Page 243
“Stupid beast,” he muttered.
Snuggled in William’s arms with a faint smile on her lips, Jordan drifted off to sleep again. George jumped back on the bed and draped himself across William’s feet, prompting a murmured curse but naught much else. He was nearly asleep, too.
*
The following morning Jordan awoke in William’s arms, not even remembering the pleasure of being enveloped in them. She twisted a little, relishing the warm security of his body.
“Are you awake?” he asked into her hair.
She nodded, pulling away to smile sleepily at him. “Aye. Did George bother ye overmuch last night?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “I am going to roast that cat over a pit someday.”
She grinned and pressed against him. “He loves ye, English. What took ye so long last night?”
“There was much to go over with Brockenhurst and Will,” he replied vaguely.
He didn’t mention he had informed Captain Brockenhurst on the fate of his liege. Brockenhurst, being a sensible and level-headed man, was appalled at the story but truthfully not surprised. Earl de Troiu was a sort of parallel to Alexander in a sense, though not as bad. The captain was genuinely sorry with the turn of events, but he was not the least remorseful that de Troiu was dead.
In fact, Brockenhurst told William that the army that had attacked them in the forest was a sort of loyalist guard to de Troiu, troops that only the earl commanded. He forbade his captain access to the hundred-man company of mostly German mercenaries.
Payton-Forrester had left that very night, taking his three hundred men with him back to Beverley. William had thanked him profusely for his loyalty but his friend had waved him off, swearing that he would demand the favor be returned someday. William had promised him he would come when called.
He realized with happiness how very blessed he was; with fine knights who served him, friends that were tremendously loyal, and a wife he loved madly. The titles and the favor of the king seemed secondary to the things that truly mattered to him, things that at one time he had never truly appreciated. Surely he was the most fortunate man in England.
“But ye’re here now,” Jordan broke into his train of thought and he caught the unmistakable seductive tone.
He cuddled her. “Indeed.”
She snuggled against him, smiling as he kissed her hair, her neck, and inevitably they made love; twice, as the sun rose in the remarkably cloudless sky. Then they rose, bathed, and dressed leisurely.
Jordan wore a heavy brocade surcoat in a rich brown color and pulled her luscious hair back, securing it at the nape of her neck. William liked her with her hair loosely restrained; he liked to see her face revealed. She noticed that he had not donned his armor, as he did ritually every day. He was wearing black breeches, thigh-high black boots and a fine linen tunic. He looked absolutely dashing.
Jordan had plans for the day. First, she would take the twins and visit Jemma. Then, she and her cousin would take the children for a walk in the sunshine so she could get a better look at what the Scots did to the fortress. Then, they would call on Adam. Then,…
William put up his hands listening to her schedule. “Are you sure you will be able to accomplish all of this in a single day? Why are you running yourself ragged?”
“I am not,” she insisted, going to the nursery with William in pursuit. “I simply have a great many things that I wish to do today. Will ye join us?”
“For a while,” he said, picking up Scott. “But I, too, have many things to do today.”
She gathered Troy against her, smiling at him dotingly. “Like what, pray tell?”
“Things that would not interest you,” he said, meaning it was none of her business. She gave him a reproachful glare and he returned with a pleasant smile. “Come, wife. Let us go disturb your cousin.”
William and Jemma fought over who was going to hold Scott until Jordan handed her Troy simply to shut her up. Kieran declared himself lucky to have Lady Jordan all to himself with his wife and William occupied.
Sylvie and Aloria greeted Jordan happily and went mad for the boys. Sylvie declared she had never seen such beautiful children and William proudly agreed. He had never been this proud over anything in his life, with the exception of his wife. But somehow, his pride with his children was different. They were a physical part of him; his flesh and blood, and being proud of them nearly didn’t describe exactly how he felt. There were not words strong enough to describe how he felt.
Jordan was afraid to ask Sylvie about her husband for fear the man had perished, but silently promised herself that she would ask Jemma when they were in private. Tall, blond and plainly pretty, Aloria seemed to look much happier now than when she had first arrived at Northwood. Jordan could not help thinking that she wasn’t the only one not cut out for life at the palace; Aloria was thriving away from that environment and the fact that Deinwald had returned put an extra sparkle in her eye.
Outside, the repairs were in full swing. The king’s troop provided a wonderful workforce as the outer wall went up stone by stone. Jordan thought that it was beginning to look a bit like the Northwood of old with all of the activity and peasants dashing about their business, and it did her heart good. Mayhap things would indeed return to normal eventually. But she was curious to know what became of her friends; the cobbler, the blacksmith, and the other craftsmen she had come to know.
Her hand nestled in the crook of Kieran’s big arm, Jordan strolled into the outer bailey. Behind her, William and Jemma were arguing over which one was the bigger baby. She put an end to the argument, telling them it was Troy, easily. But Jemma insisted that Scott had a bigger head.
Michael, Jason and Deinwald, their torsos stripped naked and sweating in spite of the cool temperature, waved to the party from their perch atop the western parapet. They had stones and mortar between them, repairing a broken corner. Jordan waved back, admiring Michael’s magnificent form. He could compete with William on that level, she thought.
“My, my, how I do enjoy half-naked men,” she remarked loud enough for William to hear her.
