“Alexander, I am Lady Chloe Fergusson, just as you said,” she spoke very quietly. “I am so sorry.” Tears began sneaking into her eyes. The tears spilled out, and she tried to shove against his chest.
He grabbed her hands and pressed them back against his chest.
“Look at me,” he demanded. His voice was strained. When she looked up, she saw that his face was filled with emotion. She didn’t see any hate in his eyes and she was surprised. “You do not need to apologize to me. I knew who you were. It changes not how I feel about you. Now we can shout it to the world. We are meant to be together.” His hand gently slid up and down her arm, soothing her nerves. “Tell me everything.”
“I remembered seeing you at South Hearth Castle when you brought me here to Hardwyck, but it was all too much for me to put together. The night you came to the castle, I saw you out the window. Saw your men. I was frightened, confused. My lady’s maid, Nicola,” her voice broke and tears streamed down her face. When Alexander opened his mouth to console him, she stopped him. She had to keep going—felt like she would be relieved of a great burden if she told him everything. “She took me through a secret passage to a cottage in the woods, where we were to wait for my parents. But they didn’t come. We set out on foot and we were attacked by a lord.” She started to shake and Alexander held her tight. She relayed the rest of what happened up until the moment he’d found her. He looked at her, eyes wide as he gulped in the information she was telling him. Not once did he look away, and the tender loving caress of his gaze did not change. She continued, “I had no idea my father had taken South Hearth back by force until I returned from France and instead of going to Fergusson lands we went to the border.”
Chloe couldn’t believe how easy it was to reveal everything to him and his easy acceptance. A great weight had lifted from her shoulders.
“Oh, my dear, Chloe. So much you have been through. We will find the lord who attacked you. He will pay dearly for his heinous crimes.” Alexander kissed her on the forehead, her cheeks and her lips. “I knew it was you. I saw you in the window of your castle looking down on me and I prayed that it was you. I shall plan a trip to see King Henry. He must know all, and know that I still wish to marry you. I have always been loyal to him, I have no doubt that he will approve of our marriage.”
“But what if he should deny you? I could not live with myself if I knew you’d given up everything for me.”
“Let me be the one to make that decision. Living with you, having you, loving you is worth more than a castle, titles and land. What kind of a man would I be if I chose a holding over the woman I yearn to be with? The woman I love.” His voice was strong, so reassuring. Chloe nearly leapt with joy, but instead she threw her arms around him and kissed him soundly on the mouth.
“And my parents? What of my family?”
“We tracked them to the border of Scotland. But my scouts tell me they keep crossing over, scouting the area. They are planning a siege. Most likely they will take back South Hearth soon.”
“They will come for me when they find out I’m here.”
He nodded. “’Tis possible that they keep returning to England to search for you.”
“I don’t want to leave you.” And just like that she realized it. Perhaps it was fate that had kept her from penning a note to her family. Destiny that had kept her lips sealed from blurting the truth to Anne and seeking assistance. Whatever force was at work behind her motivation, she was glad for it.
“You don’t have to.”
They clung to each other for a few moments longer. Chloe was relieved there were no more secrets between them.
“I never knew I could love someone as much as I love you. I ache for you,” Chloe whispered into Alexander’s ear.
“And I you,” he said, still holding her, he kissed her this time not with the fervor that he had before, but this time it was more meaningful. There was more love in his kiss, it was so tender, so all consuming, she nearly melted in his arms. She returned his tender kiss, letting all of her love for him come through her lips. He gently teased her lips apart with his teeth, his tongue searching for hers. He kissed her slowly, his mouth covering hers with gentle possession.
“You are mine, always,” he breathed into her mouth.
The entire village of Hardwyck was in an uproar. But it was an uproar of jubilation. Their mighty Dragon had found his lady, and she was a lady they all loved and respected.
The staff of the keep hurried about preparing for Alexander’s trip to see the king. Although he’d given them a week’s time to prepare, it still left much to be done.
Alexander had sent a messenger to see his father to let him know what his intentions were and that he had found his bride. He made sure the messenger would explain that his bride knew nothing of the treachery her parents exacted. His father was not a very forgiving man, and he did not want to risk his anger at Chloe.
Lady Anne arranged for a dressmaker to arrive. Chloe’s transformation from servant to lady took place and she was indeed a vision. Precisely the vision he had scene from afar, when he first spotted her at South Hearth. The beautifully fashioned fabric brought out her perfect form, her brilliant eyes and her creamy skin. Not that Alexander had any problem seeing those fascinating qualities before, but somehow with her being able to be herself, a new glow emanated from Chloe.
Alexander spent the two days prior to his departure with Chloe, coming to her early in the morning for a ride about the grounds. They would walk hand in hand in her gardens as she taught him what each of the flowers and herbs were and what their use was.
In the evenings Chloe would sing for him, and he always melted at the sound of her voice. He had never known that he could be so emotional. I am becoming a wimpy, mushy old sot, he thought to himself often. So often, that he would have to exert his manliness by leaving her for a few hours to beat the hell out of his men with their training.
The woman knocked the wind out of him, the air seemed to leave his body and he could never catch his breath. He didn’t know what the pull was, but he found himself physically needing to see her, talk to her, touch her, and to have her look at him with those eyes. It was obvious to him Chloe felt the same way. When he could take it no longer he would go in search of her and wherever she was, a bright smile covered her face as if she’d been expecting him. He would jump down from Hero and run to her. It was hard not to embrace her and cause more of a disturbance than they already were, so they would hurry inside, where he would pick her up and swing her in the air and the kisses they shared were filled with pleasure. They often parted panting. Their eyes glazed with desire. He had never known he could feel this way about a woman. As much as he wanted to claim her in completion, he made a promise to himself that he wouldn’t make love to her until they were man and wife. As much as his cock raged whenever she was near, or pressed her pouty lips to his. He somehow found the strength to resist the urge.
“I feel like when I am with you my heart is fluttering, and jumping up into my throat. The happiness I feel is so strong I want to burst!” Chloe said to him one afternoon.
He smiled at her, not able to put his own feelings into words as she had. “I feel the same way. This is love,” he replied.
The day before he was to leave to meet with the king, Alexander walked about the keep and the gardens outside to find Chloe without success. He wanted to take her for a ride and show her a clearing he’d found that he thought she would be particularly fond of.
When he found that she was nowhere about, he quickly searched for Harold to ask him where she was.
At first Harold didn’t say anything, just stared at him. His mouth opened to say something, then he seemed to think better of it, and shut it.
“Harold! Where is she?” he repeated his question, losing his patience and panic starting to take hold. Had she left him?
“She has gone to teach the children in the church. It is Sunday.” Harold flinched as if expecting his lord to be angry with what he
said.
He remembered her briefly mentioning what she did with the children with a scared look in her eyes. Perhaps she had sworn Harold to secrecy as well. Everyone seemed to follow her bidding. She was probably afraid he would punish her for doing something that had been forbidden in the village. Alexander had simply followed in his father’s footsteps and ordered that no children were to attend school. He felt that their time was better used working his fields, and doing various other tasks. His father warned him against anyone gaining education, saying it gave the possibility for ideas to enter their heads that they were better than their station. Alexander agreed that he wanted no revolutionists. He recalled his conversation with Chloe as he made his way to the church. When he had seen that look in her eyes, he had tried to reason with her. Taking the side of his father, he explained that it helped to balance the power.
“So you don’t agree with me teaching the children to read and write and do simple arithmetic?” Although her voice had been calm, her eyes burned with fire. She was such a passionate woman, and her every emotion crossed her face. He marveled at how her anger flushed her cheeks pink, made her eyes a vibrant violet, and her luscious lips had pursed in a most seductive way.
“I don’t necessarily disagree with you, but I also understand my father’s point. Should the people become educated, they may start to want more things. They may revolt as my father put it.” He’d become defensive. All of these things had never actually crossed his mind until she brought them up. Why was it so important to her?
“Ha!” she’d said in disgust putting her arms across her chest. “Just because someone has some education does not mean that they are going to revolt against their lord. Perhaps if you and your father treated your people better there wouldn’t be the fear of such a result. As I think it, the people are better able to do their duties when they are educated. They also have more things to do in their spare time, like read a book, or write a letter to a far off relative.”
“Hmm…” he’d replied, a concerned look on his face. “I hadn’t thought about it in that sense. Perhaps it is worth looking into.” He tried to dismiss the topic, but she wouldn’t let him.
“It certainly is something to look into!” she nearly shouted. “Don’t you want to be proud of your people, proud that they are knowledgeable workers, not just a bunch of ignorant fools? Don’t you want your people to respect you because you have a sense of respect and pride for them? Did it ever occur to you that your people would look upon you more favorably the more you give to them? If I had my own land, which I certainly do not have, I would make sure that all of people were offered a proper education, that they were all taken care of, and that they were not running in fear of me whenever they heard I might pass by.” She stared at him, her eyes looking deep into his, it was a powerful gaze, as if she was daring him not to agree with her. He simply nodded at her in agreement, not wanting to continue with the argument.
She was so smart, so sensible, and so good. He had never even taken a moment to think about caring for his people. He had grown up with his father, a nasty old brute, who could care less what happened to his people. He was all about oppression, even with his own family members.
She brought out the good in him. She made him think. She made him want to do things, to make changes for the better.
So she was teaching the children. He had an idea.
Chloe walked from child to child, watching as they scratched their alphabet letters into the dirt, and then followed with the words she had given them to write. They had all taken so well to her lessons, and just about each and every one of them had learned their entire alphabet rather quickly. She’d been able to work with them on small words, and now she was able to say a word, and most of them were able to spell it out.
The children had become quite fond of her, and she of them. They had called her Lady Chloe when no other adults were around, before the truth was revealed to them all. She had asked them why they did that and they said she was so different from the other women in the village that she must be a lady. Chloe found herself only slightly surprised at how astute they were. She’d smiled at the children, and then told them all a story about a princess.
Although most of the people in the village considered what she did with the children to be work, she looked forward to her Sunday afternoons. It was a time of escape for her. The children were so innocent. They seemed oblivious to the ways of the world. It wasn’t yet a cruel place for them. Perhaps with the little education she was able to give them they would have a happier brighter future than what they faced now.
At least they would have these memories. Besides learning to write on the dirt floor, she told them stories from her memory, she read to them, and they explored the outside world, counting flowers, trees and birds. She would have them spell things they saw.
As she walked, she gazed at each child’s scratches in the ground with pride. She had been so horrific to her tutors; what a difference between her and these children.
She heard some of the children behind her gasp and start to whisper. She immediately spun around to see Alexander standing in the doorway. He looked immaculate in his fine white linen shirt, and maroon and black striped over-tunic. His white hose clung seductively to his long muscular legs, making her heart beat faster. He watched her as she took him in. Giving her a knowing look, and stood just so that she could admire him to his full advantage. He was magnificent.
Many emotions flooded her at once. Fear that he had decided he did not like what she was doing and was here to put a stop to it and punish her for going against the rules. The next feeling was shock. How had he known she was there? Looking at his face, she saw that he was smiling at her, his eyes filled with laughter. She knew at that moment he couldn’t have been there for anything ill in manner. Her stomach swirled—a feeling she had come to associate with love and happiness.
Alexander had a large satchel in his hand. What could be inside?
She smiled politely and curtsied.
“Lord Hardwyck, good day. And what brings you to our humble little meeting?” The children looked up at her, a few smiling and whispering to each other that she truly was a lady. Hearing their soft murmurs made her smile wider.
“Hello, Lady Chloe,” he said with a smile and a wink.
How long had he been standing there? Her blush deepened at the thought of him watching her.
“I have come bearing gifts for the children of such a fine lady, begging their pardon that I may speak to you a moment.” He flashed the children a warm smile and beckoned them forward.
At first they were a little nervous about approaching this lord that they had been taught to fear, but after he pulled out a small tart from the satchel and popped it into his mouth, they ran forward to see what he had for them. As he chewed he exclaimed loudly how wonderful the tarts tasted, and he handed the children each one. With bright smiles on their faces and desire in their eyes, their studies completely gone from their minds, they moved to the other end of the room, and sank their teeth into the delicious tarts, loudly verbalizing their pleasure.
“Well Alexander, isn’t this a surprise. I’m sure I won’t hear the end of it!” She smiled at him, disbelieving that he had done such a thing.
“Chloe,” he said in a low voice. “I thought about what you said a great deal, and I want to have pride in my people. I want my people to have pride in themselves.”
“Oh, Alexander! That is wonderful!” she said flashing him a brilliant smile. “You won’t regret it!” She waved in the direction of the children who’d already devoured their tarts, greedily looking at him for more. He waved them over for a second serving. “After today, and giving the children tarts, you will see a difference in your people, the parents of these children will be grateful for what you have done.”
“It is all you, my lady. You are the one who has done this, not I. I never would have done it if you had not opened my eyes.” He discreetly took her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed it b
ack. He winked at her, and she blushed. “Do you mind if I stay for the rest of the lesson? I would like to see what they have learned so far.”
She gave him a devilish look. “I was thinking that now they are filled with sugar, they should go and play for the rest of the day, as should you and I.” His smile widened into a devilish grin.
“That sounds like a fine idea. I had actually been meaning to show you something I found.” His eyes twinkled.
Chloe turned to the children, laughing when she looked at them, their faces covered in berry juices. “Children, what do you say we end the lessons for today, and you go and play?”
They jumped for joy at her suggestion, running toward the door. As an afterthought, two of the girls rushed toward her and curtsied to both her and Alexander. All of the other children, not wanting to miss out, stopped in their tracks—the boys bowing and the girls dipping into curtsies. Chloe couldn’t help but laugh at the spectacle. Turning to Alexander she grabbed his hand and they left the little church.
Outside Hero waited patiently for them. Alexander easily lifted her onto the saddle and mounted behind her. He kicked the horse into a near gallop, and she laughed as she flew back against him. He took her on a ride through the village and out a gate on the side that she had never noticed before. They crossed the stream where everyone got their water, and where further down and in a more private area they had previously swam. He kept going for a few miles and then veered into the woods. He slowed Hero down as they rode into the woods, and soon they came to a clearing. In the center of the clearing was a beautiful spring. At the far end of the spring was a wall of natural rock, from which water fell, creating the most beautiful cascade she had ever seen. The water was so clear. She had never seen water look so pure.
The clearing was completely secluded. Large honeysuckle bushes surrounded the edges, creating a sort of wall that barred the outside world from seeing the lovely grounds. The air was filled with the scent of the honeysuckles, heather and jasmine. The pure green grass was scattered with hundreds of beautiful wild flowers of every shade. Spring had truly taken hold.
Daring Damsels Page 23
