He smiled, his dark eyes twinkling. “It would take you more than one lifetime, for certain,” he said, pleased she was calming. “You are very gracious to want to defend me. I have never had anyone defend me before.”
She gave up the fight altogether and collapsed against him, her arms around his waist. “I would kill for you,” she said. “And if that foolish sow ever comes back here again, she will be very sorry.”
He laughed low in his throat, hugging her. “Aye, she will,” he replied, kissing the top of her head. “Return to the keep now and I shall join you in a short while for the nooning meal.”
She nodded and let him go. “It would seem that I slept overlong this morning. I do not normally do that.”
He eyed her. “You do not seem to sleep very well.”
She shrugged, averting her gaze. “Sometimes I do not.”
“More dreams?”
Her head shot up, looking at him. “How would you know that?”
“Because you mutter in your sleep.”
She averted her gaze again, thinking on the murky, terrible dream she had been having for some time now. It wasn’t every night but it did come to her every few days, pieces of this same dream like chapters of a book. The dream exhausted her. She always woke up feeling heartsick and weary. She didn’t want to talk about it.
“Sometimes I dream,” she said evasively, changing the subject. “Brandt, do you suppose we could go into town today? There are a few things I would like to buy.”
He gave a reluctant nod. “I suppose,” he said, well aware she was shifting the focus away from her poor sleeping habits. “What do you need to buy?”
“Thread, if I can find it,” she said. “I have put a hole in one of my new stockings and must repair it.”
“I can have the smithy make you a spinning wheel and we could provide you with all of the wool you need for thread,” he said.
She shook her head. “I was never any good at spinning,” she told him. “My mother and I would buy our thread from a merchant in Milnthorpe. In fact, I could use a great many sewing items.”
Again, he nodded. “If that is your wish.”
“Can we go today?”
He shrugged. “That depends,” he replied. “Dylan told me that St. Hèver is approaching. The man sent scouts ahead to announce his arrival with six hundred of his father’s men. I should like to be here when they arrive.”
Ellowyn smiled. “Brennan is arriving?” she repeated. “I am glad to hear he has made a safe journey. He is a nice man.”
Brandt was surprised by the stab of jealousy he felt at her innocent statement. He knew it was innocent. From what he knew of his wife, she didn’t think covertly and she had never shown anything other than polite regard for his knights. She had spoken to St. Hèver more than most, more than likely because she felt a connection with him after he had saved her life. It never bothered Brandt until this moment. Her positive assessment of Brennan had him fighting off an unexpected surge of jealousy.
“Then you will understand when I say I want to be here when he arrives,” he said, trying to keep his manner even. “However, if you can promise me that our trip to town will not take more than an hour, I believe I can take you now.”
Ellowyn nodded eagerly. “Let me gather my things and I shall be ready to go.”
On tiptoes, she pecked him on the cheek and ran off towards the mighty motte with the keep perched on top. Brandt watched her go, still feeling the kiss to his cheek and the warm adoration that brought about. But he was also still fighting off the last pricks of jealously and forced himself to shift focus, ordering the nearest sergeant to bring forth chargers and a palfrey for his wife. Whatever hateful envy he was feeling, it was unexpected and unnecessary. He had no reason to feel so. But as a man untried in the realm of romance, his control when it came to his feelings wasn’t as practiced as it should have been.
Unfortunately, his jealously was going to make an ugly return.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The trip intothe village of Guildford had produced a great deal of goods for Ellowyn.
It started with what she had originally sought– thread in many different colors. But the purchase of thread triggered the purchase of fabric, and she selected five different types in all colors and weights.
Brandt, lured into the shopping mood by his gleeful wife, selected ribbons he thought were nice and she purchased those, too. He also purchased a lovely gold and garnet wedding band, which Ellowyn wore with great pride. It was a lovely ring, signifying a marriage that was quite palatable for them both. They were content, in love, and deliriously happy.
Brandt went a bit overboard in purchasing luxurious items for his wife, simply because he liked them, she liked them, and he thought that she should have them. He’d never purchased items for a woman, ever, so it was a new and exciting experience. There was a tailor in town that had several ready-made, loosely-basted garments hanging in his shop, including three or four beautiful cloaks lined with animal fur. Brandt purchased a gray cloak lined with white rabbit and a goldenrod yellow woolen cloak that was lined with fox. They were a bit large for Ellowyn’s petite frame, but terribly beautiful and soft. While she loved up her new cloaks, Brandt walked around the shop and bought four more dresses simply because he liked the colors.
The booty haul was huge from the tailor’s shop, loading up the escorts horses with goods. More goods were to come, however, when Brandt took Ellowyn into the stall of a merchantwho had all manner of perfumes, soaps, candles, dyes, gloves, and jewelry. It was a veritable feast for the eyes and Ellowyn moved excitedly around the stall, selecting soaps, perfumes, and a pair of doeskin gloves. Brandt told her she could buy whatever she wished, and she did.
