“Perhaps,” Lionel said softly. “That remains to be seen. Now, come down off the window sill before you fall.”
“I will not!”
“Mara, come out of the window, lass.”
The words spoken were not Lionel’s. Nor were they Micheline’s or Spencer’s. The voice had come from the chamber doorway and, startled, everyone in the room swung around to see Kirk standing inside of the twisted panel. He’d managed to slip in and no one heard or saw anything. Exhausted, clad in dirty and bloodied armor, he was armed to the teeth as if ready to go to battle at any second.
They could not help but noticed that he did not look pleased.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
At the sight of Kirk, Micheline gasped with astonishment. Lionel might have also made a noise. But Kirk had eyes only for Mara.
“Come out of the window, love,” he told her again, softly.
For a moment, nobody moved. They were stunned. But then Mara shrieked, propelling herself out of the window and towards Kirk. But the moment she ran past Lionel, within arm’s length, the old man reached out and grabbed for her. Mara turned into a wildcat, punching and scratching the man until he released his hold. The next arms that grabbed her were Kirk’s.
Mara threw herself against him, sobbing hysterically. Kirk held her tightly, trying not to jab her with sharp and deadly things strapped to his body. He stroked her dark head and kissed her salty cheeks, so very grateful to have her in his arms. He wasn’t sure she would ever end up there again.
The truth was that his trip home had been a nightmare of worry and helplessness. Having no idea what had transpired at Quernmore during the time Corwin had withheld this explosive information, it was easy to imagine the worst. Fortunately, the winds had been with him and the trip across the Irish Sea had taken less than the usual day and a night. It had been relatively swift.
The moment the ship docked, Kirk tore off to Quernmore, twelve miles from the port, and made it there in the dark of night. He hadn’t stopped moving, or worrying, in days. Now that he had Mara in his arms, the relief was indescribable. But there were still many unanswered questions and he struggled to keep a level head.
“All is well, love,” he murmured into her dark hair. “I have returned. All is well.”
“Kirk,” Spencer’s eyes were wide as he took a step in Kirk’s direction. “What are you doing here? Has the entire army returned?”
Kirk kissed Mara one last time before turning his stone-gray gaze in Spencer’s direction. “It has not,” he said, his voice low and deadly. “I have returned prematurely because I was told that Edmund offered Mara to le Vay in marriage. Was this information incorrect?”
Spencer shook his head reluctantly but it was Lionel who spoke. “It was correct,” he said steadily. “Edmund de Cleveley, as Lady Mara’s legal guardian, offered her to me in marriage and I have accepted.”
Kirk’s attention shifted to le Vay. “Have you already married her?”
Le Vay shook his head. “Not yet.”
Kirk relaxed somewhat. Now the most critical issue was answered so he allowed himself a bit of respite from his worry. However, he found that his anger was gaining speed and he struggled to keep it at bay.
“My lord, you are aware that she belongs to me,” he said, perplexed. “Why would you accept Edmund’s offer?”
Le Vay hesitated. “Because…,” he said, paused, and started again. “Because it is my last chance to have an heir, Kirk. With Michael gone, I am in need of a son. I want a son. You cannot blame me or deny my wants. It is my right.”
Kirk’s brow flickered angrily. “Your wants?” he repeated. “What about mine? Mara’s? Or are you the only person of import and our wants do not matter?”
“I am a wealthy man,” Lionel said, summoning courage. Kirk was becoming intimidating. “I was legally offered the lady’s hand and I legally accepted. I have done nothing wrong. To want a son to pass my titles and wealth to is not a crime.”
“It is not a crime but it is certainly a sin to knowingly marry a woman who loves another,” Kirk fired back softly. “You know she belongs to me, my lord. I am shocked and disappointed that you seriously considered this marriage proposal.”
Le Vay held Kirk’s gaze a moment longer before lowering his head. He couldn’t look at the man anymore. He found he was frustrated more than anything.
“So you have returned from Ireland to stop me,” he muttered. “Who told you?”
“It does not matter. I have returned to claim what is rightfully mine.”
Le Vay’s gaze flicked up to him. “Rightfully, she is mine.”
Kirk could see that the man was deadly serious and more than being perplexed by his behavior, he was quickly approaching desperation. He knew that he had no real legal ground to stand on; the contract le Vay had accepted trumped a love story. His thoughts moved to the real problem in all of this; Edmund. His gaze moved to Micheline.
“Where is your husband, my lady?” he asked, grinding his teeth. “I have a need to speak with him.”
Micheline was pale and frightened but she met Kirk’s gaze evenly. “He is dead,” she murmured. “Both Edmund and Johanne are dead.”
Kirk didn’t react except with a flicker of confusion over his brow. Then his features seemed to slacken. “Dead?” he repeated. “How?”
Micheline sighed heavily, feeling exhausted and sick to the bone. The past few days had been too much to bear.
“Johanne went mad,” she said softly. “She did not know that you and Mara were in love. Edmund purposely kept the information from her, I can only assume, out of fear for you. When she found out that he had not told her the truth, she went mad and killed him. When she tried to kill me, Sir Spencer intervened and killed her in self-defense.”
Kirk listened intently. He was seriously shocked at the news but, oddly, he found he wasn’t particularly surprised. Nothing about events at the Darkland surprised him any longer; he’d grown numb to that place and its poison. He looked at Spencer.
“What were you doing at Anchorsholme?” he asked.
Spencer met his gaze evenly. “I was there to deliver Lord le Vay’s acceptance of the marriage offer for Mara.”
Kirk fell quiet, digesting the information. His mind was working swiftly, mulling over the facts, the results, and the future. He realized that he felt a great deal of relief at the news of Edmund and Johanne’s deaths, more than he ever imagined possible. He had no great love for Edmund and certainly no great love for Johanne. No, he wasn’t disappointed in the least. He was glad. But one thought became abundantly clear as he stood there and stewed; he looked straight at Micheline.
“You are Lady de Cleveley and I am sworn to you,” he said quietly. “You command an army of one thousand men and a great Irish empire. Long live Lady de Cleveley.”
Micheline, slumped against a chair, stared at him. But she could see the warmth in his dark eyes and she smiled wearily.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
Kirk’s warmth faded. “That also means that you are responsible for the contracts your husband brokered,” he said. “Should you wish to dispute the contract between Lord le Vay and Mara, it is within your right to do so but know he will expect compensation of some kind.”
Before Micheline could reply, le Vay interrupted. “I will not give her up,” he said flatly. “I am within my legal right to maintain the integrity of the marriage contract.”
Micheline showed surprising courage; she wasn’t courageous by nature but the past few weeks had shown remarkable growth. She was Lady de Cleveley and the empire of Anchorsholme was now hers. She could either fold or she could meet the challenge; she chose to meet it.
“My lord,” she said steadily. “It would seem that we have two choices in this matter; obviously, you know what my sister and Sir Kirk are in love and plan to be wed. Should you choose to go through with the wedding to my sister, Kirk will not fade away. As much as it is your legal right to enforce the marriage contract, it is S
ir Kirk’s moral right to fight for the woman you are taking from him. He will challenge you and you will lose. In fact, you will die. Therefore, it would make more sense to dissolve this contract and find a bride elsewhere.”
Le Vay looked at Lady de Cleveley with some contempt as well as resignation. Then, his attention turned to Mara. She was still in Kirk’s protective embrace and he knew there was no way he would be able to wrest her from the man. But he also knew he didn’t have to; he had a champion.
“I choose to fight for what is legally mine,” he said quietly. “I feel strongly that I must. Spencer, it would seem you have a task ahead of you.”
Spencer knew that. In fact, he’d known all along that it would come to this. He was to face off against Kirk again and not at all looking forward to it. What an ironic twist of fate, he thought. Once, he had faced Kirk because he himself wanted Mara. Now it was because le Vay wanted her. He would fight Kirk because he was obligated to, not because he wanted to. If he was in Kirk’s shoes, he would want his woman back, too.
“I am not going to do anything with Lady Mara in his grip,” Spencer said. “He will have to release the lady before I make a move.”
Kirk didn’t want to go through the effort of another dark and bloody fight. He knew Spencer was cunning and sly; he also knew he was deadly. He couldn’t take the chance that the man would win. Before he could reply, a female voice interrupted.
“Father!” Lily gasped, squeezing around the twisted door to enter the room. “What have you… Kirk!”
Lily nearly stumbled in her surprise as her gaze fell on Kirk. The door was destroyed, Kirk had Mara in his arms, and there were women in the room she didn’t recognize. Her mouth fell open.
“What on earth is going on here?” she demanded, pointing to the door. “Father, did you do this? What has happened?”
Lionel could see her agitation and lifted an impatient hand to silence her. “Kirk has only just arrived,” he said. “Where have you been?”
Lily didn’t look pleased. She glanced at Kirk and Spencer as she answered. “I did not want to watch you extract Mara from this chamber as one would extract a rotten tooth from a gaping mouth,” she said, unhappy. “You would not listen to me so I left. I have been in the chapel most of the day, praying for a calm solution to all of this. I see that my prayers have brought Kirk returned from Ireland although I am not entirely sure that was the calm resolution I was praying for. I think it may be the more violent option.”
Mara let go of Kirk and went to Lily. The woman put her arms around Mara and the two of them hugged tightly.
“Lily, your father refuses to release me to Kirk,” Mara said. “Kirk will fight for me and your father has ordered Spencer to champion him. Please tell your father not to do this. Please tell him to let me go.”
Lily was inflamed. She looked accusingly at her father. “Kirk and Spencer are going to fight for your right to keep Mara?” she was outraged. “Father, I have never known you to be foolish or evil, but what you are doing is wicked. Do you hear me? You are being wicked!”
Lionel would not be reprimanded by his daughter. “Get out of here,” he told her. “Go to your chamber. This does not concern you.”
Lily wouldn’t budge. She held up an angry finger, wagging it at him. “I am ashamed of you,” she scolded. “See what your greed and selfishness has done? Kirk will never trust you again and you have even made Spencer miserable. How can you do this to people who respected you?”
Lionel was furious. He was also shrewd. He made his way over to his daughter, who still stood there with Mara. He scowled at his only child.
“It is not your place to rebuke me,” he told her. “Things in life do not always work out as we have planned. Life is not a glorious white field of flowers, pure and for the taking. We do not exist from one happy moment to the next. In this world, we must fight for survival and for what we want and if that meets with your disapproval, so be it. I do not answer to you.”
With that, he snaked an arm out and grabbed Mara, pulling her against him and throwing his forearm across her neck in a threatening gesture. As Mara screamed, Kirk went for his sword but Spencer was also armed. The broadswords came out and the battle for Mara, in a flash, had begun.
“Defeat him any way you have to, Spencer!” Le Vay yelled as he dragged Mara towards the twisted remnants of the chamber door. “Kill him if you must!”
Micheline, Wanda, and Valdine skittered away from the battling knights in a panic, pressing themselves into the far reaches of the room, as Lily ran for her father. She grabbed Mara’s arm and began to pull in the opposite direction.
“Father, no!” she cried as she yanked on her friend to prevent her father from pulling her through the door. “Where are you going?”
Lionel had Mara half way through the door, although Lily was tugging fiercely on her. “There is a priest in the great hall,” he bellowed. “I am doing what is my right, do you hear? I will marry Mara and we will be done with this foolish nonsense once and for all!”
Lily dug her heels in. “You will not marry her!” she cried. “Let her go!”
Mara, in a bad position, was being torqued quite seriously, but she managed to bite Lionel on the arm. He yelped and let her go, but was able to wind a hand into her dark, luscious hair. He pulled hard as she screamed.
“With me!” he roared. “Lily, let her go!”
The sounds of broadsword against broadsword filled the room, especially when Kirk and Spencer crashed into the massive wardrobe and sent it smashing over onto the floor. Wood exploded all over the room as Kirk managed to grab Spencer by the neck and throw him down onto the demolished pile. Micheline and the twins screamed, trying to move away from the fight, as the battle for Mara not only went on in front of them but also continued at the door.
Unfortunately, Lionel was stronger than his daughter and he had Mara in a painful position, so he was able to wrest her through the door and away from Lily. Lily, horrified and distraught, moved to follow.
“Kirk!” she cried. “He is taking her to the great hall to marry her! You must help her!”
Kirk heard the words and, with a frustrated roar, kicked Spencer as the man tried to get up. It was enough of a blow to cause Spencer to roll several feet away as Kirk made a break for the door. But Spencer somehow ended up on his knees and picked up a piece of the broken wardrobe, hurling it at Kirk. The wood caught him in the legs and knocked him down to one knee, giving Spencer enough time to run at him with his broadsword wielded. Kirk avoided two heavy blows as he struggled to his feet and the battle went on.
Lily had already run from the chamber, following her father and Mara. Mara’s angry screams were echoing off the walls as Lionel dragged her down the stairs. Kirk, however, had his hands full with Spencer; as much as he was frantic to rush to Mara’s aid, he was in a mortal battle. He needed to subdue Spencer before he could go after Mara.
But time was ticking.
***
Lionel got Mara as far as the entry to the great hall. There was some decorative iron railing in the wall and as Lionel pulled her through the entry, Mara reached out and grabbed it. It prevented Lionel from pulling her any further as she held on for dear life, screaming with pain as he yanked on her hair. When Lionel realized the hair wasn’t doing him any good, he wrapped his arms around her slender waist and tried to yank her free that way. Mara tried to kick him in the groin.
Lily, too, was working against him. She came up behind her father, jumped on his back, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She squeezed and squeezed, and Lionel was close to blacking out. He finally had to let go of Mara in order to dislodge his daughter. With Lionel occupied, Mara let go of the iron and ran for her life.
She raced back up the stairs to where Kirk and Spencer were still doing battle, only now they were out in the corridor destroying everything in their path. Mara didn’t want to cry out to Kirk and distract him, as she had done the last time Kirk and Spencer battled, because she well remembered w
hat happened that time. Therefore, she ducked into the nearest chamber, hoping to find a weapon. If Lionel laid another hand on her, she was going to make the man pay.
She ended up in a spare chamber, small but nicely furnished. A quick and panicked perusal of the room showed that there were no weapons available. There was, however, a fire poker and shovel. Mara raced to the hearth and collected the iron poker. Taking a deep breath for courage, she ran back to the chamber door because she could hear the battle drawing closer. It was loud and frightening.
Mara was fully prepared to brain Spencer so Kirk could get the upper hand. But what happened next was not as she had planned; it occurred faster than she could comprehend. Soon, it was all spiraling out of control into deadly oblivion.
When she threw open the panel, Kirk and Spencer were right there. In fact, they were practically on top of her. Kirk, seeing Mara in the doorway, was distracted long enough for Spencer to take a huge swipe at his head. Kirk ducked in the nick of time but in doing so, hit his head on the wall and nearly knocked himself out because he was without his helm. He had left it back on his charger when he had arrived at Quernmore.
Mara, seeing Kirk go down, threw herself at Spencer, poker and all, and sent the man sideways into the opposite wall just as Lionel came racing around the corner. The old man was without Lily hanging all over him, running headlong into a battle without a weapon or any armor.
Kirk, dazed as he was, only saw a body. Assuming it was Spencer, he threw up his broadsword and Lionel ran right into it. In the blink of an eye, Lionel was impaled through the gut on the tip of Kirk’s massive broadsword.
Lionel groaned as the steel blade carved through him. Mara, hearing the sound, stopped beating up on Spencer and they both turned to see Lionel standing in the corridor with Kirk at his feet and a broadsword through his belly. He was just standing there as if he could not comprehend that he had just been mortally wounded. But swiftly, reality set in as he began to bleed out all over the floor. Blood gushed down his legs and onto the wood. His shocked gaze found Mara, who stood equally shocked gazing back at him.
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