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“What are ye all doing?” said a familiar female voice.

They all froze, turning to see Jordan coming toward them down the corridor. She looked lovely in the pale blue surcoat, her hair attractively arranged and her beautiful face filled with puzzled amusement.

It seemed that no one knew how to answer her. Paris, regaining his wits, went quickly to her. ’Twas not the best place for her to be if the door opened and the earl saw her standing there.

“Waiting,” he said lightly, hoping to throw her off the track. “Nothing of any importance. Shouldn’t you be in the hall?”

“I was, but everyone is leaving. Seems the engagement party spoiled their appetite for any more drinking because everyone was so horribly ill afterwards,” she glanced around. “Where is William?”

“With the earl,” Paris told her, desperate to remove her from the area. “He will most likely be awhile.”

“All day,” Deinwald put in helpfully.

Paris glanced nervously at the knight before returning to Jordan and taking her arm. “I saw something the other day that might pique your interest,” he was grasping at straws. “Mayhap you will accompany me while we are waiting for William to be done.”

“What, Paris?” her eyes lit up like fat in the fire.

“Oh…well, I, uh….” Now he’d done it. Think, you fool, think. “I saw that a dog had had a litter of pups in the stable. Mayhap you would like one?”

Much to his and the other knight’s relief, she clapped her hands in delight. “Oh, I would love one. I had a rabbit at home but I had to leave it, poor thing. I would love a dog.”

Thank you, God. Paris prayed silently. “Excellent,” he said. “After you, my lady.”

He gestured for them to walk in the opposite direction but he wasn’t quick enough. The door from the solar flew open and William came forth, followed by the earl.

No one in the corridor dared breathe. They were frozen like marble statues, the only thing able to move was their eyes as they focused on William’s face. But his face was unreadable, as it usually was, offering them no clue as to what has transpired. It was impossible to describe the emotions that filled the air, flowing through all of them, feeding off of one another. They knew they should turn tail and run for their lives, but no one could seem to move a muscle.

Even Jordan felt the tension and was puzzled. In faith, she was also a little frightened to see that the earl and William had been in discussion; alone. She had no doubt that she had been the topic. Her apprehension grew when Paris’ hand tightened on her arm.

William was only vaguely aware of his knights because his eyes had been riveted to Jordan since he had opened the door. He had felt quite in control when he had quit the room, but now in her presence, he felt that glorious weak feeling spreading through him like wildfire.

She was his! William wasn’t sure if he could tell her without breaking down. He wasn’t even sure if he could form the correct words. He took a deep breath to compose himself, but instead it went the other way and he lost his control. He was suddenly storming toward her with a drive he had never before known.

“I have always wanted to do this in front of everyone,” he muttered en route.

Grabbing Jordan with tender violence, his lips descended on hers. She was stunned senseless, wondering if he had indeed lost his mind or if he was possessed in some way. She was so shocked she could not even find the presence of mind to hold onto him as he crushed her to him like he never had. He was so firm and possessive that it took her breath away.

She thought she was going to faint with his force when he suddenly pulled away, looking at her with the smoky, seductive gaze she had grown to love so well.

“English!” she managed to gasp. “Have ye gone mad?”

“Fortunately, no,” he continued to hold onto her even as he turned to his knights. To say they were astonished was a gross understatement. He grinned at them, a very rare occurrence.

“Buck up, lads, and polish your armor,” he told them. “You are about to be attendants at a wedding.”

Paris stood in stunned silence, unable to comprehend William’s words. Was he asleep, dreaming he was awake? Or did he somehow pass into another dimension where William and Jordan could be together, legally? He stared back at his captain with a degree of shock William had never seen.

William let go of Jordan with one arm long enough to slap Paris forcefully on the shoulder.

“Quit staring at me,” he said. “I am quite sane. In fact, I have never been better.”

The earl took pity on the knights since William wasn’t. He motioned to the men to come closer to him, provided they remembered how to walk.

“Gather around, my faithful lads,” he said. “I have a story to tell you.”

*

Jemma was having fits. When Jordan told her of what had transpired, she had to hold her hand over her mouth for a full minute to keep from screaming aloud. She simply could not believe what her deliriously happy cousin was telling her.