Claire Delacroix (30 page)

“Luc!”

He spun to find the lady in question running across the bailey to him. Her eyes sparkled, she had gathered her fine skirts in fistfuls, her legs flashed beneath the hems. Her veil had slipped askew, her smile made Luc’s heart begin to pound.

It had been but a day, and he had missed her sorely.

“I did not laugh!” she confessed with breathless delight when she came to a halt before him.

Nay she had not. In the wake of his relief, Luc decided ’twas as good a time as any to discover what the lady found amusing.

“And why did you not?”

Brianna laid a small hand upon his arm and leaned closer, a waft of her beguiling perfume making Luc’s toes curl within his boots. Ye gods, had he ever desired a woman more?

“Luc, you must not be angered with me,” she said hastily and Luc could not imagine why he might even consider the possibility. “I know you advised me to accept Burke and I tried to follow your counsel, I truly did, but you must believe that ’tis not because I distrust you that I did not laugh.”

Luc blinked as he tried to make sense of this unexpected revelation. What counsel?

Brianna heaved a sigh, her fingers kneading the cloth of Luc’s chemise. She flicked an appealing glance his way. “But I could not do it! Burke was so
indifferent
.” She took a hasty breath. “I know you could not discern as much from the back of the hall.”

Ah! Luc had advised her to wed Burke.

He had forgotten.

And Brianna had nearly done it, on his counsel alone.

Brianna rolled her eyes. “Luc, ’tis one matter that Burke is a stranger, though ’tis one mitigated by your reference to his character, but if he is disinterested in the match—” she leaned closer, her fingers tightening on his arm, her eyes wide with concern “—then how might love bloom between us after the nuptials?”

Ye gods, but Luc had nearly brought disaster upon his own intentions, without ever meaning to do so!

But all the same, there was something encouraging in the very fact that Brianna had heeded him. Luc had to hear that fact fall again from her lips.

He captured her hand beneath his own and stilled its agitated movement. “You truly thought to accept Burke, merely upon my advice?”

“Aye.” Brianna smiled with a shyness that wrenched Luc’s heart. “You were most certain that he is a man of honor and the one I should choose. Indeed, Luc, Burke is no stranger to
you
.”

To think that Luc had nearly lost Brianna because of his own misguided advice! One day, if all came aright, Luc knew he would find the matter amusing.

In this moment, though, he was seized with an urgency to take advantage of his chance.

But how to make the lady laugh?

“You must not be insulted,” Brianna urged, obviously misinterpreting Luc’s silence. “ ’Tis not because I do not trust you.”

Luc captured both of her hands within his own and leaned toward her with intent. “My lady,” he murmured, his voice thrumming low with affection. “Make no mistake, I am most delighted that you did not laugh.”

Brianna blinked in evident confusion. Then she frowned. “But, you counselled me—”

“I did.”

“But …”

Luc could not resist the ripe curve of Brianna’s lips any longer. He laid one finger across their fullness to silence her protest, his loins tightening at the soft touch of them beneath his finger. “Aye, but I erred,” he admitted. “I am most relieved you did not take my advice.”

“You erred!” Brianna’s eyes flashed dangerously as she shoved Luc’s fingertip away. “You
erred
and you did not see fit to tell me?” She jabbed an angry finger in the direction of the hall, then railed at Luc. “I might have laughed apurpose! I would have been compelled to wed that man as a result! And you tell me merely that you erred?”

“I am sorry,” Luc began in all sincerity, but got no further.

“Sorry?
Sorry
?” Brianna turned that finger upon him and beat a staccato in the midst of Luc’s chest. “And what is that worth if I were to wed the wrong man? You should have come to me immediately and set this matter to rights!”

“My lady, I tried to speak with you this morn but you were busy—”

“Too busy to be concerned about the remainder of my life?” Brianna snorted with indignation. “I should think not!” She folded her arms across her chest and regarded Luc haughtily. “You, sir, owe me an apology.”

Luc shoved a hand through his hair, then nodded. “ ’Tis true enough,” he conceded. “And I am sorry. ’Twas my intent to speak with you upon my arrival, but events conspired against me. I am also glad that you are a woman of such good sense.”

Brianna sniffed as though she fought to remain cool. But
the quick glance she fired at Luc revealed that she was touched by his apology.

And the fact that she did not leave him be was most encouraging.

Perhaps he might make the most of this. There was more than one way to cajole a smile from a lady. “Though ’tis true that you yet owe me four kisses, my lady,” he reminded her with a smile. “Shall we settle all our obligations this very morn?”

“Oh!” Twin spots of color burned in Brianna’s cheeks.

Luc grinned. She was not immune to him, by any means, nor to even the prospect of his kisses.

That could only be a good sign.

Brianna retreated half a dozen steps and glared at Luc, her veil slipping farther askew. “You are incorrigible!” she charged heatedly. “And demanding. And disrespectful. And, and …”

Luc folded his arms across his chest to regard her with good humor. “And dare I hope, interesting?” He arched a brow as Brianna sputtered. “Intriguing? Challenging?” Luc paused for a heartbeat and deliberately met the lady’s gaze.

“Or perhaps
amusing
?”

Brianna gasped, then caught the tail of her fury once more. “How could you possibly be amusing? You have no interest in making me laugh, you refused to depart on my quest, you refused to bring me a gift, you refuse to do
anything
that I ask of you!” She flung out her hands. “You are the single most infuriating and confounding man that I ever have met!”

“Because I do not
rush
to do your bidding?” Luc let his skepticism filter into his expression. “You cannot convince me, my lady fair, that you would harbor any respect for such a sorry excuse of a man.” He shook a finger at her in turn.
“Indeed, you would not even deign to speak with me if I were as biddable as a trained pup.”

Brianna blinked. Her cheeks pinkened as she held Luc’s gaze, and then, ever so slowly, a smile spread across her lips.

“Nay,” she confessed softly. “Nay, you speak aright. I would not come to talk with you, then.”

Luc was satisfied to see his point made, but Brianna tilted her head to regard him. “I wish you
had
gone on my quest,” she admitted softly.

’Twas a promising and unexpected admission.

And an opportunity not to be lost.

Luc held the lady’s gaze, determined to get to the root of this. “Why?” he asked smoothly.

Brianna seemed to guess his interest in her response, for her flush deepened. She stepped backward, her gaze flicking away from Luc’s. “ ’Tis a test of character,” she said lightly. “I would but know what you might bring.”

“Nay.” Luc shook his head and her alarmed gaze danced back to meet his own. “Your quest was no test of character and you know it well.”

“But ’twas!” Brianna caught her breath when Luc stepped closer.

But she did not step away.

“My lady! Do you imagine that I have forgotten your plan to see your father rule Tullymullagh again?”

Brianna blanched. “I … I …”

“You had a scheme,” Luc supplied firmly, “a foolish one that could have seen you sorely injured.” He arched a brow. “Your quest was no more than a ploy to see all three brothers departed from Tullymullagh while you followed that scheme.”

Brianna bit her lip, clearly caught.

Luc had no desire to torment her, so he took the last step
between them and captured her chin in his hand. “Fortunately, all ended well,” he concluded.

“Because of you,” Brianna acknowledged quietly, her cheeks flaming.

“My lady, I am glad I did not go upon your quest,” Luc said, wanting her to hear his resolve. “For that alone granted me the chance to persuade you of your folly in defying Gavin.”

The lady swallowed. “No one has ever refused to do my will,” she confessed quietly, then lifted her gaze to meet Luc’s. “No one but you.”

She looked so vulnerable, so astonished that this could be, and so shaken by the fact that it was true, that Luc wanted only to reassure her. He wanted to make her smile again.

“Ah!” Luc arched a brow and winked playfully. “That, then, must be why you
missed
me so!”

Brianna choked, his comment clearly an unexpected one.

She chortled, her eyes danced. She lifted a hand to her lips, but to no avail.

For then, the lady laughed.

’Twas true enough, that Luc never did her bidding.

And equally true that Brianna would have thought less of his character if he had.

But the realization that she had indeed missed him sorely—and that because he defied her every expectation—was what brought the laughter to her lips.

And once Brianna loosed her laughter, it seemed she could not stop it.

Until Luc grinned, grasped her shoulders within the heat of his hands, and tipped back his head to bellow. “The lady Brianna laughs for me!”

Brianna sobered with a snap.

What was this?

Her laughter halted, she stared at Luc, only now realizing the import of what she had done. Brianna glanced back to the rustle of the assembly bursting from the hall, talk echoing over the walls as each passed the news to the other.

The entire household came running to witness the truth. Brianna turned back to Luc with horror.

“You tricked me!” she charged.

That man grinned cockily and Brianna saw his delight with what he had wrought. “You laughed,” he reminded her firmly.

How dare he try to fool her? “It did not count!”

“It certainly did,” Luc confirmed, his eyes dark with intent. “You laughed at the jest of one of Gavin’s sons, and now, my lady, we shall be wed.”

Wed?

To Luc?

“But this does not follow my plan!” Brianna protested, certain that events had never run so surely from her grip before. “You did not depart on the quest!”

Luc flicked a bright blue glance her way. “ ’Tis clear I did not need to do so.”

“But … but …” Brianna wildly sought some grounds of protest. This man could not best her at her own game! Why, the entire point of the quest was to ensure that she was not compelled to wed any particular man! “Aha!” she crowed with delight. “You did not grant me a gift!”

Luc hesitated for a moment and Brianna knew she had bested him.

“No gift was granted, so the laughter does not count!” she repeated, liking well that Luc seemed flummoxed by this.

Ha! She would have the last word!

But someone cleared his throat pointedly. Brianna pivoted to find her sire advancing into the orchard. He shook his
head sagely. “ ’Tis not so, child. Luc has granted you a rare gift indeed.”

Brianna was indignant that her father would take Luc’s side. “What gift?”

Connor smiled. “The wisdom that no one should dictate to one’s spouse, for the strength of a marriage is in partnership and understanding.”

While Brianna fought to find an argument to that, Connor granted a nod to Luc. “I confess that I have listened to your discussion,” he admitted without embarrassment.

Luc inclined his head, clearly untroubled by this. “ ’Tis not beyond reasonable to attend to your daughter’s future happiness.”

Connor beamed at that sentiment, then turned his bright gaze on Brianna once more. “ ’Tis clear enough to me, child, that this man, this man who challenges your will and cares for your safety, is a man you may be proud to take to your side.”

Brianna gasped, not in the least bit pleased to find her heart making a similar case. She pivoted to face Luc. “How can you insist upon this course?” she demanded heatedly. “You know full well how I feel about the necessity of love in a marriage.”

No sooner had she uttered the words, than Luc’s grip on her fingers tightened. “My lady,” he murmured, his voice pitched low. “I understand that this matter is of import to you, and thence, ’tis to me.”

Brianna swallowed and stared into the vivid sapphire of Luc’s gaze, the intensity of the color telling her that he meant whatever he would say.

“I would see you happy, I would see you satisfied with your match. My lady, you may be assured that I
shall
persuade you to love me.”

Brianna’s heart began to race. She stared at Luc, her heart
hammering at his unexpected words. Luc lifted her hand, his gaze unswerving, brushed his lips across her knuckles.

Brianna was certain the entire household saw her shiver.

“Indeed, Brianna,” he murmured, his tone pitched for her ears alone, “I pledge it to you.”

Luc had never uttered her name before. The very sound was so intimate, it conjured recollections of kisses and the heated promise of mysteries yet to be learned. Brianna caught her breath and looked away.