bouncing up and down, wanting, Meggie knew, to walk along beside her. She'd seen him just the day before practicing how to walk. Meggie saw her father try to frown his son down, but then she realized he just couldn't. It would be like scolding a racing kitten. When Tysen smiled at his son, Rory managed to pull away from his mother and dash to his father and Meggie. Laughter erupted from the congregation. Tysen swooped down and grabbed up his son, even as Rory tried to climb over him to get to Meggie.
Meggie took the little boy's face between her gloved hands and kissed him, then said, 'Rory, will you and our papa both give me away?'
And Rory beamed and said loud enough for everyone in the church to hear, 'Oh yes, Meggie, let me, let me. Meggie, is that really you under that white sack?'
Meggie lifted a corner of her beautiful veil and winked at Rory.
There was laughter until finally Bishop Arlington raised his hands.
Rory stood proudly by Tysen until the bishop asked who was giving Meggie away, to which both males replied, 'I do.'
More laughter. Meggie looked up to see that her groom was smiling, a relief since he was very pale, probably as scared as she was.
Bishop Arlington had a booming voice that probably reached even the folk down at the tavern. He spoke of all sorts of expectations for Meggie, all blessed and approved by God, which made Meggie want to roll her eyes. She peeked up at Thomas, saw that he was looking quite severe, and so didn't make a sound.
The marriage service barely lasted fifteen minutes. Now, she, Meggie Sherbrooke, was a countess and Thomas, at Bishop Arlington's kind direction, was pulling back her veil, kissing her, smiling, looking immensely relieved as he said close to her ear, 'You're mine now, Meggie. Mine.'
'And you are mine, Thomas. Forever.'
And something deep moved in his eyes as he stared down at her, something deep and thick and veiled. He kissed her again, a quick light kiss because there were many people avidly watching. They turned toward the congregation, both smiling so big some feared their jaws would crack.
Meggie said out of the corner of her mouth, 'This is so very exciting. Do you think you will drink champagne out of my slipper?'
Chapter 13
WASN'T UNTIL nearly six o'clock that evening when Mary Rose was fastening the small buttons of her traveling gown up Meggie's back.
'Has Thomas told you where you are spending tonight?'
'No, the man has refused to tell me a thing. Not even a single hint. I have wheedled and promised all sorts of wicked favors if he would just give me one sentence, but he refused. I even offered to put my tongue in his mouth, but he refused to speak a word about it. Oh, forgive me, Mary Rose, I didn't mean to embarrass you. It's just that this tongue business-I think I like it. Ah, I do hope we're on a packet to Calais, then to Paris. I should love to go to Paris again, Mary Rose. Remember when we went last time? I was thirteen and we walked in the Luxemburg Gardens and visited Versailles and Notre Dame, how magnificent that was, and-'
Mary Rose interrupted her, laughing, 'Yes, love, I remember it well.' She sighed then. 'I believe I would have preferred to have your father to myself, but I endured having my interfering stepdaughter along.' For just an instant Meggie didn't laugh at her jest. Mary Rose took Meggie's face between her hands and kissed her. 'I loved you from the moment you rescued me and sneaked me into your bedchamber at Kildrummy. I loved you even more when I heard you try to convince your father that you were innocent as a shorn lamb, that you weren't hiding a thing from him. And I loved all the excuses your father had to invent to keep you out of our bedchamber at night.
'You have grown into a splendid woman. I want you to be happy with Thomas. I also want a letter from you, but I will give you a week before you have to write it.' She kissed her again, only to have Meggie's arms go around her and hug her tight. 'Oh goodness, now you will have your own bedchamber with your own husband. Time has gone so quickly, Meggie, so quickly. Savor every moment. Be happy, love.'
And Meggie said, 'I knew I would adore you forever when I saw Papa carrying you over his shoulder back into the castle. I was trying desperately to pull your valise back inside, but it was so heavy because of the iron candlesticks.'
Mary Rose laughed. 'They weren't iron, Meggie!'
'I know, but they were very heavy, and I was only ten years old. I will miss you and Papa, Mary Rose. Oh goodness, what about Alec and Rory? Will you be able to manage them? Will-'
'Everything will be all right. They will miss you dreadfully and ask me every day when you are coming for a visit. Don't worry, love. You are a married lady now and that is a very different thing. Er, Meggie, is there anything you wish perhaps to ask me?'
'About what? Has either of the boys done something you're not sure about?'
'No, not today. When they are monsters I will simply lock them in the closet beneath the stairs. Now, Meggie-' She paused a moment, pumping herself up. 'Would you like to ask me about marital sorts of things? I promised your father I would, er, inquire.'
'Oh. Oh my, Mary Rose, you're embarrassed!' Meggie laughed, hugged her again as she said, 'You know, I think it is rather exciting not knowing much of anything. Thomas does kiss very well. I assume he can continue this lovemaking business efficiently.'
'Yes,' Mary Rose said, her voice dry as the cherrywood armoire in the corner, 'I believe that he will as well.'
Meggie said, suddenly appalled, 'I cannot imagine speaking to Papa about those sorts of things.' Then she looked thoughtful. 'But perhaps you could tell me. Is this tongue in each other's mouths-is it the done thing? Do you and Papa do it?'
Mary Rose managed not to swallow her own tongue. 'Well, as a matter of fact, if you are truly interested, and I suppose that you are since you have such an inquiring mind, well, I imagine that I would have to say yes, it is very much the done thing.' Mary Rose then smiled, flushed, looked at the ceiling, then at the floor, patted Meggie's back, and picked up her traveling cloak, a rich burgundy velvet Thomas had given her for a wedding gift.
Thomas was waiting for her at the foot of the stairs. He wasn't smiling. He was, obviously, anxious to be off. She saw all her relatives spread out behind them, all of them speaking and laughing, the dratted boy cousins being idiots, as always. So many beloved faces.
She hugged her father, and it seemed to everyone there that she didn't want to let him go. Tysen saw that Thomas was looking utterly emotionless, but he'd known the young man long enough to realize that he wanted his new wife and he wanted her five minutes ago. He wanted her to himself, and that, Tysen thought, was something he would simply have to accustom himself to. He also saw Thomas looking several times at Jeremy, and again, there was no expression at all on his face. Tysen wondered, but he couldn't do anything else. He kissed Meggie once, twice more, then patted her shoulder, and placed her hand on her husband's arm.
'Be happy, sweetheart,' he said.
Meggie looked down to see Rory tugging on her skirt. She lifted him up high, gave him two smacking loud kisses, and said, 'Say hello to your new brother-in-law, Rory.'
Rory looked over at Thomas, studied him for a very long time, and said finally, 'You are the man who saved my life with that volcano medicine.'
'Yes, I suppose I am,' Thomas said. 'You will give Meggie everything she wants,' Rory said.
'I will,' Thomas said, and bowed his head. Rory patted him on the shoulder. Meggie kissed the little boy one more time and handed him back to their father.
Her ribs sore from so many hugs, Thomas's hand firm in the small of her back, Meggie was lifted into the carriage. She leaned out the window, waving, smiling until she was sure her mouth would break.
Glenclose-on Rowan was gone from her view in the next minute because Thomas had turned her around to face him, pulled her to him, and kissed her.
He released her even before she'd had a chance to think about that kiss and what she should do. She said, staring at his mouth, her fingertips on her lower lip, 'You didn't open your mouth. You didn't give me time to do
