Chapter 9

"Leave!" Bronn bellowed. "I just got married yesterday and you're telling me I have to leave?" he again yelled.

Jamie rolled his eyes at Bronn's theatrics. "Yes. I didn't plan on you leaving at all as you know. But a situation has come up and I need you to ride with me a bit longer."

Bronn rounded on Jamie and glared at him. "And just how long is this situation to take? A week? A month? How long?" he demanded.

"I'm not sure. More than likely just a few days, maybe a few weeks at most." Jamie continued to smile his infuriatingly charming and persuasive smile but the smile had long since lost its effect on Bronn.

"When do we leave? Do I at least have another night with my new bride?" Bronn bit out.

Jamie shook his head and held his hands out as if helpless. "I'm afraid not, we ride in an hour," he continued unperturbed.

Bronn rubbed his hands over his face in weariness and aggravation. "Alright then, let's go. The quicker we leave, the quicker I'll be back," he snapped and left to collect his horse and gear from the stables.

Arden looked up anxiously as the door swung open only to sigh in frustration when her mother entered.

"Daughter darling, how went it? You have suffered no harm?" Arden's mother murmured as she approached Arden and glanced carefully over her daughter sitting in the chair she'd left her in the evening before.

"Yes mother, I'm fine. He was a perfect gentleman about everything," Arden snapped. "I don't know where he's got to now though," she whined petulantly.

Arden's mother sank into the chair across from her. "Your father has gone with Sir Jamie, your husband and a few others to the south to parlay with the lord of Hedingham castle. We need his alliance to stand fast when Sir Jamie leaves us for the North."

Arden's mouth dropped open. "Gone! Without even taking his leave of me?" Arden yelped, her face reddening with anger.

"Dearest he had no time. He was summoned by Sir Jamie and they left straightaway. Your father had no time to even break the fast with me," Arden's mother said soothingly.

"Well when will they all be back?" Arden demanded as she stood to pace agitatedly.

"I don't know. Your father didn't know either. It could be a few days or a few weeks. I myself don't know," Arden's mother replied calmly. "So, how did your first night fare with Sir Bronn?" Arden's mother asked nervously.

Arden flopped down into her chair again, her anger fizzled out. "We had a row and he stormed out," she began and her mother gasped, "but he came back and was very sweet about it all," Arden hastily continued. "He warmed some damp linens and wrapped them about me and gave me some wine and it all really helped a lot," Arden finished, a contented smile on her face at the memory.

"He warmed linens about you and gave you wine? He didn't get angry about it being your moon time?" her mother asked in disbelief.

"No," Arden said, twisting a curl languidly about her finger, "he was really quite nice about it all," she murmured, thinking that some wine right now would make her feel much better.

"Then what was your quarrel about?" her mother pressed.

Arden dropped her gaze and blushed. "I wasn't very nice to him. I called him a name," she answered hesitantly.

Her mother gasped. "I had hoped I'd raised you better than that Arden! For shame, calling your husband names on your wedding night of all nights!"

Arden sank lower in her chair and her lower lip began to tremble. "I'm ashamed of myself too mother. He just seems to catch me at my very worst-I find myself saying and doing things that surprise even me," Arden confessed.

"You're lucky he came back to you. He would have had every right to go to your father and renege on the marriage arrangement."

Arden shot a surprised look at her mother. "What? What are you talking about?"

Her mother nodded her head absently. "Indeed, until a man and woman can prove that they have in fact consummated the marriage a man can renege on a marriage bargain at any time if he feels he's made a bad choice or been misled regarding the woman's character," her mother said as she sat thinking.

"He can tell Father he doesn't want me?" Arden cried out in shock.

"Yes, I've heard of it but rarely. When a man reneges on a marriage bargain, the woman in question is shunned and her family shamed. No one will have her after that-she is doomed to a life alone or to a marriage with a low born man and a life of poverty far from her family," her mother continued. Her mother looked Arden over sharply. "When Sir Bronn returns you must make sure you greet him and entice him to your marriage bed. Make sure he takes you as fully as a man can take a woman. Until then you'll have the threat of his leaving you on your head," her mother said sternly as she stood and glanced about the room. "The first thing we're going to do is clean this room out of your father's and my belongings and arrange it as befits a newly married couple. Lighter draperies, flowers, pretty things scattered about to remind him of you," her mother murmured as she scanned the room.

Without waiting for a reply from Arden her mother quickly crossed the room and flung open the door. Arden sat back in the chair and listened as her mother called the maids and gave them instructions on cleaning and arranging the room. She stifled a yawn and sank back into the chair and closed her eyes. She was tired from the little sleep she'd gotten and her cramping had started yet again. She could rest while her mother took care of everything.