Free There Your Heart Will Be Also by Felicia Rogers

mattered.
    Frustrations mounted as Cedric realized t here was no way to reason through the things he’d heard today. Heading to Megean’s where his gear was stored, Cedric grabbed his one other tunic and a bar of soap he’d purchased in the village from one of the lye makers. He’d asked Megean about a place to bath e and she had drawn his attention to a fresh water pond right outside the keep walls.
    Shaking off his melancholy, Cedric headed out of the estate. The destination in mind was the pond . Upon reaching the location , he searched the perimeter to make sure he was alone. Once confident of his solitude, he stripped bare and dove into the cool water.
    He washed himself thoroughly , enjoying the liquid sliding down his stomach and the crisp air as it blew across his wet flesh. When Cedric finished, he checked his surroundings for visitors before he pulled himself out of the water . Sitting bare on the bank , he washed his ripped tunic while he allow ed the heat of the sun to dry his naked frame. Next , he washed his plaid.
    By then, the sun had finish ed drying him and he donned his other tunic . Finding a clean tuft of green grass nearby , he stretched out his wet clothing , allowing them to finish drying.
    Cedric found a nice warm spot of ground to rest upon . L ying back, he stretched out, crossing his legs at the ankles and putting his hands behind his head. Looking up at the blue of the sky , he pondered his life.
    There were few things he would have changed. He might have wished his clan members had trusted his judgment. He might have wished they would have accepted him as leader of the clan despite his lineage. But if all those things would have happened, he would never have come to Greenbriar . Never have met Sarra.
    As if thinking about her could conjure her form, Cedric closed his eyes. In his mind Sarra was wearing an emerald gown which clung to her curvy form. She was in the great hall surrounded by people dancing , swirling around in circles. Although she was being shuffled from partner to partner, her eyes constantly sought him out, as if she danced for him and no other .
    When Sarra reached his side, she took him by the hand and drew him away with her to the privacy of the garden. There they danced cheek to cheek. After their merriment was over, they retired to their quarters, alone. Before they could make it to their private chambers, however, the pitter patter of little feet w ould be heard.
    A little brown - haired, green - eyed boy and a little black - haired, blue - eyed girl with riotous curls ran to grab at their mother’s skirts. In his imagining, Cedric picked them up and s w ung them around in the air , then covered their faces with kisses before sending them off to bed with a playful swat to the bottom.
    After a night spent in the arms of his lovely wife, he headed out to the lists where he would teach his men the skills of being a Highland warrior. He would accept all they had learned as Englishmen and they would accept all he had to offer as a Scotsmen. They would then combine their knowledge, making them even greater warriors. No one in his keep would be at an advantage or at a disadvantage because of their blood line.
    Cedric sighed as he thought about his dreams of a life with a family . Would they ever come true? Maybe in time. But r ight now Cedric had too many other things to worry about. Like the fact he was falling for the wrong woman. To choose Sarra would mean having only part of his dream.
    Sighing heavily, Cedric shrugged off the misery which worked to consume him, then stood and checked his plaid to see if it was dry. When his fingers touched the fabric and only a dampness remained, h e pulled it up and wrapped it around him, pleated it at the waist, slung it up over his shoulder, and pinn ed it in place. Next, he picked up the ripped tunic and placed it over his arm.
    The village gossip hounds were saying the mistress’ birthday was in two days time . That