Madelina was separated from Alexander for the rest of the day. She was bathed by her mother and her aunts, who talked to her of what would happen on her wedding night. The snow splashed into her bathwater.

“Do all three of you need to be here to discuss this with me?” she asked.

Marina grinned. “Of course we do. We’re triplets after all.”

Madelina sighed. “I’m going to miss all of you. I haven’t talked to Alex yet, but I’m hoping I can talk him into staying for at least another day or two. I need time to say goodbye.”

“You can’t force him to stay. It’s his right to take you to his home. He will want to show you off to his parents and brothers.” Marina washed her daughter’s back for her. “I take it I will have seven grandsons from you.”

Madelina nodded. “If what Alex tells me is true, and I have no reason to doubt him. At least I’ll have little Letice, too. I’ll be able to teach her the healing arts like you taught me.”

“We’ll have to get your medicine jars ready,” Marina said. “We’re going to need at least a night, probably two, to get you completely ready to go. I want to have a few more clothes made for you as well.”

“I’m not sure how he’ll take to the idea of staying several more days, Mother.”

Christiana shrugged. “We’ll get everything ready as quickly as we can. We made a couple of dresses for Letice this morning while you hunted and kissed.”

“I’m not ashamed of kissing him now that it led to my wedding coming earlier than it would have. I’m ready to be his bride.”

“You met him yesterday,” Aunt Eva reminded her. “You don’t know everything about him yet. Give him some time.”

“Time for what?”

The three older women exchanged a look. “Give him time to adjust to you and learn your ways. Most men don’t allow women to act as the girls in our family always have.” Christiana frowned at her niece. “He’s going to need time to learn our ways.”

“You don’t think he’ll try to change me, do you? Because he won’t. He’s told me he admires the way I do things.”

“It’s one thing to admire it in a girl as you get to know her and another to adjust to being married to that same headstrong woman. I fear we’ve spoiled you by making you feel like it’s all right for you to ride bareback and hunt whenever you wish.”

“You haven’t.” Madelina was certain. They were worrying for nothing. She was going to marry a man who understood her as she already was.

After drying off, she put her shift on, and her mother brushed her hair dry. With as long as it was, the process took hours, and the women sat and told stories of their early marriages and the trouble they’d gotten into with their husbands for their own headstrong ways.

When her hair was dry, her aunt Eva put it into an intricate knot atop her head. She stood looking at the three of them, feeling as if she were someone else, just observing the whole thing. “Thank you for raising me the way you did. Thank you for making me strong.”

The three older women walked to her, and the four hugged together. “I’m very proud of you, Madelina. You not only learned to use your gift, you learned to heal as well. You will be helping many people,” her mother said softly.

“And having babies,” Madelina said with a laugh. The idea of having seven sons was a little bit daunting.

“You just let your aunt know when you’re expecting, and I’ll be sure to be there for the births of those babies,” her mother told her. “Your father will love it if I have to go there to help with them, won’t he?” She’d already helped seven of her own grandchildren into the world. Seven more would make her happy and proud.

Madelina laughed. “I hope someday he comes to realize what a wonderful man Alexander is.”

“Oh, I have no doubt he will!”

“I’ll check and see if they’re ready for us,” Christiana said, closing her eyes. What she did needed no explanation because the others had seen it so many times. “Roland says they’re waiting for us.”

Madelina opened the door to see her father waiting for her. The three older women hurried down the stairs to wait in the great hall, while Charles offered his arm to his daughter. “Thank you, Papa.”

Charles shook his head. “I still don’t like him.”

“You don’t have to live with him.” Madelina smiled up at him, hoping he’d see that she was right. She needed to be married to the man as much as her father needed to be married to her mother.

“I hope he accepts you for the precious jewel you are.” They walked down the stairs arm-in-arm. When they got outside where Alexander stood with the priest, Charles leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Be happy, my daughter.”

“I will, Papa!” She hugged him close before joining hands with Alexander.

Twenty minutes later, they were declared husband and wife, and they kissed once more. Her father wasn’t even allowed to complain this time, though afterward, she could see on his face, he wanted to.

During the wedding feast, she sat nervously beside him. “May we stay here for a few days before we move on to our home?” she asked softly.

Alex frowned. “Why?” Her father had so much hostility toward him, it would be difficult to stay.

“My mother and I need to gather all the healing balms and potions we’ve made for me to use. She has knowledge of them, but she has taught me to use them. So I will take them, and I can heal our people as they need it.”

He sighed, nodding. “Yes, we can stay for two nights.”

It would be barely enough time, but if they worked quickly, she and her mother and aunts could make it work. “Thank you.” She quickly sent a message to her aunt Christiana. “We’re staying two nights. Please let mother know that we must work quickly to get all we need to do finished.”

“I will.”

A moment later, her mother nodded at her, letting her know she’d gotten the message.

Alex frowned at her. “Are you communicating with your aunt through thoughts?”

“Yes, I wanted to let my mother know that we would stay another two nights. I told my aunt, so she could tell my mother. Is that a problem?”

“It’s just strange to be left out of conversations in such a way. Your family doesn’t consider it rude to talk through thoughts so not everyone can hear?” He wasn’t angry, but he was glad she wouldn’t always be able to do it. He was ready to get her away from the house where she’d grown up so they could start their lives together.

“I never really thought about it that way,” Madelina responded. “It’s just always been the easiest way for us to pass a message along.”

“I see.” He did, but then he didn’t. It was like keeping secrets and whispering to him, and both were quite rude in his opinion.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. She wasn’t sure that she’d stop talking to her aunt the way she did because it was very efficient, but maybe she would stop being quite so obvious about it. No reason to upset him.

Her uncle Hugh got out his lute and played and sang for them. The songs he sang were always in the language of the French, but that didn’t bother any of them since they were all speakers of the language. His voice was smooth and melodic, and they all enjoyed his singing a great deal.

Finally, Alexander got to his feet. “Thank you for the wedding feast. I think it’s time my wife and I retire.”

Her mother got to her feet. “I will prepare my daughter for bed.” She walked to Madelina and linked arms with her, going up the stairs. “We should have thought to have your clothes for tomorrow in his room tonight. It wouldn’t do for you to wear the same clothes.”

“I didn’t even think of it.”

“Well, I know Alex is very ready for your wedding night. I hope you are as well, daughter.”

“Are you worried that I’m not?” Madelina asked, surprised. “I thought you and the aunts told me everything I needed to know.”

“Yes, we did. I just hope you’re ready for all the emotions that go with it. You will be tied to Alexander forever after tonight.”

Twenty minutes later, Marina left her daughter in Alex’s bed, completely naked as was the custom. “Just do as he says and try to please him,” she said.

Madelina lay in the bed, very embarrassed. Her entire family would know what they were doing, and they were doing it under her family’s roof. Certainly, this wasn’t how marriages were meant to be. She should have told him she wanted to leave that very night, not stay another two nights. What had she been thinking?

Alex came into the room a short while later, a candle in his hand to light his way. He set the candle onto a low table and quickly stripped out of his clothes, very anxious to get on with his wedding night.

He slid into bed beside Madelina and pulled her to him. “I’m not sure I can do this here,” she whispered.

“What do you mean?” Alex was already frustrated by some of the events of the evening, especially the way her father acted as if he was attacking her. She couldn’t be trying to refuse him a wedding night, could she?

“I . . . it feels wrong to consummate our marriage under my father’s roof . . .”

He groaned, rolling to his back. “Are you serious?”

“I’m sorry, Alex.”

“Let’s go outside then. We’ll go to the forest where we hunted today and make love there.”

She shook her head. “It wouldn’t be safe.” Surely he could wait a day or two.

“Can I at least kiss you? Your father’s seen me kiss you twice, so they know we’re doing that.”

“Yes, of course.” She rolled onto her side, facing him. “I’m not trying to upset you, Alex. It just feels wrong.”

“I know. I understand.” He didn’t, but what else should he say? She was his new wife, and he had no desire to upset her either.

He cupped her face in his hands, lowering his head to kiss her softly, slowly deepening the kiss. His hand moved under the sheet to stroke her breast, just the side of it with his knuckles. “You’re so soft, Lina.”

She wrapped her arms around him, holding him closer, one of her legs resting atop his. “I like how it feels when you touch me.”

“I want to make love to you,” he said softly, his hands cupping her breasts fully, stroking her soft skin.

“I want you, too. I don’t want to wait.”

“Then we shouldn’t. Your family will think we made love whether or not we do. Why not just make it true?”

His reasoning made sense to her. Finally, she whispered, “All right.”

As soon as he had her permission, he rolled her to her back, his hand going between her thighs and stroking her there. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

She didn’t want to be hurt either. Her arms wrapped around him. “What should I do?”

“I have no idea,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve never done this before either.”

“You haven’t?”

“No. My father always said that part of me should be saved for the woman who would have my sons. So I waited.” He kissed her again, this time his tongue strongly invaded her mouth as his body wanted to invade hers. He moved over her, his body completely covering hers.

Always sensitive to heat, she made it snow there in the room, so they wouldn’t get too hot. He shivered. “Stop it! Why are you making it snow?” Was she trying to make him stop with the cold?

“I’m sorry. I was hot. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“Maybe a gentle cooling wind, but we don’t need snow.” He grinned down at his wife. Who else would make it snow on her wedding night?

He kissed her again, holding her face in his hands as he entered her in one quick stroke. As soon as he was buried deep within her, he raised his head, needing to know she was all right. “Lina?”

Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him, the only light in the room the small candle on the table. “Yes?”

“Am I hurting you?”

“Just a little. Mama said it would stop quickly.” She stayed perfectly still, hoping it would stop soon. It felt like it had lasted forever already. “Are we finished?”

Apparently, her mother hadn’t explained what would happen in great detail. “We’ve barely started, love.”

“Oh.” She couldn’t imagine what else he could possibly do that he hadn’t already done, and then he pulled out and moved back inside her. “Oh! That felt good.”

“I’m so glad!” He started moving more quickly, finding his pleasure within her and resting his head on her shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he said a long while later when his breathing had returned to normal.

“Why are you sorry?” she asked. “That was nice.”

“I’m sorry because you didn’t feel the same pleasure I did.”

“I don’t think a woman is supposed to feel that kind of pleasure.” She turned to her side snuggling close to him. She was just relieved she’d fulfilled her duty with him.

“You are, and you will,” he promised. Not that she heard him because she was already asleep. He knew, though. He would make certain that the next time, she enjoyed it as much as he did.

* * *

When she woke the following morning, Alexander was already gone from their room. She sat up in bed looking around for him, but he wasn’t there. She pulled her clothes on, feeling tender between her thighs. She thought about asking her mother to heal her, but she knew she would be too embarrassed to explain why. Not that her mother wouldn’t understand.

When she got downstairs, everyone was having breakfast, and little Letice looked sad. “Why aren’t you happy?” she asked, kissing the girl’s cheek.

“I slept alone.” Letice frowned at her.

“Oh, I see. Well, I’m married now, so I can’t sleep with you every night.” She did her best not to blush as she looked at Alex, but there were snowflakes drifting through the great hall.

Charles shook his head at her. “I love you, Madelina, but it will be nice not to have to deal with weather inside the castle constantly.”

Madelina wrinkled her nose at him. “You love me for the weather in the hall.”

“I’m not sure that’s the reason I love you!” He grinned at her, though, and she knew all was well.

“We’re leaving in the morning,” Alex announced. “Can everything be ready by then?”

Madelina looked at her mother, who nodded. “I was up most of the night, gathering the herbs and putting them into pouches. I have written out instructions on many of them. You’ll be ready.”

Christiana smiled at Madelina. “And Eva and I spent the night making new clothes for you and Letice. You’ll both be ready.”

Letice looked at Madelina. “We leave?”

“Yes, we’re going to go live with Alexander. His family lives three days from here.”

Letice seemed confused. “You won’t leave me?”

“No. I won’t leave you. You’ll be with me for a very long time.” Madelina hated that she was being taken from her new home so quickly, but it was necessary. Her mother didn’t need to raise another child, and it was her only chance for a daughter.

“You won’t die?” Letice asked softly.

“No, I won’t die. I’m going to stay with you.” Madelina felt tears drift down her cheeks, fighting against the rain she knew would come if she wasn’t careful. She hated that her powers were activated by her emotions. She loved when she could decide what should happen, but when they happened automatically, they became a problem.

Throughout the day, she worked with her mother, getting the herbs put in pouches and seeds for her to grow more herbs in other pouches. They took a break for the mid-day meal and then got back to work. Many of the servants were working with her aunts to get dresses finished for both her and Letice. They were representing her family as they moved, and they would not look like paupers.

She had no idea where Alex was all day, but by his angry look at supper-time, she had a good idea he’d spent the day with her father. She leaned close to him to whisper, “Is all well?”

He nodded. “Your father does not like me.”

“He doesn’t like that I married you. I think he likes you just fine.”

“The results are the same.” Alex sat down beside her, Letice on the other side of her. It still seemed strange to him that he’d married her just the day before, and already they had a child. One part of him wanted the time alone, and he wanted to ask her to leave the child, but the other part of him realized that Madelina had a need to bring the girl with them. Whatever the reason for that need, he wouldn’t take it from her.

After supper, Madelina took Letice upstairs to put her to bed, and Alex went with her. The three of them sat in Madelina’s childhood room and tried to explain what was happening to the child. “Because I married Alex, we’re all going to travel together to the house where he grew up and that’s where we’re going to live.”

“Alex is my new papa?”

“Yes, he’s your new papa, and I’m your new mama. Soon you’ll have lots of brothers, and we’ll all be a happy family.” Madelina tucked the little girl under the covers and smoothed her hair away from her face. “Does that sound nice?”

Letice nodded. “I want to have family.”

“You do have a family. I promise. You’re mine now.” Madelina leaned down and kissed the girl’s cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning, and we’ll leave then.

Letice closed her eyes, her lashes long against her cheeks. Alex and Madelina stayed there for another minute while they waited to see if she was going to ask anything else, but when she didn’t, they tiptoed from the room.

When they’d closed the door, Madelina looked at Alexander. “I want her to be happy.”

“It won’t take long for her to forget she ever had another family,” he said softly. “She’s very young.”

“But we can’t let her forget,” Madelina said. “I wish we knew what to tell her about her parents.”

“Why don’t you want her to forget?” Alex asked, confused.

“Because I want her to know that we chose to keep her with us. She wasn’t a child of birth, but she’s a child of our hearts.” Madelina wasn’t sure if she was explaining it well, but Alex seemed to understand.

“Whatever you wish where she is concerned,” he said softly.

As they made their way down the stairs from the east wing and up them into the west wing, she yawned. “I had no idea how much work went into preparing to move. Mother and I worked all day on just the herbs and the seeds to grow more herbs. I hope there’s a good place for my herb garden at your home.” She was getting more and more excited about starting her life with him.

“I believe there is. Mother has a small garden each year, but it’s usually flowers, not herbs.”

“Will she mind if I plant herbs in it? I don’t want to upset her.”

He frowned at her. “My parents will move into the dower house after we get home. They won’t live with us. She’ll have a flower garden there.”

“Why not? It’s their home!” She hated the idea of ousting his parents from their home.

“This is something they’ve known they would do since they came to England. They built a house on the land where they would live as soon as I married. I think they’re excited to move into their new home. I know I’m excited to be able to take over the castle and run it as my own.”

“Do your brothers not mind that their younger brother is inheriting instead of them?”

He shrugged. “I never really thought about that. We always knew that I would inherit, and growing up knowing that makes things different I think. It is strange compared with the way other families do things, but for us, it seems just right.”

“As long as there won’t be any angry wives trying to hurt me or Letice,” she said with a grin.

“Oh, there won’t. All of my brothers have children and have moved to other areas. They truly are content.”

Madelina breathed a sigh. “Then I’m sure we will be, too.”