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Her heart felt as if it skipped several beats, his words sounding like a declaration of love and that made her decision easier.

She smiled. “I will wed you, Quint.”

He kissed her and not gently, but with a need. When done he cupped her face. “Remember no matter what, you mean more to me than I can find the words to say.”

She didn’t hesitate to tell him how she felt. “That is good to know, Quint, since I have fallen helplessly in love with you.”

He stared at her speechless, his heart soaring, but words failing him.

“One day, Quint. One day you will tell me,” she said and eased away from him. “Now let’s get married.”

The cleric enjoyed his hot brew while he spoke with the two of them asking Shade if she was ready to be a good and obedient wife to Quint. She was wise enough to say what he wanted to hear and was surprised when he joked about most husbands finding themselves being the obedient ones.

The ceremony did not take long. Shade stood beside Quint, holding hands under the oak tree, a few colorful autumn leaves falling around them as they exchanged words that had the cleric pronouncing them husband and wife.

“I have wed many couples, and it is easy for me to see the ones who care deeply for each other and will do well in their marriage while others have no love for each other and wed out of duty. I am pleased to see the love between you two. You will do well in your marriage. Now as much as I wouldn’t mind staying and sharing in that delicious stew that I smell cooking, I must be off to meet a fellow cleric.”

“What brings you to these parts, Brother Peter?” Quint asked.

“Unfortunately, a battle. Word was received at my monastery for a cleric to bless the warriors and console them if necessary. I was given the task as well as another cleric from another monastery.”

“So, one of you will go to Clan MacLeish and one to Clan Glencairn?” Shade asked.

“Nay,” Brother Peter said, a sorrowful look in his eyes. “Lord Torrance is a more than generous supporter to bothmonasteries, so we both go to serve him. Your skill would certainly be welcomed after a battle, my dear.”

“With my good friend having wed a MacLeish, my loyalty lies there,” Shade said, “though I would help any wounded warrior that came my way.”

“As any good healer would, and it is good that you now have a husband that will see you safely there if necessary. Now I must be off. May your marriage be blessed with much happiness and many children.”

When the cleric was out of sight, Shade asked, “Will you be leaving me now?”

Quint chuckled and scooped her up into his arms. “Not yet.”

“Stay with me for a bit at least,” she said, trying not to sound as though she pleaded with him.

He kissed her. “I would not leave you if I didn’t have to.”

There was much she wanted to say to him, much she wanted to ask him, so she was surprised at her first question. “How did you get a cleric here?”

She suddenly realized how he had done it and spoke the same time Quint did.

“Dru!”

Quint laughed. “I asked her to find him and send him here when I went and spoke with her before she left.”

She grinned. “You are sneaky.”

“When I need to be.” His eyes turned stormy, and his smile faded. “I want to make the rest of this day and night memorable, then I will tell you what you need to know about me. For now, it’s you and me, husband and wife.”

Quint swung around. “Do you hear that?”

“Rushing footfalls,” Shade said as her husband lowered her to her feet and grabbed his sword near the door.

Brother Peter burst out of the woods along with another cleric who could barely catch his breath.

“Bodies. Bloody bodies strewn all over,” Brother Peter said, his own breath labored and pointed to the other cleric. “He was at Coggshall Abbey. Dead. Ten.? All dead.”

“Dead bodies at the abbey again?”