Deirdre by Linda Windsor

Author:Linda Windsor [Windsor, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-75668-8
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2010-08-11T04:00:00+00:00

TWENTY

The great hall was a cacophony of celebration over the announcement of Alric’s wedding to Deirdre. The first part of the procedure had been fulfilled according to Lambert’s pronouncement. Immensely pleased, the king of Galstead announced that his wedding gift was to be the royal villa in Chesreton.

Refreshed from a bath and wearing her pearl-adorned, blue smocked gown and cap, Deirdre endured the toasts of congratulations, still lost in the mysteries in which she and Alric found themselves. His mother had described her and Gleannmara so distinctly, how could Deirdre not believe that God was involved? Orlaith had been a saintly woman, devoutly believing until her last breath that Alric would receive his birthright on earth and in heaven because of her.

After the arrival of Abina and the servants earlier, Deirdre had been so distracted by the new revelations and the spell that compelled the baring of their souls to one another that she’d hardly paid attention to Abina’s fussing over her like a mother hen.

“Orlaith could not have picked a more perfect mate for our Alric than you, milady What glorious hair … said it was like spun gold and it is.”

Alric had left, no less affected than Deirdre with the notion that there was a master purpose in their match. Yet how else could the coincidences be explained when the only common element was God? Granted, Alric did not say he believed it was God, but he did concede that some master power seemed at work. Even now she could feel it, as though they each possessed some pan of the other that forged a common bond, despite all their other differences.

“Perhaps, once my seafaring son discovers the attraction of remaining on land,” Lambert proposed, after a round-cheeked maid had refilled all the glasses at the royal table, “the surrounding shires may become part of his domain as well.”

If only she’d had time to share all this with Scanlan. As it was, the priest was living outside the city walls so as not to stir Ethlinda’s ire against him. The moment Orlaith had died, all traces of Christianity had been forbidden inside the gates. Only Abina was unaffected by the queen’s edict.

“And who will fulfill our naval obligations to the bretwalda?” Ricbert’s drawl was rank with cynicism.

“Your brother has built an admirable fleet of ships, and all but the Wulfshead fare well without him,” his father answered, pride swelling his chest. “His captains on the water are as able as my thanes on land. Take Cedric’s second born, here.”

“Gunnar is a better warrior than I,” Cedric snorted. “I’m not one for battle on footing that bobs and dips at whim.”

“I’d wage my life and the Wulfshead on the abilities of the man.” Alric lifted his glass, first to Gunnar’s father and then to Gunnar himself.

Now that the relationship between the two had been pointed out, Deirdre could see the resemblance, especially in those devilish eyes. Except that Gunnar didn’t seem his usual carefree self.

“Milords are all generous,” he replied with courtly grace.

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