Chapter Fourteen #6
“To go with your new surcoat, my lady,” the woman said proudly. Then, she opened up the purse and pulled forth two big tortoise shell hair combs. “May I?”
She meant to put them in Maitland’s hair and not knowing what else to do, and afraid to refuse for fear of insulting Thomas, Maitland simply nodded her head and the woman pulled off the kerchief she kept around her head, revealing her lovely, dark hair.
Maitland locked eyes with Thomas, clearly overwhelmed by everything that was happening to her, but he simply smiled as the merchant’s wife quickly drew the combs through Maitland’s hair to brush it out swiftly before braiding it and wrapping the braid at the base of her skull.
Then, using those two big combs, she shoved them into Maitland’s hair to secure the braid.
Thomas stood there and looked at her, shaking his head in awe.
“Beautiful,” he breathed. “Absolutely beautiful.”
Maitland was flattered, giddy, and ill at east all at the same time.
She ended up smiling bashfully at him and he snorted at her reaction, turning to the merchant and telling the man he’d have to return with the sizing for the children’s shoes after the tournament.
He didn’t want to be late and they’d already taken up enough time to shop.
Taking the blue surcoat and Maitland’s old clothing under one arm, he held out his elbow to Maitland, who timidly took it. Thanking the merchant and his wife, Thomas quit the stall with Maitland on his arm.
Truly, he felt puffed up like a peacock with Maitland on his arm.
This lovely, exquisite creature meant something to him, feelings he honestly never believed he would ever experience.
Glancing up into the sky, he could see that the day was starting to lean towards the afternoon and, soon enough, the contests would be starting.
Before they got to the blacksmith’s stall to collect Artus, he came to a halt and turned to Maitland.
“Here,” he said, pulling out a small pouch that had been wrapped up with the blue surcoat. “I bought this for you.”
Maitland just shook her head. “More, Thomas?” she said, as she hesitantly took the pouch. “How much does one person need? Truly, you have done too much already.”
He watched her open the pouch. “I have not done enough,” he said. “You had better get used to it.”
She started to frown, to say something to him, but she dumped the pouch into her palm and out came the ring. Mouth open, she simply stared at it.
“What… what is this?” she finally asked.
With a smile playing on his lips, he plucked it out of her palm and held it up to the light. “The stone is the color of your eyes,” he said. “See it? The merchant says it is called krustallos and it is meant for protection. I want you to have it.”
He was handing it back to her. Maitland looked at him for a moment before taking it, looking at the beautiful stone set in the dark, hammered gold.
“It is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen,” she said, somewhat emotional about it. “But, Thomas, a ring? You should not give such things to me. It is not…”
She trailed off and he finished for her.
“Proper?” he said, certain that was what she meant.
Taking the ring from her, he lifted her right hand and put the ring on the third finger.
It fit perfectly and he lifted it to his lips to kiss it.
“Mae, we must stop thinking about what is proper and start thinking about what is right for us. Not to say I will flaunt you all over the north, because that would shame you. I would not do that to you. But we may be discreet with what we do, and what we feel for one another, because I told you that I belong to you forever. I meant it. And if I want to give you a ring that will cause you to think of me every time you look at it, then I shall do so. Please, Mae. It would make me happy.”
Looking at the ring, Maitland was swamped with a myriad of emotions.
Since yesterday, everything seemed like a dream to her, feelings and sensations that were something she’d always hoped to experience but never believed she would.
When Henry died and she committed herself to religious service, deep down, she believed her life was over.
She thought she would be taking care of orphans for the rest of her life.
Not that it wasn’t a noble calling, but she truly believed there would be no other chance for her.
No love, no man of her own, no home and no children.
But then came Thomas and all of that seemed to change, though the situation was far from simple. It was as complicated as it could be.
Was it right?
Was it wrong?
She was starting not to care. All she knew was that she was surrendering to the man in ways she could not have imagined.
Everything.
As Thomas led her back down the avenue, Maitland couldn’t imagine a finer thing than going through life with Thomas de Wolfe at her side. Truth be told, she would probably take him however she could get him. Even if he was married to another.
God help her… even if he was married to Adelaide.
She simply didn’t care any longer.