She ran a finger over the stones.
“I want to be useful. Not just to you, but to our people.”
He pulled her onto his lap as they sat in front of the fire.
“You dispatched Agnes, saved our son, and brought my brother home.” He kissed her, his voice rough. “You are brave, and fearsome, and I am the luckiest man in all the lands that you fell through time to land here at Blackford.”
She brushed the hair back from his face. “I am sorry he’s gone. Do you think everyone believed us that he went back to Scotland?”
“I told them I gave him some of the treasure and he missed his homeland, so yes, I think so.”
William let out a breath. “I would have liked having a brother, even if he was a Scot.”
She listened to his heart beating, wishing she could ease his sorrow.
“Do you think we’ll ever find out what happened to Callan? I wonder where and when he went?”
William’s chest rose and fell in a deep sigh. “I know not, my love. I hope wherever he is, Callan has found his rightful place in time.”
There were no answers to be found, only the comfort they found in each other. As William’s eyes met hers, Lucy’s breath caught at the love and desire in his gaze.
Without a word, he swept Lucy up in his arms and carried her to their bed. Their passions ignited, and they came together ardently, finding solace and comfort in each other’s arms.
CHAPTER 23
A few years later…
If someone would have askedLucy how she pictured her future, living with a medieval knight in a castle certainly wouldn’t have been on the list, yet here she was, happy and content after finally letting go of her past and embracing all that she had found here in medieval England.
Seven months ago, she’d given birth to another son, a healthy boy they’d named Robert Graham Brandon, filling Blackford Castle with life and joy. The Graham was for Callan, the brother William had only known for a short time. William was already talking about swords and horses for their son.
After the villagers heard what had happened when Agnes tried to murder Jason, they finally believed William. Now the villagers came to Blackford to celebrate the holidays, no longer whispering about Lucy being a witch or William a murderer.
When Lucy told her husband she’d like another child, shethought four was a good number, he’d laughed and said mayhap next time they’d have a girl, with silver eyes like hers.
The warmth of the summer sun had Lucy tilting her head back as she walked the battlements, Robert napping in her arms.
Peter was already two and a half, and Jason was almost five. They certainly kept things interesting. The boys were in the courtyard, playing with several kids from the castle, as they vanquished dragons and evil foes.
The tread of footsteps had her turning to see William, a bit of gold glinting in his hair from being out in the sun all summer, striding across the walkway to greet her.
“Hello, husband.” She kissed him on the cheek.
“Thought I’d find you up here.” He touched a finger to Robert’s cheek. “He’s still sleeping?”
“Thank goodness.” Lucy was glad she’d decided on a tunic and hose today. After Robert woke from his nap, she planned to work in the garden this afternoon. They’d been eating lots of salads this summer though not without a ton of grumbling from everyone, but when Lucy told them if they wanted tasty treats for dessert, they’d eat the ‘wee green things’ as the men called them, they shut up and shoveled the salads in as fast as they could.
As they stood next to each other looking out over the lands, Lucy decided that since the villagers enjoyed the new traditions like hunting for small treats, and telling ghost stories around the fire at night over Halloween that she wanted to celebrate another favorite holiday.
“William?”
“Aye, love?”
The man stood there, feet wide apart, dressed in a blue tunic and hose, making her heart flip. Lucy thanked her luckystars every night for such a wonderful man and her beautiful boys.
“I want to celebrate Thanksgiving this year.”
William groaned. “A Thanksgiving feast? You told me that is a tradition from your America. It has nothing to do with England, or Scotland for that matter.”
