“But they’ll blame you.” Margery felt suddenly liberated in the face of his unease. She had been such a fool to allow this man to ruin her life. “Go ahead, they’re already watching us. Tell them.”
Peter glanced toward her brothers, and bless them, they were frowning darkly. And she hadn’t even prompted them. If only they’d put their hands on their sword hilts…but it was too much to hope for.
Peter sighed and shook his head. “We could have had an interesting marriage, you know.”
She didn’t trust herself to speak, so just continued to smile politely. In a moment he left, chasing after the girl she’d taken him from.
Margery closed her eyes and tried to absorb her victory without giving in to tears. She had nothing left to fear from Peter. She could now put her mistakes with him in the past, where they belonged. It was time to turn her attention to the next challenge.
“Margery!”
She recognized Anne’s breathless voice as the twins came to take her hands. Margery kissed each of their cheeks, and smiled. How she would miss them when they returned to their parents.
“Oh, Margery,” Cicely said, her face a study in worry, “will you not tell us whom you have chosen?”
“How can you keep us this anxious?” Anne added, her gaze still following Peter. “Is Lord Fitzwilliam the one? What about Lord Chadwick, or—”
Margery raised both her hands, laughing. “How can I tell you and not my brothers?”
“Then tell us all!” Anne cried with exasperation.
“In a few moments, I will,” Margery said. “Trust me.”
Cicely looked around the hall with shining eyes. “This is so exciting. Perhaps I, too, will get to choose my husband.”
Margery took her hands, and grew serious. “It is a great responsibility. I still don’t know if it will all work out in the end. Pray for me.”
She returned to her brothers in time to curtsy as the king and queen and their courtiers paraded into the room. The light reflected from their glittering garments like the sun off a rippling brook. Margery returned the queen’s pleased smile, then watched as they sat on their thrones.
James leaned closer to her. “Are you ready, sweetheart?”
“I hope so.” She gave him an excited, happy smile.
“Are you sure you don’t want to tell me whom you have chosen?”
“It has to be a surprise.”
James playfully scowled, and Reynold winked at her. How she adored her brothers, she thought, as silly tears once again pricked her eyes. Even if they’d made mistakes along the way, she was truly blessed.
King Henry rose from his throne, and as if on cue, the music and the conversations stopped. A ripple of excitement and curiosity made people surge forward. Margery saw the king search the crowd until he found her, then he motioned for her.
The courtiers parted and she forced herself to walk slowly, smiling at the people on both sides. This was the moment, and she was nervous and excited and breathless.
Gareth watched Margery walk through the king’s noble guests, and he couldn’t help but feel proud of her. She looked radiant, composed, confident—how had he ever thought her spoiled or selfish? She would make her family proud.
And she had been right about him. He’d spent his whole life afraid to trust people; had pushed away any who sought his friendship. He didn’t know if he would ever become used to the loneliness again, now that he’d spent so many nights in her company.
“Mistress Margery Welles,” the king said, gesturing to her as she came to a stop below him. “Come stand next to me, my dear. You have provided our court with months of speculation, gossip, and true enjoyment. But it is now time for you to reveal your choice in husband.”
Gareth watched Margery and the queen share a smile, before Margery turned and faced the multitude of people in the hall. Flames from hundreds of candles and torches gleamed in her eyes. The skin above her neckline glowed with a mellow, creamy light that set off her rich, dark hair. She was a stunning beauty who could have any man she wished. She deserved only the best, and he could trust her choice.
“My dear friends,” she began in a clear, strong voice, “earlier this year, I was given a great honor by their royal majesties: the freedom to choose my own husband. I met many worthy men in the next few months, and I hope I have gained several new friends. But alas, I could choose only one man.”
Gareth’s chest ached. He could not witness Fitzwilliam’s smug victory. Besides, Margery no longer needed him—she had her brothers, and soon her betrothed. Saying good-bye would only prolong both their pain. He eased his way backward through the crowd, toward the entrance. But he couldn’t take his eyes off her sweet face, couldn’t block out her melodic voice.
“I have chosen a worthy man,” she said, her face alight with pleasure. “He is gracious, and always kind to me, yet strong enough to defend my lands and my people. We have loved each other for a long while.”
Gareth nodded to the soldiers guarding the doors, and reached for the door latch.
“Although he is not of noble lineage, he will always be my only lord. I choose Sir Gareth Beaumont.”
He froze with his fingers clutching the latch. He couldn’t turn his head, couldn’t look at her. What had she done? Why had she embarrassed herself like this?
He heard the shocked murmurs, then the rustle of garments as the crowd parted. He looked over his shoulder to find Margery’s brothers walking toward him stiffly.
Giving him no choice, they escorted him toward the royal dais. He wanted to protest, to say it was all a mistake, but they drew him forward with a combined strength he could not hope to overcome.
Bolton leaned near and whispered, “We have some talking to do.”
When they stopped before Margery, her two brothers backed away and left Gareth standing there alone, beneath the frown of the king and the scandalized whispers of the court.
She smiled at him with a radiance that was breathtaking. Then she knelt down before him and bowed her head.
“My lord,” she murmured.
He stared down at her in shock. “Do not do this to yourself, Margery,” he whispered.
“But I love you,” she said in a clear voice that could be heard to the back of the hall.
Gareth didn’t know where to turn, whom to appeal to. The king’s frown was starting to fade, and the queen wiped a tear from her cheek. No help there. He would go to her brothers, tell them—
What could he tell them? Margery had just proclaimed her choice before the entire land. She had destroyed her chances with any other man—all for him.
“You should not have done this,” he said with a shaky voice.
Margery took his hands in hers and pressed her lips to his knuckles. “You’re everything to me, Gareth. I want only you.”
He pulled her to her feet. He had to find a private place to talk some sense into her, to make her see that she’d be ruining the rest of her life.
She drew his head down and kissed him. He had never thought to feel her lips again, and for a moment he was caught up in the incredible magic of her kiss. From somewhere far away he heard cheers and applause. By the saints, what was he doing?
He gripped her shoulders and held her away. “We have to talk,” he said in an urgent voice.
King Henry raised his arms for silence. “Sir Gareth, what is your answer?”
There wasn’t a sound as Gareth swept his gaze over the crowd and saw Wallace grinning. This was all too overwhelming.
“Why are you doing this?” Gareth demanded of Margery, regardless of the waiting king.
“Because I love you and I can’t be happy with anyone else.”
“I have no land, no lineage that isn’t tainted.” Even his pride fled as he looked into her hopeful eyes.
She cupped his cheek. “I am not marrying your lineage. Do you not trust my feelings? I will not abandon you, as so many others have done. Do you love me?”
He closed his eyes. “Margery, pl
ease.”
“Do you love me?” she repeated.
“God help me—yes.”
With a glad cry, she threw her arms around him. “That is all I’ve ever wanted. We will make each other so happy!”
Gareth held Margery tight against him, amazed that he’d somehow won her love, despite his sins and his foolish mistakes. They would spend their days together, their nights in each other’s arms. And if God didn’t bless them with their own babies, they would find other children in need of a home. Margery had enough love for dozens of children.
“Silence!” The king’s voice echoed through the noisy hall. “Mistress Margery has not had her answer yet.”
Margery stepped away from him. Holding her hands, Gareth looked deep into her eyes, then dropped to his knees. He kissed her hands as she had done to him, then said in a loud voice, “I will take this woman as my bride, and I pledge that I will make myself worthy of her.”
King Henry sighed. “Very well. The queen tells me we’ll find some sort of title for you.”
Margery laughed and fell into Gareth’s arms, spreading kisses over his face as he stood up. “I knew it,” she whispered. “I knew you wouldn’t refuse me.”
“I couldn’t—especially after I found this.” From the pouch at his belt, he removed the crystal stone and held it up to the light. “I feared I’d lost it. You’d think it was the most precious jewel, the way my heart grieved for it.”
Margery closed her eyes and a tear escaped. She smiled and would have wiped it away, but he grasped her hands and leaned in to kiss her tears.
“My lady, I promise you’ll never have cause to shed these again.”
“Except in joy,” she said, fumbling in her purse. “Be warned, I cry very easily when I’m happy.” She held up her own half of the crystal stone. “I’ve kept this with me since childhood, and never have you been far from my thoughts.”
With their lips together he murmured, “You’ve been in my dreams. We shall never be parted again.”
They shared a deeper, more joyous kiss, oblivious to the cheers resounding through the hall.
Epilogue
A month later, Gareth, Margery, and her entire family were gathered at Hawksbury Castle. It was a brilliant, cool autumn day, perfect for endless feasting. Margery hadn’t imagined that she could ever again feel this excited about every day of her life. This afternoon, she would finally be married to the man she loved.
She looked around the table as all her friends and family gathered for the morning meal. Gareth sat across from her, talking with her two brothers. Although it had taken a few weeks, the three men had finally begun to have conversations that didn’t involve angry scowls and clipped words.
Margery sat between her two sisters by marriage, Reynold’s wife, Katherine, and James’s wife, Isabel. Both women were so different, yet so perfectly completed their expanding family. Margery had never had sisters before them, and it felt wonderful to be able to share her every thought and feeling. The three of them had spent endless hours talking about every facet of the wedding day. Isabel, who had not had a proper marriage, seemed to most enjoy learning how to plan one. She’d said she needed to be prepared, since their first child was a daughter.
Margery couldn’t stop smiling. She gazed on Gareth with wonder, still unable to believe she’d be spending every night in his arms.
He glanced at her with a warm smile, then his gaze sharpened and his face grew serious.
Before Margery could question him, Katherine looked back and forth between them. “What is wrong with your bridegroom?”
“Men,” Isabel said, rolling her eyes. “He is just anxious to get the day over with, and move on to the important matters.”
The women laughed as Gareth rose to his feet and came around to her side of the table. He examined Margery almost quizzically, then a small smile turned up one corner of his mouth.
“What is it?” she asked, reaching up to take his hands.
“Nothing. I just think it is definitely time to be about this wedding.”
Margery stared up at him with bemusement. His eyes weren’t looking into her face, but lower. She blushed furiously before she realized that he was staring directly at her stomach and smiling with pride.
Awareness came over her in a rush of joy and tears. She gasped and spread her hands across her stomach. “A baby!” she blurted, forgetting where she was.
There was dead silence.
Gareth grinned. “’Tis a boy,” he said confidently.
As tears gathered in Margery’s eyes, both her brothers sprang to their feet, hands on their sword hilts, their faces wearing identical angry scowls as they glared at Gareth. Smiling, their wives tugged them back down again.
Gareth gave her a silly, satisfied grin. She brought his hand down to her stomach, and together they touched the miracle of their child. He was right—this one would be a boy. But there would be others…
Margery met Gareth’s smile with one of her own, feeling loved and cherished, and very, very blessed.
About the Author
There have always been people running around in my head, so I started writing when I was thirteen years old and never stopped. I loved creating whole other worlds for my friends to read aboutand that's still what motivates me today.
I live in central New York with my wonderful husband, Jim, my three children, and various salamanders and toads. I spend a lot of time cheering on my children at soccer games, lacrosse games, crew meets, and swim meets. Besides writing, I love to read, sing, and delve too deeply into historical research. Come visit my website at http://www.dm.net/~gaylecallen/
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Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
MY LADY’S GUARDIAN. Copyright © 2000 by Gayle Kloecker Callen. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Adobe Digital Edition November 2009 ISBN 978-0-06-194520-5
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue
About the Author
Other Romances
Copyright
About the Publisher
Gayle Callen Page 24
