Page 74 of Katherine the Vixen

“Yes. Just like us. Made to go together.”

The smile she threw him reached all the way to his heart.

“Now guess what Ystlum, which is the mare I chose for Lady Helen, means. She’s in fact called Cwmwl, ‘cloud’ but everyone has taken to calling her Ystlum on account of her coloring—and her temper.”

Siaspar saw Katherine bite her bottom lip to stifle a laugh. Ah, so she knew the word… Excellent news.

“I actually do know that one,” she admitted. “Master Owain told me, one day, while we rode to England. It means ‘bat.’ He said that he could not believe how well-suited mare and rider were. But I knew it was no coincidence.” She threw him a mischievous glance. “You could not resist, could you?”

“No. And unfortunately, we have no mare called ‘churlish mule,’ so Lady Malpas was riding on Perl.”

“Pearl. You rotten, devious thing.”

“Rotten, devious brute. That’s me.”

“Yes, but you’re my brute.”

Siaspar sent his throaty laugh to the skies.

How odd life could be.

Six weeks ago, he had left Castell y Ddraig with an English wife by his side and he’d been miserable as sin. Today, he was coming back home with another English wife and he was happier than he had ever been.

EPILOGUE

“Cariad, here you are. There is something I want to give you.”

Katherine put down her quill and smiled. They had been back in Wales for a week and she had spent most of her days learning how to improve her writing—and all her nights learning how to pleasure her husband better. Both skills had benefited from the dedication.

“You must stop this,” she chided, standing up.

Every day it was a new surprise, a new present, a new experience. The day they’d arrived, Katherine had found Mel waiting for her in her chamber. Orders had been sent ahead that the maid who had befriended her would now be her lady in waiting. The two women had fallen into each other’s arms. The following day, Siaspar had called the tailors back and commissioned three gowns to suit his new wife’s tastes. The day after that, to her delight, he had taken her to the sea.

It had been the best day of her life. Soon, others would follow.

“I don’t know why I should stop, when it’s giving us both so much pleasure,” he purred in her ear.

Her cheeks went crimson. No doubt, he was alluding to what they had done in bed the night before. It had been naughty, shocking even. She had loved every moment.

“But this is different,” he added before she could say anything. “I had it done a few weeks ago, and I can finally give it to you.”

Siaspar opened his hand. Resting on his palm was a brooch in the shape of a dragonfly.

“Oh!” Katherine gasped. Wrought of gleaming silver, adorned with a mixture of blue glass and reddish orange stones, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

“I promised myself I would give it to you when I was finally free to spend my life with you. Now that moment has come.” He stroked her cheek. “The blue matches the color in your eyes, you know, which is why I chose it.”

“It’s so beautiful. And what is this reddish stone on the wings?”

His lips curled up, as if delighted that she should have asked. “Jasper.”

She smiled. Of course. “How fitting.”

“Indeed. All you need now is something to pin it on,” he added. “And I have the very thing right here. Close your eyes.”

“No… Siaspar, it’s too much.”

“Wait until you have seen what it is before refusing.”