“What is that?”
“You will name the boys and I will name the girls.”
His face lit up. “I love that suggestion,” he said. “I accept.”
“I thought you might.”
“The truth is that I already have a name in mind if the child is a boy.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “It is no wonder you agreed to my suggestion so easily,” she said. “Well? What is it? We are not going to name him after a king, are we? Because I do not like the names John or Henry.”
Curtis chuckled. “I would not name my son after those two,” he said. “But if it is a lad… I would like to name him after my father.”
They both turned to look at Christopher, in conversation with Gruffydd, and Elle moved closer to Curtis, putting an arm around his waist. “I like that name,” she whispered. “I cannot think of a more pleasing name.”
His expression turned adoring. “Thank you,” he murmured. “I mean that from the bottom of my heart. It means a great deal to me.”
“I know,” she said. “And I agree—if it is a lad, he should be named for a man you love very much.”
“You’re sweet,” he said, kissing her on the forehead. “But if it is a lass, what will you name her?”
Elle cocked her head thoughtfully. “I do not know,” she said. “If we are naming children after parents, I do not want to name her after mine. What was the name of your mother’s mother?”
“Mary.”
“Then we will name her Mary.”
He grinned, giving her a quick squeeze, but as he did so, he noticed that guests were beginning to come in through the hall entry.
“Our guests are arriving, Lady Leominster,” he said. “We should go to the door and greet them.”
Elle could see them, too. “Of course,” she said. “But before we go, I assume you deliberately did not tell me that Gruffydd was going to be here. Am I correct?”
Curtis didn’t hesitate. “You are,” he said, his features softening as he looked at her. “I know you have a long history with him, Ellie. I know it has been fraught with tension and unhappiness. But you are a great lady now, with great responsibility. You are a woman of substance. I am wondering if it is possible for you to peacefully coexist with your brother, who is a valuable ally. If you would at least be civil to him, for my sake, I would be grateful.”
She pursed her lips wryly. “When you put it that way, how can I refuse?”
He gave her his best smile, laughing softly when she rolled her eyes. “You cannot,” he said, before kissing her swiftly andthen pulling her toward the entry door. “You are the best of me, Ellie. Let us show everyone that, including your brother.”
His words hit her.You are the best of me. Only a crazy man would say such a thing, but Curtis wasn’t crazy. He was bright and brilliant and patient and loving, and she believed he was the greatest creature God had ever created. She never imagined she would think such a thing about any man, especially an Englishman, but she thought that about him.
And he clearly thought that about her.
You are the best of me.
He was the best of her, too.
With Curtis by her side, and eventually Christopher and Dustin, Elle met men with names like Bretton and Caius and Sean. Big, scarred, older knights who had seen much action in the course of their lives. Curtis would introduce her and then whisper in her ear about who the men were and what made them so special, summarizing their careers for her.
It was a parade of legends.
Spies and assassins and agents passed into the great hall, as well as the Earl of Wrexham and the Earl of Wolverhampton. Great, powerful lords who had shaped the history of England and even Wales and Scotland, and in the middle of it was Christopher, whom everyone revered greatly. Peter and Alexander and their wives had arrived, and Elle was introduced to Liora de Lohr and Christin de Sherrington. Beautiful, graceful women who were more than happy to hug her and tell her how happy they were to meet her.
Acceptance.
Kindness.
Elle was overwhelmed by all of it.
