“Protegeré tu corazón todos los días de mi vida”

“Etienne abrió sus brazos en ademán de invitación y respiró aliviadocuando ella se entregó a su abrazo. Allí era donde debía estar. Podía sentirlo. Entrescientos años ninguna otra mujer le había hecho sentir que era la adecuada. Habíaacertado al transformar a Rachel. Estaba hecha para él.”

“My lady?” He peered briefly around to see that all seemedin order, and confusion immediately covered his face.“Take a dozen men and ride out in search of my husband,”Emma commanded at once. The steward goggled at her.“But, my lady—”“Now, Sebert. Or all will be lost.”Sebert nodded and started to withdraw, then paused andturned back, his gaze moving helplessly to the two men bythe fireplace, before flying back to Emma herself. “But mylady, yer husband is dead,” he pointed out miserably.Emma rolled her eyes at that. “Sebert, why can you not belike other stewards and listen at doors?”“I…” Sebert drew himself up indignantly, but Emmacontinued.“Had you done so, you would be aware that I am to marryLord Amaury de Aneford. Immediately. Before Lord Fulk’scousin and aunt can get here and Bertrand can lay claim tothe manor and myself.”

“I'm going to brush my hair and change my clothes if we're going out. That gives you two ten minutes to get it out of your system, so I'm not stuck with a couple of frustrated horndogs all day. But no pressure," she added on a laugh as she swung out of the room and started upstairs.”

“I've lost my mind," Alex muttered, grabbing her knives again and stomping back across the kitchen. "I woke up this morning a boring little chef on planet earth, and somehow ended up in the Twilight Zone as a third-rate stand-in for Buffy the Vampire Slayer".”

“Eshe, I want to spend my life with you.""Good," she whispered back. "That was the plan.”

“This looks good.""That's Metamucil," Bricker said with disgust, snatching it from her hand."So?" She turned to scowl at him. "What's wrong with Metamucil?""It's--" He glanced at the container and read, "A dietary supplement.""That sounds healthy," she said, trying to grab it back."Eshe," he said, his disgust giving way to amusement. "It's what old mortals take to get regular.""To get regular what?" she asked, and then poked him in the stomach, hard. The moment Bricker bent over with an "oomph," she snatched the container back and repeated, "Regular what?""Crap," he gasped, clutching his stomach. "I didn't hit you that hard," she said with some disgust of her own."No." He sighed, straightening. "I meant that's what they get regulated. Crap."Eshe dropped the can in dismay. "They buy crap?”