Authors: Anna Markland
After a while Caedmon stifled a yawn. He leaned towards Aidan. “Come, this old man is tired. I can’t keep up with you young people any more. Let’s retire and enjoy the Count’s hospitality. I’m for bed.”
“But Father, I thought I would—”
Blythe could have sworn her father winked at Aidan. Her brother abruptly changed his mind.
“You’re right. I’m tired. Goodnight, Blythe. Count.”
Caedmon kissed Blythe’s forehead. “Goodnight, my lovely girl, I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too, Father.”
***
Silence reigned in the room after they left. Blythe twiddled her thumbs nervously. Her hands didn’t want to be still. She could feel Dieter’s eyes on her. “You and my father got along well this evening. I assume you settled on a mutually agreeable ransom for me?”
“I asked for no ransom, Blythe. That’s not why I asked your father to come for you.”
She looked up from her fidgeting and stared at him. “Why did you ask him?”
He came to his feet and moved to stand behind her. He didn’t touch her, but she could feel the warmth of his body. “Because I came to realize I couldn’t keep you here any longer, no matter how much I wanted to. If I did you would loathe me more than you do now, and I would find that hard to bear. I knew I had to let you go.”
Was he saying what she thought he was saying? “I don’t hate you, Dieter. I’ve tried, and find I can’t.”
He moved to stand at her side, took hold of her hands and pulled her to her feet. “I wouldn’t blame you for hating me. I’m sorry I’ve hurt you and your family. I couldn’t help myself. I want you so badly.”
The warmth of his hands travelled into her belly and warred with the chills running up and down her spine. “You want me? For what?”
He put his hands on her waist and drew her to his body. “For my wife, Blythe. I love you. I’ve loved you from the moment we met. I’ve denied it, but I can’t stand the thought of your leaving here. My life will be empty without you.”
She felt the hard evidence of his passion pressed against her and wetness pooled between her legs. Her breasts tingled. Words rushed out of her mouth. “But how can you love me? I’ve been cold and rude. I was afraid to fall in love with you and pretended to be aloof. If you knew how many times I itched to put my hands on your body and explore every part of you. I’ve longed to comb my fingers through your beautiful hair, to feel your hands on my body. Dieter,
ich liebe dich
! I love you so much I would die if I had to remain here and not—”
His deep passionate kiss interrupted her. His tongue delved into her mouth and she sucked on it. The sensation sent heat surging from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.
He tore his mouth from hers. They were both panting hard. He took her hand and placed it on the side of his face. “Touch me, Blythe. I’ve longed for you to caress me. I want to make you my wife in every possible way.”
Before she could respond, he put a fingertip to her lips. “I must tell you something before you make your decision.”
She had an urge to suck his finger into her mouth, but he looked worried. “What is it?”
“I have a son.”
This wasn’t what she expected. If he had a son, it would mean— “A son?”
He went down on one knee, but never took his eyes from her face. “I am a widower, Blythe. My wife died. My son’s name is Johann. You need to understand he is my heir.”
Her heart went out to the child she’d never met. Her mother and father had always been an important part of her life. She could not imagine growing up without a mother. “Oh, Dieter, to be a motherless child. How would he feel about—me?”
He came to his feet. “I might have known your first thought would not be for yourself, but for my child. I love you Blythe Lacey FitzRam. Johann will love you too. Please accept my proposal of marriage.”
Her body burned for him. Was this really happening? “Yes, I accept, but my father—”
He hugged her tightly. “I’ve spoken to your father. I don’t foresee a problem.”
She laughed. “I wondered why you two were so amicable this evening! You rogue!”
He crushed her to his body, raking his fingers through her hair. “
Ja
, I’m a rogue who carried you away, but you stole my heart with your ugly braids and sullen pouts! I didn’t know you spoke any German, and yet you tell me you love me in my language!”
“Dieter, I’m on fire for you. You’ve awakened feelings in me I’ve never experienced before. My body aches for you.”
He kissed her again. “You’re a passionate woman,
mein Schatz
. I hope I’ll be able to satisfy your needs.”
He flashed his enigmatic smile and rocked his hips against her. “As you can probably tell I would like to do that very thing right now, but I prefer to wait until we’re married. I’ll speak to Archbishop Frederick on the morrow.”
Dieter’s widowed father and older sister travelled from Wolfenberg, bringing three year old Johann. Blythe fell in love with the child as soon as she saw him. He was a miniature Dieter. The boy seemed overwhelmed and tired after the journey. He clung to his grandfather’s leg, wide-eyed as the adults greeted each other. Vormund licked his face and he laughed as he swiped his sleeve across his mouth. Dieter knelt and held his arms out to his son, but it took a definite push for him to relinquish his grandfather’s leg and go into his father’s welcoming arms.
Dieter fondled his son’s hair. “Don’t you remember me, Johann, I’m your Papa? Vormund is glad to see you too,
ja
?”
Johann put his arms around Dieter’s neck and hugged his father. “
Ja
, Papa.”
Blythe’s heart swelled at the love on Dieter’s face. He turned Johann to face her, his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “Lady Blythe Lacey FitzRam, may I present my only son, Johann Dieter Marius von Wolfenberg.”
She wished Dieter had not made the introduction so formal. She desperately wanted the boy to like her. He averted his eyes and shrank away.
His father prodded him forward. “You must make a polite bow, Johann.”
The little boy bowed, without looking at her. She fell to her knees and opened her arms. “
Kommen
, Johann. Let me embrace you. We will be great friends.”
After a furtive glance at his nodding grandfather, he obeyed. The daunting responsibility of caring for this child swept over her, but it gladdened her that this was another part of Dieter’s life she could cherish and protect.
Dieter and his father laughed and Johann went back quickly to his Papa. Dieter hoisted him up on his shoulders and offered his hand to Blythe. “Your nursemaid will take you to bathe, Johann, and then I will show you new toys we have for you.”
The boy grinned and nodded and his grandfather took him off to their chambers, leaving Dieter and Blythe alone. He took her hand and led her to the chairs by the hearth. “I hope he likes me,” she said.
“He was a little shy, but he’ll get over that. He’ll come to love you as I do. He will benefit from having brothers and sisters, and I intend to provide him with lots of those.”
Blythe smiled at his lecherous grin and blushed. They sat for a while in silence. She wanted to ask about Johann’s mother, but was hesitant. Dieter had never revealed anything about her, but the questions had to be asked. “What was his mother’s name?”
He glanced up sharply. “I know we must speak of this, Blythe. I want no secrets between us, but it is difficult to talk about. I admit I have put it off.”
She rose and went to kneel at his feet, resting her head on his lap. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t wish to.”
The silence stretched between them. She felt the tension in his body as he stroked her hair. “Her name was Frederika. She was mad.”
Blythe raised her head abruptly and looked at him, wishing she hadn’t. Despair haunted his eyes. She gripped his hands and swallowed hard, hating to see him in such pain. “Dieter, my love. What happened to her?”
He inhaled deeply. “Eventually she drowned herself.”
Blythe had to sink her teeth into the flesh of her hand to stifle a cry of sorrow and outrage. What this man had endured. “Did she love Johann?”
Dieter shrugged. “I don’t think she even knew who he was at the end.”
Tears trickled down Blythe’s cheek. “Why did you marry her if she was mad?”
He took her face in his hands and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. “We were betrothed when we were children. No one knew then what would befall her. It was an obligation. I did not meet her until the day of our marriage and I sensed then something was wrong, but it was my duty. If I’d known the extent of her madness, I would not have married her, but the die was cast once we were wed. I never loved her, Blythe. You are the only woman I have ever loved.”
She put her hands over his. “And you are the only man I have ever loved, ever will love. Your child is my child.”
He came to his feet and helped her rise, pulling her into his embrace. “I never expected to find a love like ours,
liebling
.”
“Nor I.”
***
Caedmon FitzRam walked proudly into the Old Cathedral in Köln with his magnificent daughter on his arm. She looked radiant and his heart was filled with joy that she’d found someone with whom she could share love and passion. He was sorry Agneta couldn’t be there. However, Dieter had sent messengers to Saint Germain, and Robert would send the message on by way of the regular relays the Montbryces used. He was confident it was the quickest way to get the happy news of Blythe’s betrothal and marriage to his family in England. He laughed as he thought of his precocious daughter, Ragna. She would be mortified not to be present at her sister’s wedding and would ask him thousands of questions. He studied his eldest daughter, trying to memorise the details of the occasion, for he well recognised Aidan would be useless in this.
Blythe’s blue silk dress, edged along the hem with ermine, fell gracefully from the high waist, banded with a wide sash of the same silk, which emphasized the swell of her breasts. He noted with satisfaction that she was indeed her mother’s daughter. The bodice had long sleeves and a cerise coloured cowl plunged from her shoulders to the high waistline. As she walked she lifted the edge, revealing a cerise coloured underskirt and dainty shoes tied around the ankles. Dieter had given her an amber necklace as a betrothal gift and she wore it proudly now. On her head she bore a circlet headdress, beribboned with cerise ribbons, and a shimmering veil. Caedmon closed his eyes and his thoughts drifted back to his own wedding in the fledgling abbey at Alnwick. Though not a wealthy man then, he’d been just as consumed with love for Agneta as Dieter seemed to be for Blythe.
The Count wore a long sleeved black tunic of fine wool, black leggings and black boots. The black hilt of his sword had white ribbons entwined around it, and a long white cloak, worn off the shoulders, fell almost to his feet. It struck Caedmon he’d never seen his son-by-marriage in anything other than black clothing.
Johann acted as his father’s page and was dressed in garb identical to his father’s.
Caedmon smiled. He would be able to report to Ragna that it was indeed a magnificent wedding. He relished teasing her mercilessly about it. In that regard, Aidan would be the perfect ally.
***
Archbishop Frederick conducted the lengthy ceremony. As he settled into the second quarter hour of his homily, Blythe’s mind wandered over what Dieter had told her about the cathedral in which she knelt. Christian buildings had existed on the site since the fourth century. Her thoughts flew back to the coronation ceremony in Mainz. It seemed long ago and far away. How unhappy she’d been then.
She longed for the nuptial ceremony to be over, the banquet to be done. It had been a fortnight of restraint that had stretched both hers and Dieter’s patience. She wanted to get on with discovering the passions her mother had hinted at. She thirsted to see Dieter naked and he’d told her he dreamed every night of running his hands through her auburn hair while she lay beneath him.
Aidan didn’t speak German, and he shifted restlessly in his pew. He was still cool towards Dieter and she suspected it was difficult for him to accept his twin would be far away.
Her father didn’t miss his cue when asked to place the coins symbolic of her dowry on the Bible. Caedmon had endowed her with one of his Sussex estates and a substantial sum of money. Dieter had presented her with an estate he owned in Saxony.
It would soon be Yuletide and the cathedral was chilly. Incense hung in the air as if frozen in place. Her toes were freezing. Dieter noticed her shiver and tightened his grip on her hand, smiling his enigmatic smile. His warmth filled her with longing. Would anyone notice if she kissed his hand? She willed the Archbishop to cease speaking.
Finally, the rites were completed and everyone processed out of the cathedral. Dieter and Aidan lifted Blythe by the forearms so her feet wouldn’t touch the slippery path. Anna draped a warm fur around her shoulders and Dieter shrugged into a wolfskin coat held out for him by Bernhardt. Laughing and giggling, they were bundled into a horse-drawn sleigh and tucked in. Köln had experienced an unusual December snowfall. Dieter kissed her deeply as the driver cajoled the horse into a trot and headed for his house.