Debra Kay Leland (36 page)

Lydan only laughed. 
“We shall see.  The red mark on thy cheek says otherwise
.”

Garrick’s eyes narrowed as he dropped his hand to his sword. 
“If ye were not Edmund’s nephew, I swear I would—”

“Now, now, do
not be so cross.  I’m doing thee a favor really, thy family name is as influential as mine, ye would only ruin it marrying a Welsh.  She may have been good enough for a second son and gentleman farmer, but not a titled lord and we both know it.”

Garrick wanted to make him eat his words but instead he drew a calming breath before he turned trying hard to keep his voice even as he spoke, “I shall not bloody my sword this day for Edmund’s sake, and only for Edmund’s sake!”  And then he strode out.  He walked with heavy angry footsteps down the stairs not acknowledging those who stared at him as he headed for the door.  It didn’t take him long to saddle his horse before he mounted without a word to those who watched and kneed it into a gallop as he yelled. 
“Open the gate!”

At his word they did, his horse reared and then flew over the wooden drawbridge towards the forest beyond…  He rode until he had finally regained control of himself and dismounted, leaving his horse to drink from the small stream nearby.  He didn’t care what
‘she was’
, or
‘who she was’
; he loved her, and he wanted her and her child with all his heart, only now he’d have to find a way to convince her of that and win her back all over again...!

Miranda wandered around William’s room as if she were lost.  She felt the betrayal to her bones and it broke her heart; but worst of all were the feeling that she had been abandoned by Edmund, and now by Garrick—and everyone else in this household too!  She and her child were alone now and she felt it to her heart.  She closed her eyes and tried not to let her thoughts go to Lydan’s hurtful words again, but yet they did.  She laid a trembling hand on her child and wondered if they would truly take it from her…  She didn’t think she could go on if they did!  Until today, she hadn’t really realized how things would be here, nor had she wanted to listen to Lydan’s cruel words or believe them, but now that she had she worried all the more…!

All she wanted was to
do was run away, to go where no one knew her, someplace where no one would ever hurt her again…  The child moved hard within her reminding her that she would never be able to travel far like this; and even if she did, she would only risk its life…  She leaned against the cold stone wall and closed her eyes feeling helpless and hopeless, but when she opened them again she saw William’s boots and his cloak that was laid across the bottom of the bed.  And she remembered—that this child belonged to William and no other; she owed him loyalty and love, as was her duty and she would raise it as he would have wanted.  Despite her wayward thoughts willing her to leave; she knew she would stay and have his child do whatever she needed to do, for his sake…!

Garrick had sat in his uncle’s solar after he ridden the rage from himself enough to be civil again.  He set down his cup and pushed away from the table; and went to the stairs that led to the family’s quarters.  He had yet to see her and set things right again, and until he did, he would not rest.  He hesitated but a moment, then took the stairs two at a time.  The guards didn’t seem surprised the see him, and unbolted the door before he even reached them.  He nodded stiffly, then grabbed the door handle only to find it locked from the inside this time.  He looked at them, but both just shook their heads knowing what she’d done.  He drew a calming breath and knocked three times but she wouldn’t answer.  He worked to keep his voice reasonable as he spoke to the barred door in front of him.  “Miranda, please open the door.”

But she did not answer and it worried him more than it angered him.

“Miranda?”

Silence.

“If—ye do not answer me, I shall be forced to break this door down!”

“…I woul
d never forgive ye if ye did.”

He closed his eyes and sighed deeply
, glad at least to know that she was alright, then he turned to the two guards beside him. 
“Where is Emma?”

“She went down to the kitchens I believe, m’lord.”

He drew a calming breath and turned back towards the locked door before him.  “Miranda, I wish to talk with thee—now, if ye please.”

“We have said enough to each other for a life
time, I believe.”

“Please open the door.”
  He said shortly.

She had no privacy and even now she knew how easily they could force her to concede, but somehow she
had needed to feel as if she were free from them, if it only was by locking the door.  And yet, she knew if she did not let him in he’d break down the door in his anger, for she could hear it even in his controlled tone.  She sighed and walked to the door despite her wayward thoughts and lifted the latch hesitantly before she stepped back again.

He walked in and stopped as his eyes caught her from where she stood with her fingertips touching William’s cloak where it lay on the bed.  “I do not wish to speak to thee, but even here I have no privacy of my own.  I want ye to leave and not come to me again
.”

He looked down and took a calming breath, his hands going to his hips.  “Aye, ye may not wish to speak with me, but I need to speak with thee.  For I need for thee to understand the things that forced Edmund’s hand, and not linger on the lies which Lydan has spoken to thee…”  He drew another long breath before he continued, “There are things that ye do
not understand, m’lady.  Things that have to do with securing the titles and holding, things thy father-in-law saw fit not to tell thee for he wished not to burden thee with them.  He sought only to protect thee and had hoped that somehow things would work out for the best and that ye would not have to know of it at all—but now I am obliged to speak of it.”

She turned, not sure if she could bear to hear more and yet the fear of not knowing made her answer
.  “Tell me what?  Have I not heard enough already?!”

He sighed again and shifted on rigid legs as he watched her.  “Ye, being William’s widow have become a pivotal point in the title and holdings of Whittington.  If anything happens to Lord Sheridan—anything, Miranda—whether by ill intent at the hand of his enemies or by illness or accident or age; the castle and holding shall pass through ye for ye carry his only heir.  The King shall see to it that regardless of thy feelings for the matter that Whittington is secured—and
until that child is old enough to receive his title as Earl of Whittington, anyone that takes ye as their bride, whether willing or not, assumes the title of these lands.  And if it is an enemy of Edmund’s, not even William’s child would be safe…! 
Do ye see, Miranda—it all hinges upon thee
.”

She shook her head wearily not able to look at him even now. 
“I do not wish it to be so!”

His voice softened a bit.
  “Ye have little choice in the matter, albeit hard to hear, it is the truth, Miranda.”

She turned away from him holding herself as she spoke trying to comprehend his role in all this.
  “So ye—would take William’s title from his child?”

He paused, his voice low and purposefully calm.  “Nay.  ‘Tis true that Edmund brought Lord Hastings and I here in hopes that ye would find favor with us; but we on our part would have to agreed that we would make no claim on the titles or holdings here…  Ye see, Lydan and I were the perfect solution; a suitor who would not steal the inheritance away from William’s child by oath and seal.  And with ye wed, there was no threat to that which hung in the balances.”  He paused and looked at her again.  “Lydan would not
bid for thy hand…but I have.”

She sank down on the edge of the bed and then lifted sad eyes to him. 
“Aye, ye bid for me, ‘twas but a game for thee…  Lydan told me of that also.”

“Nay
. I do not know what he told thee—but I bid for thy hand because I cared for thee and thy child as much as if it were my own…” 
He wished to tell her more, but he knew she was not ready to hear such from him yet.

She turned away at his words and took William’s cloak and held it to herself weary of all his words. 
“…Nay—please...just leave me now...”

He looked down and drew a long breath knowing how very much he too had upset her and wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms to prove to her what he said was true, but
he was sure she would just push him away for the hurt he saw in her eyes…  He sighed as he watched her, then reluctantly stepped towards the door not wanting to leave. 
“I shall go—for now, but we shall speak of this again, Miranda; of that ye can be sure.” 
He left her then—but he left her with William’s memory lingering around her, and the bared truth cutting like a knife which in the end only drew her farther away from him and he knew it…!

It was late when Garrick went to his uncle’s chamber and sank into the chair
beside his bed without a word.

The older man looked at him and sighed.  “…I can se
e something is troubling thee.”

Garrick drew a long breath and looked up to meet weary reddened eyes. 
“Lydan told the girl how ye brought us here to bid for her hand and of the gold also.  She—told me she wishes not to see me now.”

The older man closed his eyes with a sigh.  “…I see.  My nephew has been nothing but a disappointment to me of late…  If it weren’t for the trouble I have had, I would have sent the man away long before this.”  He paused then looked up as he continued, “…The girl ‘tis merely distressed, given time she shall come around again.  In truth, she cares
for thee, Garrick, I know it.”

He shook his head with a frown.  “She meant every word of her anger… I could see it in her eyes, so I had no
choice but to tell all of it.”

The older man merely looked down then nodded before he said, “The truth, though it was hard, was not as damming as the lie
s Lydan had conjured, I’m sure.  Well, he had left thee with little choice in the matter, and what’s done is done.  Did she understand it all?”

“I think as much as possible; though I am sure it only managed to make her more afraid than what she was before.”  He paused and rubbed the back of his neck before he continued.  “She shall not deliver William’s child for yet another month, so there is time left for her to agree, though I shall n
ot press her overly to do so.”

“She has no cho
ice now in what must be done…”

He looked up at his uncle’s words.  “Ye and I know it would be for the best, but I sha
ll not force her hand, Uncle.”

Edmund looked at him with steady eyes. 
“But—I may have to, Garrick, I may have to.

Chapter Fifteen

L
ydan and his men departed before anyone in the house even knew they were gone, but that in itself didn’t surprise Garrick or his uncle; and neither did the fact that Miranda had refused to see him again.  She had shut herself up in the room and had not even allowed her maid to attend her.  That worried him more than anything else; but yet he knew she needed time alone to come to terms with all that had been thrust upon her of late and he had promised himself that he would wait.

The day drew him in as a messenger arrived that told again of the trouble that had not ceased.
Another fire had been lit, but this time it had been put out before any damage could have been done.  What bothered him the most was how it had been lit, by a flaming arrow…  Before this they had no proof as to how the deed was done, but now that he knew he could devise a plan to catch them!  He opened the missive and read it again hoping beyond hope that it had nothing to do with Turin—for her sake!

Miranda paced the large room restlessly her mind whirling from the insurmountable problems that bore down on her with no answer at all to any of it!  The child moved hard again making her stopped with a gasp as she closed her eyes.  She was eight months along now, and it wouldn’t be much longer till God willing William’s heir was delivered into this world.  But that in itself worried her, for she knew of women in the village who had died during childbirth, and of others who had delivered a child that did not survive.  But she couldn’t bring herself to think of such a thing—William’s child had to live or she would have failed him…!

She leaned over and rested her hand against the table as she held her stomach with the other till the pains passed.  She couldn’t help but wish that her mother were
here with her now, for she didn’t knowing if she was brave enough to deliver this child from her body without her help.  She walked awkwardly to the side of William’s bed and sank down onto her knees and she prayed. 
“… Spare my life and the life of my child when it is delivered from me...”
She could hardly speak from the onslaught of tears as she buried her face in William’s cloak and held it to herself.  Her thoughts turned to William, a man who had loved her, and protected her… and then to Garrick and the hard words he had spoken to her, words that she knew were true despite her heartache.  She sank onto the soft bed and covered herself with William’s cloak; soft sobs filling the quiet empty room that left nothing in its wake…