Page 59 of May Queen: May Day

“You did?”

“Aye. And I stayed loyal and true to your mother because I knew that your father loved her.”

“And you never contacted him during all those years?”

“You are forgetting that your father left with the Druids and lived in Ireland. It is only recently that they had returned.”

“Please don’t tell me you might be married to Mug.”

“Nay, Flora,” she answered with a giggle. “However, Mug still released me from the dungeon because Druids are loyal to each other, no matter what happened in the past.”

“Mug killed Ricard’s parents and now Ricard is going to find and kill all the Druids.”

“That might be a problem,” said Albreda as they headed toward the postern gate.

“Might?”

“Mug killed a guard to save me. So I can’t be seen or even return or I’ll be killed for his crime. I think it is better if you leave Black Creek Castle as well, Flora. I heard Ricard locked you in your chamber like a prisoner.”

“Did you also hear that I’m now his wife?”

“You are?” she asked in disbelief. “Are you saying you two are already married?”

“I am.”

“Your father is not going to be happy about this.” They made it through the darkness to the postern gate.

“At least I got married! That is something he never had the decency to do before he thought to take a mistress and raise a family that didn’t include me or my mother.”

Albreda stopped and turned around. Flora saw her confused face in the moonlight. “Flora, I can’t tell if you’re angry at your father or Ricard.”

“Both,” she told her.

“Where were you planning to go once you lowered yourself out the window?”

“I’m headed to the forest to give this to my father.” She picked up the necklace to show Albreda.

“And then what? Will you be leaving with us for Ireland? Or will you be staying here as Ricard’s wife?”

Fear and confusion coursed through Flora, because she really didn’t know what she’d do.

“I’ll make that decision later. Right now, we need to get to the forest to warn my father and save his life.”

* * *

After having sent allthe villagers back home, Ricard sat down with his brothers in front of the fire in the great hall to drown his sorrows in a bottle of whisky.

“I’ll take some of that,” said Lang, holding out his hand.

“Nay. I need it all,” said Ricard, staring into the flames on the hearth.

“Did you really need to send all those poor people away without even feeding them?” asked Dayton. “They were here by your invitation for the wedding celebration.”

“If I’m the one who invited them, then I can turn them away as well. I don’t want anyone to see me like this, especially the villagers.” Ricard raised the bottle to his lips.

“This is your wedding night, my lord,” said Nash. “Shouldn’t you be spending it with Flora?” The squire pushed aside a few trenchers to sit atop the trestle table as the servants cleaned up the remains from the meal.

“I’m afraid Flora isn’t going to want to see me. Besides, I’m in no mood to consummate our marriage right now.”