With the sensation of being kissed still burning hot, Aldric lightly stroked his fingertips across his lips, remembering the feeling of Quinn's soft, warm flesh against his and the delicate fragrance of her exotic scent caressing his nostrils.
Wife. Quinn Fairchild, the girl he had met in the woods, was now his wife, and once again, he felt a sense of delight washing over him.
"I hope all is to your satisfaction, my lord?"
Aldric shifted his gaze to Lord Bedford, quite irritated that the man was interrupting his pleasant thoughts of his new bride.
Satisfaction? If he meant the wedding ceremony and the dowry, which was a small chest filled with two thousand pieces of gold coins, then he was indeed very satisfied. If he meant having Quinn as his bride, then he wasn't just satisfied. He was overjoyed.
As for the dowry, truth be told he hadn't expected any, considering how very reluctant the man had been where the wedding was concerned, more so since the bride was his bastard daughter.
Oh, Aldric knew very well there was no love nor care toward Quinn where Lord Bedford was concerned. If anything, the man merely viewed her as a thing that could be of use to him, which enraged Aldric.
This man, he thought, had no care for anyone except for himself and possibly his children bred from his legal wife.
Speaking of children, he flicked his gaze to Lady Calla and Lady Iris, not missing them eyeing him with undeniable interest. The same interest those women in the capital had shown him when they knew not his name and infamous title.
They were beautiful, these two girls, but as Vincent had mentioned, their beauty was only skin deep. He could tell these spoiled brats were shallow human beings, and he wouldn't be surprised if they had enjoyed themselves tormenting Quinn and others below them.
"Why must you return to Norsewood so soon, my lord?" Calla asked, fluttering her long blond lashes at him. "Surely, residing here in Bedford until winter is over would be a more suitable idea?"
Iris nodded furiously. "We heard winter is horrible in Norsewood. Wouldn't it be better you enjoy your time here in Bedford where winter is much milder?"
"And spring is especially charming here," Calla added. "Summer is even more beautiful when it's not so hot. Also, it is close to the capital, so if you need to return there when court calls, you can do so within a mere month of traveling by carriage."
Iris nodded. "Indeed, my lord. Traveling from Norsewood to the capital will require double that time. Not to mention one would have to cross the Northern Alps, which is very dangerous."
"Calla, Iris," Lady Bedford's firm voice came their way. "Please do not be a nuisance to his lordship." To Aldric, she said, "I apologize, my lord. We rarely have guests. They are simply excited."
Vincent raised a brow. "Really now? The other knights and the priest are guests. So, Lady Calla and Lady Iris have already invited them to stay during the winters? If so, it'd be very lively."
Calla said, "No, the knights and priest are different, sir. But you, sir, and Lord Norsewood, the fact that we are related now after the marriage..."
"Ah, I see," Vincent said. "You are related to Lord Norsewood now that your little sister has married him."
"Uh, yes," Calla said. "Indeed, that is precisely correct, sir."
"Aldric."
The familiar voice softly calling his name made his blood sing, and Aldric turned to see Quinn at the door. He stood as she came toward him. He didn't miss the lovely smile on her face.
She had been exquisitely beautiful at the wedding ceremony adorned in that white gown, the likes he had never seen before, even in the capital where fashion in Athol ruled. Now that she was in a pair of fitted trousers, blouse, and vest—attire in a style he had never seen on any men or women before, she was still beautiful, though in a different sort of way. In this, she looked more relaxed and at ease and ready for travel.
Suddenly, she stood on tiptoe, and with a hand that gently cupped his face, which surprise him, she leaned forward, and—to his astonishment—kissed him softly on the lips.
It was a pleasant kiss, and Aldric wanted another. But alas, she moved back and said, "Shall we get going?"
His mind still on the kiss, he nodded. "Mm-hmm."
He turned on his heel, and he, Vincent, and Theo headed toward the door where Elizabeth and Maria stood waiting. He was just exiting the room when he heard Lady Bedford shrieking, "Dear!" This was followed by Iris crying out, "Papa!" and Calla said, "What's wrong with him? Why did he just faint?"
He turned to see Quinn saying, "Oh dear, he must be heartbroken that his beloved daughter is leaving." He didn't miss the sarcastic tone in her voice.
When she turned and strolled toward him, he saw her snickering, and he had the urge to smile in amusement. Once she was beside him, he lifted his hand and stroked her hair. He said, "You are a very interesting one, bride."
"Am I?" she asked, grinning brightly, showing those pearly white teeth of hers. He wondered how in heavens she had them so clean and white. Magic? Or something else. Regardless, the appearance made her smile even more beautiful.
They went down to the courtyard where their stallions and a carriage were waiting for them. Aldric noticed that the carriage, a lavish vehicle, was large though it looked small and lightweight at the same time. As for the horses which Liam was currently tending to, he had never seen ones so fit and healthy and remarkably beautiful.
"The beginning of our journey," Quinn said, drawing his attention to her as he watched her skipping toward the carriage in excitement. "Can't wait to see what's out there." She climbed in after Elizabeth and Maria.
Aldric came to close the door for her where she leaned forward across the opened glass window of the carriage and rubbed her nose against his, which surprised the heavens out of him. "Let's go, dear husband," she said as she moved back.
She truly was a character, he thought, and headed toward his stallion, a rare, amused smile on his lips. After climbing on, they headed out, with Theo taking the lead and Vincent at the rear while he rode beside the carriage.
It didn't take long for them to leave Bedford behind, and soon, they traveled through low-lying farmland where fields of green stretched far and wide across the horizon. Finally, after about five hours, they made their first stop near the river close to the woods.
Aldric had wanted to journey until they reached a village so Quinn and her family could spend the night in a tavern where it was warm and safe. However, it was getting dark, and he didn't want to risk running into monsters, especially now that he had Quinn and her family under his care and protection. He guessed his bride would have to sleep outside in the open air with him. He'd make sure she was warm in his arms though.
Theo started a fire, and while Liam and Vincent tended to the horses and Quinn, Elizabeth, and Maria came to sit around the warmth, Aldric left for his routine scouting, checking for any signs of danger that might be lurking about during the night. Satisfied that the area was safe, he returned to their campsite to see Quinn pulling out a series of boxes, shallow and wide, unlike the ones made of flax he had seen before.
She handed one each to Vincent and Theo and then her family members. As he came close, the aroma of something delicious greeted him, and he rather looked forward to dinner, which was unusual. After all, for him, food was simply sustenance to fill his stomach and provide strength. Recently, however, since he had met Quinn, his view on food had changed.
He sat next to his bride, cherishing the feel of her slenderness touching his side. She gave him a smile as she handed him a box. "Your dinner," she said. "It's roast pork. I've been craving roast pork for a while now."
Roast pork, eh? Though quite nice when a cook got it right, when one got it wrong, the meat tended to be tough, dry, and tasteless. He wondered how this one fared. He'd imagine it'd be quite dry, although the smell told him otherwise.
He opened the box and widened his eyes in pleasant surprise. He had expected the inside to contain a slab of thick meat but was greeted with an array of heavenly-looking deliciousness instead.
Slices of juicy pork meat with skin that was perfectly golden brown and crispy and drizzled with brown gravy. Next to the meat were golden brown potatoes, slices of pumpkin, parsnip, carrot, and something that looked like potato but had a different color to it, especially the skin which was purple. The roasted vegetables were coated in herbs and spices, and Aldric thought they looked divine.
Before starting his meal, he lifted his gaze to see Theo and Vincent already digging into theirs. From the looks of both men, they seemed to enjoy the food tremendously. He shifted his eyes to Quinn beside him, who was busy delicately popping a piece of pork into her mouth. She must have felt him watching because she turned to him and then smiled. Once she managed to, she said, "Are you not hungry?"
"I am," he said and then started his.
He picked up the silver knife and fork provided and then dug right in. He tried the pork first, and the moment the morsel was in his mouth, it fell apart and the juiciness flood his taste buds. It was soft and so delicious. He picked up the potato next. This, too, was simply divine—soft, creamy, and just melted in the mouth. After tasting the pumpkin, parsnip, and carrot, which were all very tasty, he tried the potato with purple skin. The moment he did, sweetness and softness seduced him, and he couldn't help but say, "Mmmm."
That caught Quinn's attention, and she chuckled. "I see you like sweet potato."
"Sweet potato?" he said.
She nodded. "It's one of my favorites, too. Actually, I have a lot of favorites, but don't you agree it's absolutely divine?"
He nodded. "It is indeed."
He wondered where in the world she had managed to acquire such a vegetable from. He was sure he had never heard of a sweet potato before, nor had he ever seen it, not even in the capital. From another country, perhaps?
The meal was splendid, and Aldric was just leaning back against the tree trunk, marveling at just how fortunate he was to be receiving a warm, hearty meal while traveling rough when Quinn retrieved two jugs and seven mugs.
She asked, "Would you like tea or hot cocoa, Aldric?"
Hot cocoa? What could that possibly be? Since she gave him the option with tea, he presumed it'd be a sort of drink.
"Can I have the hot cocoa, Quinn?" Maria said.
"Me, too," Liam said.
"Tea for me," Elizabeth said.
Vincent asked, "What's this hot cocoa like?"
"It's sweet and delicious," Maria said. "It uses chocolate, like the chocolate cake, but only in a hot drink."
"Oh..." Vincent said. "Then I don't mind giving it a try."
Quinn said, "Hot cocoa is more popular with women and children. It's probably because it's sweet." She lifted one jug and started pouring into three mugs. Aldric noticed the milky light-brown color. Then she handed them to Maria, Liam, and Vincent.
Maria grinned and started swaying sideway as she drank. While Liam took a big gulp of his, Vincent sampled a taste. He chuckled. "It's sweet and rather nice."
While Quinn poured tea into a mug for Elizabeth, Theo said, "I'll have tea, my lady."
"Sure thing, Mr. Wakefield," Quinn said.
"Theo," Theo said. "Just call me Theo, my lady."
Quinn lifted her head and smiled. "Then Theo it is."
Since he had just had a big meal, Aldric thought a sweet drink would be too much for him. Hence, he said, "Tea, Quinn."
She chuckled. "Of course, Aldric."
When she handed him a mug, he brought it to his lips and drank, thinking it'd be the usual bland taste. Not so. There was a whiff of an aroma he had never smelled before, and it tasted slightly sweet.
"It's herbal tea," Quinn said. "I hope you like it."
He did, very much so, and he said, "It's refreshing."
She chuckled. "It is, isn't it?"