“And once he slips away, it is difficult to locate him again. He has a way of manipulating, cajoling, and convincing. Lies fall easily from his lips. And before you compare him to me know I mean harm to none… unlike him.”
“Lies can hurt whether meant harmfully or not,” Willow argued.
He grinned. “You mean like you hurt me when you lied about enjoying my kiss?”
“I don’t believe for one minute I hurt you.”
“You most certainly did hurt me, wife,” he said with humor. “You were the first woman to ever deny that my kisses affected you, and that simply could not be.” His humor faded and he turned serious. “I am far too skilled a lover to disappoint a woman.”
Willow was at a loss at how to respond until her practical nature surfaced. “I’ll have to take your word for it, since I’ll never know if you speak the truth.”
“We’re wed. It is proper for us to couple and I could make your first time memorable.”
“Coupling would seal our vows for good. We’d have no chance at an annulment,” she reminded.
“No one need know. It would be between you and me.”
She gave a slight tilt of her head as she said, “And perhaps the bairn that might come of our coupling?”
Slatter shuddered. “Bairns. I don’t need any of those.”
“I do,” she said. “I look forward to having a large family and there to be much smiles and laughter shared.” She thought a moment and there was sadness to her words when she said. “We do not want the same things. It is good we seek an annulment or we would be unhappy with one another.”
“Then at least let me teach you the pleasures of a good kiss, so you don’t suffer bad ones.” Why his own words irritated him, he couldn’t say? Or did the thought of someone else kissing her after he had been her first disturb him more than he cared to admit? Something else that irritated him.
“That won’t be necessary. I intend to wed for love and however my husband’s kisses, to me they will be… magical.”
“An odd choice with you being so sensible.” Again irritation jabbed at him. She would forgive the clumsy kissing fool anything because of love… foolish.
“And where do you plan on finding this man you intend to love and whose kisses will be magical?” he asked his voice ripe with annoyance.
“Fate will deliver him to me,” she said with a smile and with confidence.
Silence trailed along with them once again and she was glad when they finally camped for the night. The men had brought food with them. A light fare of bread and cheese, but enough to keep the stomach feeling full.
She stretched out on the blanket Slatter had spread close to the fire and was surprised when he joined her, wrapping himself around her as he had done last night in the hut, only this time he wasn’t naked.
“You don’t have to—”
He didn’t let her finish. “A husband sees to his wife’s care. I am your husband and I will be your husband until I am no more.”
She was too tired to disagree with him. She relaxed against him and abruptly fell asleep.
Sleep was more difficult to come by for Slatter, conflicting thoughts messing around in his head. Only knowing Willow a short time, he couldn’t understand what it was that had her settling so deeply in his thoughts. She was there all the time and he couldn’t chase her away. He’d never spent so much time thinking on one woman. It made no sense to him. As did the thought that had rushed into his head and almost out of his mouth when she talked about marrying another for love.
You’re my wife and you’ll stay my wife.
He didn’t want a wife and he didn’t want bairns. At least that’s what he told himself. It made it easier than facing the truth.
Willow turned in her sleep, snuggling tight against him and slipping her one leg between his before resting her head on his chest. He wrapped her in his embrace and knew then and there that he didn’t want to let her go. But where that crazy thought came from, he had no idea.
They entered the village on foot, mid-morning the next day. It was market day and the area was bustling with activity. People had traveled from other villages to sell their wares and to buy what they needed.
One of the men remained with the horses in the nearby woods. Slatter left her to walk with Walcott while he went on ahead alone to see if he could locate the man he was searching for. She helped Walcott with his purchases; ground wheat, a small crock of honey, and some cheese. She had taken over negotiating prices when he was about to pay too much for a crock of honey after grumbling in displeasure at the cost.