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“I have many things from the lands of The Levant and beyond,” the merchant told him, knowing he had a customer with a lot of money on his hands. “See these golden earrings? They are from Greece, my lord. Can you see the shape? They are bees. They would look beautiful on the lady.”

Thomas wasn’t interested in earrings although he had to admit that they were lovely.

He looked at the fine necklaces, bracelets, and rings, an entire variety of them– purple stones, blue stones, Mother of Pearl, and more.

The merchant had quite a selection. But then he came to something that caught his attention; it was a small, gold ring with a gemstone in the middle of it, in a gold setting, and he lifted it up to look at it.

Turning it about in the light, he realized that it was the exact color of Maitland’s eyes– that light brown color that had a hint of red in it.

An astonishing color he’d never seen before, now in a gemstone on a ring. He handed it to the merchant.

“What kind of stone is that?” he asked.

The merchant held it up. “It is called krustallos ,” he said, inspecting the stone. “It is a stone that comes in many colors– yellow, brown, sometimes even blue or pink. The ancient Greeks believed it was a very powerful amulet. It is meant for protection.”

Thomas rather liked that idea. “I will take it,” he said. “Now, can you have shoes made for the lady?”

The man nodded eagerly. “I can, my lord,” he said. “I work with a fine tanner because sometimes my customers want boots or slippers. What do you need?”

Thomas could see the man’s eyes lighting up with the thought of coins, mayhap even multiple coins, hoping for a great sale. He fought off a smile.

“Shoes for the lady, so make sure you mark the size of her feet,” he said. “Something durable, I should think. Not slippers, but boots.”

“Aye, my lord.”

“And seven small pairs of shoes.”

The merchant lifted his eyebrows. “ Seven small pairs, my lord?”

“For children.”

The merchant looked surprised. “You… you and your wife have seven small children?”

It was taking a lot of effort not to grin.

“Seven,” he said. “Four boys and three girls. I shall mark out the size of their feet, approximately, and you shall have them made for me. Deliver them to Edenside Foundling Home as soon as you can and I shall pay you handsomely. Do you know where Edenside is?”

The merchant nodded, only now he wasn’t looking too terribly surprised. Concerned was more like it. “Edenside,” he breathed. “You… you are there with your children?”

Thomas nodded. “They all belong to me now and I intend to take good care of them,” he said. “Have you heard of the House of de Wolfe?”

The man nodded quickly. “I have, my lord.”

“Good,” Thomas said. “My father is William de Wolfe and I am the commander of his outpost at Wark Castle. You will make sure the lady is properly clothed, ensure she has a pair of new boots, and deliver seven new pairs of leather shoes to me at Edenside and I will make sure my father and mother purchase goods from your establishment. Fail at anything I have asked for and I will ensure my parents, and everyone else I know, has nothing to do with you. Is that clear?”

The man was overwhelmed with what he’d just been told, but he nodded firmly. “It is, my lord,” he said. “Leave me with the sizes of the little feet and I shall ensure they are delivered to you before the next week is out.”

Pleased that he had the merchant properly awed and frightened, Thomas was about to turn to look at any number of other wares in the stall when Maitland suddenly appeared from the rear of the establishment with the man’s wife trailing after her.

She was out of the woolen long tunic she wore, the one that concealed her beautiful figure, and she was wearing a simple brown surcoat over a soft white shift with long sleeves.

The garment had ties on the side, along her torso, and it was a little long, but it flattered her figure beautifully.

She looked like an entirely new woman in it and Thomas could feel his heart flutter at the sight of her.

She was stunning.

“You look utterly beautiful, Mae,” he said, unable to take his eyes from her. “Is it comfortable?”

Maitland looked a little embarrassed by all of the fuss, but she nodded to his question. “So very warm and soft,” she said, sticking out her arm. “Feel the shift? It is of a very fine broadcloth.”

He touched it, feeling how soft but sturdy it was. “Do you like it?”

Hesitantly, she nodded. “I do, Thomas, but…”

He cut her off, turning to the merchant. “We will take this one,” he said, returning his focus to Maitland. “Is this the only one available?”

Maitland shook her head, looking down at herself. “Nay,” she said. “There is another one, light blue in color, that is of nearly the same style.”

“Then we shall take that one, too. Anything else?”

“Thomas, stop ,” Maitland put her hand on his arm insistently. “It is too much. All of this; it is too much.”

Thomas ignored her as he turned back to the merchant. “We shall take both of these garments and she shall wear this one out of the shop,” he said. “When I return next week, have more ready-made garments for her to look at.”

The merchant and his wife scattered, going to collect the other blue surcoat as well as the ring that Thomas has purchased.

As the wife rushed forward from the rear of the stall, she was carrying the pale blue surcoat with her, but she also had a small purse in her possession.

It was mustard-colored silk, with a drawstring, and as she approached Maitland and held it up, they could see that there was a swarm of bees embroidered on it.

“To go with your new surcoat, my lady,” the woman said proudly. Then, she opened up the purse and pulled forth two big tortoise shell hair combs. “May I?”

She meant to put them in Maitland’s hair and not knowing what else to do, and afraid to refuse for fear of insulting Thomas, Maitland simply nodded her head and the woman pulled off the kerchief she kept around her head, revealing her lovely, dark hair.

Maitland locked eyes with Thomas, clearly overwhelmed by everything that was happening to her, but he simply smiled as the merchant’s wife quickly drew the combs through Maitland’s hair to brush it out swiftly before braiding it and wrapping the braid at the base of her skull.

Then, using those two big combs, she shoved them into Maitland’s hair to secure the braid.

Thomas stood there and looked at her, shaking his head in awe.

“Beautiful,” he breathed. “Absolutely beautiful.”

Maitland was flattered, giddy, and ill at east all at the same time.

She ended up smiling bashfully at him and he snorted at her reaction, turning to the merchant and telling the man he’d have to return with the sizing for the children’s shoes after the tournament.

He didn’t want to be late and they’d already taken up enough time to shop.

Taking the blue surcoat and Maitland’s old clothing under one arm, he held out his elbow to Maitland, who timidly took it. Thanking the merchant and his wife, Thomas quit the stall with Maitland on his arm.

Truly, he felt puffed up like a peacock with Maitland on his arm.

This lovely, exquisite creature meant something to him, feelings he honestly never believed he would ever experience.

Glancing up into the sky, he could see that the day was starting to lean towards the afternoon and, soon enough, the contests would be starting.

Before they got to the blacksmith’s stall to collect Artus, he came to a halt and turned to Maitland.

“Here,” he said, pulling out a small pouch that had been wrapped up with the blue surcoat. “I bought this for you.”

Maitland just shook her head. “ More , Thomas?” she said, as she hesitantly took the pouch. “How much does one person need? Truly, you have done too much already.”

He watched her open the pouch. “I have not done enough,” he said. “You had better get used to it.”

She started to frown, to say something to him, but she dumped the pouch into her palm and out came the ring. Mouth open, she simply stared at it.

“What… what is this?” she finally asked.

With a smile playing on his lips, he plucked it out of her palm and held it up to the light. “The stone is the color of your eyes,” he said. “See it? The merchant says it is called krustallos and it is meant for protection. I want you to have it.”

He was handing it back to her. Maitland looked at him for a moment before taking it, looking at the beautiful stone set in the dark, hammered gold.

“It is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen,” she said, somewhat emotional about it. “But, Thomas, a ring? You should not give such things to me. It is not…”

She trailed off and he finished for her.

“Proper?” he said, certain that was what she meant.

Taking the ring from her, he lifted her right hand and put the ring on the third finger.

It fit perfectly and he lifted it to his lips to kiss it.

“Mae, we must stop thinking about what is proper and start thinking about what is right for us. Not to say I will flaunt you all over the north, because that would shame you. I would not do that to you. But we may be discreet with what we do, and what we feel for one another, because I told you that I belong to you forever. I meant it. And if I want to give you a ring that will cause you to think of me every time you look at it, then I shall do so. Please, Mae. It would make me happy.”

Looking at the ring, Maitland was swamped with a myriad of emotions.

Since yesterday, everything seemed like a dream to her, feelings and sensations that were something she’d always hoped to experience but never believed she would.

When Henry died and she committed herself to religious service, deep down, she believed her life was over.

She thought she would be taking care of orphans for the rest of her life.

Not that it wasn’t a noble calling, but she truly believed there would be no other chance for her.

No love, no man of her own, no home and no children.

But then came Thomas and all of that seemed to change, though the situation was far from simple. It was as complicated as it could be.

Was it right?

Was it wrong?

She was starting not to care. All she knew was that she was surrendering to the man in ways she could not have imagined.

Everything.

As Thomas led her back down the avenue, Maitland couldn’t imagine a finer thing than going through life with Thomas de Wolfe at her side. Truth be told, she would probably take him however she could get him. Even if he was married to another.

God help her… even if he was married to Adelaide.

She simply didn’t care any longer.