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Muna giggled. ‘Madam Elizabeth from the village told me that, as long as I kept quite still and closed my eyes and did not move, no matter what my husband did to me, I should prove a very satisfactory wife.’
‘Lord have mercy,’ A
Edwina put her hands on her hips and huffed. ‘’Tis not a matter for jest, my lady. The demands of a husband can come as a shock to a gentlewoman. Why, my own husband kept me busy nigh on five times a night.’
Muna clapped her hands to her mouth. ‘Five times! Every night?’
‘I heard tell that he was a very lusty fellow,’ A
‘You are not taking this seriously,’ the maid grumbled. ‘Well, do not come complaining to me when you receive a shock on your wedding night!’
‘I promise I shall not complain,’ A
They went grumbling, Edwina herding Muna and the younger maids before her, closing the door on their chatter. A
A
So it proved. She skirted the kitchens, where the cook was bellowing at the scullions and sweating to provide the finest banquet that Grafton had ever seen. The villagers were already flocking to fill the ancient tithe barn and share in the feast. But no one saw A
‘Lady A
A
‘I beg your pardon,’ Simon Greville said. ‘I did not intend to startle you. Your father is looking for you, Lady A
A
‘Of course,’ she said. ‘Excuse me, Lord Greville.’
Simon did not move. He put out a hand and caught her arm. ‘A moment, Lady A
A
Simon slid his hand down her sleeve to capture her fingers in his. His hand was warm, the shock of his touch sufficient to send a shiver through A
‘I have your father’s permission to wed you, Lady A
A
Simon smiled into her eyes. ‘Yes, I do. I will not force an unwilling maid. So speak now, A
His hands tightened on hers as he waited for her answer. A
‘I will do my duty—’ she began.
‘I do not want your duty.’ Simon sounded angry now. ‘I want you.’ He moderated his tone. ‘And I had thought—forgive me—that you might in some small way feel the same…’
A
‘Well, I—’
She got no further, for Simon leaned down and kissed her, his hands suddenly mercilessly hard on her slender frame, his mouth hungry. A
He released her gently and she steadied herself with one hand against the mossy stone of the sundial. She was trembling down to the tips of her toes. She pressed her fingers against her lips in confusion and the begi
‘So is that a yes?’ Simon demanded. His eyes were bright and hard with passion. A
‘I am considering it,’ she said demurely. ‘’Tis true, my lord, that you are very pleasant to look upon…’
His lips twitched in response, but she could feel the impatient desire in him, barely held under control. ‘Thank you,’ he murmured. ‘And?’
‘And I have…enjoyed…the time that we have spent in each other’s company…’
‘And?’
‘And indeed I think you must kiss very nicely, my lord, although I have no means of comparison.’
Simon made a movement towards her, but she evaded him, dancing away down the path. She was laughing now, the exhilaration burning in her veins.
‘So having given consideration to your offer…’
She paused, looked at him. He caught her wrist, pulled her close and held her still.
‘Yes?’ he said.
‘I will marry you,’ she whispered, as their lips met again. ‘With all my heart.’
Chapter One
Grafton, Oxfordshire, England
February 1645
The snow had been falling all day. It hung like a shroud between the besieged manor house of Grafton and the army that encircled it a bare half mile away. Now, as the church bell tolled midnight, the darkness had an unearthly glow that struck a chill into the men’s hearts. In the morning they were to do battle, but for tonight they huddled in the byres and barns of the village, around the fitful fires. They drank the last of their ale, talked in low voices and tried not to think of the morrow.
When the knock came at the door, Simon Greville thought at first that he had imagined it. He had already met with his captains, they had talked of their strategy for the morning and had retired to wait for dawn and get what little sleep they could. He had given specific orders that he should not be disturbed further that night. Yet the knock came once again, soft but insistent, on the barn door. Simon was not angered to have his instructions gainsaid, but he was curious. His authority was such that only in the direst emergency would his men disobey his direct command.