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“But breeding is what I do best,” she commented leadingly.
“Aye, you do it very well,” he replied before he caught on to her tone. “Scott and Troy are the finest sons a man could have, and.…” He suddenly looked at her with a curious glimmer in his eye. “Why do you ask?”
She grinned. “Because it seems that I am breeding. Again.”
His mouth hung agape for a moment before he clamped it shut. Then his eye took on a marvelous twinkle. “Again?” he repeated with awe, his hand instinctively moving to her faintly rounded belly. “God, love, are you sure? I mean, it is so soon.”
“Aye, I am very sure, and it is never too soon,” she answered him. “I plan to give ye a dozen sons before we are finished.”
He looked at her, shocked, for another moment before pulling her fiercely to him. She returned the hug as hard as she could.
“Are ye pleased?” she asked softly.
He continued to hold her, kissing the side of her head. “More than you could possibly know,” he said with deep feeling. “I love you, Jordan, with all of my heart.”
“I love ye, too,” she answered, pulling back. “Dunna look so shocked. Everything will be well and I feel fine.”
“You look wonderful enough,” he insisted happily. “I have heard that pregnant women have a color about them, and you do. All this time I thought it was me who caused the color in your cheeks.”
“Well, ye did in a literal sense,” she smirked, but then sobered just a bit. “Dunna tell Kieran yet, at least not until I tell Jemma. I am afraid it will remind her of Bridget…”
She broke off and he nodded in understanding. “Of course. But you had better tell her soon, for I am about to burst with pride.”
“I will, I promise,” she said.
They continued to kiss and cuddle under the nearly full moon until William caught sight of two people approaching them across the rampart. By the time Jordan turned to look, Kieran and Jemma were upon them. Both of them were beaming from ear to ear as they came to a reckless halt a couple of feet away.
“Congratulate me.” Kieran roared happily, squeezing his wife. “I am to be a father again!”
*
The next day, Jordan and Jemma were sitting in Jordan’s small antechamber trying to spoon-feed the twins their first taste of porridge. The boys seemed to love the taste, thanks to the honey their mother had put in it, but actually getting the gruel into their eager little mouths proved to be somewhat of a challenge for all involved. It was no time before both women and both babies were spattered with the gruel.
Mary Alys, good little helper that she was, spent her time wiping porridge from the floor, the women, and the chairs. Jordan and Jemma would squeal with disgusted laughter every time they got sprayed with the stuff, which was nearly every bite, but they persisted on until every bit was gone from the bowls.
“Good God, is it always like this?” Jemma demanded, wiping gruel from her forehead with the back of her hand.
“I hope not,” Jordan replied, wiping her hands with a rag. “For I shall be breast-feeding them until they are five years old if that is the case.”
Jemma sent Mary Alys scurrying for a pitcher of water. As soon as the little girl had vacated the room, she turned to her cousin.
“We leave tonight,” she whispered in a low voice.
Jordan’s eyes widened. “Tonight?” she repeated, suddenly afraid and uncertain, but at the same time excited. “Why tonight?”
“Because the moon will be full and we will be able to see our way better,” Jemma replied confidently. “If we ride hard, we should reach Langton by tomorrow.”
Langton. Home. Jordan’s emotions began to swirl, but she nodded firmly. “Very well, then. We’ll leave tonight.”
The plan was to pretend they were going for a short ride before supper, sans husbands. The gates closed at sundown and William and Kieran would await them at supper, not knowing that their wives had not returned from their outing before the gates were closed. Jemma estimated that she and Jordan would get a good three to four hour lead on them, which is all they needed. Once they were to Langton, even if the men demanded they turn immediately for home as soon as they caught up, they would have still seen Thomas.
Jordan was as nervous as a fox the rest of the day, dropping things and chattering on and on. Fortunately, William had not been around for most of the day and did not pick up on his wife’s jitters. He was busy with Adam, directing the placement of some outbuildings in the outer bailey.
When the time drew close, Jordan went into her bedchamber and donned the clothes she and Jemma had horded for this occasion: pale woolen hose, a pale linen sheath, a heavier black overtunic, and her leather boots. Over that she wore a high-neck riding dress that covered everything underneath. The purpose of the peasant garments was so that they would appear as youths traveling, not young ladies unescorted. Jemma insisted they should look as much like boys as possible.
Jordan pulled her magnificent hair back into a single braid so that it fell softly over one shoulder. The braid was not only necessary for riding, but for ease when tucking it beneath the black caps Jemma had managed to confiscate. In her hand she clutched a small bag filled with apples and bread for their trip.
It was nearing the time. Biting back tears, she went into the nursery to kiss the twins one last time, trying to appear as casual as she could to Sylvie and to the wet nurse. She told them she was going for a short ride and would return before supper. Then Scott grinned up at her and Troy blew a bubble and her heart nearly broke. In a flurry of emotion, she asked the women to take good care of her bairns and fled the room.
