Thy Name Is Love (The Yorkist Saga) by Diana Rubino Page A

the
     chattiest man she'd ever met.

Even as Denys assisted her kitchen servers in packing provisions
     for the journey, Owen filled her ears with stories of the days of
     old, the civil strife under King Henry VI, resulting from
     Marguerite of Anjou's antics.

She was thrilled that Valentine was away and would not have a
     chance to stop her from leaving. She left him a brief, untruthful
     note telling him she was heading south with the King's escort to
     attend to some personal business, then happily led the way west from
     Lilleshal, praying that the next time she returned, she would know
     her true name at last.

Not that it was so terrible being Lady Starbury, the Duchess of
     Norwich, but hopefully Valentine would understand her reasons and
     her need for secrecy.

The other men in the retinue were younger. Bruce was as quiet and
     broody as Owen was chatty. She liked Bruce because something about
     his manner and carriage that reminded her of dear Uncle Ned. With
     the bearing of a true knight, straight and tall atop his mount,
     and arms that could wield the heaviest of swords, he seemed as if
     he would rather have been born a few centuries ago and accompanied
     Richard the Lionheart on crusade, instead of escorting a noble
     lady to Wales.

Peter, a freckled Irishman with a shock of red hair, was a
     frustrated sailor whose ambition was to explore what lay beyond
     the lands found by the Norse, and what lay south, a fascinating
     idea to Denys.

Although only a vast desert was known to lie in the southern
     lands, she admired his sense of curiosity, a trait she proudly
     shared. With the characteristic boasting of Irish sailors who
     considered their maritime talents far superior to the English, he
     related his beliefs to the company.

"Land lies to our west as well, I tell ye. The Vikings and Norse
     barely scraped the surface with their explorations of Iceland and
     Greenland and Vinland, and Eric the Red's expedition across the
     Danish Channel. Oh, I wish I'd been born at the time of Eric the
     Red!"

Her own imagination fired by his tales, she imagined a successful
     quest of her own as she rode on. The day was bright and cloudless
     as she led Chera headed west with her three guides. She breathed
     deeply, the crisp March breeze gently pinched her face.

Her lungs filled with cool air, and she was sure she had never
     felt so fresh, so alive. She looked out over the landscape, so
     sharp, so clearly in focus. Noble trees framed majestic church
     towers that spiraled into the feathery sky. The midday sun spilled
     long shadows onto the verdant lands.

In the distance, patches of deep velvety green gave way to a
     carpet of colors like stardust. But soon dark clouds began to
     lour. The roads grew slippery by the time they reached the
     outskirts of Yorkshire. By nightfall, several more inches of rain
     had fallen, rendering the roads nearly impassable.

She would just have to bide her time and wait out the storm. While
     she longed for the comfort of her own snug chambers, there was no
     point in heading back home and running the risk of a confrontation
     with Valentine. She wasn't going to let a few drops of rain stand
     between her and her destiny.

The days were still short, leaving them little daylight travelling
     time. Owen asked her why she couldn't wait until spring was fully
     upon them to make this journey. She explained patiently why she
     had waited long enough and couldn't tarry any longer. Her family
     was out there somewhere, and she simply had to find them. Only
     through finding her past, could she ever have a future with
     Valentine.

A future she was starting to long for just as much if not even
     more than a family of her own…

They spent the first night at a decent tavern, and the second with
     a tenant farmer. In the middle of the night, the rain gradually
     eased off, so that they were able to set off at daybreak into a
     morning as fresh and clean as a newly made bed bedecked with