he reminded the priest of his promise to speak to the
bishop about sending a permanent priest to live at Bowen as soon as
the new chapel was ready. And on the previous night Arden had spent
long, languorous hours making love to his new wife.

“Here's my left big toe aching worse than
ever,” Sir Wace grumbled, interrupting Margaret's thoughts as he
limped up the steps and into the entry hall. “It has never before
pained me so severely. Be forewarned my lord Arden, and my lady
Margaret, too. From the ache in this cursed toe, I am certain we
are all going to be snowed in for weeks. The men won't like that.
Nor will the cook or the maidservants.”

“We were just speaking about your remarkable
toe, Sir Wace. I am so sorry for your discomfort,” Margaret said to
the seneschal with great sympathy. “Perhaps I can find an herb or
two in the stillroom that you could put into your wine to ease the
pain.”

Arden laughed.

Margaret and Sir Wace stared at him. Margaret
saw the corners of Arden's blue eyes crinkling with humor, saw the
flash of his white, even teeth and she heard, to her heart's
delight, the slightly rusty sound of Arden's laughter. She had to
bite hard on her lower lip to keep herself from breaking into tears
of joy at this undeniable proof that Arden was, indeed, mending,
that he might eventually be much like his old self again.

“While you are in the stillroom,” Arden said
to her, “mix up another batch of your wonderful perfume and I won't
care how long or hard it snows. Together, my love, you and I will
make our own springtime.”

Flora Speer is the traditionally published
author of twenty full-length novels and two novellas. She writes
historical, futuristic and time-travel romances. Born in southern
New Jersey, she now lives in Connecticut. Among her favorite
activities are doing research for the next book, which is always
fun, gardening (especially herbs and flowers used in medieval
gardens) and amateur astronomy. She firmly believes in space travel
and wishes the U.S. would restart its manned space program, which
provided some great ideas for her futuristic romances.

Flora is currently writing a series of
medieval romances, soon to be published on Smashwords, in which a
group of young men who have no prospects in life at all, still
manage to achieve remarkable results by valor and intelligence.
Since these are romances, never fear that they will also find their
true loves, ladies who are every bit as dauntless and determined as
the men.

Connect with this author:

Web site:
www.floraspeer.com

E-mail:
[email protected]

Other books by Flora Speer, all now
available at Smashwords:

HISTORICAL ROMANCES:

By Honor Bound

Much Ado About Love

The Viking Passion

For Love And Honor

Rose Red

Castle of Dreams

Castle of the Heart

Two Turtledoves (Christmas Novella)

TIME-TRAVEL:

Twelfth Night (Christmas Novella)

Christmas Carol

A Time to Love Again

A Love Beyond Time

Timestruck

Love Just in Time

Love Once and Forever (also paranormal)

PARANORMAL – Medieval Magic

Heart’s Magic

The Magician’s Lover

A Passionate Magic

Love Once And Forever (also time-travel)

FUTURISTIC ROMANCES

Venus Rising

Destiny’s Lovers

No Other Love

Lady Lure

ORIGINAL E-BOOKS, coming in 2014:

Lord Royce’s Knights series:

So Great A Love

Cast Love Aside

True Love

Where Love Has Gone

Love Everlasting

MORE ORIGINAL E-BOOKS, coming in 2015 –
2016:

A prequel to Lord Royce’s Knights:

Love Above All

And, a Romantic Fantasy series:

The Secret Heart

The Fire of the Soul

The Anvil of the Mind