Emelisse looked up at him with some fear. “Do you believe we have been?”
Caius looked over her head, down into the bustling heart of the village. “It is difficult to say,” he said. “They will find the dead soldier eventually and knowing you escaped, they will probably think you killed him. But Morgan and I are both missing, so they might think it was one of us even though rumor will say we had gone after you to bring you back. In any case, it is possible they might try to find us by sending men into the surrounding villages. It is possible that they could come here.”
That didn’t ease her fear, but she didn’t question him. She simply nodded, understanding that, even now, there was still a risk. But Caius didn’t dwell on it. He returned his attention to William.
“While you were watching for Winterhold men, I want you to find a vendor who sells rings,” he said.
“Rings, my lord?” William cocked his head.
Caius held up his hand, wriggling his fingers. “You know– rings,” he said. “Wedding rings. My wife needs a wedding ring.”
William nodded with understanding. “Of course, my lord,” he said. “Should I send him to the inn so the lady can select one?”
Before Caius could reply, Emelisse shook her head. “I do not need to select one,” she said. “I do not even need a ring, truly.”
Caius looked at her. “Aye, you do,” he said. “I want you to have one.”
There was something both flattering and possessive in his statement. He was looking at her with warmth in those black eyes so capable of changing when the mood struck him. Already, she knew that about him. He wanted her to have a ring, so she would. Truth be told, she wanted the world to knowshe belonged to him, too. There was something binding about a wedding right because he cared enough to give her one. Therefore, she conceded the point without a fight and returned her attention to William.
“Something simple is fine,” she said. “A simple gold band is sufficient.”
She held up her hand and then held William’s up, comparing the size of their fingers. Even at William’s young age, he had a big hand, so she looked for the finger that was closest to the one she would put the ring on. She settled on the smallest finger on his left hand.
Armed with his orders and a general idea of the size of ring he needed to find, William took off for the livery. Caius took Emelisse by the hand once more and turned her in the direction of the inn that was across the avenue from the church.
“The White Bear,” he said as he read the sign on the inn. “It looks like a big place. I hope their food is good.”
Emelisse could read the sign, too. Her father had taught her to read as a child. With every step they took, she was growing more and more nervous. She could hardly believe that she was married to a man she would have believed well beyond her reach.
“I am sure it is quite sufficient,” she said. “It has been here a long time. I can remember seeing it when we would come to town for mass.”
Caius’ gaze returned to her, lingering on the woman he had just married. He had briefly wondered if he would feel any regret in this moment, but he found that he did not. In fact, he was quite excited about it. Surely it wasn’t for the property he had just acquired through her, or any wealth or political connections, for she had none of those. He was simply excited abouther.
This woman who could make his heart jump with merely a look.
“Tell me about your life before Winterhold,” he said as they strolled towards the structure. “You told me once that it was so peaceful you never even raised the drawbridge.”
She smiled faintly. “Nay,” she said. “We never did. The chains were rusted because it had been in the same lowered position for so long. Caius, I wish you could have seen Hawkstone before de Wrenville decided he wanted it. It was like… like a paradise. As a child, it was a wonderful place to grow up.”
“And it will be again,” he said. “To raise children, I mean. I will spare no expense in restoring it.”
She came to a halt, looking at him. “That is not why I married you,” she said. “I do not expect you to pay for the restoration of the castle.”
He shrugged. “It is of little matter,” he said. “The property became mine when I married you. But if you feel so strongly against me spending my money for it, we can use The Roden Twins. I am sure they will be more than enough to pay for it.”
Emelisse suddenly lowered her gaze, an expression of pain crossing her features. Caius’ brow furrowed.
“Why do you look like that?” he asked. “What is the matter?”
She looked up at him, the pain in her expression becoming heavier by the moment. She finally pulled her hand from his and turned away, wandering back the way they had come. Concerned, he followed, grabbing her by the arm so she couldn’t move any further.
“Emelisse,whatis wrong?” he demanded softly.
When she finally looked at him again, there were tears streaming down her face.
“Oh… Caius, forgive me,” she begged, her lower lip trembling. “I lied to you. I never thought… I was trying to save my own life and I lied to you. I am so sorry.”
He frowned. “What about?”
