Roger's Bride by Sarah Hegger

Author:Sarah Hegger [Hegger, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Kathryn’s stare fixed on her wedding gown and refused to move. Her mouth went suddenly dry. Her. Wedding. Gown. As in the gown she would wear to get married.

Married.

Her heart leapt into her throat.

“Oh, Lady Mary, it is lovely.” Mother clasped her hands to her bosom. Tears glistened and she dabbed at them.

“I wore it the day I married Sir Arthur.” Lady Mary stroked the ice-blue samite encrusted with seed pearls. Lady Mary must have looked like a faerie princess in that gown.

Kathryn stood, her feet frozen to the spot as her mother, Lady Mary, Nurse, Faye and Beatrice all grew misty-eyed. An interloper in the land of women. When the gown brought for Matty proved too short and gaped across the bosom, Lady Mary had made the offer to gown Kathryn.

The longer she stood, the more her body hurt, and she had trouble hiding her pain from the other women. Mother would not want the other women to see the marks on her and witness their shame.

Now they all expected her to don the gown, then follow them to the chapel where Roger waited. Sweat broke out over her skin. After today she would be Roger’s bride, his wife and chattel.

“Are you all right?” Beatrice sidled up beside her.

Not in the least. Her voice escaped her in a wobbly exhalation. “Aye.”

Beatrice cocked her head. “You do not look all right.” She stiffened and went scarlet. “Do you need me to explain the…um…tonight.”

“Nay,” Kathryn near shouted. That would be beyond awkward. “Nay. I mean, I believe I understand that part.” The conversation with her mother yestereve had been even more excruciating than the act her mother described. It scrambled the mind that children came into the world at all if they got here that way.

“Good.” Beatrice blew out a long breath. “Because I would, but with Roger being my brother, it seems a little odd.”

“What maggot are you putting in her head?” Nurse bustled over, eyes narrowed like a ferret beneath her brow-squashing wimple. “She looks pale as a ghost.”

Beatrice threw her arms up. “What? She looked that way before I got here.”

“Looked what way?” Faye sidled up and peered at Kathryn.

“Terrified,” said Beatrice.

Nurse pressed a goblet into her hand with a wink. “Drink this.”

“What is that?” Beatrice peered at the goblet.

“Never you mind.” Nurse stared at Kathryn until she drained the goblet. “It is just a little something to make the day go easier.”

Faye and Beatrice exchanged glances.

Mother made herself busy, gathering up mugs and bowls from their shared meal and piling them by the door.

With a clap of her hands, Lady Mary drew all attention to her. “Might I have a word with Kathryn. Alone.”

“Why?” Beatrice glanced about.

“Out.” Lady Mary shooed them all toward the door, Mother included. “I will have a quiet word with Kathryn and then you can all come back and we will see her dressed.”

Faye gave her a look of concern and then the door shut behind the other women.

“There now.” Lady Mary walked to the bed, sat and patted for Kathryn to join her.

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