"Jolene—"
"If I ask him, he will explain himself to me. He tries to understand my moods and will ask me the why of them."
"He is a Scot!"
"He is as at ease with me as he is with his brothers and he laughs with me."
"He sounds like a good friend, but—"
Jolene looked at her cousin and even though she blushed, she whispered, “And the passion is hot and fierce and he holds me in his arms all through the night.” She was a little surprised when Roger blushed, too.
"You really intend to go back?"
"Aye, I have to go back to him. I love him, although it may be a while before I tell him so. I think he could come to love me, may already do so in some ways. It does not matter. I have to go back to him. Even if he does not love me now, he is still the only husband I want."
"But, what about Reynard?"
Jolene looked at her nephew as he came to stand with them. “Reynard, you are going to have to be a brave little man. I am going to go back to Dubheidland to live with Sigimor and you are going home to live with Cousin Roger and Cousin Emma."
"No, I don’ like that."
She crouched in front of him and kissed his cheek. “I do not want to leave you, my sweet boy, but I must. I have a husband now. I have to be with him, but you have to be in England."
"Is it because I am an heir?"
"Aye, you are an heir, you are an earl and a baron and there are a lot of people depending on you to be there, to grow up and be their lord. Sigimor is a lord and he needs me to watch out for him. That is what a wife does."
She pulled him into her arms as he cried. It was hard not to cry with him, but she knew she had to stay calm. She just kept repeating what she had already said. After a few minutes he sniffled and walked over to be with the other men. She rose and looked at Roger.
"This is going to hurt,” she whispered.
"Of course it will,” he said as he took her into his arms.
"I wish I could be two people so that I could be with him and with Sigimor."
"That is what we all wish sometimes."
"I am going to cry a little bit, but, if Reynard comes near, let me know so I can stop."
Roger laughed softly and held her in his arms as she cried softly. He rubbed her back and stared off in the direction she had done as she had spoken of her husband. Slowly his eyes widened as, from out of the shadows of the forest, men appeared. A glance all around him revealed that his men were tense and ready to fight if the need arose. Reynard looked at the men now surrounding them, smiled, and waved at one, but that sign of recognition did not make Roger relax just yet. One of these large redheaded men was undoubtedly Jolene's husband, but not one of the men looked particularly friendly.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Nineteen
"Jolene!"
By the time Sigimor's enraged bellow had finished echoing through the halls, he was out of bed and almost fully dressed. Liam and Nanty stumbled into the room, half-dressed, half-asleep, and holding their swords as Sigimor reached for his boots. The way they looked around for a threat, then scowled at him, would have amused him at any other time. So would have the sight of the growing number of his family, equally disheveled, sleepy, and armed, crowding the hall behind the two men. At the moment, however, nothing could amuse him.
"What ails ye, mon?” snapped Liam. “Have ye raised the alarum o'er naught?"
"Jolene is gone,” Sigimor said as he finished lacing his boots and reaching for his sword.
"What did ye say to make her leave?"
"Why do ye think I made her leave? Mayhap someone took her."
Liam shook his head. “Nay, that didnae happen."
