Claire Delacroix (19 page)

“I have naught to lose.”

The lady tipped her chin. “What of Llanvelyn?”

Luc shook his head, forced to make the concession. “ ’Tis true, he could deny me the seal, as he has done all these years. He could turn all of my labor to make the estate prosperous to naught, readily enough.” Luc let his gaze bore into the lady’s emerald one. “But, even then, ’tis a comparatively small claim Gavin has upon me.”

Brianna shrugged. “He has
no
claim upon me.”

“Nay!” Her very insouciance was infuriating and Luc gripped her shoulders more tightly. “My lady, you must understand that my father is not a man of compassion! You
have just seen the kind of success your champion can expect to meet when facing him.”

Brianna rolled her eyes. “I told you Ruarke knows naught of this.”

Luc stared at her, aghast as he realized the import of what she said. “You would defy my sire
alone
?” He could not keep the edge of incredulity from his tone. “What manner of idiocy is that? I thought you a woman of sense!”

She drew herself up proudly. “ ’Tis not idiocy to fight for one’s home!
You
fight for Llanvelyn.”

“Yet if it were denied to me, I would not be scarred for all my days,” Luc retorted. Brianna’s eyes widened and he nodded grimly. “Aye, Gavin would see your beauty marred for his own twisted vengeance alone.”

Brianna fought to hide how his words startled her and failed. Her words fell in haste. “My looks are of little import.”

’Twas clear the lady would not be readily swayed. Luc forced himself to voice his worst fears. “And what of your maidenhead? What of your innocence, if he grants you to his men for a night?” Luc glared down at her, willing her to understand the magnitude of what Gavin might do. “My lady, what of your very
life
?”

Brianna paled and sagged slightly beneath his hands. “He would not,” she whispered, though Luc saw new uncertainty in the depths of her eyes.

Luc nodded sadly, infinitely relieved that Brianna finally recognized her peril. “That and more, if the whim took him,” he admitted, then gave her shoulders a squeeze. “You
must
abandon this course.”

Brianna, though, bit her lip and looked across the river, apparently indecisive.

Luc gritted his teeth, knowing he had never met another so cursedly stubborn. “My lady, consider who would aid
you if your plan went awry.” She flicked a very green glance Luc’s way. “Your champion could do naught to aid you, especially while imprisoned. Your sire is aged, as is his steward, all knights are pledged to Gavin’s hand.”

Luc lowered his voice and leaned closer. “No one dared step forward to aid Ruarke. You must consider who would or could aid
you
.”

The lady turned an appealing glance upon him. “Would
you
not do so?” she asked softly. Her hand lifted to his shoulder and Luc was seized by an urge to pledge himself to her from this day forward. “You aided Ruarke.”

Luc swallowed the lump in his throat with difficulty. Brianna would be Burke’s bride—’twas not his place to pledge himself to her protection.

And he had left the life of a knight behind.

Yet even knowing that, Luc could not bring himself to deny her. “I will not always be here,” he reminded her gently instead.

Tears welled in the princess’ emerald gaze. Her hand rose to grip Luc’s fingers, as though she would draw upon his strength. “But Luc, it wounds my father so to witness this change.” Her voice was soft, her heartbreak evident in every word. “Did you not see his face when Ruarke fell?”

Luc’s heart tightened. He was awed that this woman saw no further than her father’s dismay, that she would put even herself in jeopardy in an attempt to ensure her father’s happiness.

’Twas an impulse so noble and selfless, so uncommon, that Luc could only gaze at her in admiration. She stared up at him, her tears accenting the myriad shades of green in her wondrous eyes.

“Aye, Brianna, I did,” Luc managed to agree. He gave Brianna a minute shake, still feeling the need to persuade her of the danger before her. “But you must consider—would
it be easier for Connor to see you bear the brunt of Gavin’s temper?”

“Nay!” Brianna’s tears spilled suddenly, cascading over her cheeks like sparkling jewels. “I do not know what to do,” she whispered unevenly and bowed her head.

Luc could not resist her. Indeed, to see her defeated manner tore his heart in two. Luc bent over Brianna as though he would shelter her from an ill wind, slipped an arm over her shoulder, and wiped her tears away with a gentle thumb. Brianna leaned her brow upon his shoulder and Luc felt her tears wet his tunic as she silently wept.

He felt humbled that she leaned upon him, even as much as this, for he had the sense that this woman seldom relied upon others for strength. Indeed, she had a wealth of it to call her own.

“Wed Burke. ’Twould be the best course for you,” he counselled quietly, ignoring the scream of protest that erupted within him.

Brianna made no acknowledgement of his words and Luc sought some way to reassure her. Had she not protested wedding a stranger? And what could she know of Burke, after all.

“He is a good man, a knight noble and true,” he murmured. “He will see you safe.”

But to Luc’s surprise, the lady responded most violently to his low words. He caught but a glimpse of the angry flash of her eyes before she shook off his grip and stepped back. “I will
not
wed Burke!” she snapped, her eyes flashing as she propped her hands upon her hips.

Luc blinked at this abrupt change of manner. The marks of Brianna’s tears still shone on her cheeks but her determination was back with a vengeance. What had he said to so rile her? “But whyever not?”

“Because I do not love him!” Brianna impatiently wiped
aside the vestiges of her tears. “Indeed, I barely
know
him!”

Ah, ’twas the issue of wedding a stranger. “He is a good man—”

“I do not care!” Brianna glared at Luc stubbornly.

Luc folded his arms across his chest and regarded her. “You do not care whether he is a good man?”

“I care only that I do not love him!” Luc’s lack of understanding must have shown, for Brianna shook her head and heaved a sigh. “Luc, I pledged long ago to wed only my own true love. I shall do that, regardless of what you, or my father, or your father or even the King of England himself have to say about the matter!”

Luc stared at Brianna, doubting what he had heard, then shoved a hand impatiently through his hair. “What whimsy is this? Truly, you do listen overmuch to the bard’s tales.”

“I do not!”

Luc spread out his hands. “Then where, my lady, did you seize upon such whimsy as this?”

“ ’Tis not
whimsy
!” Brianna poked her finger in Luc’s chest. He stood still, marvelling at her spirit as he watched her. “My parents had a rare love, one that they recognized
before
they wed.”

Luc could not help his skepticism. “Indeed?”

“Indeed!” Brianna pursed her lips and looked away, then shook her head before meeting Luc’s gaze once more. Her voice, when she spoke was surprisingly soft, her tone cajoling. “I know it must be hard for you to believe as much, for your childhood cannot have been easy,” she said urgently. “But mine was
different
.”

She hesitated, as though uncertain whether she should confide more. Her gaze was luminous, her expression expectant.

Luc knew she waited for reassurance from him.

“You cannot know what the future holds,” he said quietly. “You might well come to love Burke.”

“And I might
not
!” Brianna retorted. “I must
know
before any nuptials! Can you not see the good sense of that?”

“ ’Tis not the way of things and you know it well. Marriages are made for alliance, not for love.” Luc shook his head, but Brianna caught at his sleeve.

Her cheeks pinkened slightly as she held Luc’s regard and he felt his heart begin to pound anew. “Could I share with you a tale, that you might understand? Please?”

And truly, when this lady regarded him so hopefully, Luc knew he could deny her naught. To listen to a mere tale was precious little indeed.

And what else had he to do this day? Naught of more import than ensuring Brianna abandoned her quest to oust Gavin—naught more critical than ensuring this charming beauty was safe.

Until Burke’s return.

The conclusion was souring. Luc forced a smile for Brianna, knowing there was no reason for him to be so irked at the very prospect of his brother’s return. “Of course.”

Yet when the lady smiled up at Luc, a smile destined for him alone, any thought of Burke completely fled his mind.

And that suited Luc perfectly. When Luc offered his hand and the lady shyly put her fingers into his grip, Burke de Montvieux was as far from his elder brother’s thoughts as ever he could be.

They sat together on the low wall that marked the river side of the orchard and Brianna swung her feet as she sought the words to begin. In truth, she had been noting the lean strength of Luc’s legs, his boots firmly planted on the ground.

Aye, she liked that he was concerned for her and had the
distinct sense that while Luc was at Tullymullagh, naught ill could happen to her.

That must be why his reminder that he must leave had been so disappointing.

“You must have cared deeply for your dame,” Luc commented idly when the silence had stretched long.

“Aye.” Brianna glanced up, Luc’s gaze colliding with hers in the wake of his words, and she noted the brightness of the blue. She would wager her answer interested him more than he might care to admit. Aye, it might well be that the shade of his eyes grew more vivid when his passion was aroused.

Did his eyes not glow as blue as a summer sky when he kissed her?

Brianna’s lips tingled in recollection of those kisses, but she forced herself to answer his question. “Aye, I did.” Brianna frowned. “It has been quiet here since she passed, though she was the most tranquil soul that ever I have known. As I told you, ’tis her sarcophagus there.”

Luc’s glance followed her pointed finger and he nodded. “Because she loved the garden.”

“Aye. That she did.” Brianna blinked back an unexpected tear. Luc, to her relief, seemed to sense her dismay and feigned interest in the distant hills. Brianna appreciated having the moment to collect herself and marvelled again that Luc was content to let her take her own time.

“And you say that your sire and she shared a rare passion.”

“Aye.” Brianna smiled at the recollection of the tale she had oft been told. “They met afore my sire took the cross.” She slanted a glance to her companion, suddenly shy. “ ’Tis a tale I love for ’tis romantic beyond all, but I fear you may find it tedious.”

That errant twinkle danced briefly in Luc’s eye and he
arched a brow mischievously. “For I am clearly a man with no regard for romance?” he teased and Brianna cursed how quickly she flushed.

“I know little of what you hold in regard,” she argued, well aware of Luc’s sparkling regard, even though she stared at her toes.

’Twas not exactly true, she realized suddenly, for she knew already that Luc held a pledge in high esteem. And he had disliked seeing Ruarke attacked when the knight could not defend himself. Luc showed concern for her own welfare, with a determination that warmed Brianna’s heart.

Indeed, Brianna could not help but think of a knight’s pledge to uphold his sworn vow and to ensure the protection of those unable to see to their own welfare.

Why
had
Luc ceased to be a knight? It seemed the labor was perfectly suited to the turn of his mind. Brianna knew well enough the strength of Luc’s grip and guessed he was a formidable opponent.

She could ask him, but that would be a question. Her flush deepened with the certainty that Luc would demand his toll.

They had made an agreement, after all. ’Twas not, Brianna admitted to herself, so onerous an arrangement.

Brianna slanted a glance Luc’s way to find his gaze bright upon her and once again, had the odd sense that he read her very thoughts. The hint of a smile curved those firm lips, as though he did not find her conclusions troubling in the least.

“Tell me your tale,” he urged.

Brianna deliberately cleared her throat. “Well, when Edessa was lost and the call came from Rome to regain that city, ’twas nigh upon the eve of my sire’s knighting. He insists now that he took the cross for ’tis the bane of youths and fools to believe they can set the world to rights single-handedly.”

Luc snorted softly at that, though Brianna could not imagine why. She paused, but he said naught, so she continued.

“At any rate, he was knighted by the high king himself and ’twas there my dame first caught sight of him. There were a full dozen men to be knighted that Easter Day, each from prominent families, and, as you can imagine, virtually everyone upon the isle had come to the high court to celebrate.”

Brianna smiled in recollection of all the times she had begged her mother to share this beloved tale. She folded up her legs and wrapped her arms around them, setting her chin upon her knees. “My dame said she knew Connor of Tullymullagh was the man for her the very moment her gaze landed upon him, for there was a twinkle in his eye that she found most fetching.”