Chapter Ten
It had all happened so… fast.
Suddenly, Ophelia was a married woman, the wife of a man she didn’t know.
There was a distinct feeling of shock in that realization.
However, she kept looking at Creston as he engaged in conversation with his friends, and there was more of a distinct shock that she was married to him.
Not Cecil, but him—a blond god of a man who was, by her own admission, perhaps the most beautiful man she’d ever seen.
Her husband.
God’s Bones, but it was astonishing.
They were in The Black Cock following a morning wedding mass at the nearby church.
The mass itself had been at the door of the church, in the cold light of morning, and the smell of damp earth and incense was enough to cause her to sneeze several times, much to the concern of her new husband and much to the displeasure of her grandfather. Ophelia had sneezed her head off.
But the blessing was finished, mass was said, and Ophelia and Creston returned to The Black Cock as husband and wife. When they arrived, they could see that Hobbes and Margit had closed the tavern to everyone but Blackchurch people, and a lavish feast had been prepared to celebrate the occasion.
Paid for by St. Denis.
Creston had been incredibly touched by the gesture, insisting that St. Denis have a place next to him at the table.
With Ophelia on his right and St. Denis on his left, everyone else simply found their seats around the table that had been positioned in the middle of the tavern by putting together smaller tables, like a puzzle.
Food and drink was brought out, and the dishes included several types of baked eggs or egg dishes, which Ophelia loved.
Given she’d been forced to starve for the past couple of months, she was more than eager to dig into the delicious-smelling food, and Creston helped her dish spoonfuls of the stuff onto her trencher.
He was lovely and attentive, and Ophelia truly felt special.
Until her mother took a seat on her right.
Down the table, Oscar had seated himself next to St. Denis.
“You mustn’t eat too much,” Randa said quietly. “You do not wish to grow plump too soon.”
Ophelia didn’t want to sit with her mother. She didn’t want to be anywhere near the woman, but here they were. She took comfort in the fact that Creston was now the only one she needed to take orders from. Gone were the days of being under her mother’s thumb.
Thank God for small mercies.
“I will eat as much as I please,” she told her mother as she spooned some baked egg and cheese into her mouth. “You needn’t worry about me any longer, Mother. Go back to Axen, or wherever you choose to go, and know that I will do quite well without you.”
Randa looked at her daughter. “Why do you say such things?”
“Because you left me vulnerable to Grandfather’s whims,” Ophelia snapped. “You never tried to protect me. You never even said to him that, mayhap, he shouldn’t starve me. You enabled his cruelty and I cannot forgive you for that.”
Randa knew she didn’t have an argument for that. “But he was simply trying to—”
“I know what he was trying to do,” Ophelia cut her off quietly. “You simply let him do it. But thank you for teaching me a lesson, Mother. When my children are born, I will defend them against anyone and everyone until my last breath. I’ve learned that I do not want to be a mother like you.”
Randa looked terribly hurt by that statement.
Without anything to say in defense of herself, she simply turned back to her food and Ophelia felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
She’d wanted to say such things for the past two months, ever since Oscar had taken charge of his granddaughter’s future, and it felt good to tell her mother what she thought without fear of reprisal.
Although she didn’t know Creston well yet, she knew that he wouldn’t let anyone punish or hurt her.
That much was certain.
She was embarking on a whole new life.
At some point, Randa left the table. Ophelia didn’t know where her mother went and she didn’t care.
She and Creston enjoyed the wonderful feast that The Black Cock had prepared, and, at one point, she even saw Greenie as the woman served them fresh bread.
Greenie grinned and winked at her as if she knew how right she’d been about Creston all along, and Ophelia felt some joy simply seeing the woman again.
A woman who had shown her such kindness when she’d needed it most.
“Lady de Royans? My lady?”
It took Ophelia a moment to realize the words had come from Creston. She looked at him as if surprised to hear her new title, breaking down into soft laughter at her own reaction. That had Creston grinning at her.
“Sounds strange, does it?” he asked.
Ophelia shook her head. “Not strange,” she said. “Unfamiliar. But I shall become accustomed to it quickly.”
“Good,” Creston said. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
“I am, very much.”
“I am glad,” he said. “Have you had enough to eat?”
She nodded, looking at the empty trencher. “For now,” she said. “But only for the moment. They keep bringing out dishes, and I want to try them all.”
“And you shall,” he said. “But I was hoping you would be gracious enough to allow me to introduce you to my friends.”
He indicated the table across from them, another long table, which was packed with men and women, all having a wonderful time. Ophelia nodded eagerly.
“Of course,” she said. “I would be honored.”
With a smile, he stood up and took her hand, gently helping her out of her seat.
She was clad in the same silk dress her mother had commissioned for her marriage to Cecil, and although she hadn’t been keen to wear it because of the memories associated with it, the garment was expensive and beautiful, and her mother had insisted.
The beautiful green fabric shimmered when she walked, and upon her neck she wore a stunning gold necklace set with pale green stones that had been mined in a faraway land.
It belonged to her mother, who had intimated she would give it to her daughter upon her marriage, but after the exchange they’d just had, Ophelia fully expected her mother to take the necklace back. Not that she cared.
Frankly, she was feeling too much hope to care.
With her hands looped around Creston’s elbow, he took her over to the table that held the Blackchurch trainers and their wives. When they saw the newly married couple approach, every man at the table stood up to greet them.
“This sounds odd to say, but I would like for you all to meet my wife,” Creston said, grinning because it was slightly awkward.
“I have the pleasure of introducing you to Ophelia de Camville de Royans. I will fully admit that I never really planned on introducing her to all of you because I wasn’t sure I wanted to.
But I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with the new Lady de Royans and I will confess that I’m no longer opposed to this marriage.
I believe you will find her as charming and kind as I have. ”
That brought some chuckles from the men around the table.
“God’s Bones, Cres,” Tay said. He was the closest and shook his head at Creston’s introduction.
“That was one of the most inelegant, insulting speeches I have ever heard. If Lady de Royans does not run out on you this moment, I will be surprised.”
Ophelia started laughing. “My lord, I assure you, I echo his sentiment,” she said. “This entire situation is somewhat… strange.”
“My lady?” The lovely woman at Tay’s side reached out to take Ophelia’s hand. “Since my husband cannot seem to properly greet you and your husband speaks so awkwardly, let me salvage the situation. I am Athdara, Tay’s wife. We are so pleased to meet you. Welcome to Blackchurch.”
“Thank you,” Ophelia said sincerely. “I am honored to know you.”
Athdara was a tall, elegant woman with lovely features. She didn’t let go of Ophelia’s hand, instead pulling her away from Creston and introducing her to the other women who were seated with their husbands nearby.
“This is Lady de Merest, Fox’s wife,” she said, indicating a pretty brunette. “Her name is Gisele and a kinder woman you will never meet. And that lady on the other side of the blond knight is Elisiana, Lady de Reyne. Her family is from Aragon.”
Ophelia was making the rounds, greeting these lovely women, feeling their warmth and curiosity even though she’d only just met them. Women could be such pack animals, but she didn’t feel that from them at all. Only genuine interest.
“My lady,” she said to Gisele before moving to Elisiana. “And, Lady de Reyne, I am very honored to meet you.”
As Elisiana smiled and grasped her free hand kindly, Athdara led her to the last lady down the table.
“And this lovely woman is Astria, Lady Matheson,” Athdara finished.
“She is a member of the Portuguese royal family. Ask her about her adventures at sea. She is the teller of exciting tales, I assure you.”
Ophelia greeted the lovely, dark-haired woman sitting next to an enormous man with auburn hair. “A pleasure, my lady,” she said, dipping into a curtsy because of Astria’s royal blood. “I am greatly honored.”
Astria stood up. “Please,” she said, “there is no need for formality. Mayhap we should leave the men alone to drink and celebrate? Come and sit with us. Let us come to know one another. Blackchurch is a small world, and we are more like a family, and we would very much like to welcome you.”
Ophelia let herself be pulled along by Athdara and Astria, toward a small table near the front window of the tavern.
Gisele and Elisiana followed, with Elisiana sending one of the serving women for food and drink.
Together, the five of them sat down while the trainers at the other table collected their cups to toast the new groom.