by Diane Darcy
Not that she’d accept his proposal, but it was flattering.
She could feel his gaze, and another rush of excitement flooded her. Was this hero worship? Because she’d spent so much time in his arms? Because she found him so attractive? Out of nowhere, she felt herself blushing.
“Lady Cara, I trust you slept well,” Wallace’s voice, deep and rumbly, made her heart flutter.
The man was driving her insane.
She took a breath to get hold of herself. “I did, thank you.” She’d actually slept the night through, regardless of the mattress. Perhaps the sheer amount of darkness had knocked her out.
“I have waited to break my fast with you.”
She smiled. “Oh, you’re a sweetie!”
His gaze lit up, and he held out his arm.
She took it, his compelling warmth familiar and enticing as he led her to the table.
The servants set down warm damp towels, and she copied Wallace and washed her hands.
Next, they served bowls of oatmeal, and set a platter between them with eggs, meat, and apples. She was once again struck by the simplicity of their lives.
She picked up her spoon and tasted the oatmeal. Delicious. “You know, I never asked how you won that job in Hollywood? I mean, you’re one of the main characters, so it can’t have been your first rodeo. So,” she waved her spoon, indicating his home, “how does this type of lifestyle fit in with all the glitz and glamour?”
He spooned food off the plate between them, serving her, and then himself. Finally, he said, “At times you are difficult to comprehend.”
Was he implying his reasons were so obvious she should easily understand? Her shoulders hunched a bit. All right, so maybe she hadn’t been raised as simply as him, but that didn’t make him some sort of Gandhi.
He was an actor, for heaven’s sake. In the same industry as she was. Amish and actors didn’t seem as if they’d mix. It was a legitimate question.
She gave a slight shrug and took a bite of scrambled eggs.
After a moment, he asked, “Have I offended you?”
She’d never been that person, the one who was easily insulted, so she determinedly shrugged it off. “It’s all good.”
“The food?” He looked so confused she laughed. “Yes, the food is good. I’m good. Everything is good.”
“Ah,” he said, though he still looked baffled enough that it amused her, and allowed her to let go of her pique.
They were joined by Lady Helena, the girl she’d met earlier, and a younger girl, probably another sister, as there was a family resemblance to Wallace.
They sat on the bench across from them.
Some of the diners finished eating and left, and others sat down. They all acted as if it was normal to basically have a restaurant in their house.
No one around her spoke, so she looked between Wallace’s family. It was time to lighten the atmosphere.
She didn’t want to give away the girl who’d come to her room earlier, so Amelia was out.
One look at Lady Helena’s cool expression, and she knew they’d have nothing to talk about.
She still felt a little weird about Wallace’s refusal to respond to her question, so not him.
She looked at the youngest sister, a girl of about fourteen or so, and smiled. “Hi, I’m Cara.”
The young girl looked excited to have been addressed, and piped up, “I am Lady Doris.”
“Does everyone call you Dori?”
She shook her head.
“Do you mind if I do?”
This time she smiled and nodded.
Lady Helena said to her youngest daughter. “Finish your meal and stop thy jabbering.”
That comment was probably more directed toward Cara, but she couldn’t get herself to care.
She glanced at Amelia, who looked between her and Wallace, as if expecting something to happen.
To amuse the girls, and herself, she wrapped her hands around his left arm and said, “And maybe I could call you Wally?”
He stared in horror. “You will do no such thing.”
“Wally of Wolfsbane,” she teased. “I think it has a nice ring to it.”
He gave her a dangerous look. “If you persist, I will find a tedious task for you to accomplish until you are too tired for jesting.”
She laughed, but let it, and him, go. She noticed several in the crowd looking askance and realized what little conversation there was, was spoken in low tones.
Most simply ate and then got up and left, off to do whatever it was they did.
There were an awful lot of folks in this manor.
It reminded her of a movie set, with far too many people running here and there, and you always had to wonder what exactly it was they were doing.
“What sort of work does everyone do here?”
She caught Lady Helena taking a good look at her necklace, before the other woman answered. “Whatever task we set before them, and they do it well.”
That was sort of a non-answer, something Cara was familiar with, having worked on many a Hollywood set.
If you didn’t commit to being in charge, you could share the blame with others when something went wrong.
Amelia and Dori looked between her and their mother and Amelia desperately appeared to want to say something.
Cara gave her an encouraging smile.
“There have not always been so many here. ’Tis just that ever since —”
“Amelia! You will mind your tongue, and are excused from the table. Take your sister, and thyself to the sewing room.”
Amelia hung her head, and Cara felt sorry for the girl. She was at an age where she wanted to be independent, but was still under her mother’s thumb.
She remembered those days well. Mom, a partner in a law firm, had been proud of Cara’s social skills, but hadn’t known what to do about her flightiness, and had often despaired of her learning what she considered basic skills.
Like math. Ha!
Her mom had done her best through Cara’s teen years, but their personalities were so different, they’d clashed on almost every level while her mother tried to groom her for law school, and Cara played with makeup and texted boys.
After she’d finished her liberal arts degree, and had gotten her first job, Mom resigned herself and they’d gotten along much better.
If she was here long enough, she could give Amelia a few pointers on how to deal with a frustrated mother who only had her best interests at heart.
She turned to Wallace. “What are your plans for the day?”
He looked a little surprised at the question, but finally said, “There is much to be done.”
“Like what, exactly?”
He scowled.
She glanced around the room with its huge fireplace, tables, stone floor, and beams. “I mean, I get your family is into the whole minimalist thing, and believe me I can appreciate that. If you knew how small my workspaces can be on set, you’d be amazed at some of the things I give up so I can have more room for my tools. I definitely respect what you’re doing here, and I’m sure you’re super busy.”
Neither of them responded, and the silence started to get uncomfortable. “Anyway, if you can’t give me a lift, I’m hoping you’ve got a phone, or a computer, or something I can contact a friend with, and hopefully get a ride? I’m sure the sooner I’m out of your hair, the better.”
Wallace and his mother exchanged a look.
“There is much I would discuss with you,” he said to Cara.
There was an undercurrent of some kind and she remembered the marriage proposal. Her smile wavered. Still, it could be a starting point to discuss them staying in touch. “All right.”
Lady Helena glanced around and gave Wallace an exasperated look. “For privacy’s sake, perhaps it would be best if we meet in your room.”
He stood and held out a hand to Cara.
She took it, and he didn’t release her, falling back into the old pattern they’d established
in the woods.
Last night she’d wanted to end their budding relationship. But today, perhaps not. He wasn’t just a minimalist. He was also an actor, part of the Hollywood culture, same as her. A girl could change her mind.
When she left this place, she was sort of hoping they could keep in touch. Maybe exchange phone numbers, text messages, flirty phone calls. She certainly wasn’t opposed to seeing where this attraction between them might go.
He released her hand to let her go up the stairs first, his mother followed, and he brought up the rear.
As she didn’t know where to go, she waited until Lady Helena led the way down the hallway in the opposite direction from where Cara slept last night.
Lady Helena opened a large, arched, wooden door and went inside.
A huge tapestry was pulled back from an open window without a glass pane. Wooden shutters, opened to the weather, let some sunlight in, though the room was still on the shadowy side.
Now that she thought about it, she didn’t think there was glass in any of the windows.
But, no judgment on her part. She recycled too. If these guys wanted to leave a smaller footprint from their time on earth, they had her full support.
Wallace shut the door and indicated the two women sit on a bench near the foot of the bed.
The bed was a work of art. A fourposter, with light curtains, large pillows, and an incredible homemade quilt.
She dutifully took a seat beside Lady Helena, and waited for Wallace to speak.
In their world, with the Amish-type deal they had going on, Wallace might think it was acceptable to let his mother witness his proposal.
She took a deep breath, striving for serenity. Even though she hadn’t known him long enough to accept such an offer, she’d let him down gently. And definitely stay friends. Who was to say more wouldn’t come of that?
She clasped her hands together on her lap, and looked up at Wallace expectantly.
Chapter 9
Wallace looked down at Cara and his stomach tightened. He almost felt nauseous.
He was not a man who generally equivocated. He knew his mind, and he spoke it so others did as well.
It seemed the spell she’d cast over him the last few days remained in full force.
He drew a breath and hesitated as he gazed into her face, so beautiful, so trusting. Pieces of her blonde hair lay around her shoulders, the rest of the thick mass tied back, her hazel eyes bright and expectant.
As a young boy he’d once captured a butterfly in his hands, and when he’d opened them it had not flown as expected. He’d studied its delicate beauty for long moments, as it walked from palm to fingers, until it finally drifted away, leaving him desolate enough that he remembered the emotion years later.
Cara was like that butterfly. Exquisite, enchanting, and if her earlier words were any indication, ready to fly away, unfettered by his wishes.
His mother cleared her throat and brought him back to reality.
They’d lost their fortune once to treachery.
Now they’d lost the chance to regain it, and though he did not believe she’d conspired against him, ultimately the fault lay with her.
The wealth she wore around her neck would go a long way toward helping him establish security for his family and his people.
He liked her well enough, and, after his heroics, she seemed to favor him, or at least feel safe with him.
“Lady Cara,” his mother started when he did not. “Can you tell us of your family? I understand you were a lady-in-waiting, was it to the queen?”
Cara laughed. “Actually, it was to the princess.”
“Ah,” his mother said, not giving much away, but he knew she was well pleased.
“And your family?”
“Mark and Lori Jones. They live in Huntington Beach, California. They bought the house before they had me, and have lived there ever since.”
Cara’s smile widened. “Dad is a bit of the hippie, and Mom loves that about him, but she’s a lawyer, so she can get frustrated sometimes about how laid-back he can be.”
She chuckled. “Truth to tell, he’s been known to smoke a bit of weed, which drives Mom up the wall, so he doesn’t do it as much as he used to.”
Her smile turned impish. “At least it’s legal now, right?”
They both stared as she spoke of things beyond their understanding.
“I guess my father mostly raised me. He’s sort of a Mr. Mom type, if you know what I mean. They own some rentals, and sometimes he works construction, but when I was young, he just took care of me. He plants a huge garden every year and keeps a few goats.”
She glanced at each of them in turn, but his mother seemed as dumbstruck as himself.
“Mom is the total opposite,” she finally continued. “She loves Prada, and she’s sort of a shark. But don’t get me wrong, they’re totally in love. It’s definitely a case of opposites attract. They’re the first who would say they’re lucky to have found each other.”
“Uh …” Lady Helena glanced at Wallace. “Where exactly did you say they lived again?”
“California.”
At their blank expressions, she added, “In the United States.”
They looked at her, and then at each other, and then they both shook their heads.
“She is Welsh,” Wallace told his mother.
“Ahh, that explains it then.”
Cara’s mouth parted. “Oh, come on. Am I being punk’d here?”
She glanced around the room and gestured up at the ceiling. “I can see you don’t have electricity, or, even windows,” she glanced toward the window even as she said it. “So, I can tell you guys are a little bit on the whoo, whoo side, but still, I’m not going to believe you’ve never heard of America,” she pointed at Wallace. “Especially since you were on the movie set of a Hollywood film.”
Her eyes narrowed. “By the way, are they going to miss you? Or were you finished filming?”
Wallace was overwhelmed by her gibberish, and was starting to get angry. “Lady Cara, I brought you in here to ask for your hand in marriage.”
She smiled and batted her eyelashes prettily. “You are a sweetheart. You really are. And believe me, I appreciate the offer. After what you did for me the other day, well, I know I owe you a lot. And I’m not denying I’m having some pretty strong feelings for you because of it.”
She glanced at Lady Helena. “He literally saved my life. Once when he controlled his horse in the most amazing way possible, and the second time when I was attacked by three men. You should have seen him, he came out of nowhere, and …”
She placed a hand to her chest and seemed to look inward. “Well, there’s no way to get around this, he killed all three of them, but no one’s ever going to hear about it from me. Those guys got what they deserved, and then some. He was magnificent.”
She shook her head, as if to dispel the images, and then smiled up at Wallace once again. “Anyway, I’ve never said this before, I’ve never had to, but I owe him my life.”
“Then marry him,” Lady Helena said firmly.
Cara looked between the two of them, her expression startled. “I’m going to be honest here, I’d love to date him, and I’d enjoy getting to know him better, but to just jump into marriage with someone seems a bit foolish, doesn’t it?”
“Is that so? By your own telling, you would not be here right now if not for my son.”
“Um ... this is getting just a tiny bit too weird for me,” she glanced at Wallace. “Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t kidding about hoping to see you again. But I thought, you know, phone calls, text messages, maybe we could get together like,” she shot a glance at Lady Helena, “without your mother?”
“You will marry my son.”
“No, I won’t. Deal with it.” Cara’s voice hardened, similar to his mother’s.
Both women stared each other down.
Lady Helena broke the silence. “Perhaps some time in thy room on a diet of bread and water
will improve your disposition.”
Cara’s mouth dropped and she turned a scathing look on Wallace. “Really?”
That look pierced him to his core. “Mother.”
Cara stood. “Look, this conversation has gotten a little too weird for me. If you will simply point me to the nearest phone, I will just get a ride out of here and that will be the end of it.”
“Mother,” Wallace said, his gaze upon Cara. “Leave us alone, if you please.”
Lady Helena hesitated, made a scoffing noise, then left the room, shutting the door behind her.
Cara turned back to Wallace. “This is nuts, huh?”
He blew out a breath, and then took one of her hands in his, and pressed her fingers to his lips. “I’ve not done this in the best of ways, I can see that. But, Lady Cara, I believe we can help each other. You are far from home, correct?”
She nodded.
“In need of protection?”
“Well, if I’m wandering about the countryside, then, yes. But if I can make my way home, I’ll be fine.”
He knew her position was precarious, wished to offer his strength, but her lack of understanding was frustrating to say the least.
She had obviously been sheltered at home, and mayhap at court as well, but she no longer held that position.
And it was not just that they could help one another. He wanted her to stay. He had once been prepared to do his duty for his family, and king, and never once in all of that had he thought upon his own preference in the matter.
But Cara was a new proposition altogether.
His chance to marry for money and position was in his past.
No family of stature would wish to be associated with him as things stood.
Cara’s family was unknown to both he and his mother, so he doubted they had much to offer either. She had not been spoken for, else the king would not have handed her over, so she was no heiress.
Her family had no doubt sent her to court, put what wealth they had about her throat, hoping to attract a suitor.
So, that wealth, for his strength and protection. He thought they could do very well together.
