Total pages in book: 208
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
Her head gave a slight jerk before she asked, “Hardly. Why would you say such a thing?”
“Because upon meeting you, and with every moment I’ve shared with you since, I have come more and more to know down to my soul you will be the perfect wife for me.”
Her lips parted, and a look of astonishment moved over her features.
However, he was not finished.
“But now I have learned you will also be the perfect queen for my country. That is not more important, but as you know well, it means a great deal to me.”
She looked away, but he still noted her eyes grew bright with tears.
True allowed her the limited privacy she could have but did it rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.
When she looked back, she had control, but he could see it cost her.
“I wish my mother had been able to know you better before we lost her,” she said softly.
“And as you know, I wish I’d been able to know her better as well,” he replied.
“She would be very happy that destiny choose you for me.”
“She would not be alone.”
Farah pressed her lips together to again gain control.
True continued stroking her knuckles.
When she appeared to be ready, he offered, “Do you wish another sandwich?”
“I will not be able to eat again for a week after the last.”
“I’ll accept that as a no.”
She smiled.
He leaned closer to her. “We’ll come back and see the Lights, darling. We’ll then bring our children to see the Lights. I will make sure you won’t miss them. That is a promise.”
Her face grew soft and she nodded.
Her eyes then fell to his mouth.
And thus, he sat back, for he was ready for that, but he feared she wasn’t.
Not yet.
She turned her attention to the table, her jaw working, and he knew she thought he was wrong.
Perhaps going home to the Thicket was a good thing. There would be much more to take her attention, more to keep her mind off her loss, and distractions for them both so neither did anything earlier than was healthy for her state of mind.
“Shall we walk off our sandwiches by getting some of that taffy from the candy maker down the lane?” he suggested. “She would never admit it out loud, but Mother loves that taffy and will be glad we brought some to her.”
Farah drew breath into her nose, turned to him and smiled brightly. “Yes, and more chocolate custard swirls.”
“I thought you were full up.”
“They’re for the men,” she told him.
“That was what you said last time, before eating three of them and we had to go back and buy more so two men weren’t left without.”
“It’s only four doors down the lane, True, it’s hardly trekking back to Firenze to buy some cioccolato al caffé.”
He stood, helping her out of her chair as he did, murmuring, “You speak of this cioccolato al caffé often and I’m wondering why you did not offer it to me all that time I was in in Firenze with you.”
“I’ll remind you, True, we’d just met, and it’s safe to say you had a number of other things going on.”
He led them toward the door where her cloak and his mantle were hanging on hooks, saying, “It sounds like this cioccolato al caffé was worth an interruption.”
She let out an exasperated sigh. “I’ll make some for you. Mama taught me how.”
“And that I will look forward to, my beloved, for I can just imagine how the kitchen staff at Birchlire Castle will react to my bride taking over while I sit a stool like a besotted fool, watching her make candy.”
She shot him a grin.
He returned it reaching for her cloak.
“Oi!” Luther shouted, and they both looked his way to see he had the handles of four tankards of ale in his grasp. “Where did everyone go? I got us ales.”
“We’re getting taffy for the queen. And chocolate custard swirls. We’ll be back in a bit,” Farah told him, sharing this bit of news loudly with an avid audience of the pub luncheon crowd.
“Get me three swirls,” Luther ordered, not like he was talking to his future queen, like he was ordering about his little sister.
“Will do,” Farah said, latching her cloak that True had settled on her shoulders at her throat.
“We’ll order more ale in when we return,” True told Luther, dipping his head to the tankards. “You can have those.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Luther replied, moving back to the table they vacated.
True clasped his mantle, took his lady’s arm and led her to candy and custard swirls.
One half day where they were allowed to be mostly just True and Farah and their friends.
Then it would be back to reality.
It was not a great deal of time.
But he intended to make the most of it.
“True,” Farah called urgently, shaking his shoulder.