Page 94 of Fortress of Snow

“Saying what? All may turn out well? Or I will make sure you’re taken care of?”

Mazy let out a burst of laughter amid her tears. “That you’ll make sure I’m taken care of. How can I bear it if you die?”

“Oh, heavens above!” Ro cried out behind her. “Is Sir Berenger in danger?”

Sir Berenger let Mazy pull away. She quickly rubbed the moisture from her eyes and faced Ro.

“Possibly,” Sir Berenger said. “But probably not.”

“Lady Bristow is spreading falsehoods about him,” Mazysaid, keeping her voice low, taking deep breaths as she tried to control herself. “But we shall hope for the best.”

She gazed up at him as he surreptitiously put his hand on her back.

“Will you tell her, or shall I?” He was smiling.

Mazy felt her cheeks start to burn. “Sir Berenger and I...”

“You’re getting married!” Ro squealed and clapped her hands together.

“We can’t tell anyone yet,” Mazy said in a loud whisper.

“It might be best,” Sir Berenger drawled, “if the king doesn’t know I asked someone else to marry me.”

At Ro’s look of consternation, he added, “But I would tell the whole world this moment if I could, because I am never”—he pulled Mazy close to his side—“never going to let this beautiful woman out of my sight again.”

Mazy wasn’t sure if she should scoff at his dramatic—and impossible—declaration, or just smile indulgently. But since the former might hurt his feelings, she chose the latter.

“I am so very happy for both of you,” Ro said, her smile as wide as Mazy had ever seen it.

She squeezed Mazy’s arm. “I’ll leave the two of you alone. In fact, you can spend the night in our extra bedroom tonight if you wish.” She gave Sir Berenger a sidelong grin.

When Ro had left, Mazy let herself sink into his embrace again. With her cheek resting comfortably against his shoulder, she said, “Although I won’t do what Ro may be suggesting, I do think you should stay here tonight. If you go back to the knights’ barracks, the king may have you arrested. Or Lady Bristow maydo something terrible, may have hired someone to murder you. I cannot bear to let you go back.”

“Perhaps you have a good argument. But I need to go back. My things are there and—”

“But you don’t want me to worry.”

“Oh, I see how it will be.” He gave her a half smile, half frown. “Now that you know how much I love you, you plan to use that control over me.”

“No! No such thing.” She shook her head, smiling as she saw the way he was looking at her. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you. And I don’t want to worry about you. There. Is that honest enough for you? Not controlling, is it? To say that I’m worried and I want you to stay here?”

“Then I shall stay.”

He bent and kissed her lips, making her stomach turn inside out. How wonderful to be kissed by this man. Each kiss was better and more breathtaking than the last.

Kissing Sir Berenger was like soaring to the heavens and drifting dreamily back to earth. And she couldn’t bear the thought that his life might be destroyed by the evil Lady Bristow. Surely God would not allow such a terrible thing.

***

As promised, Sir Berenger stayed the night in the extra room at the Swan. The next morning Mazy left little Juliana in Ro’s care.

“She shall be my helper today as we make sweetmeats and pastries.” Ro smiled at Juliana.

“I can knead the dough for Aunt Ro.” Juliana giggled as she pounded a small amount of dough the size of a man’s hand with her fist.

Already Juliana seemed much happier, almost as if she had forgotten Lady Bristow and Bristow Castle. Mazy’s heart felt warm at seeing the child secure and happy.

As Sir Berenger and Mazy walked to the marketplace, she turned and motioned to Giles, who followed several horse-lengths behind them.