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Cyril’s grin went even wider at that reference to his recent promotion.
“Me, acting librarian of the abbey! Can you believe it?”
I hid a smile. No. But someone had to fill the vacancy of Father Benedict, who’d been arrested as an accessory to treason.
Cyril pulled out a small package and presented it to me.
“We said no gifts,” Tuck said.
“Not so much a gift as lost property,” Cyril explained. “I found it in the library.”
Tuck chuckled. “Lord, please don’t let it be artwork…”
Cyril shushed him, turning red. “Artwork, but not mine.”
I laughed upon opening the gift. “My needlepoint!”
Tuck laughed too, reading the half-finished proverb. “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. Very fitting.”
I kissed Tuck, then thanked Cyril profusely. Not so much because I was dying to dig back into needlepoint, but for the reminder of the trials I’d survived over the past few weeks.
For the next hour, we made small talk with guests, quickly getting separated. I longed for Tuck back at my side, but I was almost as relieved when Robynne joined me.
“Apologies, but the king has asked for the lady of the house,” she said, pulling me away from the crowd.
A fib, but she didn’t seem the least bit rueful.
“Here.” She steered me away and pressed a plate into my hand. “Wine. Bread. Cheese. You must be starving.”
I was, though mostly from the…er, more physically demanding parts of my day. But, heck. Making love took energy. And when it came to sex with Tuck, lots and lots of energy.
“Food is great, but I’m mostly glad to talk to you — finally!” I said.
We’d had some time to chat the previous evening, and we’d hit it off immediately. Tuck was one rock that would keep me grounded here in Nottingham, and Robynne was another. I already knew I could count on her as a friend and adviser.
She smiled. “I agree. And the good thing is, that won’t be so difficult now that we’re neighbors.”
Her grin said it all. Finally — finally! — she and Daniel could live and love each other openly. Robynne had already announced her move in to the sheriff’s quarters and spent the previous night there. Judging by the rosy glow of her cheeks, she and Daniel had passed the hours in much the same way that Tuck and I had — naked and panting between the sheets.
Robynne’s face went pink with sultry memories, and her eyes slid over to Daniel. Then she cleared her throat and led me to where he and Tuck were standing.
“Hello there,” she said, taking Daniel’s hand.
They kissed, then chuckled, still awash in the novelty of a public display of affection. Tuck pulled me in for a hug, squeezing me against his chest like he never wanted to let go. I closed my eyes, heartily agreeing with the sentiment.
“I thought I’d find you over by King Richard, listening to stories about his crusading adventures,” I teased my husband.
Yes, husband. Every time I said or thought it, I grinned in delight.
Tuck shrugged and shot a grateful look at the sheriff.
“War doesn’t have the appeal it used to. Besides, I have to get my mind around my new job.”
“Don’t worry,” Daniel reassured him. “When I was first appointed sheriff, it felt like looking up an impossibly steep mountain. I’m still learning, but it’s not the monster it used to be. Besides, I have faith in our new Lord of Nottingham.”
When he raised his goblet to Tuck in a toast, Robynne and I exchanged amused looks. Up to now, those two had been uneasy allies at best. Now, their relationship seemed to be tipping toward friendship.
Don’t look so surprised, Tuck whispered into my mind. It’s like you said. Miracles can happen.
