Cast Love Aside (36 page)

“Oh, no!” Magnus objected. “I will not have
our hard-won happiness spoiled by his criticism and continual
sarcasm.”

“It will only be for two months, until he's
recalled to duty by Royce,” she coaxed. “While you are busy with
your new domain, Desmond can teach Gilbert how to use weapons.”

“What Desmond is likely to teach Gilbert, you
don't want Gilbert to know,” Magnus warned her.

“They are friends who have been through
similar experiences. They can help each other to recover, and while
they are practicing with sword and lance, you and I can steal time
alone.”

“A man shouldn't have to steal time alone
with his wife,” Magnus proclaimed with an irritated growl.

“You say so because you have no idea how many
details are involved in managing a manor,” she informed him.
“Please, my dearest love, say you'll consider asking Desmond?”

“How can I refuse you anything?” He caught
her around the waist to kiss her again. And then again.

“Magnus,” she said some time later, “I fear
we are shocking the men-at-arms.”

“I don't believe it's possible to shock a
man-at-arms,” he told her, “though it is possible that we are
distracting them from their duties. Come along, my lady. Let’s find
my disreputable brother and issue our invitation.”

* * * * *

“You want me to live with you?” Desmond
clearly found Magnus's suggestion difficult to believe. “Why?”

“Because you are Magnus's brother,” Lilianne
said, “and you will soon be my brother, too.”

“We could use your help,” Magnus said. “It
won't be for long and you will be free to leave whenever Royce
needs you again.”

“You will also be free to return to Brixton
Manor when you need to rest between your missions for Royce,”
Lilianne hastened to assure him. “We want you to think of our home
as your home, too. And you know Gilbert will always be glad to see
you.”

Desmond regarded her out of grey eyes that
were suspiciously bright.

“Magnus,” he said at last, “are you certain
about this?”

“I wasn't at first,” Magnus admitted. “But
the more I think on it, the more sure I am that Lilianne is
right.”

“Then, I'll come,” Desmond said. “I was
wondering where to go next. Until this moment, I had nowhere to
call home.”

“I scarcely know which way to turn,” Lilianne
said to Alice. “Last night and this morning I thought Magnus and I
were fated to part with little hope of ever seeing each other
again, and I didn’t know what would happen to Gilbert. And
now…”

“Now you are to have a home and a husband and
a place for Gilbert, too,” Alice said. “Will you mind very much
that William and I are to be married at the same ceremony?” she
asked.

“I won’t mind a bit. I’m so happy for you,
and for myself. But it’s all to be done so quickly. Tomorrow
morning! Magnus told me the king convinced the castle priest to
forego the banns so we need not wait.”

“King Henry did say that he wants everything
settled before he returns to Normandy,” Alice reminded her, “and he
cannot be absent from his own court for much longer. What shall we
do with these new clothes that Royce ordered for us from Dover?
I’ve never seen so many lovely gowns before.”

“We will divide them equally,” Lilianne
decided. “First, we’ll choose our wedding gowns.”

The dress she chose was plainly made, of a
deep wine-red silk, with just a bit of blue and green embroidery at
the rounded neck. Alice decided on a bright blue silk. Both of them
would wear their hair loose and flowing, as was seemly for a new
bride.

* * * * *

The wedding ceremony the next morning was
brief. It involved only the reading of their respective marriage
contracts, followed by a blessing offered by the castle priest.
Lacking a ring for his bride, Magnus used the amethyst ring that
had once belonged to Lilianne's mother. It fit Lilianne's finger as
if made for it.

By contrast with the simplicity of the formal
ceremony, the bridal feast was long, and as lavish as the castle
cook could provide on such short notice. When King Henry finally
departed from Richton Castle in late afternoon, Braedon went with
him. William took advantage of the interruption in the festivities
to declare himself exhausted. He hastened off to his room with
Alice clinging to his arm.

“There goes a wise man,” Magnus whispered to
Lilianne. “I cannot think we will be missed if we leave, too.”

Lilianne glanced around the great hall.
Gilbert was engaged in a laughing conversation with a group of
squires who were all about his age. At the high table, Royce and
Desmond were involved in a more serious discussion. The remaining
men-at-arms looked as if they were settling down for a long evening
of eating and drinking.

When Lilianne met Magnus’s warm gaze and
smiled her consent, he took her hand and they slipped out of the
hall, up the steps to the solar, and then to the guest rooms
beyond.

The chamber that Lilianne and Alice had once
shared was prepared for the bridal night with fresh linen on the
bed and sweet-smelling herbs and flowers scattered on the floor. A
warm summer breeze blew through the window.

Magnus kissed both of Lilianne's hands,
lingering over her fingers. When his lips claimed hers, she tasted
wine and love.

“So much love,” she murmured.

“I will love you forever,” he whispered.

For a moment Lilianne couldn't speak. Tears
of happiness filled her eyes and her throat constricted. She
swallowed hard.

“What's wrong?” Magnus asked.

“I'm too happy. I told Alice everything has
changed so quickly that I hardly know where I am. Two days ago,
this moment seemed impossible.”

“I know,” he said. “I'm still trying to
believe that I've been granted my heart's desire.”

“I love you, Magnus.”

She leaned against him while he unfastened
the laces at either side of her gown and pulled the heavy silk over
her head. When he was finished and she stood in only her linen
shift, he kissed her tenderly. After a moment the kiss deepened,
his lips and tongue exploring her mouth until Lilianne felt her
bones turn to water. As her knees gave way Magnus lifted her off
her feet, holding her high in his arms as if she were no heavier
than a feather, and once again she experienced the fragile,
feminine sensation only he had the power to show her.

With infinite care he placed her on the bed
and came down on top of her, cupping her face between his hands
while he kissed her again in a passionate claiming. Lilianne curled
her fingers into his hair, holding him close, prolonging the kiss.
When Magnus finally raised his head she looked into his eyes and
saw only love.

His hands slid downward, covering her
breasts, warming her skin. With his hands and mouth he caressed her
until Lilianne writhed helplessly, so tormented by desire that she
could not speak. Only then, when she was whimpering in passionate
need, did Magnus take her, slowly, with his gaze locked on hers as
he filled her with his love.

“You are mine at last,” he said. “Truly, my
wife and my very heart.”

Then neither of them could speak as desire
and love and passion seized them, bearing them to a bliss far
sweeter than any they had previously experienced, for this time
they knew their happiness would not end.

* * * * *

In the morning they bid farewell to Alice,
William, and Royce, and set out for Kent. Gilbert and Desmond rode
with them, along with six men-at-arms sent by Royce to protect them
and the three heavily loaded carts of household goods provided by
King Henry as Lilianne's dowry.

“I now hold more property than I ever dared
to dream of owning,” Magnus said to Lilianne. “Yet, not all those
goods in the carts, nor the manor awaiting us, nor even my new
title would matter a bit to me, if not for your love. You have
given your heart into my keeping, and given me a family to cherish,
where before I had no family at all. Those are the greatest
treasures any man could want.”

To his own surprise Magnus's vision blurred a
little from the depth of his emotion. He was forced to blink hard
to stop the unmanly moisture from running down his cheeks. Even so,
he experienced no difficulty at all in seeing with perfect clarity
the tall, gloriously feminine woman who leaned from her saddle to
clasp his hand. They traveled hand in hand for a long time, riding
westward, toward home.

Flora Speer is the traditionally published
author of twenty full-length novels and two novellas. She writes
historical, futuristic and time-travel romances. Born in southern
New Jersey, she now lives in Connecticut. Among her favorite
activities are doing research for the next book, which is always
fun because history suggests so many possibilities for plots,
gardening (especially herbs and flowers used in medieval gardens)
and amateur astronomy. She firmly believes in space travel and
wishes the U.S. would restart its manned space program, which
provided some great ideas for her futuristic romances.

Flora is currently writing a series of
medieval romances, soon to be published on Smashwords, in which a
group of young men who have no prospects in life at all, still
manage to achieve remarkable results by valor and intelligence.
Since these are romances, never doubt that they will also find true
love with ladies who are every bit as dauntless and determined as
their heroes.

Connect with this author:

Web site:
www.floraspeer.com

E-mail:
[email protected]

Other books by Flora Speer, all now available
at Smashwords:

HISTORICAL ROMANCES;

By Honor Bound

Much Ado About Love

The Viking Passion

For Love And Honor

Rose Red

Castle of Dreams

Castle of the Heart

Two Turtledoves (Christmas novella)

TIME-TRAVEL:

Twelfth Night (Christmas novella)

Christmas Carol

A Time to Love Again

A Love Beyond Time

Timestruck

Love Just In Time

Love Once and Forever (also paranormal)

PARANORMAL – Medieval Magic

Heart’s Magic

The Magician’s Lover

A Passionate Magic

Love Once and Forever (also time-travel)

FUTURISTIC ROMANCES:

Venus Rising

Destiny’s Lovers

No Other Love

Lady Lure

ORIGINAL E-BOOKS, coming in 2014

Lord Royce’s Knights series:

So Great A Love

Cast Love Aside

True Love

Where Love Has Gone

Love Everlasting

MORE ORIGINAL E-BOOKS, coming in
2015-2016

Love Above All, a prequel to Lord Royce’s
Knights

And a ROMANCE FANTASY SERIES;

The Secret Heart

The Fire of the Soul

The Anvil of the Mind