“Are you all right?” he asked, having felt her tremble.
She would not let him know her thoughts for it would make their time together more difficult for them both.
“I am more than all right; I am wonderfully happy and deliciously content.”
He laughed and kissed the top of her head. “The feeling is mutual.”
“Good, then we shall rest so that we can feel this way again and again and again.”
“I could love you forever, Mary, and never tire of it.”
She sighed. “You say the most beautiful things to me.”
“When love fills one’s heart there can be only words of beauty.”
“Where did you learn of love?” she asked as she felt him drape his shroud over them and she snuggled more comfortably into his embrace.
He hesitated a moment. “My mother was a remarkable woman. She taught me much about the beauty and unselfishness of love.”
“My mother did the same,” she said. “How lucky we are to have had such loving mothers. And have you loved any women before me?”
“Nay,” he answered quickly. “And I shall love no other but you.”
She touched his cheek. “And I shall love you and you alone.”
“Mary—”
She pressed a finger to his lips sensing he would say something that would rob them of this special moment. “Please say nothing more. Let us have this time.”
He remained silent and Mary closed her eyes to dream, falling quickly asleep while clinging tightly to him.
Late afternoon found them sitting by the stream eating blackberries. Michael wore his black robe and she her blouse and skirt, her feet were bare.
They had avoided speaking of tomorrow, clinging tenaciously to today and the little time afforded them.
A thought had been stirring in Mary since he had planted the idea in her mind that perhaps one day he would be able to free her of Decimus. Until then he would be freeing others and she could help him.
“I have an idea,” she said.
“Will this idea find favor with me?”
“I think it is a good idea.”
“That does not answer my question, which is,” he said, “a sure indication the idea is not acceptable. Do you know that your voice sounds like a melody carried on a gentle breeze? It is very soothing to listen to.”
“You attempt to avoid my idea, though I do appreciate the compliment.”
He was firm in his protest. “I do not wish to argue, and your idea will cause an argument.”
She hurriedly told him what she thought before he could stop her. “I will help you in your quest to free those imprisoned by Decimus.”
“You will not.” He sounded as if he held his temper.
She looked at him, his dark mask in place but no longer hiding him from her, not since her freshly acquired memories reminded her of the flesh and blood man that lay beneath.
“Just think of the important information I could supply you with, making it less difficult for you and the prisoners.”
“And how long do you think it would be before Decimus caught you?”
“If I played the dutiful wife he would never suspect me,” she said with excitement. “This could work well for us both.”
“It would not,” he insisted. “It would place you in harm’s way and I will not see that happen.”
“I am intelligent and could well handle the masquerade. Decimus would suspect nothing. He would be too pleased with gaining me as his wife and will pay me no heed.”
“He is not an ignorant man.”
“He most certainly is,” she said. “Any man who treats the lives of others so carelessly is an idiot.”
“Do not make the mistake of misjudging his worth. He is sharp of eye and keen of hearing and there is little he does not know.”
She tapped her chin with her finger, wrinkled her brow, and looked to the sky.
“No more ideas, Mary,” he warned.
“It is not an idea I contemplate. If you tell me that Decimus sees, hears, and knows all, why was he unable to find me these many years?”
“Magnus did a splendid job of hiding you.”
“Then suddenly he discovered my whereabouts after eleven long years?” She shook her head. “It does not make sense.”
“He has men who he sends out in search of people.”
“No one knew of my real identity except Magnus. The man and woman he left me with were told that I was orphaned and needed a home. Magnus offered them money to take me in and they gladly did. My presence made their life easier. Coins would cease if I was gone.”
“Or perhaps they were more richly compensated for providing Decimus with information.”
Mary shook her head again. “They grew to care for me. They would never want to see me harmed.”
“Coins can loosen the tongue.”
“I do not think that Decimus would pay for information. Torture is more his way, gaining him whatever information he seeks. His discovery of me does not make sense.”
Michael reached out to lay his glove-covered hand on her arm. “Do not hunt for things that could be harmful to you.”
“Do you actually expect me to wed him and do nothing but submit?”
“For your safety? Aye, I do.”
“My fate is sealed once I exchange vows with him. I will not spend my life in fear, nor be imprisoned by his ignorance. I will do what I must to survive and to find a way to make my time with him productive.”
“Productive?”
“I wish to help you—”
He attempted to protest but she silenced him with a quick raising of her hand.
“Do not waste your breath on me. I will do what I can to help those I can.”
“And find yourself suffering,” he said exasperated.
“I cannot completely surrender my will. I would rather die.”
“You would place yourself in danger helping the innocent?”
“I am in danger now.”
“Free yourself of that danger,” he said. “When you wed Decimus obey him until another way can be found to free you.”
She shook her head adamantly. “And how long do I obey? Weeks? Months? Years? Until I lose myself completely to him? I cannot.”
“You are stubborn.”
“A trait we share.” She laughed.
He grabbed her chin. “How can you find humor in all this?”
“That is easy,” she said softly. “I find humor in it all because you loved me. I shared true love with you and because of you I know its joys and pleasures, and no one, not even Decimus with all his power, can take that from me.”
Michael knew not how to respond.
She reached beneath his mask to touch his face. “Do you know when I touch you that I ache for us to make love?”
“Mary, listen to me—”
“Only if you tell me you will make love to me.”
“You are willful—”
“Aye, which does not make me a docile wife, though I can convince Decimus otherwise.”
He released her chin and pointed a finger at her. “You will—”
Love me,” she said and nipped at his finger.
“Mary it is important that we—”
“Make love,” she finished, and laughing, jumped at him toppling him to the ground.