Page 25 of Dishonor Among Thieves
Gia and Rain came into the room then, holding hands and trading loving glances. Neo clamped his brother on the shoulder, embracing him in a hug. Rain again whispered something under his breath to Neo, who grunted in response. Then Gia kissed her brother-in-law’s cheek.
“May the gods favor your union with love, safety, prosperity, and peace,” she said. “I wish you every happiness.”
Neo’s eyes flitted to mine at the blessing, but he said nothing. Just stared, those brooding, honey-gold eyes revealing nothing.
Rain and Gia greeted me warmly, both of them commenting on the lovely fit of Odile’s dress. I complimented Gia’s gown, a simple natural-colored fabric with a scoop neck and modest train. The sleeves were flared in the shape of a bell, and around her waist was a wide gathered belt in a rich green color, embroidered like the pillow with flower garlands and studded with very small, sparkly stones.
“You are a vision,” I said, clasping her hands in mine. “Maybe I should ask you to teach me to dress like this, rather than in pants.”
Gia squeezed my hands back, grinning as she murmured, “Nothing compares to a good pair of breeches. You’ll see.”
Rain waited until Gia and I had finished chatting to take my hand. He kissed the back of it and then held mine in both of his. “Most men would look at a woman who married their brother after one day of knowing him and threaten her. Warn her not to hurt him, not to steal from him.”
Rain shook his head.
“I’m not going to warn you against hurting him. There’s nothing anyone can do to damage my dear brother more than has already been done. Quite the opposite. I’m praying you’re the one who will finally set him free from all that.”
He released my hand and gave me a slight bow. “Welcome to the family, sister.”
Overcome with emotion, I could not speak. I bent slightly to bow to him, thankful Odile’s crown of flowers didn’t fly from my head as I did so.
“By the gods!” Antonia breezed into the room with Dale pushing a much larger butler’s cart right at her heels. She came right for me, her hands outstretched for mine. I held her hands, a genuine smile on my face at the sight of the caring older woman. “You could not be more perfect,” she said, her voice a reverent whisper. “Your eyes are like midnight, your hair like the rays of purest sunlight.” She bit her lip, tears in her eyes. “You’re a vision, sweet girl. May every blessing of Forráheim be yours. Now and forevermore.”
I bowed my head in thanks, blinking back tears.
“Take yer seats,” Dale called out. “There’ll be plenty of time for boo-hooing after the soup.”
I watched Rain pull out a chair for Gia, as I looked uncertainly about the table. Before I could choose the wrong seat, I felt a hand at my elbow.
“Lady Oderisi.”
I felt the heat of his body behind my back, the almost tender grip of his fingers against the sleeve of my dress. I peeked up at him, this man, my husband, and lost the ability to think, to speak, to breathe at his raw beauty. Neo was a furious god of a man. His glossy black hair, perfectly smooth and free, looked like waves of the darkest sea at night. His full, scar-marked lips bowed as he appraised me, looking me over from crown of flowers to the tips of my borrowed shoes.
“You look beautiful,” he said tightly, as if complimenting me caused him discomfort. “You’ll sit at the head of the table, opposite me, from now on.” He led me to a chair, pulled it out for me, and waited while I gathered my skirts and sat.
I could hardly pull my eyes from this man. My husband. I’d seen him in fine clothing, but this—what he wore tonight was elegant, regal, and yet somehow also sensual. His vibrant blue doublet was heavily stitched with a pattern of symbols in gold and red thread. The cap sleeves at the shoulders emphasized the girth of his arms, and the belt around the waist of the garment was of the softest brown leather studded with embellishments that looked as if they were fashioned of pure gold. His eyes blazed with molten fire as my gaze raked along the length of the tight fabric encasing his muscular legs. He looked like he would fight me, or fight for me, whichever the circumstance demanded.
He bent low, his voice caressing my ear. “I mentioned to Antonia you were not a fan of fish head soup.”
He nodded at me, a twinkle in his eyes, and then strode to the opposite end of the table and took his seat. Antonia wheeled the cart from seat to seat, filling each bowl with a fragrant, decidedly not fish head soup while Dale circled the table the opposite direction, filling the cups. When each of us had been served, Neo stood from his chair.
“Antonia, would you please pour two more? I’d like you and Dale to join us in a toast.”
Antonia pulled two more cups from the lower shelf on her butler’s cart. “I expected you might, sir,” she said, smiling fondly at him.
Neo waited for Dale to pour himself and his wife honeymead and then held his mug aloft. “To Antonia and Dale,” he said, “may your long years of love be everlasting. To Rain and Gia, may your new love grow stronger with each passing season. To Odile, may your love continue to pour blessings upon this family. To you, Flynn, the very life and breath of loyal friendship.” His eyes met mine across the table, and my stomach lurched behind my pretty gown. “And to my wife, Brexia Eloise, Lady Oderisi. May the vows we exchanged be the beginning of a fruitful union.”
He tipped his cup to me, and I sipped my mead, my hand trembling so hard I feared I would spill on Odile’s pretty gown. The sweet, slightly spicy drink relaxed me enough that I stopped shaking. But I still pressed my fingers to the charm around my neck for solace. Then suddenly, I felt compelled to say something. Whether it was my new role as the lady of this manor, or simply the nudging of spirit, I stood from my chair.
“May I?” I asked the question but did not wait for approval. I stared into the honeyed contents of my mug as I spoke, letting my heart lead me. “I simply wanted to give a prayer of thanks,” I began. “To the Oderisi family, those near, those who have passed, and those long forgotten to time, who lived on this land and who built this home which I feel fortunate to call mine. For now.” I flicked a glance at Neo as I said that, but his face was stony. Unreadable. “And to my family, wherever they are and whatever they were. Most especially, my mother and sister.”
Tears threatened to spill down my cheeks, but I swallowed hard against the feelings of longing and love and loss as I pictured my mother’s face.
“And to my husband.” I longed to say something beautiful, inspiring, but looking at his stony face, all I could hope was that he didn’t find me lacking and cast me out too soon. “And new beginnings.” I lifted my mug in the air and waited. Neo was the first to stand. His brother and Gia followed and then finally Odile and Flynn as well. We tipped our cups and sipped our drinks.
Once Neo sat, the family began talking, soft conversation and laughter punctuating course after course of delicious food. I sipped the thick pea soup, trying not to stare at Neo, whose eyes seemed to follow my every move. I snuck a glance at him while Antonia served roasted boar with herbs, stifling a smile as he used his eating blade to pierce the slices of tender meat. He seemed almost triumphant that the knife was back in his possession. While I tried to sample wine-soaked pears and dessert of lemon posset with biscuits, my mouth felt dry and my hands clammy.
Every morsel I tried was delicious, every sip of the honeymead an intoxicating treat. While I was famished, my nerves wouldn’t permit more than a few bites of each. My body wasn’t used to such decadent food, and my mind couldn’t think of a single word to contribute to the conversation. I watched these people, so at ease with one another, as one on the outside looking in, not as one seated at the very same table. Antonia seemed to understand my anxieties and served me small portions and did not comment as she brought the next course before even the last had been cleared from my trencher.
