The days blurred together in a seamless flow of excitement and wonder for Matilda. She and Arthur fell into a rhythm of waking, exploring the world and then at night dining together, falling into bed and exploring each other. There were moments of exquisite clarity where Matilda realized that in another life, she might have met and married someone like Arthur and enjoyed this every day. She knew she was building castles in the sky, and someday they would vanish like the clouds they were built on, leaving only her memories. But until that day, she planned to enjoy every moment they had together.
She had plenty to distract her from thoughts of the future. She sat astride a lovely horse, one of Arthur’s, and they stood together facing Meadow Cross cottage. A dozen men trudged through the sno
