Chapter 21 #2
Alexander mentally thanked his brother’s inability to bother learning the name of the woman he thought he had spent the night with.
Had Christopher been told that Hugh had bedded Sian’s sister, he would no doubt have taken exception to it, perhaps even drawn his sword to cut the man to ribbons.
Then he would have demanded that Alexander explain how the hell he had allowed this to happen and cut him to ribbons.
Yes. There was no doubt that a very unpleasant confrontation had been avoided.
“Just ignore him. With luck, we will have seen the last of him.”
“Yes. Except that Throckmorton Castle is not that far from Audley.”
“I know, but I doubt he’ll spend much time here. He only wanted to impress his future father-in-law with his consequence. But his home is at Hotwell, by the coast.”
“Now, what are you two whispering about over there?” Sian called out.
“Wouldn’t you like to know, little lamb?” Christopher threw her a heated glance. “In any case, we are not the ones whispering in a mysterious language, are we?”
His wife burst out laughing. “Oh, Alexander,” she said, running to him, “I do hope you have more talent for Welsh than Christopher does. He invariably ends up saying the opposite of what he means.”
“And how do you know this, I may ask? How do you know what I meant to say in the first place?”
She rolled her eyes. “Because I know you, perhaps?”
Alexander watched the playful exchange a moment. Then he walked over to Gwenllian, who had the same amused expression on her face.
“How do you say ‘kiss me’ in Welsh, then?” he purred in her ear, leaning over so he could brush her temple with his lips.
Mm, she smelled good today. Had she been trying a new soap, he wondered?
He would make sure to ask her later, perhaps even bathe her himself.
This was something he had always fantasized about.
She turned to face him, a mock scowl on her face. “Why would you want to know that? Do you intend to ask many Welsh women to kiss you?”
“I intend to ask one many, many times a day. You. My beloved wife.”
She softened in his arms. Then she lifted her face to his, her eyes bright with love. “Cusana fi,” she said.
“Cusana fi,” he repeated, lowering his mouth to hers, pleased to see that it was easier than he’d expected. He’d had the chance to hear that Welsh was not the easiest of languages to pronounce. No wonder Christopher had problems.
“Da iawn, that was very good! I believe you might be a natural at—”
“And I believe I asked you to kiss me, not to compliment me on my Welsh. And I’m still waiting.”
He didn’t have to wait long. She threw her arms around his neck and gave him one of the most passionate kisses he had ever experienced.
Heat scorched his veins, shooting straight to his cock.
Had they not this moment been mere yards away from Christopher and Sian, who were also kissing, Alexander thought that he would have lifted her skirts and buried himself deep inside her.
“That was your first lesson in Welsh, husband,” Gwenllian said, drawing back. “I can’t wait to teach you more in the privacy of our own bed.”
No, he couldn’t wait either.
Gwenllian and her dashing knight were married a month later, in the small chapel at Audley, the place that would become her new home, as she had guessed.
Messengers had been sent to Scotland and Wales to tell her friends, parents and siblings to join them as soon as they could.
She imagined the surprise with which her letter had been received at Castell Esgyrn.
No one knew of the feelings she harbored for Alexander, even if she had made sure to specify in the missive that she had known him for more than a year.
Her parents were the only ones who had actually met Christopher’s friend and would know who she was talking about.
Ironically, ten years ago, they had gone to Audley to thank him for saving their daughter from two ruffians.
She was looking forward to seeing them do the same, for real this time.
The family arrived one rainy afternoon. Her brother, Rhys, was the first to draw her into his arms.
“Well, sister, I suppose I will have to marry now, if I want someone to help me administer Castell Esgyrn. I won’t be able to rely on my lonely maid of a sister.”
She gave a tinkling laugh at the jest. “Indeed, you won’t.”
“I’m glad your adventure turned out to be as successful as you expected.”
She reddened. Before leaving for Scotland, she had confided in her brother.
Rhys was only a year younger than her, and they had always been very close, but she had not told him quite what she hoped to find in Scotland.
He thought she had merely wanted to build memories before starting her lonely life at Esgyrn.
He had no idea she had been after something far naughtier than that.
Which she had indeed found—and more. She had been lucky enough to find herself a lover who was about to become her husband and would, in time, be the father of her children. The “bones” she was destined to live with.
Delirious with joy and anticipation, she went on to embrace Jane, then the rest of the family.
Bethan and Cameron arrived the following day, with a surprise. Callum was now able to walk and exchange a few words with them.
“Now that everyone is here, we only have to send for William and Alasdair, and we can get married,” Gwenllian announced, barely able to contain her excitement. “Father Paul said he was available all week.”
It would be a simple ceremony. Of a common accord, she and Alexander had decided not to invite his brothers and sister or even mention his union to them.
If they ever decided to visit—which neither of them would encourage—they would simply be told that Audley had a new mistress.
Hugh might enjoy the opportunity to remind his brother that he had once shared his wife’s bed, but they would not let it bother them.
At first, Gwenllian had toyed with the idea of telling him that the two of them had never actually slept together and why, then had changed her mind.
It was not worth a trip to Hotwell, and such a declaration was ill-suited to a letter.
She and Alexander knew the truth, and it was all that mattered.