Matilda was nervous about taking control of the castle and commanding the servants. It seemed so odd to her that it was now her duty, but it was. Robert had returned to training his men, so she needed to face the servants. After spending a full day lazing about in the castle, it was time that they both returned to work.

It was two days after their marriage, and her mother and Mary were waiting in the chamber she had used before her wedding. They were patiently sewing, trying to get Matilda’s clothing to reflect her station in life and not make everyone automatically know she would been a peasant.

She joined the two of them and discussed the type of gown she wanted first. They had both been working on undergarments and nightgowns until she came to them and described what she wanted.

Her mother looked her up and down, obviously trying to see if she was happy. “He treats you well?”

Matilda nodded, feeling the heat rise to her face. “He has shown me nothing but kindness, Mama. There is no need to worry about me.” She sat down on the bed, curling one leg under her. “How is the cottage? Is it to your liking?”

“It is the most wonderful home. There is a bedroom separate from the rest of the house, and there is even a stove to cook on, instead of just the fireplace. I have never dreamed of living in such luxury.”

Matilda smiled at her mother’s words, knowing that she would felt the same way just days before. “I am so glad. Lady Lina told me it would be a good place for you and Father, but I have yet to see it.”

Mary went to the trunk that held all of the fabrics that were there to choose from for Matilda’s wardrobe. The three women chose a fabric and a dress style together. Then Mary went to Matilda’s new room with her. She could not run around the castle all day in just her nightgown.

Matilda once again wore the dress that had once belonged to Robert’s sister, and then she turned to Mary. “I am not sure what the servants expect from me. What am I supposed to do?” Facing them as their mistress instead of as an equal or even an inferior was intimidating for her.

Mary smiled. “The servants here are all well-trained. They know their duties. You simply need to go to the kitchen and discuss what you would like to have for meals with Alice, and she will handle the rest. There is really not a lot you will need to do before your sons start to come, and then you will always be busy with babies.”

Matilda sighed. “I suppose I can take advantage of the time I have and read. There are a few books here, and I would love to read them.”

“Sounds good, milady.”

Matilda wrinkled her nose. “I am still Matilda to you, Mary. My wedding hasn’t changed our relationship at all.”

Mary grinned at her. “I will call you Matilda when we are alone, but I cannot do that with others around.”

“I suppose that will have to be good enough, will not it?” Matilda left the room and descended the stairs. She had skipped eating that morning because Robert had kept her up most of the night, and she had felt the need to sleep late instead of beginning her new life. No one seemed to think less of her for it.

She walked to the kitchen, and everyone stopped working, turning to her. “I just wanted to discuss meals for the week with Alice,” she said softly. She was unsure why her presence was making everyone uncomfortable when just days before she had been one of them.

The servants all returned to their activities, and Alice took her arm and led her to the dining room. “This is a better place to discuss such things than the kitchen, milady.”

Matilda frowned. “I have been in the kitchen with you several times, Alice. I am sure it is all right.” Why did someone act as if she was a different person now just because she had married Robert?

Alice shook her head. “I am sure it is not. You are the lady of the house now.”

Matilda sighed. “I am afraid I will never learn all the rules and behave the way I am expected to behave. I am not quite sure how I can adjust with no one here to teach me.”

Alice smiled and sat down at the table, indicating that Matilda should sit down as well. “Before Lady Lina left, she suggested that I should be the one to teach you how to run a household. I have worked at this castle since your husband was a few months old, and I know what I am doing better than anyone. We will work together.”

“That sounds wonderful! Are you sure you have the time to spare?”

“I am positive. Together, we are going to make sure everything runs smoothly around here.” Alice smiled. “You are going to be the very best mistress this castle could ever have.”

Matilda smiled and nodded. She was relieved that Lady Lina had given someone instructions to help her because she was truly afraid of messing up.

* * *

At the noon meal, Matilda realized that she would really missed her new husband. He would become such a huge part of her life that when he was not there for a few hours, it felt as if there was a huge gaping hole in the middle of her being. When he came to join her in the great hall, she went into his arms sweetly and kissed him. “How was your morning?” She clung to him a little longer than normal and wished she could express her need for him to be around.

“It was spent training with my men. I will need to judge disputes this afternoon, and that is one of the things I hate to do. It takes up a great deal of time, but it is something that is required of me. I used to help my father because he believed I should be trained to take over for him in every way.”

“Where do you do the judging?” she asked, having never seen it. Her father had never had a dispute with another that would need to go before the lord.

“Here in the great hall. I only have to do it once a week, for which I am grateful.” He rubbed the back of his neck, already dreading the task. He had never done it on his own, and he wished he could ask his father to come and help him. But he was married, which made him the lord of the castle. There would be no more leaning on his father or anyone else.

“May I watch?” There was little for her to do with all the servants about, and she was already wishing for more tasks.

He nodded. “If you would like, I would be honored to have you at my side.” Mayhap it would help him to make the right decisions if she was sitting there watching. He wanted to be a better man for Matilda, which was one of the things that told him she was meant to be his bride.

The judging was not like what Matilda had expected. She had expected there to be great thoughtful judgements, but most of the disputes were ridiculous.

“Milord, my neighbor’s pig has gotten into my field three times this week, and he has eaten some of my crops.” The peasant who complained had his arms folded over his chest. He glared at the man who stood beside him.

“My pig is getting out because my neighbor was not careful and broke the fence around the pig’s pen. I have not the tools to fix it, and I have not the time in the middle of the growing season.” The neighbor of the first man shook his head. “He should have fixed my fence as he promised the day he broke it.”

Robert sat for a moment. “The two of you will work together to fix the fence instead of taking a day of rest tomorrow. Then the animal will no longer be a problem for either of you.”

Both men looked unhappy with the solution, but they bowed their heads in agreement and walked toward the entrance to the castle.

Matilda liked the answer, but she wondered why the men could not have come to the same conclusion themselves. Why would they drag their lord into the middle of a silly argument like that? Did not they understand he had a new wife to make love with?

When the judging was finally over and the room was cleared, Matilda looked at Robert for a moment. “You did very well. I think I would have become angry that they could not solve their problems like adults and came to me with such petty disputes.”

Robert smiled. “I felt like it at times, but it is the order of things. If I have a dispute with another lord, we will go together before the king.”

“Have you met the king?” she asked.

He nodded. “My father took me to court when I was young. He took us all on different trips, wanting us to see how frivolous things were there so we would not want to become a part of it.” His memories of court were not pleasant ones. There had been too many women married to one and flirting with another. Too many men who wanted to stab one another in the back by the looks on their faces. No, he had not been fond of court at all.

“Did it work?”

“I am here and not there. Aye, it worked out well. I think that trip to court told me that I did not want to marry a lady. I wanted someone who had real thoughts and real concerns, not someone who complained if her dress was an inch too long or her slippers were not white enough.” He shook his head.

“I will remember to never complain about those things, milord.”

He laughed. “I think you could complain about anything, and I would not grow angry about it.” He grinned at her, stroking her cheek with the back of his fingers. “If you complain, I know it will be about something monumental, like your children not having enough food.”

“You should not tell me that . . . what if I become one of those women who does nothing but complain about everything? Would that not make you a little crazy?” Her grin made it clear she was joking with him.

“I am not sure . . . I know my mother had very difficult pregnancies. They were so bad my grandmother would come here and stay with her the entire pregnancy. She did that all seven times. She would have to heal Mother a little every day simply so she could keep food in her stomach. If my father could live through the complaining she must have done to deal with that, then I can make it through any complaining you feel the need to do.”

After supper that evening, they went for a walk, the same as they had been taking since the day they had met. “I do love our walks,” Matilda said softly as they walked hand-in-hand. The castle was such a beautiful place to live, but at this time of evening, with the sun setting over the trees off in the distance, she believed that she was truly in the most wonderful place God had created on earth.

“I like our walks. I love our time in bed,” he said, causing her to blush. He could not help but wonder how long it would be before she wasn’t embarrassed by the things he said to her.

“You are not supposed to talk about that!”

“Why not? We are married. We are doing nothing that we are not supposed to do! I need to get my fun in before the babies start coming and keeping me from you . . .”

“You do not want children?” It was the first time Matilda had heard him say anything that would indicate that he did not want all seven of the sons they would someday have to arrive the following day. She thought he was very desperate for those children to be born.

“I do want children. I just want time alone with my new wife first. Time to be together and get to know each other better . . . time to make love . . .” He shrugged. “And as the first male of the family born with power, we are not sure what will happen with our children. The youngest could be like me with powers, or he could simply have the luck that my father always had.”

“Do you have a preference?” She was not sure what she would do if her son was as powerful as her husband. Would she be able to control a child like that?

He shook his head. “Not really. I guess it would be nice to know that my son had the ability to defend himself, but if it does not happen, the world will not end.”

She smiled at that, sitting down on what she privately thought of as their kissing bench. “If you could choose any power in the world, what would you want?”

He thought about it for a moment. “I do not know a lot of powers. My great aunt Christiana can talk to people in her mind. My great aunt Eva can make people see things that are not there. My grandmother has the ability to heal with a touch. I guess I am partial to my power, though. It is a part of me, and it feels special. What power would you want?”

“I think I would want to heal with a touch. I cannot imagine wanting any other power. That one could do so much.” If she had that power, she could save people from the pain of losing children that her mother had spent years having to deal with. Surely that power would be better than any other.

“I have heard tales of my great-grandfather. He did not like the fact that his daughters had powers, and he made them hide what they could do. He was always afraid they had end up being burned as witches, but it never happened. Everyone who knew them knew they used the power only for good.”

“That makes sense. I am glad he was not able to stop them. If God gives you a power, you should use it for the good of the world.”

“I was named after him.”

“You were? Your mother’s grandfather?” she asked.

“Aye. He fought in the Battle of Hastings against the Norman army, but he pledged fealty to the man who came in and married his eldest daughter.” He made a face. “I wonder if we will have three babes at once. My grandmother has two sisters who were born at the same time she was.”

“I hope not! I cannot imagine having even one, let alone three! My mother would be very worried.” She shook her head. “Most of her babes were born dead.”

“I know it worries you that might happen with us, but it will not. My family always has seven healthy sons. The youngest son has never done anything else.” He squeezed her hand. “All of the sons live to adulthood as well. I know it is odd to know our destiny that way, but my family always has.”

“I hope it is that way for us.” Matilda got to her feet and held her hand out for his. “I think it is time we went to our chamber. Talking about babies makes me want to make one.”

Robert grinned. “I cannot argue with that.”

“Good. I hate it when you argue . . .”

* * *

It was not a full month later when Matilda realized she was expecting. Robert’s mother had warned her it would happen quickly, but Matilda had not believed it would be that quick. She sat on the edge of her bed one morning after losing the contents of her stomach, wishing she had been able to wait just a little longer. She did not feel like she and Robert had been married long enough for everything to change for them as it would now that she was carrying his babe.

She wanted babes, and she wanted them soon, but they had only had a month together as man and wife. She had just realized she loved her husband, and she had not yet found the right time to tell him how she felt. More importantly, she would have been waiting for those words from him, and they had yet to come.

Every night, he told her he adored her. He cared for her. He wanted her. But love was never spoken about.

She had gotten into a good routine and was running the castle well. She often sat with her mother and Mary and helped them sew in the afternoons. Enjoying the time of chatting over the needlework had made her transition into the lady of the house much easier.

Matilda was not sure how she was going to tell Robert that she was already expecting. He had made it clear he wanted a little more time alone with her before the children started to come, and she hoped he would not be angry with her. Of course, he had certainly done his share to help make a baby, but that did not matter. She had yet to see him angry, and she did not want this to be the first time.

She wondered if it would be better to wait to say something, let him think they had a little more time to be alone than they really did. Her mother would most certainly be a huge help once the baby was there, but only she could feed her baby, and only she could grow it. No matter how much help she had, her time with Robert would still be limited by a babe.

She was still sitting on the edge of her bed thinking about it a few minutes later when Mary slipped into the room. “I thought I heard you up and about.” Mary opened her trunk and chose one of her dresses for her. “This one. I think this is perfect for today.” It was a new gown Matilda had yet to wear, and it was in royal purple. Matilda loved the color, and she wanted to wear it. Soon it would need to be let out in the waist.

“Aye, let us wear that one.” Matilda stood, removing her nightgown so Mary could help her into the beautiful new dress. “I think this is going to be my favorite.”

“You say that with every new gown we make,” Mary said with a laugh. “It is nice to know you appreciate the work we do.”

“I am so glad you and Mama are getting along so well. It feels right that you are making my dresses together.” And soon, the three of them could work together during the long winter to make clothes for the babe.

“I am so glad she is here. She is made my job so much easier, and I simply enjoy being around her.”

“My mother is your mother,” Matilda said with a smile, turning around after her dress was fastened in the back. “Thank you, Mary. I think I am going to go for a walk today. I have need to spend some time alone.” Not that she would truly be alone with Robert’s babe growing within her.

Mary frowned. “I will walk with you. I am not sure how Lord Robert would feel about you wandering off the grounds by yourself.”

“I will be fine. Thank you, Mary.” With those words, Matilda headed down the stairs and toward the woods near the castle. Time alone was exactly what she needed.