Page 55 of Promises Made at Midnight
Ulrick joined her and pulled her into his embrace. Her head rested on his chest with the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear. “Now that I have had time to ponder the matter, I think perchance ’twas the magic of Bamburgh itself. You see, Katherine and Riorden de Deveraux shared a special gift.”
Bridgette traced the hair on her husband’s chest. “And what was that?”
“They shared and saw each other in their dreams… visions in Riorden’s case, but Katherine had been dreaming of Riorden for most of her life, or so she told me.”
Bridgette looked up into Ulrick’s face with wide eyes. “Really?”
“Aye, I am not jesting. I suppose when you mentioned you had been dreaming of leaving, it reminded me of their situation. To be honest, I was frightened to the point of being unreasonable. I am most sorry if I broke your heart,mon amour. ’Twas never my intention.”
“If you broke my heart then, you have now healed it. I don’t ever want to fight again. Deal?” she asked with a warm smile and she giggled when Ulrick rolled her over to lay on top of her.
“I make a vow to you that if I ever get cross with you, and I am certain I will since you, too, can be most stubborn, then I will ensure we talk about the problem so it does not cause issues to grow between us.” He kissed her, thoroughly, and she ran her fingers up and down his bare back before giving his buttocks a squeeze. She watched his brow rise and another smirk appear at the corners of his mouth.
“Did you just call me stubborn?” she teased before squeezing a little harder this time.
“I am certain I can make it up to you,” he replied and his eyes began to smolder with desire. It had been too long since they had last made love.
“I believe, my dearest husband, you have just determined how we shall end any arguments we may have in our future,” she laughed.
His joy was reflected in his face as he ran his hand through her hair and down her cheek. His serious look, however, transformed into a devilish grin before he began to tickle her as tears of happiness ran down her cheeks with her pleas for him to stop. “We may never leave our bedchamber!”
“I’m okay with that,” she replied, before any further conversation they might have had left them. Ulrick’s kiss took possession of her mouth and all thought left her.
Far into the evening, Ulrick showed her in all ways possible how much he loved her and, as their bodies became one, Bridgette swore she was standing on the edge of heaven itself. Their life here at Dunster had begun.
CHAPTER39
Nigh unto a se’nnight had passed since Ulrick’s return to the place of his birth. His mother and steward Hadrian had seemingly taken good care of the land and its people in his absence. Ulrick could not complain about its upkeep, only that his mother continued to act as though he was still abroad. The condition of the fields and serfs who tilled the land were thriving and all appeared well at Dunster… at least on the surface. But an accounting of the monies that should be in his coffers did not match what was on Hadrian’s ledgers. Something was obviously amiss.
Ulrick walked along the path leading from the village with Bridgette at his side. They had taken the children on their little family excursion so he might show them the marketplace along with the seaside. He had bought them fruit and cheese for their outing, a wooden sword for Eustace, along with ribbons for his ladies. Thanks to the castle’s proximity to the ocean and river, Dunster was a thriving port providing merchandise to be bought, sold, and transported into the interior of England. ’Twas no small wonder the king wished for Ulrick to protect the keep in his name.
’Twas good to be home but, as he saw the keep rising up from the hill in the distance, happenings at his estate continued to trouble him. He wanted his wife’s thoughts on the matter, but he did not wish to be overheard by servants who may be loyal to his mother or his steward. Hence, today’s trip to the village.
The children walked up ahead but still close enough they could keep an eye on them, especially since Eva walked on short wobbly legs. He was proud of the young lad, for Eustace was as protective of the young girl as Ulrick and Bridgette had become. With enough distance between them and the children, he felt comfortable enough to bring up some possible unpleasantries to his wife.
“May I speak my mind, Bridgette?” he asked, whilst he slowed down their pace to keep the conversation between themselves.
“Always. What’s the matter?” She lifted her head and he could see for himself the worry suddenly reflected in her green eyes.
“Nothing between us,mon amour.” He bent forward to place a kiss on the top of her head and he heard her sigh of apparent relief.
“Then tell me your thoughts and let’s work out the problem together,” she replied, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. The tingling sensations that raced up his limb at her touch were a reminder of that wonderful connectionTimehad blessed them with. He prayed it never went away.
“I have not spoken these thoughts aloud but now I fear that I must. We must remain vigilant for happenings that may cause us harm,” he began, before taking his free hand and raking his fingers through his hair.
Bridgette yanked on his arm to stop their progress. “Now you’re scaring me.” Her eyes were wide with alarm. He pulled her closer before they continued their stroll. “Tell me everything.”
“As I mention to you, my father’s passing was years ago, robbed and killed on the road for the small amount of coinage in his purse. I was but a lad of sixteen summers, the same age as Seraphina is now, and made to return where I had been fostering in Lancashire for his funeral.”
“Yes, you told me that, and I’m so sorry for your loss. You squired with Fletcher’s father. Fletcher was one of Dristan’s personal guardsmen, right?” she asked, as they continued to walk the path before them.
“Aye, that is the right of it. But that is not all. After the incident, my mother quickly married again, giving birth to my new brother and sister, whilst my brother Lief began to run Dunster and its lands.”
“That doesn’t seem strange, Ulrick. She would have still been young and would look to marry again to ensure an alliance with someone who would bring money into the estate for more income.”
“Aye. Such arrangements are common and my brother was too busy learning the workings of Dunster to worry about finding a wife. I had runners occasionally arriving from Dunster whilst Lief kept me informed that all was well for many a year. Time passed, as it often does, and one such missive somehow found me in France whilst I was attending a tourney. My mother’s second husband had been killed aboard a ship. Apparently, a scuffle broke out amongst the men and he happened to be caught in the middle of the fight. He was buried at sea.”
Bridgette nodded. “Again… I suppose something like this could be common and a risk you take in these times.”
