Page 266 of Historical Hotties
“What is wrong?” he asked softly. “Why do you not seem excited about this?”
Caledonia took a deep breath, forcing a smile. “It is not that I am not excited,” she said. “But those dresses…”
“What about them?”
Caledonia was reluctant to say, so she tried to be tactful. “I have never had elaborate dresses like that in my life,” she said. “I am not comfortable dressing like a queen. I am sorry to saythat because I know you liked to see me well dressed, but I would much prefer something simpler.”
Thor well remembered what she was wearing when he met her. He knew that all of her clothing was like that, so much so that she’d been borrowing gowns from his sister so she could be more properly dressed. But he’d come to see over the past week that, in spite of her incredible beauty, Caledonia had rather simple tastes. She didn’t like to spend money, didn’t want to wear fine silks or jewelry or even pretty lady’s slippers. She dressed very nearly like a peasant and was happy that way.
He could see that this was going to be a delicate dance with her.
“I would be very happy to find you simple clothing,” he said. “But will you at least honor your husband’s wishes by choosing simple clothing with finer fabrics? Truly, Caledonia, you are far too beautiful to wear broadcloth. You were made for gorgeous clothing and it does my heart good to see you dressed well. Will you at least consider it?”
Caledonia nodded, but reluctantly. “If it will make you happy, I will,” she said. “And I will even select an elaborate gown for those times when the situation calls for it.”
“Good,” he said, kissing her. “Thank you. Would you like me to help you pick them out?”
“Do you want to?”
He shrugged. “To be honest, I know nothing about fine clothing other than whether or not I like the color.”
Caledonia could see, in that moment, that he wasn’t any more comfortable picking out dresses than she was. Probably less so. It must have been emasculating for him to be in the merchant stall, but he was doing it for her, so she took pity on him.
“Go,” she said. “Your sister will help me. Why not go and find your cousin? Make sure he does not cheat by telling me the roasting meat we all smelled was beef and not venison.”
Thor lifted his eyebrows in agreement. “Knowing him, he would try to sew cow hide on the venison just to prove a point.”
“Then you must save my honor.”
He smiled at her, leaning down to kiss her sweetly. “Always,” he whispered.
With a wink, he was gone, heading out of the merchant stall as Caledonia stood there and grinned.
Does he fill your every waking thought?
Do you long for the sound of his voice?
Would you do anything for him, anything in the world?
Those were the questions Nicola had asked of her as the definition of love. They were like listing the symptoms of a disease—did she have all of them? She was fairly certain she did.
And it didn’t distress her in the least.
Still smiling, she turned back to the garments.
*
Darius had beenstanding outside of the merchant stall when Thor emerged, for the man had flatly refused to enter or have anything to do with what he considered women’s duties. Thor left him at the mouth of the stall as a guard for his wife and sister as he headed back the way they’d come. His destination was the street of the bakers because he was quite hungry and, knowing him, Clayne would eat everything and forget to bring him something. Stomach rumbling, he headed down the avenue.
Nearing the end of the street, he happened to glance at the shop on the corner, which was small and cluttered, but in the open window he could see several exotic-looking daggers that were chained together and locked so no one could make off withthem. Curious, he went to look at them, seeing that they were all shapes and sizes and clearly not forged in England. As he peered at a particularly large dagger with a metal blade that seemed to be discolored, the merchant came up on the other side of the window.
“Good day, my lord,” he said. “You are inspecting my Levant daggers.”
Thor glanced at him. “Is that where these are from?”
The merchant nodded as he unlocked the chain and pulled the larger dagger free. He handed it carefully to Thor.
“Damascus steel,” he said. “The most prized steel in the known world.”
