Her wedding day had been wonderful. She'd had such a lovely time dancing with Samuel. He'd made her laugh so much that she felt as if she was floating in a boat looking up at the stars.

They had talked all night, he had told her many things that had happened to him but, Shay suspected he held back many more. She had cried when he told her how he came to get the scar on his face, and of his harsh treatment while being put to work in the quarry, where men died, standing on their feet, from exhaustion. He spoke about meeting Omar, but Shay felt, his story of the meeting in a market place, wasn't entirely true.

She had asked how he came to be in a market place, when he had been chained and working in a quarry. Samuel had fumbled through an answer, which Shay couldn't grasp, but she let it pass because he looked so stricken.

They spoke of her time working at the orphanage and why she chose to help the poor. Samuel had been very impressed and promised to become a benefactor, as Thomas was.

Eventually Shay must have fallen asleep, because she woke alone in the huge bed, without remembering how she'd got there.

The day after had also been wonderful. They had ridden out for a picnic, strolled the grounds, hand in hand, and he'd kissed her many times but, something had changed in him. He hadn't come anywhere near her for two days, other than at meal times.

Shay felt so miserable, like she'd done something wrong. He spent most of his time doing horse deals with Papa. Perhaps she could have the marriage annulled. He had said this could happen if the truth of their unconsummated marriage got out. He'd told her this himself. Shay nibbled on her toast and thought she'd go and speak to the local priest to get advice on such things.

She looked over the table at him. He probably wouldn't allow her to leave the estate without him, but she might be able to sneak away on foot without him knowing.

Samuel watched her lip curl up in what appeared to be a sneer. He wondered if she was aware that she was doing it. After their kiss and talk in the woods on their wedding day, and the wonderful night they had spent talking Samuel thought, or at least hoped, things between them had improved. He took a breath; he knew why she appeared lost. It was because of him. He hadn't told her the complete truth of his time as a slave, and now that life was coming back to haunt him.

Looking at her now, Samuel wanted her so much, but felt sure this beautiful girl would turn away from him in disgust when she saw the real him. He felt certain no woman would want to touch him, especially someone as perfect as Shay was so he had decided it was best to let the marriage be one of convenience.

"Samuel."

Sam turned his head. Thomas smiled at him. "Sorry, Thomas. Did you say something?"

"I'm going to Oxford to look at another stallion tomorrow. Would you like to come?"

"No." Samuel looked from Thomas to Shay, and then back again. "We are leaving tomorrow. I'm taking Shay to Denbury Hall. I have business to finalise in Aylesbury."

"No," Shay blurted and sat up in her chair.

"Yes." Samuel gave her a stern look. He was not going to have her test him in front of everyone. If she did, he'd be forced to hold his ground. Instead of saying anything, she shot to her feet and darted out of the dining room. Samuel sighed and closed his eyes. He put down his knife and fork, looked around the table and stood before saying, "If you will excuse me."

Samuel caught sight of her darting toward the stepping stones. "Shay! Stop!" Of course, she didn't. Instead, she pulled off her slippers, lifted her hems and leapt from one stone to the other. Samuel stopped on the bank. His throat constricted. If she slipped and hurt herself, he didn't know how he would handle it. He waited until she got safely to the other side, before he made his way across the stream. Once he got to the other side he bolted along the path after her. "Stop!" Samuel grabbed her arm and spun her to face him. "What the hell is your problem?" Sam stared down at her. She was breathing hard. The tie on her peasant blouse had come undone and tresses of her hair were hanging around her face. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To the priest." Shay tried to pull her arm from his hold. "I'm going to have this marriage annulled." She yanked again. "Let me go."

Samuel gripped her harder. "You can't do that!"

"Yes, I can!" Shay struggled again. "This marriage hasn't been consummated, you said this could happen, so I can and I will."

"Damn, woman. What is your problem? I haven't got a clue. What is it I've done now to set you off?" Sam shook his head in exasperation even though he suspected he knew her reasons for being upset.

"Two days ago, you kissed me. Two days ago, we talked of many things. You had me believe this could work." Shay got her hand and tried to prise his fingers from her upper arm. "Since then, you've turned into a stone and haven't been near me or spoken to me. Now I'm supposed to happily leave my family, to go and live with you in some place where I don't know a soul."

"I have spoken to you." Sam fought his inner mind to convince himself that she had no valid reason to be upset with him.

Shay scoffed. "Good morning, Shay. Good night, Shay. Did you enjoy your breakfast, Shay? The weather is lovely, Shay." She slammed her clenched fist on his forearm to try and get him to release her. "This isn't a real marriage. It hasn't been consummated. I'm going to ask for an annulment."

"I told you I wasn't going to pressure you." Samuel ran his free hand through his hair. "Jesus, woman. I don't understand you. Are you telling me you want this marriage to be real now?"

Shay tugged again. "Yes! No! I don't know, and yes, I'm aware you weren't going to pressure me, but now I don't think you can bare to look at me, let alone touch me!"

"Yes, or no?" Only focusing on a yes or no answer, Samuel ignored the rest of her words. "Answer the bloody question, Shay."

"Stop swearing at me."

Sam ground his teeth. "Yes or no!"

"Yes!" Shay thrust her face at him. "I thought that was what we had talked about. Obviously, it wasn't."

Samuel grabbed her by the waist, threw her over his shoulder and stormed into the undergrowth.

"What are you doing?" Shay lifted her head and thumped him on the back. He didn't answer her. "What the hell are you doing?" She was suddenly pulled forward and lying on a pile of leaves with Samuel holding himself above her and pinning her wrists to the ground.

"Language, Shay."

"You're swearing at me."

Samuel chuckled, and then put his lips to hers.

Shay rolled her head to the side. "What are you doing?"

Samuel stared down at her. "I think I'm trying to fix our problems. At least one of them." He sat back on his haunches and pulled her up to straddle his thighs. Her skirt caught around her knees. Samuel pushed his hands under it to free her legs, and then he sat taking deep breaths to calm himself.

"What's the matter, Samuel?" Shay pushed her hand into his hair and focused on his eyes.

"I haven't been completely honest with you, Shay," he whispered as he hung his head.

Deciding to give him a moment, Shay waited until he looked up at her again, and then murmured, "About what? Don't you want to be a real husband to me?"

Samuel shook his head.

"You don't!" Shay gasped, crestfallen, she scrambled to her feet with Samuel quickly following.

"No, that's not what I meant." Sam grabbed her hand before she could run away. Tears streamed down her face. "It's not what I meant, Shay."

Inhaling a sob, Shay said, "What did you mean, if not that?"

He wanted to touch her so much, but was convinced she wouldn't want to touch him once she saw the real him. He had to make sure she understood what a true marriage entailed. "Shay, when a man and a woman consummate a marriage, they touch each other. Do you understand that?" Shay tried to pull her hand from his so Sam repeated, "I'm asking you, if you understand what it means to consummate a marriage."

"Yes... yes... I... I think I understand what it means." Shay gasped.

"You have told me you want this marriage to be real. That you want it to be consummated. That means we touch each other in places that are..." Sam struggled to find the words. "In places that are private. Married couples give each other permission to touch these places." Samuel looked into her eyes. "Are you certain you understand what I'm saying?"

Shay swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.

"Good," Sam said. "We are married, and you want this marriage to be real? Is that correct?"

A moment passed. Shay understood what he was saying, but she didn't understand it completely. She didn't understand what consummation really meant. What she did understand, was how a stallion mated with a mare, or how a rooster claimed a hen. Neither looked very pleasant, but she said, "Yes."

Samuel smiled. "I don't think you really understand, do you?"

Clamping her lips together, Shay shook her head.

"I needed to know if you really want me to touch you in this way, Shay." He gave her a forlorn smile and then added, "I really want to touch you in this way but, I haven't been completely honest with you about my time away." He turned and led her to the water's edge before taking a deep breath and looking back at her. "This is a beautiful place," he said as he swept tresses of hair behind her ear and smiled lovingly at her. "Nature has provided a bed of soft leaves, a cool breeze that will caress our passion, and a roof of branches and leaves where the sun streams through to play games with our skin. This is somewhere my angelic wife took me in my dreams, many times, while I was in a much darker place." Samuel touched her lips gently with his fingers. "I would very much like to join with you, Shay, heart, body and soul in this beautiful place, if you too, desire this."

Shay wasn't completely sure what was happening with in him. She reached up and wiped away a single tear that had rolled down his cheek. "Yes, Samuel, I do desire this." His words touched her deeply, and the emotion he displayed had her heart aching. "Will you tell me about that dark place?"

"No," he whispered as he pushed her hair back over her shoulders. "Not here. I will not sully this moment with the past." He cupped her face with the palm of his hand and looked deep into her eyes. "I want my future to be full of love and light, Shay. I hope you can understand that." He put his lips to hers, kissed her slowly, and then trailed his kisses down her neck. Untying her blouse, he pushed the fabric wide, unlaced her chemise, and then ran his hand over her nipples. "You are so beautiful, Shay," he said as he took in the sight of her body responding to his touch.

"Samuel?"

"Yes." Sam lifted his eyes from her breasts to look at her face.

"You said we touch each other. When do I touch you?"

Stopping the movement of his hand, Sam's fear clawed at his heart. "Do you want to touch me?"

"Yes." Shay swallowed. "I want to touch you, as you touch me."

Without saying a word, Samuel pulled his shirt up and over his head, tossing it on the ground and focused on Shay's expression. She was staring at the tattoo that marked his body. No matter what his said, he knew his dark place would be with him wherever he went. He remained still. It was her decision to enter that place with him. Holding his breath, he watched her lift her blouse and undershirt, drawing them over her head to toss them on top of his. When she reached out her hand and touched him, Samuel felt a weight lift from his soul. The feeling trailed up his body and disappeared on the wind.

"You are beautiful," she whispered. Her hand trailed the scar on his chest, lingered there and moved on to touch the tattoo. "Is this, what you didn't tell me?"

He nodded but couldn't speak.

"So, your treatment was much worse than you told me?"

Sam nodded again.

"Oh, Samuel." Shay kept her hand on his chest, looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "This is who you are, Samuel, every mark and scar, every dark place is who you are, and I promise I will love each and every part of your being, because without these scars you, would not be you. They are a symbol of your strength. They make me feel safe, because I know you will take care of me. I love you, Samuel."

"You love me?" Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Yes." Shay nodded. "I fell in love with you the day you knocked me over in Whitechapel." She smiled and added, "It just took me a while to realise it."

Samuel's face lit up as he touched her cheek. He lifted her and lay her back on the grass. "Shay... I have loved you from the moment we first met."

Finally we have a happy, kind of ending. xoxo

Photo taken from PIXNIO