Page 267 of Historical Hotties
Thor held it up in the light. The steel of the blade had wavy lines, beautifully mottled. “I’ve heard of it,” he said. “I’ve never seen it, though. Are all of these daggers like this?”
The merchant nodded and handed him another one. “I have four of them,” he said. “I went on a buying trip last year to Paris and Venice and Rome. I found them in Rome along with many ancient treasures. Would you like to see them?”
Thor shook his head. “Not now,” he said. “But I am very interested in the dagger. How much do you want for it?”
“Ten pounds.”
“That is a good deal of money.”
The merchant conceded the point. “It is, but it is an exquisite weapon,” he said. “That steel will cut through anything. It will cut flesh as easily as a knife through butter. Surely a knight such as you would want to have such a magnificent weapon at your side?”
Truthfully, Thor wanted it. Like a child wants a toy, he wanted the dagger. It really was beautiful. As he pondered the extravagant purchase, the merchant reached over to one of his nearby tables and brought forth a box filled with trinkets and jewelry.
“Buy the weapon and I will give you something for your wife,” he said. “You have a wife, do you not? A comely man like you should have a dozen.”
Thor gave him a half-grin. “I do not think my wife would let me,” he said, weakening as the man flashed the jewelry box at him. “What do you have for her?”
The merchant held up a gorgeous gold and citrine necklace. “I got this in Rome along with the daggers,” he said. “I was told that an empress wore this.”
“Lovely.”
“And this,” the merchant said, putting the citrine necklace aside as he picked up another with a long gold chain and what looked like a big jewel at the end of it. “I was told that a Roman Caesar gave this to his wife. It is a blue lapis lazuli and a star has been carved into it. See it? Under the star is the wordUxorious.”
Thor could see the star and the Roman letters. The lapis was surrounded by diamonds, uncut, but the entire necklace was quite beautiful.
“What doesUxoriousmean?” he asked.
“It is the Roman word for glorious wife or revered wife,” the merchant said. “Give this to your wife and she will never become angry at you again.”
As Thor took the necklace from the man to inspect it, the merchant dug into the jewelry box again and came up with a gold ring. It had a row of diamonds in it, glistening in the light. There was scrollwork in the gold, making it a truly lovely ring. The merchant held it out to him.
“And this,” he said. “Would your wife like this? It is made for a beautiful woman. Does she not deserve it?”
The man was quite a salesman, and Thor finally snorted, taking the ring and both necklaces from him.
“Give me the dagger, too,” he said. “Ten pounds for everything.”
“Of course, my lord.”
“I need to get away from you before you sell me this entire shop.”
The merchant chuckled and scurried away, returning with a silk-lined box for the jewelry. Thor paid him his money and took his treasures, quite happy with the dagger. It was most impressive. But he was even happier with the jewelry. It wasn’t much, but it was well made and beautiful. He hadn’t thought of buying Caledonia a wedding ring until the merchant produced the gold band, and the necklace—Uxorious—was something he hoped she would like. It summed up how he felt about her, this woman he’d chased down, fought with, drank with, and made love with.
Glorious wife, indeed.
When he gave it to her, she wept.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
London
Rotri wasn’t expectingPeregrine.
Humiliated and furious after their defeat at Westminster, Rotri and Domnall had retreated back to their London apartment to regroup. They’d been there for a week. The marriage they’d tried to prevent had gone ahead and there was nothing they could do about it.
Nothing short of murder.
That was Rotri’s next step, as he saw it. Caledonia was married to a de Reyne knight, but knights were warriors. They went to battle and got themselves killed every day. All Rotri had to do was make sure Thor de Reyne was killed. Somehow.
