Horland glanced at Bree. She smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes, shaking her head to let him know she couldn’t speak. He squeezed her hand and stood up.
“Briana and I both thank you all, and we are overjoyed to have you here with us today. She has told me so much about you, I feel like I know you as if I had grown up with you all.”
He raised his cup. “To Bree’s aunt, uncle and cousins, may you all maintain the happiness you have today.”
“We’ll drink to that,” Garrett said and gulped his ale.
Laura laughed at her husband but said seriously to Bree, “Thank you.”
Horland sat and wrapped an arm around Bree who leaned into him, smelling his earthy fragrance, and wondering how she ever got so lucky.
Everyone drank and began talking and chatting to one another. One or another speaking up to ask Mark and Dianne questions, but each time, they hedged and said they’d answer later.
It was a wonderful feast of cold cuts, blanched vegetables, freshly baked bread with freshly churned butter, and fruit.
Every time Bree and Horland’s eyes met, her heart would leap into her throat. He kept close to her, never losing contact with some part of his body and hers. But that didn’t stop him eating nearly everything in his reach.
Bree couldn’t eat much; her whole body and mind was filled with thoughts of afterwards. She wished everyone would just leave, or maybe she and Horland could. After all, she knew the story of Mark and Dianne, so she didn’t need to hear it again.
She pushed her plate away and yawned.
Horland put his arm around her and they both rose to their feet.
“I am afraid my wife is exhausted.” He looked at the king. “Sire, would you excuse us?”
“Of course.” The king chuckled. “We will talk on the morrow.”
“You’re going?” Izzy asked.
“If that’s okay,” Bree said. “You all have a lot of catching up to do and stories to hear—it’ll be a long evening.”
“But don’t you want to hear the stories?” Izzy wanted to know.
“Um...” Bree looked at Dianne.
“My guess is she has already heard all the stories,” Max said, grinning at Bree. “Let her and her hubby go and be alone for a while, Iz.”
“Oh, okay,” Izzy said, pink filling her cheeks.
Edward whispered something in her ear, and Izzy’s cheeks reddened even further.
“Thank you, everyone, and have a wonderful night.”
“Yeah, thanks, and have fun.”
As they walked out arm in arm, Bree hoped her cousins would forgive her for not telling them the truth. She twisted her head around and scanned their happy faces. She smiled inwardly. Yes, they would forgive her.
As soon as they were out of the great hall, Horland scooped Bree up into his arms.
“It is now our time,” he said, his voice husky and his eyes deep with emotion.
Bree’s heart leapt into her throat at his passionate expression. She tightened her arms around his neck and whispered, “Our time. I like the sound of that.”
He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and kissed her. She opened her mouth and gave her whole self into the kiss. He broke off and chuckled. With Bree laying kisses on his cheek, jawline, and neck, he leapt up the stairs two at a time and rushed his bride into the suite Morla had prepared for them.
Epilogue
Horland stopped the wagon at the side of the ruins and Bree gazed out over the river. “It’s beautiful.”
