Chapter Six #2
Mattie was watching his lowered head. The man seemed to grow more handsome with each passing second because, honestly, she couldn’t seem to take her eyes from him.
The way he was speaking showed that he had some vulnerability and she found that endearing.
In fact, the entire conversation had been endearing, perhaps enough that she might even forgive him for offending her earlier.
She dreaded baring her soul to the man, but it seemed to her that this moment called for it. He was being honest with her.
It was time for her to do the same.
“Then I am glad, if only for honor’s sake, that you have been true to the contract,” she said.
“My lord, if we are being perfectly honest, if you do not want me, I do not know what I shall do. I am rather old to be on the marriage market and if others know that a betrothal was broken between us, they will believe there is something wrong with me.”
He frowned. “I do not think so,” he said. “I—”
She cut him off, though not harshly. “Aye, they will,” she said.
“Trust that I know more about this than you do. I have fostered in noble households my entire life and I understand the way the world of the nobility works. There will never be any question cast on you, but for me, there will be much. A broken betrothal with the House of de Wolfe means my prospects will be quite limited. If de Wolfe didn’t want me, then who will? ”
He looked at her. Really looked at her. He could absolutely understand what she was saying because he’d seen that sort of thing before. He might not have cared about marriage or politics, but he didn’t live under a rock. He knew how cruel and judgmental the nobility could be.
“I see,” he said after a moment. “We cannot have that.”
“Nay, we cannot.”
“What do you suggest we do?”
She shrugged. “I think we should go forth with the marriage.”
“Do you?”
“I do.”
“And you will have me?”
“If you will have me, I will have you.”
He snorted, flashing a grin. “I would agree to that,” he said. “But we sound like a pair of indecisive idiots.”
Mattie started laughing. “We are pathetic.”
“We are.”
She pointed at his patchwork pants. “You even look pathetic,” she said. “May I commission a better pair for you? So men will not think I allow my husband to dress like the court jester?”
He was smiling broadly. “I like these,” he insisted. “They are comfortable and you made them for me. I will not surrender them no matter how much you beg.”
She shook her head. “But they really weren’t meant for you to wear continuously,” she said. “Only until you could retrieve a better pair from your baggage.”
He stood up, admiring the patchwork stitching. “I do not have a better pair,” he said. “You should know that things like clothing mean very little to me. If it is durable, I wear it. I will wear it until the seams break and the seat wears out. Ask my mother.”
She stood up beside him, looking at the pants with a critical eye. “Terrible,” she said. “I will have to commission other breeches for you, then.”
“Unnecessary.”
She looked up at him. “That is not true,” she said. “I will be judged harshly if I allow you to wear clothing that you wear down until it becomes indecent. You would embarrass me so?”
He was properly contrite. “Nay,” he said. “Would you truly be embarrassed?”
“Probably.”
He sighed heavily, a twinkle in his eye. “You are going to make me wash regularly, too, aren’t you?”
“And shave.”
He rolled his eyes. “God’s Bones,” he said. “Are you going to be one of those?”
“I am. You will have to live with it.”
She had a gleam in her eye as she said it, one he found enchanting. He could see her sense of humor and he liked it.
Even if she was, more than likely, serious.
Perhaps this was the right decision, after all.
“My lady,” he said, sobering. “I cannot promise you princely feasts, a fine home, and fine furnishing, but I can promise you that, as my wife, you will be respected and honored. I can also promise you that I will always be loyal to you and our marriage. It is not in my nature to be otherwise. Still… I know I have a good deal to learn about women and marriage in general. I will try, but I will not always succeed. I hope you will be patient with me.”
Some of the softness was back in Mattie’s expression.
That same glow he’d seen earlier when she’d first come to repair his breeches.
There had been something open and amiable about it, two traits that faded as their conversation had progressed.
When he’d first seen her in the garden, she still had a hardness in her expression.
But not anymore.
“I am not entirely certain that anyone knows how to do something they’ve never done before simply because they’ve seen others do it,” she said.
“I have never been a wife, but I know that I will try, also. You should know that I am used to running a house and hold. I will take charge. If you do not want me to, you should tell me now so we may discuss what my boundaries are.”
He shrugged. “I am not opposed to your taking charge of Gleann na Fola,” he said. “I have a cook and a man who runs the castle for me, but nothing more. It will be your domain, but do not say I did not warn you about it. It will be a… challenge.”
“Good,” she said. “I like challenges.”
He knew she had no idea what she was facing so he chuckled, shaking his head as he did so. “I believe that,” he said. “But before we can do anything, you should probably tell your father that you do not wish to break the betrothal.”
Mattie nodded, turning for the garden gate, as Gar followed behind her. When she reached the gate, however, she paused and looked at him.
“My brother told me that your father threatened you if you did not go through with this marriage,” she said. “You did not know that I knew, did you?”
Gar wasn’t surprised to hear it. “Nay,” he said. “But Maksim is very protective of you. What he told you was the truth.”
She cocked her head. “I do not want you to think you manipulated me into doing what you wanted me to do in order to save you from your father’s wrath,” she said. “I was aware of it when I agreed. This was my choice.”
“Aye, my lady.”
“Just so we are clear.”
“Very clear.”
She rested her gaze on him a moment longer just to make sure he knew he hadn’t pulled the wool over her eyes before continuing through the gate with Gar behind her.
Out into the bailey beyond.
They had some parents to see.
Reece was beside himself with joy when Mattie, along with Gar, told him that the betrothal was once again on.
He was so excited that he sent for Julia and, after that, Troy.
Since the betrothal was a fragile thing, and the three parents feared that anything might tip the balance back toward a canceled contract, they decided that the marriage should be conducted quickly before either party changed their minds.
Before Gar said one more stupid thing and Mattie decided once and for all not to marry him.
Julia sent for the priest in the village of Hensingham, a rector who presided over St. Mary’s Church near the sea.
Andreas went to personally retrieve the man, bringing him back so he could conduct a mass at the door of the great hall of Hensingham, which was traditional when it came to a wedding.
In fact, the mass itself was shortened at the request of Lady Hensingham simply because she wanted to wed the two of them as quickly as possible.
Once the blessing and benediction was complete, there was joy all around as the House of de Wolfe and the House of de Reyne finally became allied through a marriage.
One that didn’t almost happen.
But now, it had.
And what an adventure it was to be.