“Does it make you happy?”
A smile played on her lips. “I believe it does,” she said. “I was not so certain about it yesterday, but today… it is my hope that this is the start of something wonderful.”
He reached out, taking her hand. “It is,” he murmured. “I can feel it. We are going to know happiness that people seldom do.”
“Do you truly think so?”
“I do,” he said. “But, as I said, I want you to be comfortable with me. I realize that will take time, so take the time you need. If I can help, I hope you will tell me.”
She simply smiled at him, looking him over. He was a handsome man as it was, and growing more handsome by the moment in her eyes. There was something very strong and noble about him, like a knight from lore. She could have never hoped to have a man such as him for her husband, but here she was. Herehewas.
It was like a dream.
“I am comfortable with you,” she said after a moment. “I have been since the start. You’ve never once tried to force anything, and that is appreciated more than you know.”
He gave her hand a little squeeze. “This was a surprising situation for us both,” he said. “It would do no good to make a tense situation worse. We were both of the same mindset of not wanting to marry.”
“I have news on that front.”
“What is that?”
“I have changed my mind.”
He snorted. “That is good,” he said. “Because I have, too. It is good that we both feel the same way.”
“Considering we had no choice, that is a good thing.”
He winked at her. “Exactly.”
Catalina giggled. “Speaking of being forced by Hereford,” she said. “Do you live here at Lioncross? Is that where we are to live?”
He shook his head. “Nay, I do not live here,” he said. “My brother’s properties are to the north, in Cumbria, and I am the garrison commander for one of his holdings, Raisbeck Castle. Lots of sheep and meat and wool. It turns a tidy profit.”
“Then that is where we shall live?”
Essien shrugged, rolling onto his back as he still held her hand. “I was given the title Lord Binchester when Addax married and was made the Earl of Deira,” he said. “In fact, that makes youLadyBinchester. The title came with a castle and other properties attached to it, but the fortress is called Vinovia Castle, named after the old Roman fort nearby. It is smaller, very agricultural, but there is also some limited mining. It supports itself quite well. Raisbeck is a little more challenging in that it is larger, and the land seems to be more fickle than the land I own, so I have been helping Addax with it. But I should like to make Vinovia our home. Just for us and our children.”
Catalina liked the sound of that. “Vinovia,” she repeated. “That is a lovely name.”
“And you will make a lovely Lady of the manor,” he said, watching her grin. “Your daughters will have plenty of room to run and play and keep pets. I shall buy them ponies and they can ride them as much as they wish. It will be their home, too, and I want them to be happy.”
Catalina’s smile faded and she shook her head in wonder. “How remarkable,” she said.
“What?”
“You,” she said simply. “Youare remarkable. That you should be so considerate toward little girls that are not your own, but your wife’s children from another man, is remarkable to me. How very kind you are to think of them.”
He shrugged. “And why not?” he said. “Do not forget that I, too, was treated well by a man who was not my father. He did not marry my mother, of course, but Hereford has set an example of how a man should treat people—friends, family, and allies alike. He never made me feel as if I was not part of his family. I would hope that your daughters feel the same way about me, someday.”
“They will be grateful,” she murmured. “As will I.”
He could see the utter appreciation in her face. “I will be grateful also,” he said. “I shall be very proud to tell people that you are my wife, a lady of substance and breeding. Even after knowing you only a day, I feel very fortunate.”
It was a sweet thing to say. More and more, Catalina’s guard was coming down whether or not she wanted it to. She had been so starved for affection her entire life that now, when a door to the future was cracked open, she wanted to throw it wide open and dash through. There was hope there, something shiny and bright and alluring. She’d heard from others that Essien was a good man, so it was quite possible this was simply Essien being himself. Not an act. Not something to lull her into a false sense of security.
She very much wanted to believe it.
But it also made her want to kiss him.
