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"In the name of God, let all know that this man and this woman are joined forevermore Let none pull them asunder, and let them be one until death parts thee of ehter He bent to press a chaste kiss to her pink lips, then another, and pulled away as the witnesses applauded in delight Taking one of her hands, he slipped it into the crook of his arm and led his beautiful bride from the chapel and into the Great Hall

They would feast and celebrate-the court had been waiting eagerly for this opportunity-and as soon as possible, Gavin would whisk Madelyne away to as now the cha in no uncertain ter ceremony "The sheets may be inspected in thein the presence of anyone butchortled at his man&039;s vehement comment, but acquiesced "If I did not know better, Gavin, I should think you ell and truly smitten with the nun Nevertheless, it will be as you say: no bedding cere you can abscond from the celebration in secret I will not be responsible for the overzealous actions of your men and peers should they follow you!"

Gavin had agreed-he&039;d receivedthan expected-and now, as he sat next to his new bride at the high table, he had difficulty keeping his thoughts on the conversation he shared with Eleanor When Madelyne had appeared to join hih someone had slaown of fabric that shimmered when she moved-the likes of which he&039;d never seen before The undergown and over-tunic were cut of the same cloth, and both fitted to her body in aa nun

But she was no longer a nun

Yet, Madelyne&039;s garb was simple in its cut, and decoration It was the fabric that oddess, with her fair, serene face, pale pink lips, and long, glossy strands of hair the color of the blackest of nights that hung past her waist A thin circlet of silver rested about the crown of her head, ineffective for holding her thick tresses in place, but perfect as a si from the center of her forehead, suspended fro ropes of blue-white pearls wound around her neck and swung to the girtle made from silver links

Gavin had never seen her hair co over her shoulder as she bent to eat, he reached to touch one thick lock He lifted it, feeling its weight, and wondered how soon they could leave the dinner

He sipped at his wine and continued his conversation with Eleanor, even as he watched his wife chat with the king, who sat on the other side of her Observing her, he could not believe that only one moon earlier, she&039;d been a shy, naive nun ensconced in a cloistered abbey Today, she spoke more confidently, moved withwoman he&039;d ever seen

And she was his

That was enough Gavin rose from his seat, leaned to kiss Eleanor&039;s hand, and said, "Your reatly enjoyed your presencebut I am off to enjoy my wife now Ime in that direction"

Eleanor s of that prizeand I a at dinner as you have!"

Leaning toward Madelyne, he whispered in her ear, "I bid you excuse yourself, madame, and have Clem escort you to our chah of this prattering and wish to have you to e, wide eyes turned to look up at him in surprise, but Madelyne did as she was bid Gavin assisted her in bringing the bulk of her skirts fro to Cleht direction

Now, the trick would be for Gavin to disappear without the revelers noticing and following hi cereone before any of them noticed

Tricky awaited her ht and her cheeks flushed with excitement "There has never been aMadelyne froown and pulled it over her head, leaving her ht chemise

"The man is mad for you," Tricky continued as she helped her disrobe frohtest, finest linen cloth "Would that Clem has come to his senses by now, but it appears that he is a bit more thick-headed than your Gavin"

Your Gavin Madelyne fixated on those words He was, indeed, hers now, and the thought ht of as to co her hair and, with one last pat on the head, hurried fro Madelyne to herself But no sooner had Tricky gone than a soft knock came and the door opened

Gavin slipped in and turned to close the door, bolting it i detectedbut there is always the chance that so next to the blazing fire

"MadelyneLady Mal Verneit is as if every tirow ht of his hand on her cheek and then reaching to sth of her hair "Since the moment I met you, I needed to see you thuswith your hair loose I craved for days to know even the color of your hairand feared you&039;d shaven it at the abbey NowI wish to see you clothed only in those black locks"

Warmth and anticipation skittered up her spine, and Madelyne felt the full impact of the effect she had upon the man as now her husband With a boldness she did not know she possessed-or how she ca her hands above her head, lifting her unbound breasts under the cheht linen scrape over them as she pulled the slip from her body

When it fell to the floor beside her, she heard Gavin&039;s intake of breath and saw the darkness surge into his eyes His gaze heavy and dark, he strode toward her and gathered her into his arth of hi, the rise and fall of his chest, and the hardness of his arousal pulsing between thee hands reached between them to hold the heaviness of her breast, and Madelyne&039;s bare feet settled atop Gavin&039;s booted ones The mixture of sensation between the coarse fabric of his tunic and the soft sensuality of hisstrokes of his thureat shiver to tre swelled and das

With a deep breath, Gavin set her away fro both hands on his hips as if to keep them in control "I believe it only fair that we should be on equal standing," he told her with a crooked half-smile "Allow me to disrobe-if it please you, my lady-and we may commence with our desires then"

"It pleasesto do, to focus on other than as to happen

She knelt at his feet, gathering her hair into a bundle and pushing it over one shoulder Slowly, as the anticipation between the the her ti the firht of his hand on the top of her head, and the firhtened when she reached to pull down his chausses