Chapter 10
“ Y ou were amazing, Maggie,” Evan said from atop his horse, as they headed toward town the next morning.
Maggie’s daughter was so infatuated with the new babies that she wanted to stay with Lady Martine and Lady Eleanor and help look after them. Maggie could see that Emma already had the interest, and would most likely be a midwife someday as well. Soon Maggie would start taking her to the births to get her used to seeing what happens.
“I was just doing my job,” said Maggie. Her hand went to the crystal she wore and she thanked her mother silently for the lucky charm. She believed that it truly helped Martine, and that is why everything turned out so well in the end. Thankfully, Martine insisted on giving the crystal back to her, and Maggie appreciated it. After all, this was the last remembrance she had of her mother.
“Soon I will be doing my job too, and hopefully getting paid for it,” said Charles, riding along with them.
Maggie’s gut wrenched when he said this. She’d allowed herself to agree to let Charles work as Alan’s apprentice as a locksmith for now. Something made her already regret it. “Charles, you know we most likely won’t be staying in Hythe. Are you sure Alan understands that this isn’t a permanent thing?”
“Why can’t we stay and live in Hythe?” complained Charles. “After all, you have a permanent position as a midwife at the castle now, since that old witch left.”
“Her name is Gunnora, Charles. Have a little respect. And although I’ve been offered the permanent position, I haven’t actually accepted it yet.”
“Not because of my lack of trying to convince you,” mumbled Evan.
“It makes no sense why you’d say no ,” Charles continued. “After all, we will have everything we need and more than we wanted. Mayhap someday I’ll be a journeyman. I’ll support you then, with all the money I’ll be making.”
“Slow down, Brother,” Maggie warned him. “You are getting ahead of yourself. We don’t even know yet if you can actually do the job.”
“He can,” said Evan with confidence. “Alan told me that even though Charles has just started, he’s been picking up the trade easily and quickly. Charles, mayhap someday I’ll come spend the day at the forge with you. I have a lock I am trying to fix that has been giving me trouble. Of course, I only stop in there once a month, so it’s taking a little longer than I’d like.”
Maggie giggled. “At that rate, you’ll have to have your grandchildren finish the job for you, because you’ll be too old to see those little parts after much longer.”
“I don’t expect you to understand that I’m not even supposed to be at the forge since I’m a noble,” Evan told her.
“Really? I heard from Lady Martine that you have a girl cousin who spends a lot of time at the forge because she married a blacksmith.”
“That’s my cousin Raven. She married Jonathon, but he’s not really a blacksmith. He’s an armorer.”
“Blacksmith, locksmith, armorer, it’s all the same,” said Maggie with a smile.
“What? No it’s not, Maggie,” said Charles. “You surely know nothing about this.”
“It’s like saying a midwife, a healer, and an apothecary are all the same,” Evan pointed out.
“Well, actually, they do kind of all overlap,” stated Maggie. “I’d think now that you’ve assisted with a birth, you’d understand a lot more about the service I provide.”
“I would if I hadn’t had my eyes closed for most of it,” he answered with a chuckle.
They rode up to the blacksmith’s shop and stopped.
“We’ll come back to get you just before it gets dark,” Maggie told her brother.
“All right, but I can ride back to the castle on my own. I’m not a child.” Charles made a disgruntled expression as he dismounted and tied the reins of the horse to a post.
“Until you’re a little older and more used to the area, I’m going to escort you,” Maggie told him.
“Don’t forget to tend to the horse and keep an eye on her so she doesn’t get stolen,” Evan called out, as Charles hurried inside. Maggie and Evan left. They rode through town and out to the road. It was a beautiful sunny day, and this made Maggie happy.
“Don’t you think you’re being a little too protective of Charles?” Evan asked, after they’d ridden for a while.
“No. Not at all.”
“He’s not a child. He’s fourteen,” said Evan.
“Thirteen, actually, and I don’t care what you think. I like to keep a close eye on him.”
“If you don’t mind me saying, you act like you’re his mother.”
“In a way, I am,” she told him. “I watched over him many times while my mother worked and also after we lost my father. And these past four years since my mother’s death have been a trying time for all of us. I made a promise to my mother and I intend to keep it.”
“You never did tell me how your mother died.”
“I don’t like to talk about it.”
“Was it something horrible?”
“Yes. Beyond horrible.”
“Well, it couldn’t have been the plague, since the resurge of that has come and gone long ago.”
“Don’t even try to guess, Evan, because I told you I don’t want to talk about it.”
“All right,” he said with a nod. “Then how about we take a ride through the forest? I know a magical spot that I’d like to show you.”
“Isn’t it dangerous in the forest? There could be bandits waiting for us.”
He laughed. “You are with me now, and I know how to protect a beautiful lady.” He tapped the hilt of his sword to prove his point. “I assure you, we will be totally safe.”
“Well, all right,” she said, liking that he’d called her a lady even though she was naught but a commoner. “It does feel good to get out in the fresh air and ride again. I haven’t been on a horse in a long time. I’m just glad we don’t have to walk.”
“Follow me,” said Evan, leading the way.
Maggie didn’t know where Evan was taking her, but neither did she care. She loved spending time alone with him away from the watchful eyes of others. They rode through the forest and before long ended up along the banks of a babbling brook. The sun shone down brightly upon them. Birds twittered and butterflies and dragonflies flitted around their heads.
“We’re here,” he announced, stopping his horse in a small clearing of tall grass.
“You’re right, this place is magical,” said Maggie from atop her horse, breathing in the fresh, sweet air and taking in the glorious view of nature all around her. She spotted a mother deer and her two fawns hiding in the brush. A gaggle of geese honked from the sky. Some playful squirrels chattered as they scampered across the tree branches above her head.
“May I?” he asked, suddenly standing at the side of her horse with his arms raised to assist her.
“Thank you.” She let him help her down from the horse. Their bodies were touching and his hands deliciously lingered at her waist. She liked that.
“Maggie, I have a confession to make.”
“What about?” She took his hand and they strolled down to the brook.
“I brought you here because I wanted to be alone with you.”
“Really? Why?”
She barely got the words out before he was holding her again and kissing her. God’s eyes, this felt good and she never wanted it to end.
“We can take off our shoes and walk in the water if you want.”
“Nay, I don’t think so,” she said. “I don’t like getting wet.”
“Well, then how about we sit down and just watch the water?”
“I’d like that,” she told him, with a peck to his cheek.
Evan spread out his cloak on the ground and they settled themselves atop it. He’d had to remove his weapon belt to sit down. After kicking off his boots he lay back with his arms behind his head.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m relaxing and enjoying the day. You should try it. Come.” He patted the spot next to him. “Take off your shoes.”
“Is this a ploy to get me undressed?” she asked playfully.
“Mayhap. Would it bother you if it was?”
“I don’t know.” She lay down next to him and kicked off her shoes. “It feels so good lying in the sun that I can’t complain.”
“Then don’t. I know I won’t.” He pulled her closer and she snuggled up next to him. “I am really impressed with you, Maggie.”
“It’s a lot of work and a little luck, that’s all.”
“Nay, I don’t mean your midwife skills although I have to admit that I’ve never seen anyone as good as you before. You honestly care about your patients.”
“Of course I do,” she said, reaching up and pushing a strand of his hair from his face. “I care about you, too.” She reached over and kissed him.
“Mmmm, I love your kisses.” He ran his hand over the side of her face and cupped her cheek. “I was talking about how strong you are. You are not like any other woman I’ve ever met.”
“Adversity makes one stronger, I guess. And God knows I’ve had more than my share of that.”
“I’m so sorry to hear it.”
“What about your family, Evan?” she asked, trying to change the subject before he started asking questions again about her mother that she didn’t want to answer.
“What do you want to know?”
“Tell me about your parents. And your siblings.”
“Well, you already know my sister, Eleanor.”
“Yes. I must admit at first I thought she was a bit haughty, but the more time I spend with her, the more I realize she’s truly a nice person.”
“Yes, she’s not bad. At times. When she stops treating me like a little brother, that is.” He smiled. “She’s married to Connor Wyland who used to be a noble, but then was a hangman before becoming a noble again.”
“What? A hangman? You are jesting.”
“Nay, I’m not. He was really an executioner. But I’ll let Eleanor tell you that story since she doesn’t really appreciate people talking about it.”
“All right, that’s fair enough,” she answered. “You have another brother, don’t you? I heard of him, although I haven’t personally met him.”
“Yes,” said Evan. “Edgar, or Gar as we all call him. He is married to a merchant’s daughter, Josefina. Gar is a sea captain for my father, since he loves the water and spent a lot of time on a ship as a child. Gar is really my cousin, but has been raised as my brother.”
“He’s your cousin? Wait. What?”
“My mother coupled with my father’s brother before she married my father. That’s where Gar comes from.”
“She did? He does? Oh. All right.”
“Mother is not the normal noblewoman, Maggie.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You see, Mother and her twin brother, my Uncle Madoc, were kidnapped as babies.”
“Lady Martine’s father?”
“Yes. The babies were split up and my uncle was raised as a thief, while my mother was raised as a … a pirate.”
“A pirate.” Maggie smiled at him. “Now I know you are jesting. That’s not funny to say things like that about your own mother, Evan.”
“Maggie, I’d never lie to you,” he promised, holding up his pointer finger. “She really was a pirate. Before she found out she was a noble.”
“I suppose I’ll have to ask your mother about that story?”
“I think it’d be a wise move. The ladies don’t like talking about their past too much.”
“I can see why.” She giggled. “So, do you have more siblings?”
“Nay. Just a lot of cousins who all married from below the salt.”
“Really?” That took her by surprise. She rather liked the idea of a noble marrying a commoner. “Is that allowed?”
“No. But my family doesn’t follow rules very well.”
“I guess not. Are there a lot of new babies in your family?” she asked, always curious to hear about babies because of her profession.
“The babies are starting to multiply, as you’ve already seen. But as for my siblings, Eleanor has a daughter named Elizabeth. Edgar, or Gar, has a son named Eliot. He and his wife adopted a stowaway named Etta.”
“And your mother’s name is Echo and you are Evan. Lots of E names in your family.”
“Eleanor and I were named after our grandparents. But yes, E seems to be a popular letter for naming children in my family.”
“I guess so. My daughter Emma is an E as well,” she pointed out.
“Yes, you have an E child too,” said Evan, thinking how easily Maggie would fit into his family. After all, she already had a child whose name started with E. Damn, he liked her a lot. He really enjoyed being with her. And those in his family who already met her, all liked her. She would have an easy transition being a Blackmore. But she was not. Part of him couldn’t see himself marrying anyone but her, but then again, she was a commoner and he was a noble. Not to mention the fact he was already betrothed to a woman whom he didn’t know or care to know.
“Maggie, I’m starting to have feelings for you,” he admitted, pulling her closer as they lay on the ground, wanting to tell her exactly how he felt about her. Secretly, he was hoping to find out how she felt about him too.
“I know you do, Evan. I have feelings for you as well.”
“You do? Then why don’t you stay at Saltwood Castle instead of leaving?”
“Well, I don’t know,” she said, her smile fading. “I think it would be too hard for me to see you with another woman.”
“I’m not marrying that girl my father betrothed me to, if that’s what you mean.”
“You’re not?”
“Nay.”
“I thought your father already made the alliance.”
“He did. I haven’t told him yet, but I will. I promise you, I will choose my own wife like the rest of my siblings and cousins. After all, why should I be any different?”
“No one should have to marry anyone they don’t want to be tied down to, I guess. I believe everyone should be allowed to marry for love.”
“Did you love your husband, Maggie?”
Maggie silently cursed herself for mentioning love. She supposed she accidentally led Evan to asking this question. “I barely knew George when we married,” she told him. “So, no, I can’t say that I loved him.”
“Then why did you marry him?” Evan asked curiously.
“I thought it would help to have another person in our family. A male, that is. My mother was strong, but I saw how she struggled to raise us after my father’s death. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
“How old did you say you were you when your father died?”
“I was thirteen and Charles was only six.”
“How long were you married?”
“I married George right after I turned sixteen. He died a few months later and that’s when I discovered I was pregnant with Emma.”
“So your marriage never had a chance,” he said, kissing her on the nose.
“I suppose not. But I’ve learned to live with the hand that life dealt me.”
“Then how about these hands?” he jested, slipping his hands around her and pulling her atop him, causing her to squeal.
“Evan? What are you doing?”
“Have you ever made love outside in nature?” he asked her.
“Nay. Have you?”
“Not yet, but depending on your decision, it might happen today.”
Maggie felt Evan’s hands closing around her bottom and giving her a slight squeeze. When she moved atop him, she felt his erection beneath her and knew exactly where this was going.
“What decision?” she asked through a breathy whisper.
“Do you want to live for the day, Maggie? Be wild and crazy?” His hands slid up her back and then around the sides of her breasts, and he gave them a light squeeze as well. She liked it. George hadn’t cared about exciting her, and the one time they’d coupled was less than enjoyable for her.
“Are you asking me if I want to couple with you out here in the open where anyone might ride past and see us?”
“When you say it like that, it sounds even more exciting,” said Evan with a deep chuckle.
She hit him playfully on the arm. “I don’t want to put on a show for anyone.”
“Then how about just for me?”
“Evan, I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
“Don’t worry, Maggie. We’re off the beaten path and the grass is high around us. No one will see us. Just relax.”
“Are you sure we’ll be hidden?” she asked, looking around. They were pretty concealed, with just the open blue sky above their heads.
“I promise,” he said kissing her deeply, making her head spin with delight. It felt so good to be pressed up against Evan. Their bodies already seemed to meld together even though they were still clothed.
“I always wanted to throw caution to the wind and do something crazy,” she admitted. “But I never could because I always had to be the responsible one and watch after my brother and then my daughter.”
“They’re not here now, are they?” He waggled his eyebrows. “Want to do something crazy for the first time in your life?”
He made her laugh and Maggie liked that. She needed to laugh more in life. It felt good. Everything in her head told her not to do this, but her heart spoke louder. Her feelings for Evan won.
“I’m feeling wild and crazy if you are,” she said with a giggle.
He didn’t waste any time talking before pulling off her clothes and then following suit. At first she was on her back and he straddled her, kissing her on the mouth, on her chest, and her breasts. As he continued to give her pleasure, her back arched up off the ground. She felt so free. Her breathing deepened as excitement coursed through her, but she bit the side of her cheek, not wanting to cry out.
“I can see you are enjoying this but I feel you are still holding back,” he told her. “Don’t. Just let yourself experience every minute of our time together. Cry out if you want to. You deserve this, sweetheart.”
“I love what you’re doing, Evan. But you are right, I am holding back.”
“Why?”
“Because, I am so ready for this that I feel as if I am going to burst. Please, I need you inside me right now.”
“As you wish. But first, you need to be on top.” He wrapped his arms around her and rolled to his back, pulling her atop him.
“Are you sure about this?” she asked.
“More than sure, sweetheart. I am a heavy weight upon you and this way you can move freely and enjoy it more.”
“Then you’ll have to guide me with what to do. It’s been such a long time and I never really knew what I was doing the first time.”
“There are no rules when it comes to making love,” he told her. “We can do whatever we want.”
“So, I don’t have to worry about doing it wrong?”
“You couldn’t do anything wrong if you tried, Maggie. You are perfect.”
Evan’s confidence in her made her even more excited to be with him, naked out in nature. She had never done anything like this before, and it was refreshing, new, and adventurous. Suddenly, all her fears were washed away, and she felt no obligations or worries. Right now, she was happier than she’d ever been in her entire life.
Being with Evan felt good. It felt right. She was quickly losing her heart to him. She needed to know how it felt to make love with him, and now it was actually going to happen.
He readied her with his hand even though she was more than prepared. Then, while lying beneath her, he took her hips in his hands and positioned her right over his hardened manhood.
“I’ll go slow,” he told her. “Just to make sure you can take in all of me.”
Gently, he slipped inside her just a little and she gasped.
“Did I hurt you?” He stopped, and that wasn’t at all what she wanted.
“Believe me, you didn’t hurt me. That was a gasp because I cannot believe how good it feels.”
“Then I should continue?”
“Oh, never mind. I’ll do it myself,” she told him impatiently, lowering herself over him, letting his tool of love fill her completely.
“I like a feisty woman who knows what she wants,” he told her. Then, using his hands to help her move her hips, he moved his hips to meet her. They did the dance of love, each one of his thrusts becoming stronger as he grew closer and closer to his release.
Maggie didn’t mind. She liked the feeling and the freedom. Before she knew it, he’d hit a spot that sent her spiraling out of control with pure pleasure.
“Ooooh, aaaah, this feels so good,” she said, as they moved faster and faster, their bare bodies slapping together, with thankfully no one there to hear them.
“Maggie, you are perfect and I hope you never leave me,” he whispered, his words causing her to lose control. She didn’t hide her sounds of ecstasy as she reached her peak and found completion. With her eyes closed, she swore she saw bright stars in hues of purple and pink behind her shut lids.
“Oh, Evan, I never want to leave you,” she admitted, seeming to cause him to become even more excited, even though she didn’t think it was possible.
He made sounds like a bear, and it wasn’t hard to figure out just when he’d found his release and spilled his seed within her. The crazy thought that they might have just made a baby caused her to climax once more.
Finally, things calmed down and she rolled off of him, settling under his arm while laying her cheek against his chest.
“God’s eyes, that was wonderful,” he finally said, stroking her hair gently with his free hand.
“I agree,” she said, kissing his chest. Without meaning to, she fell asleep next to him. And when she awoke, he was still in the same position, holding her, protecting her, making her feel safe and in no hurry to leave.
She didn’t think they’d been at the brook that long, but when she noticed the sun getting lower in the sky, she realized nightfall was already moving in.
“Oh, we’d better get up and get dressed,” she said, sitting up.
“What’s your hurry?” He looked at her with those sexy green eyes. Just by his stare she found herself getting hot again. “If you’re cold I can warm you up.”
“Oh, believe me, I’m not cold,” she told him, kissing him quickly on the lips. “It is just that we need to ride back to town to get Charles, and it will take a while. I don’t want to be traveling on the road at night if we don’t have to.”
“I understand your concern,” he said, sitting up as they both started to dress. “Although, you need to understand that I am more than capable of protecting you as well as Charles in the dark.”
“I know you are. Thank you,” she said, giving him one last kiss before donning her shoes. “I have never felt safer than I do with you, Evan. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you.”
“You don’t have to be without me,” he told her, standing up to strap on his weapon belt. “I want you to stay at Saltwood Castle, Maggie. Forever.”
Maggie’s heart skipped a beat as she looked down to tie her bodice. Evan was asking her to stay, but she was afraid to ask him exactly what he meant by that. She figured he wanted her to live at Saltwood Castle, but probably just as the midwife. Right now she wanted so much more. He had said he wanted to be with her forever, but what was missing were the words I want to marry you, Maggie.
Her heart ached, because she couldn’t stay at the castle and watch him marry someone else. It would hurt too deeply. She’d rather be back on the road searching for work than to live comfortably with him but never have him as her husband.
“What do you say, Maggie? Will you stay with me permanently?”
“I—I don’t know.” She wanted to ask him what that would involve, but being too scared to do so, she stayed silent. If he’d meant to keep her around just as a midwife and for a possible tryst, she’d be heartbroken. Mayhap, she decided, it was better that she didn’t know. “I’ll have to think about it,” she answered sadly. “We’d better hurry because Charles will be waiting. I don’t want him doing anything crazy, like leaving without us and riding home alone.”
“Nay. We wouldn’t want anyone doing anything crazy now, would we?” He sounded sad when he said it, even though they had both just done something very crazy and she didn’t regret it at all. He probably sounded this way because she didn’t give him the answer he wanted. Still, she was being guarded, because she’d known too much sorrow in her life. She couldn’t agree to staying forever at Saltwood Castle without a stronger commitment from him that involved more than just being his mistress. Sadly, she was afraid that was all she’d ever be.
She knew Evan was betrothed, even though he also said he wouldn’t really marry the girl. Still, Maggie wasn’t sure she believed him. How could he, a noble, get out of a betrothal for the purpose of an alliance without causing a battle between his family and the other for breaking the agreement? It would only bring trouble, and she didn’t want trouble for anyone. Especially not for Evan.
When they were making love, she swore he purposely said things to her that made her think he wanted to marry her, even though he was vague about his meaning. Could he have done this just to trick her into saying she’d stay? After all, from her experiences, nobles only thought about themselves and were far from honest. But Evan wasn’t like that.
Was he?
If so, he certainly had her fooled. This doubt she had bothered her more right now than even making love out in the open.
She mounted her horse, not feeling like talking, just wanting to get back to the castle and to her daughter. To her warm blankets and pallet. To sleep and rest and think. Today she’d been crazy and carefree. As good as it felt, she had the awful feeling in her gut that she was going to pay for this happiness, eventually. A fear crept in that it was all about to be taken away from her, and that she decided, was even worse than being crazy.