Timeless Christmas Romance

by O’Donnell, Laurel

  She shook her head, bowing her head to her chest. “I will embarrass him. I will –”

  “No, Eve. You are far from an embarrassment. You –”

  Her small body shook with a tremor of tears. “I don’t want to marry him,” she whispered.

  The words echoed through the room and even though they did, Gabriel wasn’t certain he had heard her correctly. He stood, unsure. He should confront Michael about the way he treated her. He should take her far away from this place. But he wasn’t certain that was what she wanted. He wasn’t certain it was just a moment of weakness.

  She wiped at her eyes and sniffled. “I’m sorry.” She lifted her gaze to him. “I didn’t mean that.”

  Gabriel’s heart broke at her misery, at the tears that streaked her cheeks, her clumped lashes. And he knew with certainty that if she married Michael her life of misery would have only just begin.

  “I’m certain that when I get to know him… when we are man and wife –”

  But there was no excusing what Michael had said. No true man spoke that way about his wife-to-be. Definitely not to others. Gabriel lifted his chin. “Eve.” He took her hand into his. She tried to pull away, but he held it firmly, allowing the sleeve to cover it so she felt better. “This is not what will make you a good wife.”

  Eve stared at him with tender eyes, eyes that sparkled gratitude in the torchlight from the hallway.

  “Would you like to ride a horse?”

  She straightened in fear. “I can’t.”

  “Can’t? Have you tried?”

  “Once when I was young. I was thrown because I couldn’t control him.” She looked down at her hand. “I couldn’t hold the reins correctly.”

  Gabriel shook his head. “There are other ways to control a horse. Were you sitting side saddle?”

  “Of course.”

  Gabriel’s gaze swept her. “Do you dare not sit side saddle?”

  “You mean… like a man?”

  Gabriel grinned. “It will give you more control.”

  “Really?” she asked with excitement. Then, she shook her head. “No. I couldn’t.”

  “I will help you learn. I’m an excellent horseman.” He smiled at her. “I daresay there is none better.”

  She answered with a smile of her own.

  His heart leapt at seeing her joy.

  “I don’t know…”

  “We can do it in private. Remember that pond where I met you? There is plenty of room to learn there.”

  Eve considered for a moment. Then, she nodded. “I would like that.”

  Gabriel was proud of her. “In the morn?”

  She nodded.

  Gabriel lounged near the large doors that led to the Great Hall. He had escorted Eve to dinner and then decided to greet his brother. It had been many years since he had seen Michael. Many years filled with anxiety that had slowly given way to rage. He wasn’t certain he was ready to see Michael. He wasn’t certain what he would say. But it was time. Michael was his brother, his only living family. It was well past time.

  He heard Michael’s laughter echoing through the hallway long before he saw him. His laughter had not changed. It was still rich and rolling and deep. Gabe lifted his head.

  Michael appeared, strolling down the corridor, surrounded by a group of young nobles who all hoped to gain favor with him.

  As they started into the Great Hall, Gabe called, “Michael.”

  The group halted as one, all turning their gazes to Gabriel.

  Gabe pushed himself from the wall, rising to his full height.

  Michael stepped forward from the cluster, his eyes narrowed for a moment until recognition washed over him. “Gabriel.”

  Whispers erupted from the men behind Michael.

  “I’m glad to see you remember me, brother,” Gabriel said with cynicism.

  Michael’s lips thinned. “I didn’t think you’d come.” He turned toward the group of men. “Go. I will join you shortly.”

  After a moment of hesitation, the group continued into the Great Hall.

  Gabriel watched two of the younger men hesitate in the entrance, either to hear what Michael said or to help if Michael needed them. Gabe wanted to laugh. He had no intention of starting a fight with his brother. At least, not now.

  “Why are you here?” Michael asked, stopping just before Gabe.

  Gabe’s gaze swept him. He was older, taller than he remembered, yet still inches shorter than Gabe was. His hair was cut in the latest courtly fashion and his cortehardie was impeccable. He had turned into a noble. Their father would have been proud of him. “I wouldn’t miss your marriage.”

  “You missed father’s burial.”

  “I received your missive too late. I was in Salisbury. Do not cast judgement on me, brother.”

  Michael leaned in. “Is that why you’ve come? To cast judgement on me.”

  Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve come for your marriage, as I’ve said. Any other reason is guilt on your conscious.”

  Michael straightened and stood quietly before him for a long moment. Finally, he nodded and turned away.

  Gabe watched him enter the Great Hall, satisfied and a little bit happy about his brother’s trepidation.

  The next morning, Michael walked across the walkways of the castle wall, inspecting the guards and their positions. The castle was fully secured, its men trained excellently. The sound of a galloping horse caught his attention and he looked out one of the crenels over the drawbridge. Gabriel was riding toward the road that led into town.

  Michael grinned. Maybe he was leaving. He shouldn’t think like that. Gabe was the only family he had left. He should get to know his brother better. But that night twelve years ago stood between them like an unforgiving wall. He watched Gabe follow the curving road. He saw what he had not before.

  Gabe was not alone. Eve sat before him.

  Tingles of unease and anger danced across Michael’s neck. Where were they going? His teeth slowly clenched as a realization crested inside of him. He did not like having Gabriel here. He didn’t trust his motives for returning. He didn’t trust him. He had to find out what he was up to.

  Chapter Three

  The sun was warm on Eve’s shoulders, despite the cool air. Birds chirped and soared in the sky with purpose. Sitting before Gabriel on his brown palfrey, Eve watched the way Gabe’s hands clutched the reins of the horse as he walked the animal back and forth across the clearing before the pond. She could easily hold the reins the same way with her left hand, but not her right.

  “Do you feel the rhythm of the horse?” Gabriel asked.

  Eve had noticed that. Side to side, side to side. “Like a heartbeat.”

  Gabe smiled. “A heartbeat that changes with different steps.”

  Eve stared down at Gabe’s hands, the way the reins wrapped between his fingers, the way he tugged on them to get the horse to turn. He was a natural, so at ease maneuvering the horse.

  “Do you want to try it?” Gabriel asked softly.

  “No,” she answered quickly.

  “As much as I like having you this close to me, the purpose of this trip was to help you learn to ride a horse.” He pulled the reins back and the horse came to a stop. “I will stay on the horse, but I want you to steer her.”

  Eve nodded hesitantly. “Do I sit like you?”

  “Yes. Can you swing one leg over the other side?”

  Eve leaned back into Gabriel’s strong chest and lifted her leg over the horse’s neck. Her skirt came up to her knee and she quickly adjusted it.

  “You would put your feet in the stirrups, but they will need to be adjusted so we’ll save that for next time.”

  She nodded.

  “Hold the reins like I do.” He opened his hand so she could see.

  She opened her left hand and threaded the reins around her first three fingers, just like he had.

  “Good,” Gabriel said. “Now the other hand.”

  Eve hesitated, her heart dropped wit
h disappointment. “It won’t work,” she whispered.

  “Eve,” he sighed against her ear. “It will work if you want it to.” He reached for her hand.

  “No,” she said and pulled it away from him with such violence that she almost toppled from the horse.

  He righted her with a strong grip around her waist. “Alright. Alright. It’s okay. Let’s do it a different way.” He held up his right hand. “Show me which of your fingers are missing.”

  For a long time, she stared at his raised hand. Perfect. Strong. What she wouldn’t give to have all her fingers. She lifted her fingers and placed them over his thumb for a long moment. It was admitting her fault, showing him what was wrong with her. She carefully eased it back behind his palm. Her fingers held the rounded portion of palm for a moment. His hand was so much bigger than hers. A scar stretched from between his forefinger and second finger to his wrist. She traced it with her middle finger. “Does it hurt?”

  A low rumbling laughter issued from Gabriel.

  Eve swiveled her head to look at him.

  “I’d forgotten about that. It was during sword practice. I wasn’t very good at the time, but thought I was.” He shook his head. “No. It no longer hurts.”

  She looked back at his hand.

  “I guess we all have our imperfections,” Gabe admitted with a somber tone. “Even Michael.”

  Eve looked at Gabriel again and wondered at his words. Michael was not imperfect. She wondered what he meant by that. What did he know?

  “Your thumb. Any others?” His voice was quiet, patient.

  She eased his forefinger down at the first knuckle.

  Gabriel studied the hand in silence for a moment. “We can work with this. Wrap the reins around your two fingers. Like this.” He opened his right hand and laced the rein around his two middle fingers.

  Eve took the reins from his hand and paused. She didn’t want him to see her hand. She looked at him to find him gazing out over the pond, away from her. Warmth and tenderness blossomed inside her. She hurriedly followed his instructions and tucked her hand back into her sleeve.

  “I will sit here, behind you, as you maneuver the horse like I did.”

  Eve clutched the reins and the horse backed.

  “Relax,” Gabriel advised. “Don’t pull back on the reins. You don’t want to hurt her.”

  She sighed, trying to let her nervousness dissolve. But she was very aware of Gabriel behind her. His strength, the way his thighs pressed against hers. She could even hear his gentle breathing.

  “Relax,” he whispered against her ear.

  Oh, Lord, she wished she could. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  He kicked the horse and it started forward.

  Eve panicked for a moment and tugged the reins to the right. The horse moved in that direction.

  “She’ll follow where you lead. If you want her to go into the pond, pull the reins that way.”

  “No!” She tugged in the other direction.

  “I don’t think she’ll like the forest with all the branches scratching her. She’ll go for a while, but eventually she’ll get stuck.”

  Anxious, Eve turned the horse. It walked in a tight circle.

  Gabriel put his hands on her shoulders.

  Eve felt tingles through her entire body.

  “Just relax. Go straight. You’ve got the entire clearing to maneuver her in. I won’t let anything happen.”

  His hands were gentle, and his confidence was infectious. He wouldn’t let anything happen. Eve settled her elbows against her waist. The horse walked in a straight line.

  “You see?” he whispered. “Nothing to be frightened of.” His hands slid to her arms. “Keep your hands at hip level. Good.”

  A flood of warmth filled Eve that had nothing to do with guiding the horse. She was very aware of his strong hands on her arms at her elbows.

  You like him!

  The words startled Eve and she jerked. The horse reared slightly.

  Gabriel reached around her to grab the pommel. “Easy,” he whispered as the horse tossed her head.

  Eve shuddered in fear. “I can’t do this.”

  “Turn her in a circle like you were before. Let her walk it off.”

  That was easy. She pulled to the side and the horse circled.

  “That’s it,” Gabriel said softly. “Keep your elbows at your side. Hold the reins loosely, but not too loose.”

  Eve looked down at her hands. Both were resting at her hip height. Both were plainly visible. She was holding the reins! She eased the reins to the side and the horse followed her movement, continuing to circle. She straightened the reins, holding them before her. The horse began to move in a straight line. A slow grin spread across her lips. She was doing it! She was actually doing it!

  “I feel it,” she said with victory. “I feel the rhythm!”

  “Next time, we’ll saddle a horse for you. My stirrups are probably too long or I would let you ride this one.”

  “Can we go back to the castle and get one?” Eve asked with excitement and a newfound confidence.

  “Tomorrow. You have my word. We need to give this palfrey time to rest. Pull back on the reins and get her to halt so I can dismount.”

  Eve did as he told her, and Gabe swung his leg over the horse to dismount. Eve followed his lead and slid from the horse, a huge smile on her lips. “I did it!” She ran into the field, twirling around. “I rode a horse.”

  “There really is nothing you cannot do if you put your mind to it.”

  She ran back to him and threw her arms around his neck, laughing with exhilaration. She pressed a kiss to his cheek.

  He pulled back, startled.

  She gazed at him with sparkling sincere and excited eyes. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you.”

  Gabriel melted beneath the honesty and gratitude he saw in her gaze. He lifted a hand and carefully wiped a dark curl from her cheek. “I could do no less.”

  Her gaze swept over his face, and a line of confusion etched into her brow. “Why didn’t you visit?” she wondered.

  “You mean Castle Chandos?” He shrugged, thinking back on all the times he had refused to visit. He had not wanted to be around Michael, but he couldn’t tell her that. “I was training. For the joust.”

  Something crossed her eyes and for a moment, he could have sworn it was disappointment. She stepped back. “And you’ve been winning.”

  He nodded.

  “So, you must be using the training you’ve acquired.”

  “It is helping.”

  Her gaze swept him as if she were trying to figure something out. She opened her mouth and then closed it. She grinned and swept a hand across the palfrey’s back. “She’s a beautiful horse. I’m honored to have ridden her.”

  Gabriel patted her nose. “She’s my palfrey. She goes everywhere with me.”

  Eve looked to the side as if she had seen something. Then, she turned and faced him. “How do you know about this clearing?”

  Gabe knew that he couldn’t tell her the truth, not without betraying his brother. Part of him wanted to, but he lived by a code… and, well, Michael was his brother no matter what he had done. He was as guilty now as Michael was. He had kept the secret for as long as his brother. He looked away from her. He hated lying; it only got one into trouble. But he couldn’t tell her the truth. “Michael must have told me about it. I just knew it was here.”

  “Have you ever been here before?”

  He looked at her. There was such hope and anticipation in her bright orbs and was that suspicion? I could have been betrothed to her, Gabe thought. For the first time, he hated Michael, truly hated him. “No,” he lied, looking away.

  “It’s a magical spot,” Eve admitted. “Magical and sad.”

  “Sad?” Gabe echoed.

  She nodded but didn’t elaborate. Still, he knew what she meant. She had lost her twin sister here. “It is magical if it got you to ride a horse.”


  She chuckled. “You got me to ride your horse.”

  His smile faded as he stared at her. So beautiful and innocent. “I wish I had visited,” he said sincerely.

  She turned to him, startled.

  “You would have been riding much sooner.”

  Eve nodded. She placed a hand on his arm. “Please don’t tell Michael. He would never understand how much this means to me. He might even try to stop us.”

  Gabriel nodded in agreement. “What do you suggest we tell him we were doing?”

  She smiled slyly at him and Gabriel’s heart beat faster.

  “We could tell him we were searching for angels.”

  There was only one angel here he could see, and he was looking at her. “Aye,” he agreed, unable to take his gaze from her. “That we could.”

  Michael paced the hallway, clenching and unclenching his fists. He looked out the large open window into the courtyard below, but there was no sign of Gabe and Eve’s return. He should have gone after them. What was Gabriel telling her? He didn’t trust him.

  “Michael!”

  He turned to see Henry lumbering toward him. For such a big man, Henry was spry on his feet and quick. However, now was not the time to be catching up with his old friend. “Where did he go?” he snapped.

  Henry pulled back, startled and confused. He looked at the window and then back to Michael. “Gabe?” Henry shrugged. “You know Gabe. He tells me nothing. He’s probably with a lovely lady.”

  Michael ground his teeth. “He left with my future wife.”

  “Oh.” Henry’s congenial demeanor vanished in guilt and he looked at the window. “You have nothing to worry about. Gabe is honorable. He is probably…” But he couldn’t come up with an answer. “He’s as honorable as you. You have nothing to worry about!” Henry slapped him on the back.

  Michael had never considered Gabe honorable. He considered him disloyal and untrustworthy. And now, now, he was out in the country with his future wife. This could only end badly. “We have to find them.”