Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"You place us in a difficult position, sir," said Robert Morgan. There was no mistaking the irritation in his voice.

Anthony Wyndham flushed, but he held his ground. "The matter is as hard for me, sir, as it is for you, but I am only following Edmund‘s—my uncle's—orders."

"My daughter is a sensitive girl," Lord Morgan protested. "She has never even met the earl. Finding herself promised in marriage to a stranger has taken some getting used to for her. Yet knowing that she would meet her betrothed before the wedding within the bosom of her family has helped her to come to terms with this match. Now you tell me that you have come to wed Blaze by proxy for your uncle, and that you will escort her back to him at RiversEdge. I like it not, sir!"

"I have already explained to you, my lord, why my uncle has sent me to ask this of you. You and your family are invited to come back to RiversEdge with me for the second ceremony."

Lord Morgan slammed his fist into the palm of his other hand. "We cannot leave Ashby right now, sir! It is the harvest season. All hands, even our fine white noble ones, are needed here on this estate if my people and I are to survive the winter."

Anthony Wyndham's manner softened. He knew the position that Lord Morgan was in, for his uncle had been more than frank with him. Only four years separated the two men, and having been raised together, they were more like brothers than uncle and nephew. "My uncle's people need to see the ceremony of his new marriage. They need the hope that it offers them. Surely you understand this, my lord."

"Rob." Rosemary Morgan spoke quietly. "It is certainly very disappointing for us not to have the full pomp of Blaze's wedding, but I know that you would not endanger the match in your chagrin." She smiled encouragingly at her husband.

Anthony Wyndham thought to himself as he watched her that if the daughter was as lovely as the mother, then his uncle was certainly a fortunate man. Lady Morgan was a radiant beauty.

"I know," she continued softly to her husband, "that Blaze is your especial pet, but with our large brood there will be weddings aplenty. Those weddings cannot, however, take place unless this one does." It was a gentle warning that even Anthony Wyndham understood.

Lord Morgan gave a soft groan of defeat. "You are right, my love," he said, and looking up, pierced the earl's nephew with a half-angry gaze. "When?" he demanded.

"Tomorrow, my lord. I must bring the bride to RiversEdge as quickly as I can."

"Blaze's dower chest is in complete readiness," said Lady Morgan, forestalling the new outburst she saw brewing in her husband's blue eyes. "The proxy ceremony can take place first thing in the morning. It is better that our daughter not dwell upon this sudden change, although she will certainly be distressed."

Anthony Wyndham's relief was openly visible. "I have brought with me a maidservant of my uncle's to be a traveling companion to his betrothed wife. Her name is Heartha. She has with her the bridal garments and other clothing for the lady Blaze."

"I shall go and fetch my daughter," said Lady Morgan. "I shall allow you to tell her of these changes, Master Anthony, for I believe you can do it better than either my husband or myself." Rising from her seat, Rosemary Morgan hurried out.

Lord Morgan snorted. Then he grinned broadly at his guest. "You do understand that my wife believes that if you tell Blaze, she will not cause a scene."

"Your daughter is hot-tempered?" Anthony Wyndham's light-colored eyes showed mild curiosity.

"You will soon judge for yourself, sir," replied Lord Morgan with a small chuckle. "Of course there is the possibility that my daughter will remember her manners." Then he laughed aloud.

Anthony Wyndham suddenly looked distinctly uncomfortable. He had not wanted this particular commission, but Edmund had insisted, and they were best friends.

"I cannot," he had said, "leave RiversEdge now. I believe the worst to be over, but if I left our people at this point it would dishearten them. Go to Ashby Hall and bring back my bride, Tony. I know it may distress her to have our wedding plans changed so abruptly, but we need Blaze here at RiversEdge now!"

"Master Anthony, I present my daughter Blaze to you." Robert Morgan's voice pierced Anthony Wyndham's thoughts.

Focusing his light blue eyes, he looked down upon the most exquisite creature he had ever beheld. A pair of violet-blue eyes set within a perfect heart of a face which was framed in a halo of golden-brown hair looked curiously back. It was all he could do to keep himself from reaching out and touching her. He felt tongue-tied as he struggled to speak, his own voice sounding hollow in his ears. "I bring you greetings from your betrothed husband, lady."

"I welcome you to Ashby, Master Anthony." Her voice was clear and musical in tone.

"Master Anthony has some exciting news for you, Blaze," said Lady Morgan, gently prompting him. "Pray be seated, as it will take some telling. Your father and I, already being informed, will now return to our tasks." Rosemary Morgan took her surprised husband by the hand and walked from the room.

Seating herself in a tapestry-backed chair, Blaze looked up at Anthony Wyndham, wondering if her betrothed husband were as handsome as this man. His coal-black hair and clear, light blue eyes with their thick sooty lashes were a startling contrast to his very fair skin. No. Papa had said that the earl had brown eyes.

"What is it you wish to tell me, sir?" she queried Anthony. "Has your uncle changed his mind about acquiring another wife?"

"Nay, lady! He is most eager for your arrival, which is why I have come. There has been a severe summer sickness amongst the children at RiversEdge. Several previously healthy younglings died. That tragedy was almost immediately followed by a freak storm with fierce lightning. It attacked the estate without warning. There was no time to bring the stock in from the pastures. One huge bolt of lightning struck in a field with such ferocity that it set the trees afire and killed an entire flock of sheep that had been grazing in that particular meadow. The terrible and hellish sound of it was heard for miles around.

"The people of RiversEdge are demoralized by these frightening events. The old goodwives are prattling about bad fortune visiting us because of my uncle's lack of a wife and children. Then two nights ago Edmund gave an outdoor fete to cheer his people's spirits and reassure them. Shortly after sunset a fireball was seen shooting across the heavens, thereby giving rise to more tidings of doom.

"My uncle has therefore decided that he cannot leave his estates at this time. Nonetheless he does not seek to postpone your nuptials. Rather he would use this marriage for a good omen. He has sent me to act as his proxy. We will wed immediately, and I will bring you back to RiversEdge, where Edmund hopes that a formal celebration of your marriage will encourage and cheer your people. As my uncle's wife, it will be your duty to see to such matters."

Surprised by this sudden change in her wedding plans, and outraged by his last words to her, Blaze stamped her foot. Then, standing up, she said angrily, "I am more aware than you, sir, of a wife's duties! How dare you seek to preach them to me? I regret the trials that have been visited upon RiversEdge, but I find this change of plans unseemly. I will, however, abide by my lord's wishes in this matter. When will the proxy ceremony take place?"

He was astounded by her anger, but decided it was but caused by her disappointment. "Tomorrow," he answered her.

"Tomorrow?" she shrieked. Her head was beginning to throb.

"My uncle wants you at RiversEdge before the week's end, lady." He was not certain how to deal with this outraged child-woman who was about to be his aunt. Had she been his betrothed wife he would have found himself torn between kissing her and spanking her.

Blaze drew a deep breath to still her anger. She could not ever remember having been so furious. The earl was most considerate of his people, and very eager for himself, but what of her?

"You will like RiversEdge," Anthony said in an attempt to placate her. "It is a fitting setting for such a beautiful jewel of a woman as you are."

"I do not think you have the right to speak to me in such an intimate fashion, sir," she said stiffly. "Remember that I am to be your uncle's wife, and in future, address me with the respect due my station." She almost gasped with surprise at her own words. Why on earth was she behaving this way?

"No disrespect was meant, madam," he said coolly, thinking that though she be beautiful she was prudish. He pitied his uncle now, for gentle Cathy had been a warm and vibrant woman.

"Is there anything else you would tell me, sir?" Blaze demanded. When he shook his head in the negative, she curtsied, saying as she left the room, "Then I shall bid you a good day, sir."

It took every ounce of self-control she possessed to walk from the room with what she hoped was a regal stance. Her heart was hammering violently within her chest. She was angry, and excited, and afraid all at once. She was certain that her legs were wobbling even if her backbone was stiff and straight. As she closed the door behind her she broke into a run, fleeing up the staircase to her bedchamber so she might have a few moments to regain her composure before she must face her family. It was not to be. All her sisters, but for baby Glenna, were crowded into the room awaiting her.

"Well?" demanded Bliss. "Who is he? He's got a full dozen men-at-arms wearing the Langford livery with him. There's even a female servant who came with them, and is closeted with Old Ada now. They are unpacking the most gorgeous clothing I have ever seen!"

"Am I allowed no privacy in my own chamber?" Blaze grumbled.

"Not until you tell!" replied Delight mischievously.

"We're all dying of curiosity," said Blythe in her sweet, soft voice.

"Oh, very well," muttered Blaze. "There are no secrets in this house anyway. You'll all know soon enough. He is Master Anthony Wyndham, the earl's nephew."

"He is gorgeous," remarked thirteen-year-old Delight with an exaggerated sigh that caused her younger siblings to giggle.

"No future," said the practical Bliss. "Blaze is bound to have a dozen sons if the earl does his duty by her."

"It won't change the fact that he's gorgeous, as Delight says, even if he is poor," said Blythe with a twinkle. "Besides, he cannot be too poor."

"Time enough for gorgeous men after we've all married rich men," Bliss replied, dismissing Anthony Wyndham's prospects. "Why is he here? Your wedding is not for another fortnight."

"My wedding is tomorrow," Blaze said irritably, plumping herself into the middle of their big bed, and going on to explain to her astounded sisters the whys and wherefores of the change.

"Why, 'tis outrageous!" sputtered Bliss when her elder sister had finished with her explanations. "A woman may have more than one wedding in her lifetime if she is widowed, but there is only one first wedding. It is like only being able to lose your virginity once! It is special!"

" 'Twas to be no great affair, Bliss," Blaze offered logically, trying to reason away her own disappointment. "The most important thing for me was that my family would be there, and you all will be."

"But we have not yet met Lord Wyndham!" wailed Blythe. "You will marry a man that none of us even knows! It frightens me to even think on it."

"Don't be such a goose," Bliss scolded her twin. "The only one who has to know the earl is Blaze, and she will soon enough. Perhaps your wedding was not to be a great affair, sister, but there was to have been a small celebration. Now you must be wed first thing tomorrow morning. Then be bundled off to RiversEdge without so much as a bridescake and wine. A girl's wedding day is important to her, but I suppose the earl would not have stopped to consider that. How dreary of him!"

"I was angry too when I first learned of these changes in our plans," admitted Blaze, "but as I reconsider Master Anthony's words I realize that it is rather flattering that the earl should feel my presence can cheer his people. No one has ever before thought me useful for anything."

"I think it very romantic that the earl cannot live another day without his bride." Delight sighed. "I would love a man to feel that way about me." Her deep blue eyes grew dreamy with the thought.

Bliss opened her mouth to make a scathing retort, but instead shrieked, "Ouch!" as a frowning Blythe with uncharacteristic spirit pinched her arm.

"Will we ever see you again, Blaze?" asked Vanora, her baby-round face with its almost black eyes worried.

Blaze leaned forward, brushing a lock of Vanora's pale silvery-gold hair back from her forehead. "Of course you will see me, Vana. As soon as I am settled you may come for a visit to RiversEdge. I am certain that my husband will permit it."

Vanora smiled with relief.

"We will miss you," Larke and Linnette chorused. They often spoke in unison. Although frequently scolded about it, they could not seem to break the habit.

"I will miss you also," Blaze replied, "but RiversEdge is only twelve miles from Ashby as the crow flies."

"As none of us will be flying crows, however," said Bliss sharply, "it will be a half-day's ride across the fields, or almost a full day going around on proper roads."

"Mistress Blaze," quavered the voice of Old Ada as she hobbled into the room. "There is someone here from yer betrothed to meet ye." She glowered at the other girls. "Get ye gone, ye chattering group of flibbertigibbets!" she scolded them. " 'Tis the bride's business I've come about. There's no room here for all ye! Shoo!"

Giggling at the old woman's pretended ferocity, the Morgan sisters trooped out, leaving their eldest sibling with Ada. Behind the nursemaid stood a small, plump woman with a merry countenance, whose bright eyes twinkled at the girls as they passed her.

"This be Heartha," said Old Ada. "She be sent to wait on ye, and she has brought ye beautiful things."

"My lord has sent you a gown that you may wear tomorrow, and clothing for travel, my lady. He hopes it will please you. May I show you?" Heartha asked.

"Please," replied Blaze. "My younger sisters said the items you were showing Ada were beautiful."

"Curiosity killed the cat," muttered the old lady.

Heartha smiled broadly, showing large horse teeth. "Those garments was for them, my lady. The earl knew that your sisters would want to look especially nice even for a proxy wedding. He understood that the suddenness would perhaps leave them without proper garments ready. Ada"—Heartha turned to the old nursemaid—"would you have the young ladies try on their gowns? If any alterations be needed, they had best start now if they are to be ready tomorrow."

"Aye, aye, and yer right," Old Ada agreed, and without another word to Blaze she hobbled off to find her other charges.

Heartha laid the garments she carried upon Blaze's bed. With quick movements she separated them, placing matching pieces together so that her new mistress might see everything. "His lordship thought you might wear this tomorrow, my lady." Heartha pointed to an exquisite skirt and matching bodice of cream-colored velvet with a matching silk underskirt. The underskirt and the bodice were both embroidered in gold-thread daisies with delicate long stems and fernlike leaves. The wide bell sleeves were turned back at their lower edge to show their silken lining. It was a simple but totally beautiful gown.

"There's stockings, and velvet shoes to go with the gown, my lady, and the earl sent you these trinkets to wear with it." She handed Blaze a flat black leather box.

Stunned by the most beautiful dress she had ever seen in her entire life, Blaze automatically opened the box and looked down. "Blessed Mother!" she gasped. "These are for me?" Nestled within the box upon a bed of black velvet was a double strand of perfectly matched pink pearls from which hung a heart carved from a single piece of rose coral and set within a frame of white gold studded with tiny diamonds. The necklace was so lovely that Blaze almost missed the fat round pink pearls hanging from diamond studs that were meant for her ears. Tears welled up within her violet-blue eyes. She had never possessed anything like these jewels in her entire life. Even her mother had nothing as fine. She felt almost guilty.

Seeing her tears, Heartha nodded to herself. "The earl will be pleased to know that he has made you happy, my lady," she said.

Blaze looked up. "These are surely the finest jewels in the world," she said.

"Nay, my lady! Wait until you see what belongs to a Countess of Langford. There are chests of glittering stones and pearls that would buy a kingdom. They will all be yours!"

"I wouldn't know what to do with them," said Blaze honestly.

Heartha chuckled. "You'll learn quick enough, my lady. The earl's sister will see to that. She's a proud one, Lady Dorothy, but she's got a good heart."

"Did you know Lady Catherine?" Blaze asked curiously.

"Aye, I was her tiring woman the last five years of her life after her old Nan passed on. She was a kind lady, but driven in her desire to give the earl a child. Not that he ever reproached her with it."

"Does it disturb you to now serve me?" Blaze wondered.

"Lord bless me, child," said Heartha, momentarily forgetting her place,

"life is a constant cycle of life and death. One just naturally follows the other. You weren't responsible for Lady Catherine's death. The good folk at RiversEdge are happy with this new marriage of the earl's. They await your coming eagerly. Now that I've seen your fine family I know that you'll give us the heir we so desperately want for RiversEdge."

"Is Master Anthony not my husband's heir?"

"Master Anthony's always known his uncle would one day have sons of his own. He's never really expected to inherit from the earl. He'll inherit from his own father. Riverside is his real home. Its lands match those of the earl, although it is much smaller. His uncle always jokes about Master Anthony's firstborn daughter marrying his firstborn son."

"Master Anthony is married?"

"Nay. It isn't easy for a man lacking in means to find himself a wife, begging your pardon, my lady. Master Anthony has a nice little home, and a small income. He's no great catch like his uncle, and he seems to be in no hurry either. Time enough for him, says I."

Blaze laughed. She liked the jolly outspoken woman that Lord Wyndham had sent to be her servant. Heartha's easygoing manner, while not perhaps the most proper, had certainly put her new mistress at her ease. I wonder, thought Blaze, if the earl knew she would? Was this stranger she was to wed possibly sensitive to her needs after all? It was something to consider, especially as by this time tomorrow she would be meeting her husband for the first time.

"The earl also sent you a riding outfit, my lady," said Heartha's voice, penetrating Blaze's thoughts.

"Ohh," she cried, and her delight was evident. "Blue velvet! Dark blue velvet! I have always dreamed of having a riding skirt and jacket like this! How could he have known?" Her eyes swept over the swatch of rich velvet that made up the skirt down to its hem, where a pair of black leather boots stood upon the floor. "Ohhhh," Blaze sighed, and immediately sat down upon the edge of the bed, kicking off a shoe so she might try on a boot. Reverently her hands caressed the supple leather as she fitted her slender foot into the boot and slowly drew it up her leg. The fit was a perfect one. "Is the earl a magician," she asked Heartha, "that he could know the size of my foot?"

Heartha chuckled. What a sweet and ingenuous little creature the earl's bride was, but then Edmund Wyndham had always had good luck. The girl's sweetness, however, was a good omen. "Think, my lady," Heartha said in answer to Blaze's bemused question. "In all the bridal preparations, was not your foot measured? I think it was, for all those measurements were delivered to my lord several weeks ago. The village cobbler has been busy at work ever since on all manner of shoes and boots for you."

Suddenly Blaze found herself weeping. "It is not right," she said, "that I should have so much, and my family so little!"

Heartha put comforting arms about the girl, saying, "Why, bless me, child, you must not feel that way. Now that you are to be the earl's wife you will be able to aid your family. The earl has much wealth, but he would give it all for what your father has. A son. Give my master that son, and neither you nor yours will ever lack for anything, I'm thinking." She gave Blaze a hard hug, saying, "Let me help you to try on your new riding outfit, that you may show your mother and sisters what a fine lady you now are.

As Blaze pirouetted shortly afterward for her mother and her siblings, Rosemary Morgan looked approvingly upon the relationship she saw beginning to form between her eldest child and the tiring woman. A loyal body servant was important to a young woman going to a new home.

The family was somewhat subdued at the evening meal. The reality of Blaze's imminent departure was suddenly upon them. They also found themselves put off by the rare presence of a stranger in their family unit. As for Anthony Wyndham, he was both fascinated and enchanted by this family with whom his uncle was allying himself. Lord and Lady Morgan were to his eye both attractive and intelligent. The daughters were beautiful and, he suspected, in a less tense situation, charming, fun-loving girls.

As for the heir to Ashby Hall, young Gavin Morgan was not in the least subdued by his sisters' unusual quiet. It was rare that he and his twin sister, Glenna, were allowed in the hall for a meal. Gavin was a sturdy little boy with dark brown hair and his father's features. He chattered away quite unconcerned with his family's guest, telling Anthony about his dog, who had just last week whelped a litter of six fine puppies, showing off his rudimentary Latin, and, to his parents' relief, being a general delight.

"How my uncle would love a fine lad like Gavin," said Master Anthony softly to Lady Morgan.

"I am certain that my daughter will be able to oblige him, sir," came the mischievous reply. Lady Morgan could not help but smile a smile that quickly faded with her daughter's sudden harsh words.

"I realize, my lord," snapped Blaze, "that the earl weds with me only for what he hopes will be my fertility, but it would indeed be nice if for just a brief time I were allowed to believe I possessed other charms that might entice him!"

"Blaze!"

"What, Mama? Should I apologize to Master Anthony for being so indelicate? Very well then! Forgive me, sir, for discussing my fertility so openly, but everyone else seems to be doing it." She stood abruptly, and without even asking her parents' leave, walked swiftly from the hall.

"It must be bridal nerves," said Lady Morgan weakly, and then she stared fiercely at her next three daughters, who had had the temerity to giggle. Her husband's sudden fit of coughing did not help matters. It would be better, she thought, to send all of her children from the Great Hall before Master Anthony received the wrong impression, if he had not already received it. Perhaps amid an adult quiet, and with a goblet of good malmsey, her husband could repair any damage Blaze's sharp words had caused. She signaled discreetly to Old Ada, who came forward to shepherd her charges from the hall.

While the nursemaid saw to the littlest of the Morgan children, the elder six crowded into the chamber shared by Blaze and the eldest twins. They found their eldest sister lying upon the bed staring up at the beamed ceiling. She wore only her chemise.

"Go away," she muttered. "I need to sleep."

"Nay," said Blythe. "This is the last night of our lives that we shall all share together as maidens. Tomorrow night you will become a woman. It will never be the same again for us. You are the first, Blaze. After you we will all be wed, and go away from Ashby. In a way it is the end of childhood for us all. Let us stay and talk as we have on so many nights before this one."

"Oh, please, yes!" said Larke and Linnette.

Blaze sat up and gazed at the eager faces about her. Her heart melted within her. She felt the tears pricking at the back of her eyelids. She loved her sisters, every one of them! She was going to miss them terribly. Oh, yes, she would see them again, but it would not be the same thing as living with them. Blythe was correct. It was the end of their childhood.

Blaze smiled. "Make yourselves comfortable," she said, and then laughed as they all once again plumped themselves onto the bed that she shared with the twins. "What shall we talk about?" she asked them.

"Let's talk about what it's like to become a woman," said Delight, a shiver running down her little spine. "After all, Blaze, tomorrow is your wedding, and tomorrow evening will be your wedding night."

"How would I know about such things, you silly goose?" responded the bride-to-be.

"You've got some idea," retorted Delight, offended at having been called a silly goose. "We've all seen the animals in the fields when the male mounts the female."

"I cannot believe that people behave that way," said Blaze.

"Then how do they behave? Hasn't Mother said anything to you about it?"

The eldest sibling shook her head.

Bliss laughed aloud. "Of course Mama hasn't said anything to any of us. She's so busy running the house, and worrying about Papa and his worries about Ashby, that it has probably never occurred to her. Undoubtedly she meant to speak with Blaze just before her marriage, but with the suddenness of today's developments, it has, I think, flown from her mind."

"I know how men use women."

The sisters turned to look at seven-year-old Vanora, who sat directly in their midst, her dark eyes bright.

"How could you know such things?" scoffed Bliss. "If you persist in telling lies, Vana, I shall smack you!"

"I watch from the stable loft when the serving men use the serving women. I've even seen Papa, though not often, go at one of the milkmaids," Vanora said smugly. "Do you want to know how they do it, or not? And if you smack me, Bliss, I'll never tell!"

The bedchamber grew very silent, and six pairs of curious eyes turned upon Vanora.

"Well?" demanded Bliss, her sapphire-blue eyes narrowing dangerously. "Are you going to tell us or not?" Her fingers itched with their desire to wipe the self-satisfied smile from her younger sister's face.

Vanora was relishing the moment that gave her a superiority over her elder sisters, but even in her victory she knew the limits to which she might drive them, particularly the sharp-tongued Bliss. She drew a deep breath. "Men," she began, "have long things between their legs just like the animals. They are not, of course, as big as the stallions', but they are larger than Papa's hunting dogs'. Much larger," she said with a heavy emphasis.

"Ohhh," whispered Larke and Linnette, their small mouths making perfect O's at this revelation.

"Are they long and red like the animals'?" queried Delight. She was genuinely interested, for like her sisters, she would one day face this mystery. The key to overcoming fear, she knew, was a complete knowledge and understanding of what you were to face.

"It's hard to see too much detail from the hayloft in the stables and barns," admitted Vanora, "but it appears to me that only the tip of the man's thing is a purplish red."

"Get on with it!" hissed Bliss.

"Aye," said Blaze, "I would know how the act is done if I am expected to do it tomorrow. Ohh, why did Mama not explain this to me? The earl will think me a perfect fool, although I do not expect virgins should have too much knowledge in these matters."

"But we should know what is going on," said Blythe. "Girls should really be taught what they should know in these matters. Say on, Vana. Though Bliss will not admit it, we are all dying of curiosity."

"Sometimes the men kiss and cuddle the women. They seem to like to feel their titties, and slip a hand between the women's legs. The women appear to like this, for they giggle and sigh and encourage the men onward. I've even seen some of the women fondle the men," continued Vanora. "After a while this play ceases. There doesn't seem to be any set period of time. With some it's longer, and with others shorter. Finally the man will lay the woman upon her back, climb atop her, take his thing from his drawers, and stick it between her legs up into her belly."

"I don't believe you!" said Bliss furiously. "You have made it all up just to get our attention!"

"I do not care if you believe me or not," retorted Vanora spiritedly, " 'tis true! They call it fucking. The servants are always doing it in the barns. Just hide yourself in the haylofts, and you will see that I speak the truth!"

"You say you've seen Papa doing it with a milkmaid?" Bliss demanded. "When?"

"I've only seen Papa twice and both times it has been when Mama was ill," came the answer.

"Do the women seem to like it, Vana?" asked Blaze.

"Aye, they do, but for the life of me I do not know why. It seems a silly way to have fun. The men bounce up and down on the women, who bounce right back at them. They moan and groan, and kiss and lick at each other. It certainly does not look to me like anything that I would want to do," finished Vanora.

Larke and Linnette nodded their heads in unison, agreeing with their younger sister.

"Sometimes," admitted Delight, "I think about what it would be like to have a man make love to me."

"Humph!" snorted Bliss derisively.

"What of you, Blaze?" said Blythe. "It is, after all, you who are to be wed tomorrow. Have you thought of the earl's loving you?"

"Until my betrothal I rarely thought of a man in that way," said Blaze honestly. "There was no point to it. I did not know if I would ever marry, and who was there to even court us here at Ashby? Since my betrothal I have tried to think of what it will be like as Edmund Wyndham's wife. Alas, the man is faceless to me! I try to dream of him, for it seems that I should, but it is hard when I do not know the man. I am afraid to make him something that he might not be, for then my disappointment would be hard to bear."

"Do you think he is as handsome as his nephew?" wondered Blythe. "Do you think there is a family resemblance?"

"I hope not! I find Master Anthony arrogant and impossible," said Blaze furiously.

"What's this?"pounced Bliss.

"This,as you put it, is nothing," responded Blaze. "I simply do not like Master Anthony."

"Why?" demanded Bliss. "You haven't known the man long enough to either like or dislike him."

Blaze pondered a moment. "I don't know why," she finally answered, "but he irritates me. I can only hope that his uncle is nothing like him, and that we will not have to see too much of him at RiversEdge."

"That may not be possible," warned Blythe. "From what that Heartha told Old Ada, the two men are but four years apart in age. They were raised together by your husband-to-be's half-sister, Master Anthony's mother. They are more like brothers, and very close. You had best hide your dislike, sister. Your husband-to-be and his nephew are friends as well as relations."

"I can mask my feelings, Blythe. Later, when the children come, Master Anthony will be of less importance to my husband. My lord will have his own family and his nephew will no longer matter to him that much."

"What's this? What's this?" Old Ada's grizzled head popped around the door. "Why are ye not abed, my chicks? There is a wedding to be celebrated on the morrow, and ye'll not look yer best, any of ye, if ye don't get yer sleep. To bed with all of ye!" she scolded fondly as she chased Delight, Vanora, and the second set of twins from the little chamber.

The room had grown chilly with the night. Bliss and Blythe quickly undressed down to their chemises while Blaze pulled back the covers. The three sisters climbed into their bed, pressing together for warmth.

"It will seem strange tomorrow night without you, Blaze," said Blythe.

"Take Delight in with you," came the reply. "She's nearer in age to you both than she is to Vanora and the other twins. Mother will probably want to separate Glenna from Gavin now that she has the room. As the only boy, he really ought to have his own chamber. If Glenna goes in with Vanora, Larke, and Linnette, it will really be too crowded for Delight. She would be thrilled if you would ask her to join you, Bliss." Blaze knew that Blythe was more generous of heart, and would gladly have Delight share their chamber now that she was apprised of the situation.

"Oh, let the little brat join us," said Bliss grudgingly. "As I sleep in the middle, I shall freeze to death this winter unless I have another body beside me." She put her back to Blaze. "I'll tell her in the morning," she finished, and then with her usual habit dropped off almost immediately to sleep.

"She is going to miss you more than she will admit, Blaze," said Blythe softly in the darkness.

"I know, and I will miss her too."

The room grew quiet once more. Soon Blaze heard Blythe's even breathing, and knew that she had fallen asleep also. It was all so familiar and safe, but tomorrow she would be torn from the haven of security that she had known all her life. She would begin a new life with a stranger in a strange place. Blaze considered. She wasn't really frightened, for she knew her parents would not have allowed this marriage if they were not certain that Lord Wyndham was a good and decent man. She understood the logic for this sudden change in plans, for a proxy marriage ceremony and a swift return to RiversEdge. Logic always prevailed. Yet deep within her burned a small flame of angry resentment. She knew she had no choice but to trust the judgment of the Earl of Langford in the matter of his people's welfare. Still, she could not help but think he might have left RiversEdge for one day. Was one day so very much?

Blaze turned onto her side. Tomorrow should have been the most memorable day in her life. It was her wedding day, and now it was spoilt! Instead of a day of feasting and joy, it would be a hurried affair. She would leave almost immediately after the ceremony. Her mother had taken her aside earlier when she had gone to show her the beautiful clothing that the earl had sent for her.

"You must take the long way around to RiversEdge, for you will be passing through several villages belonging to the Langford earldom, and it is necessary that the villagers see you," said Rosemary Morgan to her eldest child. "Therefore there can be no feasting following the marriage ceremony. A health will be drunk to you and your husband, you will change your clothes, and you will depart." She put motherly arms about her daughter. "Oh, my dear, I am so sorry, for poor though we may be, I had intended that this most special of days in your life be more festive. Somehow it does not seem fair. Yet when I think of the fine marriage you are making, I realize that I must put my own concerns aside."

Well, thought Blaze sleepily, whatever I may feel about the matter, the die is cast, and it is out of my hands. I will be wed tomorrow in a proxy ceremony whether I like it or not, and I shall go off to meet my husband.

Her husband!What was he like? Would he be kind to her? Would he ever love her? Would she learn to love him? Would it be as little Vana had said? Surely the earl would be gentle with her, taking into account her virginity. She wanted to imagine what it would be like to be loved by him, but it was so hard trying to picture it in her ignorance. Vana, of course, had shed some light on the mysteries between a man and a woman, but one could not be certain if the nobility did it the same way as the lower classes. I shall know soon enough, she considered, and with a great effort put her busy and nervous mind on the business of sleep.

It seemed she slept not at all. Then suddenly she was being shaken awake by her sisters, even the tiny red-haired Glenna. With hugs and laughter they drew her into the land of the awakened, pelting her with asters, and Mary's Gold, and purple-and-white Michaelmas daisies.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" they cried together. "It is your wedding day!"

Blaze couldn't help but weep a little, for once more she realized that this was the last time that they would all be together like this. To her surprise her sisters became weepy too, even Bliss, who muttered irritably, "All of our lives we have dreamed of wedding days. Now that the first of us is to go, we sob and carry on like babies. I do not understand it!"

Lady Morgan and Old Ada arrived accompanied by several maidservants who carried a tub and the buckets and jars of hot water necessary to fill it. The bed that the three sisters shared was pushed into a corner of the small room so the tub might be set up.

"Heartha will help you to bathe and dress," said Rosemary Morgan to her eldest child when the others had been shooed from the chamber and they were alone. "There is something, however, that I must discuss with you beforehand. It is the way of a man with a woman. It is not necessary nor would it be appropriate for you to have too great a knowledge, but you should know what to expect, Blaze. As for the rest, the earl will instruct you as pleases him, which is as it should be. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mama," Blaze said dutifully, hoping her mother's explanations would clear up the several unanswered questions she had due to Vana's discourse of yesterday. Lady Morgan, however, seemed disinclined to go into too great detail regarding the relationship between a husband and wife. One thing Blaze did learn to her relief was that all couples, no matter their social standing, performed the act in approximately the same fashion.

"You need not be afraid," said Lady Morgan, "although it will seem a bit awkward and strange to you in the beginning. Oh, yes! I must not forget to tell you that the first time your husband's manhood penetrates into your body it will hurt you. It is only the first time, though, and it is due to the barrier to your maidenhead, which he will pierce, thereby ending your state of virginity. Now, dear child, I shall leave you to the kindly ministrations of the good Heartha. You are a good daughter, Blaze, for all your high-spiritedness. I know you will make us proud in your new life as the Countess of Langford." Then, giving her eldest a quick hug and a peck on the cheek, Lady Morgan departed the room.

Heartha came, and wisely sensing the bride's pensive mood, refrained from chatter. Removing the girl's chemise, she helped her into the small tub, bathed her, and washed her hair. Rubbing her down with linen cloths, the tiring woman noted the girl's well-shaped limbs, the broad span between her hipbones, so unlike poor Lady Catherine's, and the girl's small round breasts. It was a body much more suited to childbearing than the late countess's had been. Wrapping Blaze in a large rough towel, Heartha carefully removed the snarls from her long wet hair, then brushed it until all the excess water was gone from it.

"Now, my lady," she said, "let me sit you by the window. If I spread your hair out over the sill, it will soon be dry in that lovely September sun."

While Blaze sat quietly, almost dreamily, her lovely golden-brown hair blowing in the gentle breeze of early morning, Heartha moved busily about the room, laying out the silk stockings and other undergarments that the bride would be wearing. The door opened to admit a serving woman who carried the bridal gown.

The time seemed to pass in a haze after that. It was as if her body were merely a vehicle from which she peered out at what was going on around her. She could hear her sisters exclaiming with delight as they donned their own gowns. Only the tiniest of alterations had been needed upon the beautiful velvet dresses that Edmund Wyndham had so thoughtfully provided for his sisters-in-law-to-be.

Sky-blue for Bliss and Blythe. Scarlet for Delight. Rose-pink for Larke and Linnette. Peach for Vanora, who had almost swooned with pleasure over the first gown she had ever owned that had not been handed down to her. For five-year-old Glenna with her chestnut-red hair there was a gown of dark green velvet. Nor had Gavin, her twin, been forgotten. He strutted about quite proudly in a black velvet suit with the first pair of breeches he had ever owned.

"Ohh, my lady, you are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen!" exclaimed Heartha. "I only wisht there was a glass here that you might see yourself in, but no matter. There's a lovely pier glass in your apartments at RiversEdge. Tomorrow you will wear this gown once more for our people to see. You can see yourself in it then."

Lady Morgan entered the room. "Good, my dearest, you are ready. Your sisters have made you this wreath of Michaelmas daisies for your head." She placed the flowery little circlet of white and yellow atop Blaze's soft hair, which was loose and unbound, testifying to her virgin state.

Together, Lord and Lady Morgan led their eldest child into the family chapel. It was overcrowded with Blaze's family, the servants, and major tenants belonging to Ashby. Just below the carved oak altar with its beautifully embroidered white linen cloth stood Father John, a man of middle years with receding sandy hair and light blue eyes that peered myopically in the candlelight of the room. With the priest stood Anthony Wyndham, who would act as proxy for his uncle, the earl. The proxy bridegroom was garbed in black velvet.

Blaze was now so benumbed by the last twenty-four hours that the wedding ceremony was more like a dream to her. Blindly she spoke her part when requested to, staring down almost in bewilderment when Master Anthony shoved a heavy band of Irish red-gold carved round with hearts and flowers upon her hand. She somehow managed to stumble through the Mass that followed. The host upon her tongue melted away like a sugar drop; then her mouth was suddenly dry. It was not like any wedding day she had ever imagined.

Finally it was over. Master Anthony led her out of the chapel. For the first time in over an hour Blaze was able to draw a deep breath. Almost instantly her head cleared. Within the chapel with its flickering beeswax tapers and heavy clouds of exotic incense her chest had felt constricted.

"You are quite pale," he said quietly. "Are you all right?"

Blaze nodded. "A wedding, even such a hurried, proxy affair as this one, is apt to be overwhelming for the bride. I could not breathe, but I am fine now."

He led her into the Great Hall. Her family and the others came behind them. There her father raised his goblet to her, as did all the others within the hall.

"A health to my daughter Blaze," Lord Morgan said. "Long life! Happiness! And many sons to my beloved first child, the Countess of Langford!"

"Long life! Happiness! Many children! And God bless her, the Countess of Langford!" came the echoed reply from the guests in the hall.

Her health and that of the absent bridegroom were drunk. Then Blaze was hurried from the Great Hall back to her own chamber. There Heartha helped her to remove the lovely wedding gown, redressing her in the dark blue velvet skirt and matching bodice with its pearl-and-gold embroidery. Blaze's new boots felt wonderful upon her feet. There was more than enough room for her big toe, which was overlarge. Heartha fitted a small flat bonnet with a jaunty white feather upon her lady's head, handing her a pair of white leather riding gloves embroidered with gold and pearls, as was the bodice of her gown.

"Now, there's a coach if you gets tired, my lady," Heartha said. "No need to exhaust yourself before we gets to RiversEdge."

Below, her family had gathered to bid her farewell. Gently she hugged Gavin and Glenna. "Take good care of that gown," she cautioned Vanora. "Remember that Glenna can wear it when you've outgrown it. I will see you have another. I promise."

"I want one the color of your riding outfit," said Vanora boldly. "Dark blue should suit me well."

"We shall miss you, dearest Blaze," chorused Larke and Linnette. "Come home and visit when you can."

"I will," she promised, kissing them upon their rosy cheeks.

Delight flung herself at Blaze, hugging her eldest sister hard. "Who will protect me from Bliss now?" she wondered aloud. "Did you know that they have asked me to share their chamber with them? I'm moving in tonight."

"Blythe will protect you, though you really need her not. You have always been able to outrun Bliss and her temper," laughed Blaze, "and aye, I knew, for it was Bliss's idea."

"It was?" Delight was astounded. "Perhaps I am too hard on her."

"Be patient with her," warned Blaze, giving Delight a final hug. "Do not allow your quick tongue to overrule your common sense."

Bliss and Blythe stood before her. They were absolutely gorgeous in their sky-blue velvet gowns, which were trimmed with seed pearls. Certainly they were meant for greater marriages than could have been obtained for them before her own marriage to Edmund Wyndham. "You are beautiful," she said. "I promise to seek the best husbands for you, but any man seeing you as you look today would offer his all to wed with either of you."

"Be happy, dearest," said Blythe, kissing her elder sibling upon the cheek. "I know that you will do your best for us all."

"Fine words," grumbled Bliss. "Fine words, but we shall see. Only time will tell the true tale for us." Then her sapphire-blue eyes welled with tears which, to Bliss's mortification, spilled over and ran down her cheeks. "God's foot!" she swore softly as her scandalized mother rolled her own eyes heavenward.

"Ohh, Bliss," said Blaze, trying hard not to laugh. "You have offered me the nicest parting of all. I shall miss you so very much!"

"Forgive me, my lady, but we must go," Anthony Wyndham intruded.

Blaze shot him an unfriendly look. "I must bid my parents farewell, sir. You will wait upon me, like it or no." She turned to her mother. The two hugged, and in that instant Blaze knew how very much she loved her mother.

"Now, try to remember all I have taught you, my child," Lady Rosemary began.

"Indeed she will! Indeed she will," said Lord Morgan, understanding Anthony's impatience. Grasping his eldest child by the shoulders, he turned her about. Giving her a loud kiss upon the cheek, he then gently pushed her out the door of the hall to where the horses were waiting. Before she realized what was happening, Blaze found herself being boosted into her saddle.

"But, Papa!" she protested.

"You are a married woman now, Blaze. We love you. We bid you Godspeed, but if you linger much longer your mother and sisters will begin weeping and wailing. Besides, we must get back to the fields, for Master Garth says it will rain within another day or two. You know it is impossible to harvest and store wet grain. Go home to your husband, daughter."

She understood her father better than even he realized. A soft smile touched Blaze's lips. "Farewell, Papa," she said quietly. "I love you." Then, kicking her horse, she moved off away from her family, away from Ashby, away from everything she had ever known; toward a new identity and a new life.