Debra Kay Leland (24 page)

Edmund nodded cordially as he considered his words carefully. 
“As ye say, but then please let me make myself clear also, nephew, so there shall be no question as to my intent.  If ye do not wish to seek the girl’s hand in marriage, ye shall cease seeking the girl’s hand all together.  Do I make myself clear?”

“Quite.”

His uncle pushed away from the table then and threw down his napkin not at all as upset as they feared, for he had seen something in Garrick’s dark eyes that yet pleased him and gave him hope.  “Good.  Come now, nephews, we shall be off.”

Miranda sat with the ladies in the weaving room, stitching and embroidering clothes for herself and her child.  Though in truth, she had never seen so many clothes in her life.  She had two dresses at home, one she wore while the other was being washed, it was that simple.  But nothing here was like it was at home.  Her thoughts led her back to Chadwick and to her parents, and to Turin…  But the tender thoughts ended with the thought of her father’s last request that she marry Egan Wallace...  Nay, it was not quite a request, but a soft demand.  Although at the time she hadn’t realized it, her father-in-law had saved her from Egan just as William had done.  And saved her child from his cruel hand when he had come that day and taken her with him to Whittington, though at the time it had been without her consent.

She could not help but wonder what Egan had thought when he had gone back to Glenton Moor a month later only to find her gone…  She wasn’t even sure if Phillip and Thomas would have dared to tell the
m exactly where she had gone to.  It worried her in a way, for she loved her father and understood that he only did what he did for her sake, but to marry Egan Wallace would have crushed the very life from her and they both knew it.

She set her work down and let her gaze shift to the open window as she thought of her home and of her family in Chadwick, of Glen
ton Moor and the man she loved…knowing that one day she would return there again…

The day was quiet; the men had finished their task in Lord Sheridan’s eastern holding, and were riding back in the cool of the day.  Lydan leaned forward in his saddle and looked at his uncle as he inquired, “Uncle, what is the lady Miranda’s dowry, if I might ask?”

Garrick looked at the younger man with a frown.

“I am but curious, uncle, ‘tis all.”

Edmund only smiled.  “Her weight in gold.”

Lydan swallowed hastily and raised curious brows. 
“Her weight in gold?”

“Aye, a fair amount I believe, the girl is young and healthy, able to produce an heir, and
she is fair to the eye; the gold is only an added measure for what she is lacking.  I am well aware that she is Welsh; though ye can see for thyself that she is graceful and charming.  I believe it is a rich reward for the man who marries her—for he shall have to agree to raise her child and treat both well, along with agreeing to my demands that he shall not try to gain Whittington from her or her child if something is to happen to me.”

Lydan rubbed his chin and smiled. 
“’Tis most temping…”

Garrick glared at the younger man reading only greed in his eyes, knowing that the
Lydan cared nothing for the girl beyond her beauty and her dowry; and that she and her child would suffer under his hand, he was sure of it!  And then suddenly, Garrick found the words coming from his mouth before he even realized they had been spoken.  “I accept.”

The two men swung around to look at him with disbelief. 
“Ye what?”

“I accept.  I shall bid for the girl’s hand in marriage, uncle, if she shall have me.”

Lydan laughed abruptly.   “
If
she shall have
thee
?!”

Edmund looked at Lydan’s mocking face.  “Do ye wish to bid for the g
irl’s hand also, nephew?”

Lydan cold eyes clashed with older f
rowning ones.  “I.  Nay, I do not.”

“Then, so be it.  Neither of ye shall speak of this to the girl, until Garrick
is given time gain her favor.”

Garrick’s eyes narrowed angrily knowing that Lydan was not to be trusted.  Truly, he hadn’t intended to bid for her, he wasn’t even sure why he had spoken such except that he couldn’t stand the idea of Lydan seeking to possess her to his own ends...

The rest of the trip back to Whittington was done in stark silence, with the two men only throwing dark looks at one another as they went.  Once they could see the castle walls Edmund turned to them and said, “I shall allow ye to spend time with the girl each day, Garrick, with my steward to chaperone of course,”  He smiled as he continued,  “But for the girl’s sake it shall be only once a day.  She is not to be threatened or coursed, nor forced into a marriage.  For now, it shall be by her
choice and her choice alone.”

Garrick eyed the younger man darkly and then turned his attention back to his uncle. 
“I understand.”

“The girl is a lady and the child she carries is my
only heir.  If ye take her as thy bride ye must agree to treat them both with care.  Ye shall have no stake in my title, nor my holdings, though ye shall always have Whittington at thy side, and a beautiful bride on thy arm.”

Garrick nodded stiffly
at his uncle’s words, then glared back at Lydan who sat scowling at him with narrowed eyes at his uncle’s back. 

Once they were inside the castle gate, Lydan took his uncle’s arm and leaned closer as he said,
“Uncle, truly, I had not considered all when I declined thy offer for the girl.”

Edmund only shook his head at his nephew’s hushed words.  “I have already accepted Garrick’s proposal, Lydan, ‘tis done.”

The younger man scowled even harder and watched his uncle walk away and couldn’t help feeling as though he’d somehow been cheated…

Miranda paced her room, her hand on the swell of her stomach where William’s child lie.  The child stirred within her gently and she prayed through clenched teeth that her child would look like its father, if nothing else to give her his image to carry with her though the long lonely days ahead…  For indeed, she was lonely here and unsure of what the future would hold…  Her mind had been easily occupied before their two guests had come, but now she was restless and lonely—and afraid…

The men were at the table waiting for her again.  Nigel had been sent to see to the reason in her delay.  A few minutes later he came down and whispered in his master’s ear discreetly.  Edmund nodded silently and looked at his nephew’s worried face.  “The lady is overcome with grief and shall not be joining us this
evening.  I’m sorry, Garrick.”

His lips drew into a hard line as he glanced at Lydan seated across from him.  The two eyed each other for a moment then looked away as their uncle continued. 
“Ye shall need to be gentle with her till she can move on…”

Garrick looked at his uncle and nodded softly. 
“Aye, I shall…”

Lydan did the same
, but with a scowl though he held his tongue.

Miranda slipped out of William’s room quietly, the men were in her father-in-law’s solar for she could hear the low murmur of male voices from within as she descended the steps, and then turned to towards the narrow hall that led out to the garden and the family chapel.  Her heart was heavy and no amount of crying had settled it that day.  She walked softly, and opened the old door with hardly a sound, then stepped out into the soft evening light.  The sky was golden and heavy with pinks as the sun settled lower still.  She closed her red rimmed eyes and drew a soft breath hardly noticing the beautiful sunset as she opened the tall chapel door.  It was dim inside the old stone building; the servants had lit a few candles around the room that cast it with a soft golden glow.  She stepped towards the altar and dropped wearily onto her knees there, the quiet sobs that ensured shaking her thin frame before the tears had even begun to fall.  She buried her face in her hand and cried words that she could not utter alone...  “
Be not far from me….” 
And then she wept…

It was quiet now in the dim room, the girl sat with her head against the altar where she had fallen asleep.  Garrick stood from the place he had been when the girl had first came in and slipped past him, unaware that he had been there at all.  He walked towards her, his heart nearly breaking for what he had seen and heard.  He remembered the heartache of losing Sarah and saw it and felt it in her now.

He touched her shoulder softly as he knelt beside her and whispered her name. 
“…Miranda…”
  She turned to him with reddened eyes that stared almost through him. 
“…Come…”
  She made no move to resist him as he took her arm gently and lifted her to her feet.  Her hand went to her swollen belly, as it always did, and somehow he found his hand reaching for her, even before he knew what he was doing and he laid it gently on the soft swell of her child...  Miranda opened her eyes slowly and looked into gentle dark ones, which did not look away.  The tiny child stretched and moved under his strong warm hand and she did nothing to draw away, somehow she just stood there staring at him with trembling lips and tear filled eyes only wishing that the hands that now touched her belonged to William.  She swayed weakly on her feet as tears shook her again, but Garrick drew her against his strong chest and cradled her in his arms. 
“All is well, my lady.”

She pulled away from him unsteadily then, tears lingering in the depths of her blue eyes as she looked at him now as if he were a stranger. 
“I—I did not know ye were here…”

He couldn’t help notice the blush that spread across her golden skin as she slowly backed away from him towards the doorway, not at all sure of what to think of what had just passed between them… 
“I—I…”
  She turned then and left without another word.

He made no move to follow
, though he wanted to.  It was better this way, she needed to know she could trust him, and from there he would win her heart…  He’d come into the chapel to pray, not at all sure of what he should do, for he had begun to regret his hasty words to take her as his bride.  But when he’d seen her, heard her tearful pleas, the protective feeling inside him only intensified and he knew he would do anything to make her smile again.  It had not been the answer he had been seeking, but he knew what he must do.

Miranda glanced at the chapel door one last time, glad that the man had not followed her as she feared he would.  She entered the castle quietly, but not quietly enough for her father-in-law who had just come from his solar heard the sound of the door closing and stepped to the side to peer down the long dim hall to see who it was. 
“Miranda?”
  A frown knitted his brows as he stared at her stiffly. 
“Where were ye?  Outside?”

She nodded, swallowing guilt before she spoke
.  “…In—in the chapel…  I—I’m sorry for missing dinner…”

He stepped in front of her and lifted her face to his with is thumb and forefinger, then paused to study her pale tear streaked completion
needing to be assured that she only wept for William and that no other had caused her grief. 
“I would not have ye go off alone, girl.”

She didn’t know how to answer him, for in truth she had not been alone.

“I know ye still love William, and that ye are still struggling to go on without him, but he would want ye to be happy here, ye know that.”

She looked down and nodded slowly. 
“I would gladly give my own life if it would only bring him back...”

“It was not meant to be so, girl.”

She bit back tears. 
“…But I—I miss him…”

He put his arms around her and drew her into his warm embrace. 
“As do I…”
  He helped her to the stairs silently, each feeling the loss and pain again though neither spoke, and then he waited till she slowly went up the stairs to her chamber.  He paused but a minute before he again heard the sound of the door closing and looked down the hall with a hard frown only to see Garrick enter also.

The younger man stopped abrup
tly, his face dark with guilt.

Edmund hesitated
a mere second, and then walked to where the man stood with lowered eyes.  “I missed ye in my solar after dinner, Garrick.”  He said with a controlled tone.

The man drew a tense breath. 
“I went to the chapel to pray.”

“I see.  As did the girl…”

Garrick met the older man’s clear blue eyes steadily. 
“Aye, as did the girl…  Though, she did not know I was there—well, not at first.  I—I couldn’t seem to leave when she came in, but I swear to ye that I did nothing wrong!”

Edmund looked him in the eye carefully before he said,
“I believe thee, I talked with the girl, and I was not concerned by her answers.”

Garrick shifted on strong legs, his jaw clenched tightly. 
“Truly, I went there for I was distraught over my hasty words to marry her, but now—now I am even more determined to marry her!  Lord, knows I care about her, even if I am too old for her!  And I care for her child also…” 
He looked up into his uncle’s eyes with all sincerity. 
“I want the child as if it were my very own…  I shall be good to them both and protect them with my very life, I swear it to thee!”
  Even as he spoke, he remembered the feeling of her in his arms and the child moving gently beneath his hand, he had gone there to seek peace about his decision to withdraw his offer, and came away more sure than ever that he wanted her for his bride.