by Anna Gracie
gave a little wriggle, an ecstatic little wriggle.
"Ohhh... Magnus..."
Epilogue
A lady sits gazing out over the rolling fields of green to the deep,
dark woods beyond. Her smooth, pale unfreckled brow is wrinkled with
worry . nay, more than worry; it is fear she feels, fear for her loved
ones. For in that dark and dangerous forest lurk a hundred unknown
hoards--raging torrents, fierce beasts and dreadful monsters, And her
loved ones are there, on a Quest. All for the sake of her unworthy
self. The Lady hangs her head.
A faint, plaintive cry causes her tH raise her head like a startled
doe. She lays a hand on the innocent babe slumb'ring at her elbow and
whispers, "Fear not, my darling. Our brave and gallant knights will
return unharmed from their Quest, I am sure of it.
"My Knight has been on a Quest before, you know--a terrible, long,
dangerous Quest--with danger at every turn- bold, green-eyed banditti,
ungentlemanly enemy soldiers and slavering wolves. But my Knight
returned, triumphant and unharmed, or only a little harmed--juft a
flesh wound which healed very quickly. And he was must dreadfully
thin and gaunt ... but still, he was unharmed, sO, you see, you need
not fear for him, my precious, for he is s-f0" and brave. "
The baby gurgles again and the Lady bends to her" It was the most
wonderful Quest in the world you see, for he did it to win his Lady.
Only the Lady was already his, heart and soul.
"But his Quest was for you as well, my darling, did you know that? For
do you know what my Brave and Gallant Knight brought back from the
wilds of the terrible Alps? He brought our own little knight, your
uncle Ricardo, rescued him from Durance Vile. Wasn't that a wonderful
Quest to make-better than finding a silly old Grail, don't you
agree?"
The Lady turns her head and stares at the darkening woods. It is
getting very late and she wishes her Knight would return from his
latest Quest soon. And when he does he will stride up to her on his
long, handsome legs and bend over her and kiss her, saying, "Oh, my
beloved one, I have returned to you. Tallie, my dearest love..."
"Tallie, we're back, sweetheart," said Magnus.
"Were you asleep?"
"No, I-' " Look, Tallie, I catch you three enormous fish--three! "
Ricardo shouted excitedly.
"And this one on the very first cast. Magnus never catch not even one.
Me--I catch everything! All by myself. Look!" He brandished three
large, glistening, very dead fish in her face. Their eyes stared
glassily at her, their innards gaped hollowly.
Tallie shuddered.
"How absolutely clever of you, Ricardo. Now take them around to Cook
at once."
"Cook!" exclaimed Ricardo scornfully.
"Cook does not know how to cook Carlotta's fish stew! Cook just boil
fish in salt water and call it cooking." He snorted with fine Italian
contempt.
"Gino, he has garlic and herbs and oil and wine-- Gino will make it
just how you remember it--only better, he says."
Tallie nodded, wishing she had never mentioned how she would love to
taste Cariotta's fish stew just once more.
"Then take it away to Gino at once, my love, I beg of you, or you will
be dripping water on your little niece."
"She doesn't mind, do you, cara? said Ricardo, pushing aside Magnus,
who was tickling the baby's chin.
"You named her after the water, no? Little Marina, the water baby." He
bent over the baby and whispered to her in Italian, then announced, "I
will teach her to fish and swim next year, when she is older."
"Oh, but--' began Tallie.
"Whatever you like, Richard, but take those fish to Gino now!" interrupted Magnus.
"Not Richard--Ricardo," retorted Ricardo automatically, and grinned at
Magnus cheekily. But he took the fish off, whistling. In the six
months since he had been in England he had become a new boy, filling
out and shooting up like a healthy young weed. And without a trace of
the fear and suspicion he had brought with him. Tallie watched him go,
her heart full. His adoptive mother must have loved him, too, or he
would not have recovered so quickly from his ordeals. He was her bad,
merry boy again.
"I should have fed that boy to the wolves when I had the chance," said
Magnus gruffly.
"Oh, no, how can you say it?" said Tallie reproachfully.
"What has he done to annoy you now? Oh, I cannot like his plan to
teach Marina how to swim--it is not at all proper for a little
girl--but--' Magnus covered her mouth with his own.
"He kept me from doing this," he said, and kissed her again. He lifted
her out of her seat and sat down again, with her resting in his lap.
"I come home from a day's fishing with a chattering bagpipe of a boy
and find my beautiful wife dreaming in the sunshine. What were you
dreaming of, my love?"
Tallie smiled blissfully at him.
"Of my brave and gallant Knight, of course."
Magnus sat up straight, almost tipping her from his lap.
"What knight?" he said ominously.
"I didn't know you knew any knights. Who the devil is this blasted
knight?"
"My very own Sir Galahad," she said softly, caressing his cheek.
"A dear, brave, wonderful, occasionally mutton-headed Knight. I sometimes
call him Magnus. " She lifted her mouth and he devoured it in a way
that sent shivers of delight through her body. The hunger was never
far away for either of them.
"I've got news for you, my love," said Magnus after a time.
"It may come as a shock to you." His voice was deadly serious.
"What is it?" She scanned his face anxiously.
"I'm not your Knight, you know."
"Yes, you are my Knight," she reassured him.
"I am not," he growled, his grey eyes dancing wickedly.
"I'm your Earl." And he planted his mouth on hers.
