Her eyes flew to his in astonishment. “You mean Geoffrey?” A small frown formed on her lips. “My cousin would not be jealous if you decide to remain at Stanbury Castle.”
“Your cousin?” he regarded her with surprise.
“Aye, he is Clarisse’s brother.”
“I thought he was one of your suitors…” He brought a fist up and coughed into his hand, his face reddening. “You never revealed who he was,” he shrugged apologetically. “I regret those terrible things I said.” He searched her eyes. “’Tis just that when I saw him embrace you with such intimacy, I assumed that there was something between the two of you…”
“You were terribly mistaken,” she said shaking her head. “I tried to explain things earlier, but you refused to listen to me.”
“I hope you’ll forgive me.”
“Aye, that is if you will forgive me,” she said, placing a palm to the side of his face.
“Good,” he said nodding and then letting out a rush of air from his lungs. “We’re even. It makes my decision to stay in Stanbury much easier.” His words caused her eyebrows to wrinkle in confusion. He chuckled and raised two fingers to gently smooth the furrow from her brows. “Even though things are now clear between us, I feel that I have found a new vocation, and I intend to love and protect you for the rest of my life.”
“I do not understand…?” she said, although a hopeful gleam reflected in her eyes.
“I had the stable boy in Wykeham rouse two messengers for me, which was no small feat. One missive was to send for your uncle and have him go to Stanbury. The second message was to ask the king for a favor.”
“What kind of favor?” she asked, her voice breathless and her eyes shimmering in the light.
Lifting her hand, he pressed it to his lips. “After that night I spent with you at the inn, I realized that I wanted there to be more between us. I wanted to spend the rest of my days with you.” A warm glow sparked in his eyes. “I asked for, and was granted special permission to marry you.” He paused and gazed into her liquid brown eyes. “So Amelie, will you agree to be my wife?”
“Oh, Derrik,” she clasped his hand and placed it over her heart. “I will be honored to be your wife,” she whispered.
He let out a loud whoop. Grabbing her tightly around her waist, he spun her around and kissed her full on the lips.
“That is the best answer a man can have,” he declared, a huge smile spreading across his face. Setting her down, his eyes captured hers. “I love you, Amelie.”
“And I love you too, Derrik,” she said, “with all my heart.”
He bent his head and settled his lips on her once again. His heart felt as if it would burst with joy. Holding her tighter to him, he rocked her gently from side to side. Finally, he had found the love of his life, and he wasn’t ever going to let her go.
After a moment, he drew back. Glancing around, he remembered that they were the only ones left in the farmyard. Running his fingers lightly through his hair, he gave her a sheepish look.
“The others must be wondering what we’re doing out here,” he said, chuckling. He settled an arm around her hips and smiled down at her. “Are you ready to go inside, and announce our marriage plans?”
She wrapped both of her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Looking up, she smiled back at him and laughed. “I am ready to announce our plans to the world!”
Thank You Gift
I hope you enjoyed A Knight’s Duty. 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
Thanks to my husband for all you’ve done. You’re the best. Many thanks also to those who helped make this book possible.
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
More Titles By Dana D’Angelo
A Knight's Duty (The Knights of Honor Trilogy, Book 2) Page 25
