Gareth leaned his head on the door. He no longer cared that people listened in and witnessed his vulnerability. The very idea that Clarisse would remove herself from this world left him shattered and weak. He had never felt this way, even when Rueben had died. The notion that he would never again look upon her smiling face… Tears streamed down the side of his cheeks, and he brought up a fist and wiped hard at them.
“I love you with all my being. And even if I cannot marry you, you will still have my heart. For you have saved me from myself, Clarisse. But if you die, I will be forever lost…”
He closed his eyes, imagining that Clarisse was on the other side, listening to his pleas. Would she come out?
Hope rose to his throat when he heard the wooden barrier sliding across the door.
In the next instant, the door flung open and Clarisse stood there, unharmed.
“Oh, Gareth,” she cried, moving into his outstretched arms. She fell into his embrace, wrapping her own arms around his waist and hugging him tightly.
Edith stood at the side of the door with a hand pressed to her chest, while with her other hand, she wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“Sir Gareth is clearly the better man,” Lady Edeline said.
“Aye,” Lady Chantal agreed. She came to stand next to her husband. “We never knew how awful Sir Hervey was. Will you accept our apologies, Sir Gareth?”
Gareth licked his lips. They were looking at him differently, as if he was a hero. Would they feel beholden enough to allow him the one thing that he desired most of all?
“Aye,” he said, his mouth dry. “I will accept your apology, but only on one condition.”
“One condition?” her father said, an eyebrow rising while a small frown touched upon his lips. He lifted a fist and coughed softly into it. “What condition is that?”
“That you grant me permission to marry your daughter, my lord.” He tightened his hold on Clarisse and looked at her father. “I know that I said that I would release my claim on her, but I love her, my lord. I fear that I cannot let her go.”
The older man stared at him for a long moment. Then he turned his steady gaze on Clarisse, who watched him with a hopeful look on her face.
“If I say aye, will you agree to fight for my cause, and help us rid us of the enemies that encroach on our land?”
“Aye, you have my word.” He locked his gaze with Clarisse’s father.
Seconds passed, as if he was considering the weight of Gareth’s promise. Then slowly the frown smoothed away from Lord Servian’s mouth and his lips cracked in a smile. “Then, you may have my permission.”
“Oh Father, do you truly mean it?” Joy and surprise lit Clarisse’s face.
“I was wrong about your knight,” he said, nodding.
Edgar and Geoffrey came to stand by their parents, their faces contrite.
“We were all wrong,” Edgar said, the closest that he would ever come to an apology.
Geoffrey nodded his agreement. He turned to say something to his brother, but Gareth didn’t hear them. Indeed all the noise in the hallway melted away as he gazed down at the beauty at his side.
Clarisse tilted her head, staring up at him with loving warmth. “I was never wrong about you, Gareth,” she said softly. “From the first time I saw you at the inn, I knew that you were the man for me.”
He brought his fingers to her soft cheek, caressing it. Then leaning forward, he whispered in her ear, “And you, Clarisse, have always been the woman for me.”
Thank You Gift
I hope you enjoyed Fallen Knight. As a thank you bonus, I’d like to give you a free e-copy of my novella Heart of a Knight.
The two characters featured in this story are very close to my own heart. Others have generously rated this story 4.8 out of 5 stars, and I hope you enjoy it too.
Simply visit my website at the link below, and you can be reading this book in the next few minutes.
Many thanks,
Dana D’Angelo
Acknowledgments
Thank you to all my friends for your enthusiasm and generosity. My writing journey is so much more fun and interesting with you guys around.
And as always, thank you to my husband, my hero: the slayer of computer demons. This book wouldn’t have been possible without you.
About the Author
Dana is the only girl from a family of nine children. As a teenager, there was a constant battle for the T.V. remote, which she lost, so she was forced to find her amusement in books. A friend got her into romances, and soon she discovered the historical kind. She read as many as ten romance novels per week, spending hours with her nose pressed between the pages, skipping meals and cutting out sleep. Life, it seems, wasn’t as exciting or interesting as in the Medieval or Regency eras.
It wasn’t until she was married with two young kids that she decided to take a stab at writing her own historical romance novels.
She is intrigued with the idea of writing romantic stories that could bring hours of enjoyment to readers, help them escape from reality, and perhaps remind them how sweet love is and should be. These are the things that she enjoys as a reader, and these are the things that she wants to give back as a writer.
Dana lives in a city east of Toronto, Canada. When she’s not writing or reading, she’s dining at local restaurants with her husband and kids and enjoying the spectacular foods of the world.
Website: www.dana-dangelo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Dana-DAngelo-Historical-Romance-Author/1401184486768369
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DanaD_author
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