He shuffled out of the door and Alixandrea turned to her husband, smiling brightly. Matthew returned her smile, feeling like an idiot. It was hard to become annoyed with her when she was so sweet and lovely.
“We really must go,” he said. “Is that the last case?”
She looked at the smaller one next to her. “Aye,” she said. “I just want to make sure I have everything.”
He stepped over a sleeping dog and closed the lid of the case. “Youhaveeverything,” he told her. When she opened her mouth to object, he spoke quickly to drown out her words. “I told you that we can buy anything that you may have forgotten or may need.”
“But.…”
“No ‘buts’. We are leavingnow.”
She stuck her lips out in a pout, more for show than real distress. He kissed her swiftly once, twice, before taking the case on his shoulder and her in his other hand. As they quit the chamber, the dogs stretched, stood up, and followed.
In the ward, he tossed the case onto the wagon that also contained a myriad of other necessities, food and materials to repair the weapons included. The massive gates of Wellesbourne were open and the army was already moving through them, kicking up clouds of dust. In the carriage that was now beingdriven by a Wellesbourne soldier and not Strode, Caroline sat waiting for her. Matthew escorted her over to the waiting cab.
“You shall have a contingent of men with the carriage,” he said. “In my stead, you will do what they tell you. Understood?”
She nodded. “Where will you be?”
“At the head of the column.”
The thought of not seeing him did not sit particularly well, but she did not say anything. He was a busy man and his attention was required on more important things. She had Caroline to keep her company whilst they traveled.
“Then be safe, husband,” she said softly. “Caroline and I will ride quite happily together.”
He gazed into her lovely face and completely forgot himself. He took her in his arms and kissed her, only to be rewarded with hoots of approval and whistles from the men around them. He looked at their smiling faces, realizing they still had no knowledge that he had actually married the lady. For all they knew, he was taking liberties that he should not have been. And, shockingly, she was letting him.
“Can a man not kiss his wife?” he boomed.
The men whistled and shouted congratulations, then dutifully quieted. Their liege was a fair man who showed them a good amount of camaraderie, but they were as always respectful of him. If he wanted to kiss the lady he called his wife, so be it.
Matthew loaded her up into the cab and secured the door himself. He chased the dogs off that seemed intent to follow Alixandrea’s every move. His last vision of her was a radiant smile that seared deep into his heart, and of the dogs that sat in the ward looking dejected as she rolled away.
As he collected his charger from a nervous groom, he began to think that never in his life had he known such happiness. Aye, he’d been content his entire life, with the satisfaction of a spotless reputation, power and talent. He’d always taken pridein the fact that he served with his father and brothers, a family unit that enjoyed status among the nobility.
But never had he known true happiness, like the giddy sensations he had known over the past few days. He never knew such things had existed, but exist they did. And it all centered around the beautiful young woman he had been so reluctant to marry.
*
The trip fromWellesbourne to the outskirts of London hadn’t been nearly so long as the trip from York to Wellesbourne. Even so, by the second day, Alixandrea remembered why she hated the infamous carriage so much. She might as well have taken a ship that traveled upon the open sea. Even though she was used to the rolling somewhat, it still made her nauseous, and Caroline was even sicker than she was.
Still, they’d never once complained to their husbands. Matthew made sure they found shelter each night and saw to it that his wife had a bed to sleep in, and she never let on just how awful she felt. In all, the trip to London had been a miserable affair and the ladies had been very glad to reach their destination.
Caroline perked up on the fifth day when they reached the perimeter of the city. Her father was lord mayor of a town just to the east of the road they traveled upon, but Mark would not allow the time for a visit. He promised her that he would consider it once the army reached London, but for now, they were eager to reach their destination. Caroline was disappointed but understood.
As Alixandrea watched Mark and Caroline interact, she was coming to think that Mark did not harbor a great deal of affection or respect for his wife, which was truly a pityconsidering how Caroline felt about him. She had noticed it before but it was more evident even now.
London seemed to start long before they reached the heart of the great city. They passed through miles of villages, most of them a very short distance from each other, and the children would run out to watch the army pass. Alixandrea found herself watching the children just as they were watching her, each curious about the other. Most of them were dirty little urchins, but surprisingly well fed. She saw no evidence of blatant poverty and starvation. At one point, she smiled and waved at one of the little boys standing on the side of the road. He was a cute child. He responded by throwing a rock at her.
The action made her laugh. She sat back in her seat and chuckled. She was about to venture another look from the window when a massive dappled charger suddenly pulled alongside the cab. She recognized her husband’s steed and stuck her head out of the window.
“Well?” she asked him. “What is it? I am busy charming the locals peasants, so be quick about it.”
Inside the cab, Caroline burst into laughter but Matthew had no idea what she meant. He flipped up his visor and looked at her.
“What mischief is this?” he demanded.
She just grinned at him, a playful gesture. “Nothing, my lord. Just a joke.”
