As soon as Matilda stepped into the woods, she wondered if she was making a mistake. As well-loved as Robert’s family was, she was simply a new bride, and she might not have the protection his family afforded him.

She decided after a moment that she was being silly and continued her walk, thinking about what she would do about the babe she carried. She knew she had to tell Robert, but should she tell him now or wait a month or two until she was showing before she said something? She wanted him to have as long with just the two of them as she could give him. As soon as she announced the baby, they would begin preparing for a time when they were no longer alone. Their family would be three and not two.

The woods were dark considering how bright the sun was shining that afternoon, and she walked along, completely lost in thought. She had to figure out when to talk to Robert. She was very excited about carrying his first son, but she wanted him to be just as excited when she told him. What if he was disappointed that she had conceived so soon? She was not sure if she could bear it.

Just as she was about to step out into the sunshine on the other side of the wooded area, she noticed two men, who appeared to be nobleman, walking together. They both carried swords and looked intent on doing some mischief. They were young, not much older than she was herself, and she knew she was tempting fate by continuing on the way she was, so she turned to head back the other way.

She had only gone a few steps when she heard the branches crushing rapidly behind her, so she took off in a run, screaming as loudly as she could. If the men were intent on hurting her, they would do so before anyone could reach them, but screaming seemed to be her only protection.

A hand grabbed her upper arm and spun her around to face them. “Please, let me go. My husband is the lord here, and he will not be happy if you harm me.” She could see on the stranger’s face that her pleas were for naught, but she had to try. The babe she carried needed to be protected!

The two men were both dark-haired and angry looking. “Your husband never has to know what you do with us,” the man holding her arm said, leaning down over her. His mouth pressed against her neck, and she felt chills run through her.

Once again, she screamed as loudly as she could as the man backed her against one of the trees. She tried to throw him away from her, hating that he pressed his body against hers in a way that only a married man should do with his wife.

The other man was licking his lips and watching with an amused look on his face. Matilda turned her head away, kicking at the man holding her as hard as she could, her screams still filling the air.

Suddenly there was nothing for her to fight against. The man who had been pressing her into the tree flew through the air away from her as if a giant hand had struck him away from her. She leaned back against the tree, her hand covering her mouth to stop the screams that wanted to keep going on forever.

As she watched, the man who had been holding her rolled to his hands and knees to get back on his feet, and his sword came out of his scabbard, plunging into his back, a pool of blood forming on the leaves below him.

The other man backed up a few feet, staring behind her, and he turned and ran away, leaving his friend lying on the wooded ground in a heap, his own sword plunged through his back.

Matilda held back a sob as she covered her face with her hands. Even though the men did not know what had happened, she did. Her husband, her sweet, gentle Robert, had used his powers to save her—and to kill a nobleman. It was her fault, and she hated that he had been pressed to commit murder on her behalf.

A moment later, Robert was in front of her, his arms around her, holding her close. “Did they hurt you?”

Matilda shook her head. She would have some bruises the next day, but her injuries were nothing compared to the man who had attacked her so savagely. He was obviously dead just feet away from them, and another nobleman had watched it all unfold.

“Robert, he had a friend with him who was watching. You were seen killing a nobleman.”

“My wife was attacked by the nobleman I killed. I promise you the king would have dispatched anyone who had touched his wife in the same manner, and he will only have good things to say about what I have done here.” And truthfully, he did not care what the king said. His family had left many countries in its history, and he was willing to leave this one if it meant having her safe.

She could not believe his nonchalant attitude about the whole thing. “But . . . what if people say you are a witch? That your powers come from Satan? Are you not worried that you will be burned?”

He shook his head. “No one would dare say something like that against my family. I do not know these men, but I do know they were trespassing on my property, and they were trying to harm my wife. They will never have the chance again.”

She started to argue with him but found herself swept up in his arms and carried back through the woods toward the castle. “Put me down, Robert! You will hurt yourself carrying me so far!”

“You weigh no more than a child, Matilda. I do not know how you are going to be strong enough to carry my babe!” But there was no doubt in his mind she would be. Never had a woman in his lineage lost her life in childbirth. They all lived to see their seven sons grow old.

Matilda remained silent. She knew it was the right time to tell him about the baby she carried, but after what had just happened . . . she needed some time to calm down first. “Where are you taking me?”

“To the castle to your mother and Mary. I do not want you leaving alone again. You need to have one of my men with you at all times.” He shook his head. “I cannot believe we have never discussed this before. As a serf, you were able to go where you wanted and do what you would, but as a lady, you need to stay close to safety. I will not have you hurt.”

Matilda sighed. “I like being free to go where I will. Do you really think I need someone with me? After what just happened, I fear no one will ever be willing to come on your land again. They will all think that pagans dwell in those woods, ready to kill anyone who trespasses.”

“I hope they do! I will not allow a man to touch you!”

She shuddered as she thought about the dead man lying in the woods. “What about the . . .”

“The man who attacked you? His body will be dealt with.”

She buried her face in his neck. “I hate that I was the reason you killed an equal . . .”

“No man who would attack a woman the way that man did is an equal. He is a disgusting, evil man who needed to be killed. I did the entire land of England a favor by taking his life. And I certainly did him a favor by doing it quickly. I would have liked to have seen him suffer.”

They reached the castle, and he waited as one of his men hurried forward and opened the door for him before striding up the stairs with her still in his arms. He went to the room where her mother sewed with Mary and set her on her feet, opening the door and guiding her inside.

Quickly he explained what had happened. “Please watch her and do not let her leave. I am about to go fetch my mother to examine her and make sure nothing is amiss. Then I am going to have someone dispose of the body in my woods.” Robert did not wait for anyone to agree with what he had said. Instead he left the room and went in search of some men to deal with the body.

Once that task was completed, he strode to his mother’s house, anger filling him. He was angry with Matilda because she had left the castle which was protected to go for a walk in the woods. He had never told her to not go there, but she should have had the sense to know it was not safe!

Mostly, though, he was angry with the man who had dared to touch his wife. She was his, and no one had the right to even look at her unless he gave his permission. Whether she had once been a serf or not, she belonged to him and therefore had his full protection behind her. It would be known throughout the kingdom that to touch his wife meant death.

When he reached his parents’ house, he pounded on the door and waited for a servant to come bid him entry. Instead his mother opened the door. “Robert, what is wrong with you?”

He had barely begun his explanation when she put her hand over her mouth in shock. “I will get my bag.”

He waited, pacing back and forth in front of the house, as his mother got her healing bag, which held all her potions and herbs she used to help others.

As soon as she was there, the two of them walked quickly back toward the castle, with him finishing the story as they walked. “She said she was not hurt, but I do not see how she could not have been. There must be some bruises. I want them gone.”

His mother nodded. “I have potions that will make bruises fade much quicker than normal. I will see to it.” She had never seen her son so angry. “Has someone dealt with the body?” she asked softly.

“I sent three men to take care of it.” A stick in front of them floated into the air before snapping in half, showing just how angry he was. “I have never in my life felt this kind of anger, Mother. That man had his hands on Matilda.”

“I know, Robert. I will make sure she is all right. You need to stay in the castle until your anger is gone. You do not want to risk exposing your powers to anyone outside of our family. You have already done that once today, and if it continues, we will have problems. We both know our powers come from God, but others believe that anyone with the kind of powers we have are pagans. We must be careful.”

He nodded, opening the door to the castle for her and climbing the stairs two at a time. When he reached the room where he had left his wife, he found her sitting on the side of the bed, Mary on one side of her and Esther on the other.

His mother pushed him out of the way and went to Matilda. “Let us go to your chamber so I can examine you. All right?”

Matilda nodded. She did not care what happened to her anymore. Nothing was right with the world. She did not know if it ever would be again. A man she did not know had put his hands on her, and his intentions had been clear. He had planned to take something from her that she had given to her husband and him alone.

In her room, her mother-in-law bid her undress, so she could look at the wounds made. After her dress was unfastened, she dropped it to her feet, sitting in just her shift on the edge of her bed.

Lady Lina looked at the bruise forming on her wrist and quickly added an ointment. “You are not going to be able to keep Robert from seeing this, but the salve will stop the bruise from getting too dark.” She looked at Matilda, studying her closely. “They did not hurt you?”

“No more than what you see.” Matilda frowned. “I do worry they may have harmed the babe, though.”

Lady Lina’s eyes widened. “The babe?” She looked both excited and horrified. “Have you noticed blood?”

Matilda shook her head. “I do think I am all right, but I just realized I carried this morning. I was walking and thinking about how much my life has changed, and I was attacked.”

“I am going to give you a potion for if you have trouble keeping food down and another to build your strength. I want you taking them both every morning. All right?”

“Aye. I will take them.”

Lady Lina bit her lip and got to her feet. “I think I want my mother to come and make sure all is well with you. Do you mind if I send for her?”

Matilda frowned. “Do you think it is necessary?”

“I do not know, but I would feel much better if she was here. It will take her three days to make the journey once she receives my message. She is old now and cannot travel as quickly as she once could.”

“Send for her. We do not want to risk the babe.”

“Thank you.” Lady Lina smiled at Matilda and squeezed her hand. “It is just a precaution. I am sure that babe will be as strong as all seven of my sons were.” With those words, she strode from the room, closing the door behind her. She went to Mary first, asking her to help Matilda dress, and then she went to Robert.

“How is she?”

“She has a bruise forming on her wrist, but there are no other real injuries that I can see. I am going to send for my mother to examine her, but that is just a precaution. I cannot risk your son being hurt. If he is, Mother can heal him.”

“My son?”

Lady Lina covered her mouth with her hand. “I assumed she had told you! Please do not tell her you know. She should be the one who tells you that you will be a father. She just realized this morning, so I am sure it is just a matter of time until she has a chance.”

He nodded, shocked to his core. His wife was attacked, he killed in revenge, and found out he was to be a father all in one day. It was a bit more than he was used to handling all at once. “I am going to go see her. I do not want to let her out of my sight until Grandmother comes. I need to be sure she is all right.”

“That sounds good to me. If she starts to bleed, you will need to send for me right away.” His mother was halfway out the door before she paused and turned back to him. “Your father and I are going to ride to where we can talk to Aunt Christiana. We will come for supper tonight, so we can all be together, and I will be close if there is a problem.”

Robert stared at the spot where his mother had been long after she was gone. He was thankful to have her to help him, but he worried about the future of his family. If he continued to get as angry as he had that morning, there would be no way he could hide his powers.

* * *

By the time his grandmother arrived three days later, Robert was angry with Matilda. She had yet to tell him about the babe she carried, and he wondered if she ever planned to tell him. He knew she was distracted by the attack, but it had been days. She had told his mother she was expecting, so why not him?

His grandparents came to the castle, both of them ready to see him. His grandfather hugged him close. “Hello, Grandfather. Thank you for coming.”

His grandmother did not waste time with pleasantries. She headed straight up the stairs to the master bedchamber and knocked.

Matilda was lying on her side, feeling nauseated when a knock came to the door. “Aye?”

The door opened, and an elderly woman she had never seen before entered the room and walked over to sit on the bed beside her. “I am Marina, Lina’s mother. How are you feeling?”

The question from a stranger had Matilda sobbing. “I worry about the babe!”

“Of course you do. I have never known a woman who was carrying her first child who did not worry about the babe inside her. May I have your permission to check you?”

Matilda nodded, brushing away a tear. “Should I sit?”

Marina shook her head. “It does not matter, child. I can help you no matter how you lay.” Her hand hovered over Matilda’s abdomen, and she smiled. “The babe is strong. There is no problem at all.” After another moment, she said, “I have healed your wrist. It was a little worse than I was led to believe.” Then she made a face. “You are having trouble keeping food in you.”

Matilda struggled to sit up. “I am having trouble with food, but I am getting some to stay in me. Usually I only miss out on the morning meal completely.”

“Do you mind if I heal you a little bit so you can eat more?”

“Not at all. It would be nice not to share my meal with the chamber pot every morning.”

Marina laughed. “My daughter has told me many good things about you. She says you make Robert a very happy man. I thank you for that.”

Matilda bit her lip, studying the older woman. “You know I was a serf?” she asked.

“Nay, that has never come up. It does not matter anyway. You are my new granddaughter whether you were born a serf or a princess.”

“This family never ceases to amaze me. You are all so warm and welcoming. I think I could tell you that I was a druid who was hatched from an egg in a forest in Scotland, and you would not even blink.”

“I am afraid I would. A Scotswoman as a granddaughter? I draw the line there!”

Matilda laughed, feeling her nausea abate as Marina held her hand over her abdomen. “I feel better already.”

“I am going to stay here for a few days. By the time I leave, we will have your morning sickness under control. It is not bad.” Marina reached out and helped Matilda to her feet. “Now, let us go downstairs, so we can all chat. My husband is here with me, and we have both been very curious about the new granddaughter we have.”

Matilda was surprised at just how spry Robert’s grandmother was. “What should I call you?”

“I would love it if you called us Grandmama and Grandfather like Robert does.”

Matilda nodded. “I would like that.” She took the stairs slowly and went into the parlor where she had first met Robert, sitting on the window seat there with her husband, while the others took chairs around the house. “Robert, have you let your parents know that your grandparents are here yet?”

Robert shook his head. “I guess I should do that, should I not?” He gave her a sad look as he left, and she could not imagine what was wrong with him.

Marina looked at Matilda. “He does not seem as happy as I expected him to be. He is married, and his first son is on the way. What reason does he have for sadness?”

Matilda shook her head. “I have not told him about the babe yet. I just found out the day of my attack, and I have not been sure quite how to broach the subject. I know he wants to wait a little while before having children.”

“That explains his unhappiness then. Do you really think he does not know? And you keeping it from him will upset him because he does know.”

“How could he know?”

Marina shook her head at Matilda. “There is something about the Lain women when they are carrying. Their faces glow . . . it is hard to explain, but even if I had not known you were expecting upon my arrival, I would have known when I saw your face. He knows you are hiding it from him.”

Matilda bit her lip. “I suppose it is time to tell him then, is not it?”

“Not only time to tell him, but time to tell him why you have tried to hide something so very obvious from him. I know my grandson well enough to know he is very bothered by the deception.” Marina smiled then. “Let me introduce you to your new grandfather while we wait. This is Charles Nobilis, the Norman who came onto our land and conquered my heart many years ago.”

“It is nice to meet you, sir.”