Chapter 22 #3
Tears rushed to Bree’s eyes and she pulled back and wiped them away. “I wish she were here.”
Aunt Di smiled and tapped Bree’s chest over her heart. “She is always here.”
Uncle Mark gave Bree a hug. “Congratulations.”
She smiled. “Thanks.”
Uncle Mark and Aunt Di stood together, gazing at their offspring. Aunt Di gave them all a tentative smile. “Hello, children,” he said.
As if his words jolted Bree’s cousins into movement, the three sisters rushed forward to their parents.
Garrett and Laura moved forward but hung back to allow his sisters their time with their parents.
Max hugged Dianne and said, “Mom, you and Dad, you’re really here.”
“Dad, you and Mom, you’re alive,” Abby said, burying her face into Mark’s chest.
Izzy stood back a bit. “Is this for real?”
Dianne put out her arm and Izzy fell into her hold, along with Max.
Mark nodded for Abby to go to Dianne and Izzy, and Max retreated to let her have a moment with her mother.
Mark stood before Garrett. He held out his arms. “Garrett?”
Garrett chuckled and hugged his father. He looked at his sisters and then back at his father. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”
Mark chuckled. “We do, I know, and we will tell them everything but first, I think we have a wedding to celebrate.”
MORLA GUIDED EVERYONE to their seats at the table.
Bree and Horland in the middle on one side, Garlain sat next to Bree and Morla left the chair next to Bree’s father vacant, showing Kieri to the end chair.
Leeta sat in the next chair and Tilly wheeled her chair to end of the table so she’d have room to move.
Most of Bree’s extended family sat opposite her and Horland. King Pradwick sat at the head of the table with Mark on his right side and Dianne on his left. Izzy sat beside her father and Edward sat between her and Horland.
Tilly wanted Laura to sit close to her because the young princess was enamored with the baby, and of course Garrett sat next to Laura.
Simone, Garlain’s sister, moved to sit beside her brother but Morla clasped her arm.
“No,” Morla said. “You will sit opposite your brother.” She waved her hand to the chair on the other side of the table. “There.”
Simone gazed at Garlain and he gave her a nod to let her know it was all right. She gave Morla a piercing gaze, then strode around the table and plopped into the chair. Then sat Peter and Max, and lastly Iain and Abby. Abby quickly started to talk into her mother’s ear.
Dianne just smiled and said, “All in good time.” Then she stood up and raised her chalice. “To the bride and groom, may their days be filled with happiness and wonder.”
Morla hurried to her chair between Garlain and Leeta. She smiled at Garlain and raised her chalice.
Everyone else raised their cups. “To Bree and Horland.”
The king nodded to Dianne, who sat down as he stood up and said, “To Lady Briana, I thank you for bringing Sir Garlain back to us and know this: we, everyone in my kingdom, loved your mother and will miss her laughter and beauty.” He smiled at Bree, thick emotion in his eyes.
“We are fortunate, though, to have you with us and in you, we also keep Lady Patricia with us always.” He raised his chalice once more.
“To Lady Briana and Sir Horland, may laughter and love know no bounds.”
Again, everyone toasted. “To Lady Briana and Sir Horland.”
Bree gazed at her extended family, tears burning the back of her eyes, and smiled.
Abby smiled and snuggled into Iain’s side. Max grinned at Bree and smiled at Peter, who clasped her hand in his, and Garrett put his arm around Laura as both smiled at Bree.
Izzy, holding Edward’s hand, said, “We all thank you, Bree.”
“Yep,” Garrett said. “Without you,” he glanced at his parents, “and Mom and Dad of course, we wouldn’t be here, and we wouldn’t all be as happy as we are. Thank you.”
Horland glanced at Bree. She smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes, shaking her head to let him know she couldn’t speak. He squeezed her hand and stood up.
“Briana and I both thank you all, and we are overjoyed to have you here with us today. She has told me so much about you, I feel like I know you as if I had grown up with you all.”
He raised his cup. “To Bree’s aunt, uncle and cousins, may you all maintain the happiness you have today.”
“We’ll drink to that,” Garrett said and gulped his ale.
Laura laughed at her husband but said seriously to Bree, “Thank you.”
Horland sat and wrapped an arm around Bree who leaned into him, smelling his earthy fragrance, and wondering how she ever got so lucky.
Everyone drank and began talking and chatting to one another. One or another speaking up to ask Mark and Dianne questions, but each time, they hedged and said they’d answer later.
It was a wonderful feast of cold cuts, blanched vegetables, freshly baked bread with freshly churned butter, and fruit.
Every time Bree and Horland’s eyes met, her heart would leap into her throat. He kept close to her, never losing contact with some part of his body and hers. But that didn’t stop him eating nearly everything in his reach.
Bree couldn’t eat much; her whole body and mind was filled with thoughts of afterwards. She wished everyone would just leave, or maybe she and Horland could. After all, she knew the story of Mark and Dianne, so she didn’t need to hear it again.
She pushed her plate away and yawned.
Horland put his arm around her and they both rose to their feet.
“I am afraid my wife is exhausted.” He looked at the king. “Sire, would you excuse us?”
“Of course.” The king chuckled. “We will talk on the morrow.”
“You’re going?” Izzy asked.
“If that’s okay,” Bree said. “You all have a lot of catching up to do and stories to hear—it’ll be a long evening.”
“But don’t you want to hear the stories?” Izzy wanted to know.
“Um...” Bree looked at Dianne.
“My guess is she has already heard all the stories,” Max said, grinning at Bree. “Let her and her hubby go and be alone for a while, Iz.”
“Oh, okay,” Izzy said, pink filling her cheeks.
Edward whispered something in her ear, and Izzy’s cheeks reddened even further.
“Thank you, everyone, and have a wonderful night.”
“Yeah, thanks, and have fun.”
As they walked out arm in arm, Bree hoped her cousins would forgive her for not telling them the truth. She twisted her head around and scanned their happy faces. She smiled inwardly. Yes, they would forgive her.
As soon as they were out of the great hall, Horland scooped Bree up into his arms.
“It is now our time,” he said, his voice husky and his eyes deep with emotion.
Bree’s heart leapt into her throat at his passionate expression. She tightened her arms around his neck and whispered, “Our time. I like the sound of that.”
He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and kissed her.
She opened her mouth and gave her whole self into the kiss.
He broke off and chuckled. With Bree laying kisses on his cheek, jawline, and neck, he leapt up the stairs two at a time and rushed his bride into the suite Morla had prepared for them.