“Once I did, Alex.” She made no further promises, and he felt angry and rejected.
“Ye left me, madame,” he said through gritted teeth. “I awoke in a stranger’s house, weak from loss of blood, with yer name upon my lips, but ye were not there, Velvet. When they finally told me that ye had left England to find yer parents, I couldn’t believe it.”
“I didn’t leave you, Alex. Not that way. When Padraic told me that you had been killed, I thought I would go mad. All my worst fears had been realized, for I had not wanted you to fight that duel. The pain was so terrible that, like the child I still was, I sought my parents to be comforted. I ran, not from you, Alex, but from the horrible reality of your death. What was left for me here in England without you? We had no children that might comfort me. We had nothing in common but three months of marriage and several months before that time when we fought each other almost constantly.”
“I courted ye in those months before our marriage!”
She laughed. “Nay, Alex. You stormed me like a castle to be taken, and take me you did, but you know nothing of courtship.”
“Did Akbar?”His look was angry and piercing.
“Yes,” she answered him quietly, “but that has nothing to do with us here and now, Alex. That part of my life is over and done with, and I should as lief not speak of it any longer if we are to rebuild our life together.”
“Are ye afraid, Velvet?”
“Aye,” she said slowly.
“So am I,” he answered her in a burst of candor. “Let us go home toDun Brocin two days,” she said suddenly.
“What?”He was mightily surprised.
“Queen’s Malvernis filled to overflowing with my relatives, and as long as we are here they will be here, standing about, looking at us with anxious looks, their children underfoot. Let us reassure my parents that we do not intend to murder one another, and then let us go home toDun Broc.You’re still of a mind to get yourself an heir, aren’t you? We have lost several years, Alex. Why should we wait any longer?”
“But ye do not love me, Velvet. Ye have said it.”
“Ours was an arranged marriage like so many others, Alex. How many marriages have the luxury of love between the mates? Once we loved, and we may do so again when the strain of our reunion is past, and we learn to know each other once more, but as long as we are surrounded by my well-meaning family, what chance do we have?”
Thinking about it, he was startled to realize that everything she said made perfect sense. “Ye’re far more a woman than when I last knew ye, lass,” he said seriously.
“Aye, Alex, I am,” she answered.
Her reply, he felt, had more meaning than the simplicity of the words she spoke, but her gaze was a steady one as her emerald eyes locked on to his amber ones.
“We’ll leave in two days’ time then, lass. ’Tis a good time of year to go north.”
They announced their decision at the huge family dinner that evening, and, as Velvet had anticipated, her parents and siblings were not anxious for her to go so quickly. She overrode their objections calmly and firmly, and Skye could see that her youngest child meant what she had said to her mother just a few days back.
“If a woman is weak, Mama, then she offers herself as prey to those who feed upon weakness. I shall never be a victim again in this life.Never!I shall be strong, for if I am not, the next time I shall shatter completely.”
Adam grumbled, throwing his son-in-law of BrocCairn black looks, but Velvet said, “ ’Tis what I want, Papa. Alex is most willing to abide here, but I am anxious to seeDun Broc.”
Skye put a gentle hand upon her husband’s arm, and with a sigh Adam ceased his arguments. “I’ll miss you, poppet, but you’re right. Tis past time you went home. Go then and know that you have our blessing and our prayers.”
“Thank you, Papa,” Velvet replied softly.
The air cleared, the family gathering proceeded, beginning with a wonderful feast that almost brought tears to Velvet’s eyes, for it had been a long time since she had seen many of the wonderful dishes. A side of beef had been packed in rock salt and roasted to a turn. It dripped its juices onto the huge charger that contained it as it was carried into the room by four serving men. There was a large pink ham that had been glazed with honey; a roe deer; ducks stuffed with plums and peaches served with a sauce of cherries; and several lovely meat pies with delicate golden crusts, steam rising from the decorative vents in the pastry.
Alex had contributed to the feast in a wonderfully unusual way. Several of his men had led pack animals all the way from Scotland that had carried small barrels filled with cool water containing two live salmon apiece. Now the beautifully poached salmon, settled decoratively amid beds of cress upon silver platters, were presented to the de Marisco family.
From the manor farm came carrots, spinach, scallions, radishes, and lettuces. There were egg-glazed loaves of soft white bread, sweet butter, Normandy Brie, and a particularly fine pâté of goose liver. The goblets were never empty of the excellent dark Burgundy that came from Velvet’s grandparents’ vineyard atArchambaultin France.
For the last course there were, as a special treat, pears stewed with cinnamon sticks, fat purple grapes from France, early apples up from Devon, a cake soaked in marsala, and dainty sugar wafers.
Afterwards, Skye’s children entertained the rest of the family, which tonight included Sir Robert Small and his sister, Dame Cecily, with a musicale. Velvet was accomplished on the virginal, Deirdre on the harp Padraic on the oboe, Murrough on the drum. Willow, of all Skye’s children, had a clear, sweet voice, which she now raised in song. Soon she was joined by the rest of the gathered guests, and the old hall ofQueen’s Malvernrang with happy voices.
Afterwards, as their elders sat at the high board enjoying the last of the wine, the younger folk and their children joined in games of blindman’s buff, hide-and-seek, and hide-the-slipper. There was much laughter and squealing. Watching, Skye smiled with pleasure. She enjoyed having her family about her, although it frankly amazed her that at almost fifty-one years of age she was a grandmother to twenty-seven children. No, she amended to herself silently, twenty-eight, if she counted Velvet’s little daughter in India. At this moment fourteen of those children were in her house, and she suddenly realized that, despite the fact that she loved each and every one, she would be mightily relieved when they all went home. She laughed softly, and Adam raised a questioning eyebrow.
“I adore them,” she said softly. “but I’ll be glad when they’ve scattered again.”
