The taste of Vesper lingered on Val’s lips. All he had to do was lift his hands and smell her on them. It was a glorious smell. As he returned her to the feasting table in the alcove where he introduced her to Tevin du Reims, all Val could think about was their tryst in the loft. It made it most difficult to focus on conversation, which he struggled to do after that. Vesper was so heavily on his mind that he couldn’t shake her.
Marriage…
He made up his mind as he watched Tevin make conversation with Vesper that he would marry Vesper on the morrow before they departed to Winchester. He hadn’t wanted to delay that trip but he wasn’t sure if he’d have the opportunity to marry her once he reached Winchester, if ever, so his marriage to Vesper became the priority. It was all he could think of as he watched Vesper deep into the evening, nearly ignoring everyone else at the table because of her. If Tevin and Calum and the other men didn’t realize he was in love with McCloud’s daughter, they certainly did by the end of the night.
It was obvious.
In fact, once Vesper had retreated to bed for the evening and McCloud wandered off to play gambling games with some of the soldiers, Val sat up with Tevin, Calum, Kenan, and Mayne to discuss what would happen on the morrow. Val made it clear that he wanted to marry the lady before he left, sending Mayne to summon a priest from the small church in the village that skirted Selborne.
Mayne charged out in the middle of the night, knowing that time was precious, as Calum and Tevin tried to talk Val out of such an impulsive move. They were thinking of Vesper mostly, concerned that Val was acting so rashly, but the man’s mind was set. He would marry her and then he would face Henry. There was no convincing him otherwise.
But the truth was that they understood his determination and, in particular, Tevin understood. He was an old man and he’d been married to his wife for many years, a woman he’d fallen madly in love with so long ago. He understood what it was like to want to marry a woman and not be able to– aye, he very much understood that need.
So, Tevin retired to sleep a few hours before dawn, leaving Val to seek his mother and wake her up with the news that he was actually doing something she wanted for once– he was getting married. He roused Margaretha from a sound sleep to tell her many things– of his decision to marry, of the details of the plot he’d evidently been pulled into, and of his intention to face Henry on the morrow to clear his name. It had been a difficult conversation with the woman because he’d tried to spare her all he could, but the truth was that he could spare her no longer.
She had to know.
But Margaretha was a strong woman, something she exhibited as Val told her what had happened when he’d reached Canterbury and why Tevin du Reims had really come to Selborne. Now, much of what was going on made sense and she understood the situation. She also understood her son’s desire to marry a woman he hardly knew, although he did profess to love her.
Margaretha wasn’t in complete approval of the marriage but Val was determined so she didn’t argue with him. Perhaps she should have; perhaps she should have even tried to stop himbecause she didn’t believe that he was thinking clearly, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Her beautiful boy was about to face, perhaps, the worst crisis of his life and she would not make it worse by arguing the details of the life he wanted for himself. Whatever he wanted, she simply agreed with him, and Val left her chamber feeling relatively good about their conversation. At least his mother hadn’t fought him on his desire to wed Vesper. She had been remarkably stoic about the entire situation, giving him the strength to face the morrow.
And Margaretha knew that. She may have been a shrew and a nasty old woman at times, but she knew how to choose her battles wisely. This wasn’t one she could win and she didn’t want to burden her only child with animosity between them when he was, quite possibly, facing a death sentence on the morrow. Certainly, the day would come and then they would have their answers, but until then, they were all living in apprehension.
No one knew what the morrow would bring, least of all Val.
Realizing that everything her son had worked for might be coming to an end, Margaretha tried to remain strong long after he had left her. She tried to tell herself that all would be well. It wasn’t even the marriage she was concerned about but Val’s future as a whole. But her attempts to be brave didn’t work; her heart was breaking for her only son. Was this to be the last of her great son, the vestiges of Valor de Nerra never to be reclaimed? She could only pray it wasn’t so.
In the wee dark hours of the morning, Margaretha wept.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
It was aboutan hour before dawn. The grounds of Selborne Castle were quiet for the most part as soldiers went about their rounds and the servants starting cooking fires to prepare for the morning meal. It was cold this morning, with a thin layer of ice on the ground, and smoke hung heavy in the air because of the cloud layer, causing the men on the wall walk to cough intermittently, their eyes stinging in the mist.
In the stables against the western wall, McCloud was saddling the horse he’d borrowed from Eynsford. He also had a sack of food to take with him, provisions he’d requested from the servant who had shown him to his bed the night before. It sat on the ground by the end of the stall as McCloud prepared the horse, cleaning out the hooves by the light of an oil lamp and making sure the leather straps on the saddle were secure.
But his movements were slow and lethargic. He moved with a heavy heart, for many different reasons. In spite of traveling with his daughter for the past two days, he wasn’t entirely sure Vesper was forgiving of his actions and he wasn’t sure she was willing to put everything behind them. Worse still, Val, who had been a close and trusted friend, wouldn’t even speak to himlast night. He’d simply glared at him when he arrived and then ignored him the rest of the time, so Val’s behavior had been wearing heavily upon him.
It hurt more than he thought it would.
Not that he deserved the man’s friendship. He knew he didn’t. But he’d come to support Val when it seemed as if the whole of England would very soon be against the man. He was both hurt and angered that Val wasn’t willing to forgive him, a man he’d known for years, especially when Val was finding himself in a rather precarious position. He would need all the friends he could get. At least, that’s how McCloud saw it.
Therefore, he brooded as he saddled the horse, thinking that he would simply return to Durley and try to eke out an existence there. He had nowhere else to go so returning to Durley seemed to be the best option. He would leave his daughter to Val, since the man was clearly enamored with her, and that would be the end of all things as he knew it. He would have to try and rebuild his life without his only living child or friends from long ago.
“McCloud.”
A deep voice pierced the darkness and McCloud turned to see Val entering the stable. His heart leapt a bit at the sight of the man, wary of his presence, hoping that Val hadn’t come here to tell him how disappointed he was in him. Nothing Val could say could be any worse than McCloud had already said to himself, so he braced himself as Val came towards him.
“Val,” he said evenly. “You have risen early.”
Val came into the weak light of the lamp. “I did not sleep,” he said. “I saw you come into the stable. We must speak and there was no opportunity last night.”
McCloud sighed faintly, returning his attention to the horse. “If you’ve come to scold me, then get on with it,” he said. “Whatever you must say to me, I have earned it.”
“I have come to speak with you about Vesper.”
McCloud paused, looking up at him. “Oh?” he said. “What about her?”
Val hesitated a moment before continuing. “I am going to marry her this morning, as soon as the priest arrives,” he said quietly. “I wanted you to know that.”
