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As soon as the door closed, Snow said, “Thaw is impatient to go out, Nettle. Take him to see to his duty while I wait here for you.”
“Would you not rather enjoy the morning meal in the Great Hall while I see to Thaw?”
“No, I’m not hungry yet, but Thaw is in need, so please hurry and see to him.”
Thaw barked as if he agreed.
“I won’t be long,” Nettle said.
“Take your time. I’m in no hurry. I’m going to sit by the fire and enjoy the peace and quiet, though I would appreciate it if you could hand me my comb and a strip of cloth.”
“Aye, m’lady, as you wish,” Nettle said and fetched the comb and cloth to give her before turning to Thaw. “Time for a walk, Thaw.”
Snow got busy on her hair as soon as Nettle left, giving it a good combing, then braiding it and tying the end with the strip of cloth. She returned to the edge of the bed where her husband had helped her into her shift and felt around, happy to find her tunic. It was easy to get on as were her shoes she had left by the side of the bed.
The maneuvers she had planned were going well. She didn’t want Nettle to know what she intended for fear she would get the young woman in trouble. This was her own doing and she would be the only one blamed.
Snow made her way carefully down the stairs, keeping her shoulder to the wall and inching her foot out to feel for the edge of each step. Surprisingly, she made it down the stairs more easily than she had thought she would. When she entered the Great Hall, she stopped and waited to spot a gray blur nearby.
She stepped forward as soon as she spotted one and bumped with some force into the edge of a table and winced.
“Are you all right, m’lady,” a female voice asked.
“Aye, but I do need help to get to Lord Tarass’s solar,” Snow said, making it seem imperative.
“I’ll take you,” the woman said and Snow held out her arm.
“Your name?” Snow asked as she followed along with the woman.
“Maude, m’lady.”
“You are most gracious to help, Maude. Thank you,” Snow said.
Maude left Snow at the closed door as directed and she waited until she heard the servant leave, then swung open the door and entered.
“Snow!” James said in surprise and hurried to her.
“I suspect my husband told you I wouldn’t be joining in this discussion, but I thought it was best I did,” she said and smiled after James took her hand.
“Obedience is a difficult lesson for my wife to learn,” Tarass said, annoyed that yet again she disobeyed him, though why did he ever think she would? If nothing else, she was consistent in her disobedience.
“And punishments can be quite enlightening,” Snow said, her smile spreading and her eyes sparking with a hint of passion as she recalled her husband’s hand on her backside when she’d been tossed over his legs.
She was suddenly yanked away from James and felt herself tucked against her husband’s side.
“Punishments?” James asked, concerned. “You don’t harm my sister, do you, Tarass?”
“Tarass would never harm me, James,” Snow said and patted her husband’s chest. “He loves me and I love him.”
She almost laughed when she felt a growling rumble in his chest.
“He loves you and you love him?” James asked, shaking his head. “I thought you hated each other? How did you two ever fall in love in one night?”
“He’s loved me for ages,” Snow said with a ring of joy in her voice.
“That’s right, Father mentioned visiting here with Tarass’s father,” James said. “So you met when you were younger.”
“And she was just as stubborn then as she is now and still not good at holding her tongue when she should,” Tarass said and gave the side of her waist a squeeze.
“I am happy and relieved to hear this. I’ve so wanted Snow to find love as her two sisters have done and as I have done with Eleanor. But I worry over this claim Lord Polwarth has made.”
“What claim?” Snow asked, her stomach roiling with worry, recalling what Rannock had said about her not being Tarass’s lawful wife, and she hurried her hand along her husband’s arm to reach for his hand.
He took hold of her hand before her hand reached his elbow, and he closed his fingers around hers locking them together, making it clear they wouldn’t be separated.
“Explain it, James,” Tarass said.
James cleared his throat, a habit Snow had noticed he’d do when he had unfavorable news to deliver.
“Lord Polwarth claims that your marriage is invalid because when the cleric wed you, he didn’t know that even though Tarass’s father was Christian, Tarass wasn’t raised one. He was predominately raised with his mum’s barbarian beliefs. Polwarth believes that completely invalidates the marriage, since the vows were meaningless to you.”
