Beth laughed. “Of course.”
“My father didn’t drink well,” Lawrence explained. “He, too, was a man of the church until they asked him to leave after sampling too much of the communal wine.”
“Interesting,” Leonie said. She smiled at Roman but there was no humor in her dark eyes. She had been poured a glass of cider but she hadn’t touched it. Roman had been watching.
Beth stood. “We need to be off for bed.”
“How far is the walk into the village?” Leonie asked.
“Not far from here. Just ten minutes down the path,” Lawrence answered.
Beth leaned down and gave Leonie a kiss on the cheek. The affection seemed to surprise her as did Beth’s next words. “Here, children, say good night to your new aunt. Come along, Dora. If you won’t help me teach, then you must help me plan lessons.”
Jane and Edward dutifully kissed Leonie’s cheek before moving to their grandparents, and finally Roman. This was his favorite part about having his family with him.
“I believe we have had enough as well,” he announced. He looked to Leonie. “Are you ready to retire?”
“It has been a long day. The stew was delicious.” Leonie stood. She started to hold out her hand, but then changed her mind and kissed his mother on the cheek as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do.
David kissedhercheek.
And Roman knew that against his better judgement, his wife had been accepted into his family.
They all left his parents’ cottage at the same time, Dora going with Beth and Lawrence. The moon was high in the sky, but he and Lawrence carried lanterns to light the way.
Dora had imbibed a bit too much of the cider and was pleasantly tipsy. Roman could hear her laughter through the woods. Apparently, she was racing Edward and Jane, because Dora was shouting, “I’m ahead of you.”
“She’ll fall and break her neck,” Roman said.
Leonie did not answer.
He looked over to his wife. She walked with her back straight, her head high. Moonlight highlighted the delicate planes of her face beneath her bonnet, the same one that had been smashed. She’d molded it back into a semblance of shape.
“Do you wish to talk about our argument this morning?” Hehadenjoyed several glasses of the cider along with a sample of his mother’s elderberry wine and was feeling a touch conciliatory... and, maybe, amorous? Aye, very amorous.
In fact, in between watching whether or not Leonie drank her cider or worrying about how she was being accepted into the family fold, he’d thought about how much he had enjoyed making love to her.
And how much he’d like to do it again. In fact, that topic was never far from his mind.
Of course, one could interpret by the set of her chin that she might be out of sorts with him, but why? He’d said what he’d said this morning because it needed to be said. He liked to have all opinions out in the open, especially his own. He could not call his words back. His doubts had been honest. It might be best to change the subject.
“Whiby brought your valise up to the bedroom.”
Again, silence.
“Yarrow and Duncan should be here tomorrow or the next day with your trunk.”
They had reached the stables. One of the hired horses nickered to them. Leonie didn’t pause but went marching by, heading for the house as if she owned the place.
Well, in a way she did.
And then, just as his long legs caught up with her, she stopped. They were at the edge of the path. Bonhomie appeared silver in the night with the overgrowth of ivy cutting huge swaths of darkness on its walls. However, on the fourth side, the south side, the crumbling wall and open rooms for two floors could not be ignored.
It was the south side they faced.
Leonie spoke her first words since leaving his parents’ cottage. “One must admire the architecture.”
Now it was Roman who was quiet, uncertain of her mood.
