She forced herself to ask a question which disturbed her even more since questions came so naturally to her. “One thing that puzzles me is why wasn’t the sound heard earlier on, though the stones could have shifted in the chimneys over time, or the wind may have grown in intensity.”
Torin listened to his wife ask and answer her questions as he finished wiping her face clean, which he had done several minutes ago. He continued running the cloth over her face as an excuse to keep hold of her chin, so he could gaze closely on her. Her beauty could not be denied. She possessed the most flawless skin, not a mark or blemished marred it and there was a silky softness to it that he needed no touch to feel. Her dark eyebrows arched perfectly above her dark eyes and the edges of her long dark lashes had the slightest curve to them and framed her eyes beautifully. But it was her lips that captivated him the most since he had an unrelenting ache to kiss her. It was an ache that never seemed to dissipate. It lingered in him, and he feared it might never leave him. But was that so bad? She was his wife, and he could kiss her any time he liked.
He caught a brief flare of desire spark in her eyes, surprising him since it was mostly curiosity he saw there, but not this, not curiosity. It was a flash of passion he saw. Could she truly want him to kiss her? There was only one way to find out and only one way to silence his wife’s endless chatter.
He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her, not a soft, simple kiss, but a hardy, meaningful one.
Flora hurried her arms around his neck, his commanding kiss leaving her a bit soft on her feet and she instinctively leaned against him. She returned his kiss with equal fervor, enjoying it and the fact that he had wanted to kiss her just as she wanted him to.
After their lips fed hungrily on each other, not coming close to satisfying the relentless thirst that Torin feared might never be quenched, he slowed their kiss reluctantly. When her arms fell away from around his neck, he cupped her face and showered her lips with light kisses.
Her eyes fluttered open, though she did not recall closing them and when his lips drifted off hers and his hands fell away from her face, she smiled. “I truly enjoy your kisses.”
“And I truly enjoy kissing you,” he admitted, brushing his lips over hers one last time.
She sighed with a pleasure that was new to her. “Is it permissible for me to kiss you, not a peck on the cheek, but a kiss like we just shared, and not wait for you to kiss me?”
“You have my permission to do just that any time you’d like,” he said hastily. “And I do not mind pecks either.”
Flora pressed her hand on his chest. “I know I have mentioned this before, but a reminder always helps. This is all very new to me, and I am eager to learn all I can.”
“And I have plans to teach you,” he reminded as well.
“I love gaining knowledge. I believe it feeds the mind and soul, which reminds me we must go speak with Hadwin, then I can return with the servants to the keep so they will see there is nothing to fear.” She glanced at her hand on his chest and grimaced as she moved it off him. “I got soot on you.”
“My shirt can be washed, worry not,” he said, having liked that she had not simply rested her hand upon his chest, but had pressed it firmly. His heart already had been beating strongly from their kiss, her simple touch had made it pound and he had wondered if she could feel it.
Flora hurried to wash her hands, then gave her hair a good brushing after her husband reminded her that it had been sprinkled with soot. She braided it quickly, then washed her hands again.
A knock sounded and Anwen entered after Torin gave permission and she handed a cloak to Flora. “My lady,” she said with a soft bob of her head.
“As soon as I return, we will get busy in the keep once again,” Flora said.
Flora and Torin left the cottage shortly after Anwen took her leave and headed to Hadwin’s cottage.
Hadwin could not hide his shock at seeing Lord Torin standing at his door, his wife beside him, and he stared at them wide-eyed, not knowing what to say.
“We have questions for you about the dead men you came across in the woods before arriving here, and I am beyond appreciative that you gifted me the scroll.”
The last of her remark seemed to relax him a bit. “You are most welcome, my lady.” He shook his head as if finally realizing his manners. “Please, please come in out of the cold.”
The cottage was small and neatly kept with a good fire in the hearth, keeping the sparse space toasty warm.
“Please sit,” Hadwin offered.
“We will not be staying long, Hadwin, a few questions and we will be on our way,” Torin said.
Flora was not so sure about that and seeing the way Torin’s presence made Hadwin nervous, she considered that it might prove beneficial to return and speak with Hadwin without her husband.
“The two dead men you came across, had they fallen near each other?” Flora asked.
If Hadwin thought it odd that Flora asked the questions rather than Torin, he did not show it. He answered without hesitation.
“They were a short distance apart, the one man prone on the ground and the other near a tree trunk not far from him.”
“What did you think when you saw them?” Flora asked.
Hadwin scratched his head. “Strange that you ask since my very first thought was that they had fought, and the one man killed the other but having been wounded himself, he stumbled to the tree where he toppled over dead. But the two also could have been attacked by a band of renegades as well. It’s winter and there are those who are hungry and will do whatever is necessary for food. It is difficult to say what really happened to the two.”