Page 76 of Sweet Mead for Lady Martine

“Rose is planning their summer garden and he is tired of hearing about it. Let’s go save him,” Gar told the men.

“She’s planning a garden?” asked Sage. “Oh, Robin, I want a garden too. We can grow lots of herbs so I can teach baby Martin how to make healing potions.”

“He’s a baby, Sage,” grumbled Robin as the group walked away.

“Martine, I’m so happy for you.” A red-haired noblewoman approached with a nobleman.

“Eleanor! I am so happy you could make it to our wedding. David, this is my cousin, Lady Eleanor and her husband, Lord Connor.”

“So nice to meet you,” said David. “Lord Connor, can I ask, is your title a courtesy one as well?”

“Yes, and no,” he told him.

“What does that mean?” asked David.

“Connor was a hangman,” Martine whispered behind her hand.

“Really?” David’s brows rose in surprise. “And I thought a noble marrying an innkeeper was far below them.”

“I was a noble first,” explained Connor. “Then, I was an executioner for a while, but a noble again. So, as I said, yes and no.”

“Connor, you’re just going to confuse poor David,” said his wife. “Let’s leave them be. This is their special day and you can tell him all about it later.”

“My dear daughter.”

David turned to see Martine’s mother, Lady Abigail, with a sweet smile on her face, hugging Martine. Her husband, Lord Madoc was with her, and they both were dressed in fur and velvet, looking so elegant today. With them were David’s mother, sisters, cousin and uncle. Martine had made sure his family was dressed just as nicely as hers for the wedding. His mother confessed to him earlier that she enjoyed wearing the gown of a noble, but Dirk complained that he wanted his old and comfortable clothes back.

“We are so happy to welcome you into the family, David.” Lady Abigail hugged him as well and he didn’t stop her from doing it. He’d never had so many hugs from anyone as he had this day.

“Are you sure you won’t feel too uncomfortable living at the castle, David?” asked Madoc.

“As long as I’m with the lady I love, I am comfortable anywhere,” he said, giving Martine’s hand a quick squeeze.

“Good answer,” said Madoc with a nod.

Lord Corbett arrived with Lady Devon.

“Thank you, once again, Lord Corbett for letting my family keep the inn even though we were still a little short on paying off all the rent,” said David.

“He doesn’t mind at all.” Lady Devon spoke for her husband.

“Actually, I do,” said Corbett. “I think I’m going to have to insist that your family leaves the inn after all.”

“Nay!” said Martine. “I thought we had a deal.”

“Martine, let him finish,” said David, knowing ahead of time what Corbett was going to say since Rook couldn’t keep a secret for the life of him.

“The inn is too small for your family,” said Corbett. “I’ve been wanting to build a tavern right here in the courtyard of Blake Castle and I think this would be a perfect opportunity to do so.”

“What does that mean, Uncle Corbett?” asked Martine.

“Sweetheart, your uncle is saying I don’t need to give up being an innkeeper even though I’m now a lord and living at the castle,” David told her.

“I still don’t understand,” said Martine.

“Lord Corbett is taking us all under his wing,” spoke up Uncle Joe.

“That’s right,” said Dirk. “He’s building a tavern inside the courtyard of Blake Castle and he’s hired all of us to run it.”