Anna filled his vision. Moments later, a party of erstwhile Varangians had boarded the trading ship. William was quick to follow.
It was soon over. A swift exchange of words took place between the former Varangians and Isaac of Heraklea’s guards, and Lord Isaac’s men set down their arms.
And then Anna was standing before him. Her cheeks were aglow, dark tendrils of hair had been teased from her veil by the wind. With rare tact, Sir Bruno effaced himself.
‘Lady Anna.’ William bowed, they were alone by the guard-rail.
‘You got my message,’ Anna said, smiling up at him.
He caught her hands in his. ‘A little late, perhaps.’ He grimaced. ‘I should have realised earlier. Anna, my apologies, but I have to know, is it true you have refused Lord Basil?’
‘I have refused all my suitors.’
William tightened his grip on her. ‘You told me you were going to accept him. May I know why you changed your mind?’
Anna tipped her head on one side, she knew she was flushing. ‘I…I thought I could marry Lord Basil, but when it came to it I found I could not.’
‘Why?’
Anna swallowed. ‘I told you the reason before, but you would not listen. William, I love you. I could not marry anyone else.’
Green eyes looked steadily at her, warm hands went to her waist and pulled her close. ‘Anna, you can’t let your father immure you in some convent. Come back to Apulia with me. Meet my father.’
She gave him a hesitant smile and bit her lip, a small nervous gesture that made William’s gaze drop to her mouth.
He grinned. ‘What do you suppose they will do if I kiss you?’
She gave a startled frown. ‘Who?’
He waved at the Varangians and the two sets of crew. With a lurch, Anna realised their every move was being watched. ‘You are going to kiss me?’
‘Perhaps.’ Leaning on the guard-rail, twining his fingers with hers, he stared at the City walls and the church dome behind it. ‘Anna, I will not let your father bully you. Come back with me.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Anna, I want you, I want no one else.’
Anna, I want you. As a declaration of love, it was less than she longed for, nor had he mentioned marriage, but she could not blame him. She had some apologising to do.
‘William, I want to say how sorry I am. Love is a gift, it cannot be commanded. I should never have attempted to constrain you.’
‘That no longer matters.’
‘It does matter! Hear me out. After we left the
Basilica Cistern I truly did intend to free you. But then I realised that my father was not going to give me my choice. By then I had come to know you and to
l-like you.’ She gave him one of her slanting glances. ‘I thought that you liked me, too.’
‘I did like you,’ William said. ‘I do.’
‘Well, after I met Lord Michael, and you started teasing me about courting techniques, I thought you might like me a little.’ Her lips curved. ‘I certainly hoped so. I didn’t think you would mind a…temporary contract with me as long as it meant you would have your freedom at the end of it.’
‘I do mind.’
She looked swiftly away. Out at sea, a porpoise was diving in and out of the waves. ‘I am sorry.’
William gripped her hand. ‘I don’t want a temporary contract, Anna, I want a permanent one. Marry me.’
Anna felt as though the wind had snatched the breath from her lungs. William was such a tease, but this time he did not look as though he was teasing—those green eyes were serious.
‘Marry you?’ His grip on her was unyielding, he was crushing her fingers to the bone.
He nodded as his throat worked. And then a large arm was heavy about her shoulders. He turned her gently so they were no longer facing the men. Anna saw the porpoise again, it looked as though it was dancing. ‘Chérie, I would be honoured if you would marry me.’
Her pulse began to race. ‘Your father wants you to marry Lady Felisa.’
‘When my father meets me, he will have to learn that there are some matters I must decide for myself.’
‘William…’ Anna reached for his shoulders, hope blooming inside ‘…I have no lands.’
‘I do not care. Marry me, Anna. As I said, I want no one else.’
‘Why? Why marry a woman with no lands when you might have an heiress?’ Anna scarcely dared breathe. I told him I loved him and he did not respond. Is he ready to respond now?
He grinned. ‘Because I ruined her and no one else would have her?’
Shaking her head, Anna curled her fingers into the fabric of his tunic. ‘Why? Why marry a woman who has no lands?’
He tipped his head to one side, hair tousled by the wind. ‘Because…she is lady-in-waiting to a princess?’
Anna shook her head. ‘That is not a good enough reason.’
‘Because…she is the most beautiful woman in the Empire? Lord, woman, what do you want me to say?’
Anna smiled. He loved her, it was there in the softness of his gaze. ‘William, what does chérie mean?’
‘Mon Dieu, you want blood, don’t you?’ When she nodded, a faint flush ran over his cheekbones. Putting his lips to her ear, he said softly, ‘Chérie is a barbaric Frankish word, you don’t need to know its meaning.’
‘William…!’
‘It means, “beloved”, “dear one”. It means I am for ever enslaved. Of course I love you, Anna of Heraklea. There is no other reason on earth that could induce me to marry a woman who bought me so that I might give her tuition in courting. I love you.’ He pulled back and smiled deep into her eyes. ‘Well? Will you have me, chérie?’
Anna reached up, pulled that fair head down and gave her acceptance in the form of a kiss, a long and greedy kiss.
A ragged cheer went up, a series of catcalls followed. Anna’s cheeks burned, her stomach swooped and she wished, for a moment, that they were on their own in the derelict hall in the Palace, and the Imperial couch was at their disposal. After an ear-splitting whistle from one of the sailors, and a lewd comment that was intriguingly inventive, she tore her lips from his.
‘You will tell me your secrets,’ he murmured.
‘Will I?’
‘Yes, every last one. I want to hear most particularly about Commander Ashfirth and Princess Theodora.’
‘Commander Ashfirth barely knows the Princess,’ Anna murmured, playing with his fingers.
‘How can that be possible when she hid herself away in his house in the City?’ He frowned. ‘Although lately I heard she had taken sick and had returned to the Palace.’
Anna’s lips curved. She was going to enjoy telling William the full story, but now was not the time. ‘The Princess never went to Commander Ashfirth’s house. My friend Katerina, however, did.’
His frown deepened. ‘Katerina?’ His gaze was penetrating. ‘Mon Dieu, Anna, don’t tell me your friend has been impersonating the Princess?’
Anna nodded.
‘And you have been colluding with her?’
Anna nodded. ‘We have been acting on Princess Theodora’s orders.’
‘Chérie, that sounds like a very dangerous game.’
She looked out over the waves and shrugged. The porpoise had vanished.
‘Anna, where is she now?’
‘Katerina? She’s with the Commander.’
He was shaking his head. ‘No, no, I meant the Princess—where is the Princess?’
‘I wish I knew—she must be somewhere en route from Dyrrachion. But as far as the Palace knows, she is recovering from a brief illness in her chambers.’
‘What will happen now you are no longer at the Palace to back up this tale?’
‘I asked Kari—the young Varangian guard—to let Commander Ashfirth know that my father was sending me away. The Commander will ensure that the
Varangian Guard cover up the Princess’s absence until she returns.’
William let out a slow wh
istle. ‘A dangerous game, indeed. Well, that settles it, I cannot possibly let you go back to all that. You will come with me to Apulia,’ he said, taking her face in his hands.
‘Will I?’
‘You will. My father must meet my bride.’
‘Your father…’ Her smile faded.
‘What is it?’
‘I was thinking about my father.’
‘Undoubtedly he will be angry—’
‘Angry?’ Anna bit her lip. ‘He will be beside himself with rage!’
‘My hope is that when we return—’
‘We will return?’
‘Of course. I have relations here, relations I should like to meet, but my father must come first. By the time we return to Constantinople as man and wife, Princess Theodora will have returned and your involvement in this deception will have become irrelevant. I am also hopeful that your father will be mollified by the thought that his daughter may one day be a countess.’ Reaching up, he captured a windblown twist of hair, winding it slowly round his finger before releasing it to the wind again.
‘A barbarian countess…heavens!’
He laughed. ‘A Frankish countess.’ He took her shoulders in a firm grip. ‘Anna, I shall not let you go.’
Sliding her hand round his neck, she gave him quick nod and brought his lips to hers. ‘When do we leave?’
William gestured at the warship. ‘Today. I have hired these men and their galley is at our disposal. If my lady is agreeable, of course.’
‘Today?’ She looked across at the warship with a frown. ‘Where will we sleep? It doesn’t look as though there’s any shelter below that deck.’
William shrugged. ‘I hadn’t thought that far, I expect something can be arranged.’
‘When I sailed from Dyrrachion, Commander Ashfirth put a pavilion up on deck. I rather liked the pavilion.’
‘A pavilion, eh?’ William pulled her to him and pressed a warm kiss on her neck. ‘Do we need a pavilion, chérie?’
‘I was thinking…’ cheeks warming, Anna stared at the pulse in William’s throat ‘…that since the voyage to Apulia could take several weeks, you might be able to teach me more of your barbarian courting practices.’
Their lips met in a passionate kiss, eliciting more raucous cheering from the sailors. Only this time, neither of them noticed…
* * * * *
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ISBN: 9781459230576
Copyright © 2012 by Carol Townend
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