It had taken some time to talk the baron into his senses, but once Erik had done it, Christine was his. They had been riding for several hours now, and the last thing that she had said was 'I do'. However, now she was softly singing something. It was the song that he had heard her singing last night. Much to his displeasure, she suddenly stopped singing. "Why did you stop?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"The song that you were singing."

"Oh."

"Well?"

"I remembered Daniel."

"Daniel is your brother?"

"Yes. Daniel is the youngest." She looked down at the reins she held in her hands. She wondered if she would ever see Daniel again.

Erik noticed how her voice had died down into a whisper in remembrance of her brother. He would have to try to keep her mind distracted from thoughts of her family. He was, however, grateful to the little guy, thinking back to how Christine had first spoken to him.

"I am going to eat you. Hear the rumbles in my stomach. It is saying feed me. Feed me."

Daniel laughed and continued running.

"MMM. Little boy stew sounds mighty good. That is what I'll do. I'll throw you in a pot and make little boy stew." She managed to grab him and throw him into the air. When she caught him, she blew on his belly to make noise. Daniel laughed. "Stop. Don't eat me."

"But I am hungry and want little boy stew." She began walking in the direction of the kitchen. "Christine, you can't eat me."

"Why not?"

"I am a little boy."

"Exactly, which is why..." It was at that moment rounding the corner that she bumped into him. "Oh, excuse me." She set Daniel down, realizing that she had been caught in a very unladylike endeavor.

"I had heard the English were odd, but I never realized how odd. Thank you for clearing that up."

"I beg your pardon, but if the English are so odd, then why do you stay in our odd little country?"

"To get a good laugh at their expense." He walked off laughing.

"You, sir, happen to be one of the rudest men I have ever had the displeasure of meeting."

For some reason, during that brief first exchange, he had hoped that she would do that some day to their children. It had been an odd train of thought considering the fact that he had never wanted children before that moment. He quickly shook the train of thought from his head. "We will stop and rest." He jumped off his horse and watch Christine dismount hers. He took a drink of water and handed the pouch to her. It was while she drank that he decided to make his remark.

"When we get home, I will teach you how to ride properly. I should have known better than to expect an English to know how to ride."

"Why you arrogant Scot! It is no wonder.." Erik swept Christine towards him and slammed his mouth hard against hers. She shoved her hands against his chest in an attempt to break his hold but failed. He finally released her and mounted his horse once more.

"Don't ever do that, ever again."

"Woman, I take wants mine when I want it and will not be told otherwise."

"You are pigheaded Scotsman." Erik laughed at this remark and started back at his grueling pace. He was now in a hurry to get home. Christine scrambled fo r her horse and caught up to him. "I wasn't done. You may think that your lord and master over the universe, but until you quit being an oversized ape wishing to be a man, you will not touch me."

Erik laughed. He had never seen such a temper come from the English. "When you get your grit, you sure don't hold back." He was anxiously awaiting to see what other surprises would come.

A/N: Please bare with me as my mind jumps around. Thank you to those who reviewed and let me know that the gap between the two chapters were leading to confusion.