Ellowyn was sold. “Give me all you have. I suspect it will be stolen from me when the knights smell it.”
The old servant was on the move. “I shall return, my lady.”
Ellowyn devoured her fill of the puffed-up cakes while waiting for thebacoun, leaving a few for Brandt on theassumption he had not yet eaten. When the servant returned with a slab ofbacounwrapped in burlap that was quickly soaking with the grease, Alex carried it outside for her but Ellowyn kept shooting him threatening expressions to ensure the temptation of the pungent smell would not lure him into eating it. She wanted it for Brandt, protective and concerned for her new husband. He had displayed as much consideration for her. She would return the favor.
It was still quite misty outside in the breaking dawn. Water coated the buildings, landscape, and people, and there was an icy chill to the air. The army was packed up and ready to depart and Ellowyn could see the knights through the mist, making sure everything was set before they departed for the very long journey to Guildford Castle. As she stood on the stoop of the inn, watching the activity, a carriage pulled up in front of her.
The wheels kicked up some mud so Ellowyn stepped back, out of the way, as the carriage came to a halt. It was a sturdy vehicle with a driver perched at the front of it and an enclosed cab, drawn by two matching gray horses that blended in with the mist and fog. It was in decent condition and she kept waiting for someone to get out of it, but instead, Brandt roared up behind it astride his big black charger. Ellowyn had to move quickly yet again to avoid the splashing mud.
“My lady,” Brandt greeted her as he climbed off his steed. His helm was on, his visor up, and his dark eyes were warm on her. “You look astonishingly lovely in your new garments.”
Ellowyn felt warm and giddy at the sight of him. “That is because you have remarkable taste, my lord,” she flirted gently. “Thank you again for these lovely things.”
He looked like a man who was struggling to fight off a grin as he went to her and reached out, taking the hand that wasn’t holding the food. He kissed her fingers sweetly, his gazelingering on her as she grinned coyly at him. It was a sweet little moment. Then, he tilted his head in the direction of the carriage.
“What do you think of your new coach?” he asked.
Ellowyn’s eyes widened as she looked at it. “This is for me?”
“Indeed,” he replied, putting the warm palm of her hand against his rough cheek. “The livery had it, evidently acquired from a traveling merchant who could not pay them for its storage. The stable master was more than happy to sell it to me.”
Ellowyn patted his cheek and removed her hand, stepping closer to the carriage and running a careful eye over it.
“The wheels look to be in good condition,” she commented, peering into the cab. It was double-sided, holding passengers on a rear-facing bench and a forward-facing bench. “The leather on the seats seems adequate. How much did you pay for it?”
Brandt wasn’t used to being questioned about his monetary transactions but he also knew that Ellowyn was a very astute businesswoman. He could see, in that moment, that his financial freedom and control was about to change. Ellowyn was used to controlling the purse strings for her family and he realized that was going to be the case within their marriage as well. It was the natural order of things. He felt very much as if he were answering to her as he replied.
“Five gold marks,” he told her. “When we reach Guildford, I have a particularly talented smithy that will restore it like new.”
Her eyebrows lifted at him. “Five gold marks?” she repeated, looking back at the carriage. “That seems a bit much. Perhaps I should speak with him and renegotiate the price.”
Brandt fought off a grin. “Not today,” he told her, opening up the door to the cab. “If we had the time, I would let you barter to your heart’s content, but we must depart immediately unless you are keen on having your father catch up to us.”
She sighed, perhaps in agreement, and he took it as a sign to assist her into the cab before she could argue further withhim. Scooping her into his arms, he swept her up into the cab, depositing her neatly onto the seat. Alex, standing next to the carriage, handed her the wrappedbacounthrough the window. Before she could thank him, Brandt sent the man back inside the inn on an errand to collect a heavy coverlet for his wife. Alex was off but the smell of thebacounwas heavy in the air as Ellowyn held the greasy parcel in her hand.
“Have you broken your fast yet?” she asked Brandt. “I have some wonderful food for you.”
Brandt shook his head. “No time,” he said. “We must depart.”
He started to move away but she stopped him, unwrapping thebacounand extending a piece to him.
“Here,” she said in a tone that left no opportunity for declination. “Eat this. You must keep up your strength and we have a long ride ahead of us.”
Brandt reached for the meat because she told him to. Also, he didn’t want to upset her. It was easier to do as she asked rather than argue or refuse her. So he shoved it into his mouth and started to walk away when he realized that it was very good. He turned to say something to her about it but she thrust more at him, plus the basket of still-warm puffy cakes. She told him to take one, so he did, putting everything in his mouth and chewing it all down.
She was directing him to eat so he did, like a child being directed by his mother, and in little time he had scarfed down everything. He had crumbs and grease on his expensive gloves but he didn’t give it any notice. It was odd behavior from a man who did not take orders from anyone, now being bossed around by a slip of a woman. But he didn’t give it any thought and neither did Ellowyn. Again, it seemed to be the natural order of things and Brandt submitted quite willingly, loving it and not even realizing he was loving it. He was simply doing as he was told. It was the beginning of contentment he had never beforeexperienced, a relationship with a woman he had never known to exist. It was symbiotic in every sense.
Shaking the crumbs off his fingers, he leaned into the door of the cab and kissed Ellowyn, mute thanks for being thoughtful enough to feed him. As he pulled his head out of the cab, he happened to glance at his knights standing several feet away. Dylan, Magnus, Stefan and Brennan were all watching him with rather curious expressions on their faces. They had never seen anyone order Brandt around, either, and they were somewhat stunned by the fact that Ellowyn was tending to the man like a mother to her child. The mighty Duke of Exeter had a wife who brought out a softer side of the man they’d never seen before and their astonishment was understandable.
When they realized that Brandt was looking at them, they suddenly began moving about as if they had something better to do. Magnus and Stefan actually bumped into each other in their haste to scatter. Alex came out of the inn at that moment, bearing a coverlet and a pillow he had confiscated from the bed Ellowyn and Brandt had slept on the night before. He handed both items to Brandt, who turned away from his confused knights long enough to put the pillow behind Ellowyn’s back and cover her with the heavy blanket.
“There you are,” he said, tucking the coverlet around her legs. “You will be much more comfortable traveling like this.”
Ellowyn’s brow furrowed. “But the carriage will slow us down considerably,” she pointed out. “With my father pursuing us, I could just as easily ride a horse.”
He shook his head. “You will let me worry about that,” he said. “This carriage will travel much faster than you think providing the roads are in good repair.”
“And if they are not?”
