The men’s table manners were so good that Alyx was overly cautious about her own. All through the meal they offered her prize tidbits of meat and fruit. One man peeled an apple, placed a sliver on a plate and asked if she’d accept it.
They expressed sympathy about her lost voice, which made Raine laugh and say they were missing more than they knew. Formally, they asked Lord Raine to explain this. He said they’d not believe what he said, which made Alyx blush.
In their room was a large, soft bed, sparkling clean, and Alyx immediately snuggled under the light blanket. In seconds, Raine joined her there, pulling her close to him, his hands caressing her stomach, smiling when the baby jumped.
“Strong,” he murmured, falling asleep. “A good, strong child.”
In the morning the landlord tapped on their door and delivered fresh baked bread and hot wine, along with twenty red roses from Gavin’s knights.
“That’s Judith’s doing,” Raine said, dressing. “They’re all half in love with her, and it looks like you’ve won their hearts, too.”
Alyx shook her head at this and indicated that they only cared for her because of her relationship to him.
He kissed her nose. “Perhaps all men fall in love with women who can’t speak.”
Alyx grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, catching him in the back of the head.
“Is that any way for a lady to act?” he teased.
In spite of his light manner, Alyx worried about his words all day. She wasn’t a lady and she didn’t know how one should behave. How could she possibly meet this paragon, Judith Montgomery, dressed in a sooty, scorched, shapeless sack?
“Alyx, what’s wrong with you? Are those tears I see?” Raine asked from beside her.
She tried to smile and indicate that there was something in her eye and she would be fine in a moment. After that, she tried to control herself better, but by the time they rode into sight of the Montgomery castle, she was ready to turn tail and run.
The massive stone fortress, centuries old, was even more formidable than she had imagined. As they rode closer to it, the old stone walls seemed to be crushing down on her.
Raine led them to the back entrance, to announce their arrival to as few people as possible. The path to the gate was lined with high stone walls and as they rode, men called down in joyful greeting to Raine. He seemed so at home here that the man she knew began to seem far away. The men who obeyed him without question, the whole vast scope of this place, was closer to the real man than the artificial outlaw camp.
They rode into a courtyard and, to Alyx’s astonishment, houses, looking comfortable, with many windows, were inside the walls. In the few castles where she and Jocelin had sung, the people still lived in the towers, which were so uncomfortable most castles had been abandoned.
They had barely stopped when out of a little walled garden came running a breathtakingly beautiful woman wearing a gown of flashing red satin.
“Raine,” she called, running, arms open.
She can’t sing, Alyx thought defensively, watching her husband leap from his horse and run toward the woman.
“Judith,” he said, grabbing her, twirling her about, feet off the ground, kissing her mouth, in Alyx’s opinion, much too exuberantly.
“My lady,” came a voice to Alyx’s left. “May I help you down?”
Her eyes never leaving Raine and the exquisite Judith, she let herself be lifted down.
“Where is she, Raine?” Judith was saying. “Your message was so garbled we could hardly understand it. We must have misheard because it seemed the messenger was saying your wife was about to be burned the stake.”
“True I rescued her at the very last moment.” His voice held a great deal of pride. With one arm around Judith, he led her to Alyx, whom he casually embraced. This is Alyx and this vision is my unworthy brother’s wife.”
Alyx nodded once, openly staring at her sister-in-law. She’d never seen anyone who looked like this before: gold eyes, auburn hair barely visible under a pearl embroidered hood, a small voluptuous figure.
Judith pulled away from Raine. “You must be tired. Come with me and I’ll have a bath brought for her.” She took Alyx’s hand in hers and started toward the house.
“Oh, Judith,” Raine called from behind them. “Alyx lost her voice because of the smoke.”
Beside her, Alyx felt Judith stiffen and knew it was because Raine dared to marry someone like her. Rapidly, she tried to blink back tears.
“You are tired,” Judith said sympathetically, but there was an edge to her voice.
Alyx had no time to look at the house as Judith led her up the stairs and into a large paneled room. Alyx’s house in Moreton could have been set in the room at least four times.
