Armored Hearts (15 page)

Thompton led the group from the house, motioning to Gareth when it was clear for him and Jessamine to follow. Jessamine released her wings upon exiting the door while Sarah took the rear of the group. The four of them traveled over the darkest parts of the fields and forests back to the estate and onto Gareth’s balcony. Sarah and Thompton checked the room over, looking behind furniture, curtains, and under the bed before heading for the hallway.

Thompton turned and faced them. “I’ll be taking first watch by the door in the form of Rory, the dog. Sarah will take second watch. We’ve bolted the balcony entrance. We ask yer Highness not to step foot on it tonight.”

Jessamine smiled at Thompton as she padded toward him. “Thank you Mr. Thompton. We will remain in for the night.”

Once Sarah and Thompton exited, Gareth landed in the chair, ripped off his helmet and tossed it to the floor. It clattered with a loud thud as it bounced off the hardwood floor.

Jessamine sauntered to the footrest in front of him and took a seat. “Not quite the wedding night I had in mind.”

Gareth said nothing, his mind overflowing with thoughts. He had no interest in being King of the Fae. All he’d ever sought was to be left alone. Now he was not only saddled with a wife he never wanted but a kingdom and a couple of bodyguards he realized had napped in his lap from time to time. The whole thing was ridiculous. He had a mind to turn them all out of his house and lock himself away from the madness.

When Gareth refused to acknowledge her, Jessamine stood. “I’m going to ready myself for bed. Perhaps you should do the same.” She made her way to the screen where she had changed just hours earlier.

Gareth stood and pulled off his armor while she was dressing. His mind wasn’t on what he was doing or the change to his sleeping arrangements. He climbed into bed in his underclothes rather than his nightshirt.

Jessamine came around the screen, again in her dressing gown, only this time it was open and revealed a satin crème gown with pink lace. His breath caught. The top of the gown was open and the thin lace barely hid her accompaniments. He glanced away when she removed her robe and climbed into bed beside him. Gareth swallowed and quickly reached out and turned down the lamp to hide in the darkness. He turned in the bed and faced away from Jessamine, hoping that not seeing her would help. But her scent and warmth were enough to stir up his already muddled mind.

“Tomorrow, I think you should return home with your father.”

The bed shifted as she bolted up. “What?”

His voice cracked, so he hardened it. “It’s not safe here for you. You won your personal quest to find me, the boy who saved you. Let that be enough of a victory for you and go back to America with Tabitha and your father. My life has become a jumbled tale from the Brothers Grimm, and there’s really no place in it for a wife.”

Gareth heard her feet slap the floor as she stomped her way to his side of the bed. She turned up the gas lamp when she got there. Her face screwed into a pout as she spoke in a harsh whisper. “What do you mean there’s no place for me in your life right now? I’ve promised to be with you through good and bad, and I take my vows seriously.”

The amount of flesh showing along the laced top of her gown made it difficult to remember what he was going to say. He shut his eyes as if to try to sleep. “I don’t remember attempted assassination by evil fairies being in the vows. Now please turn the lamp down, and let’s get to sleep. It’s been a long day, and you’ve got to get up and pack in the morning.”

Jessamine shoved at Gareth’s shoulder. “You don’t get to decide if I’m leaving. I decide if and when I ever leave. And I’m telling you now—I’m not going.”

“You also vowed to obey me. The decision’s made.” Gareth pulled his pillow from below his head and placed it over his face.

Jessamine yanked the pillow from him and threw it across the room, hitting a mirror on the wall and tilting it askew. “I thought we were making progress before the assassin showed up. What’s going on in your head? I don’t understand.”

Gareth sprang up from the bed and retrieved his pillow, trying to avoid eye contact with her. “The problem is you’ve made all kinds of assumptions about me. Some proved true, so you think you’ve got me figured out. In your mind, I’ve secretly been pushing people away when all the while I’ve wanted something else. The truth is, I like my life of isolation. I’m not interested in more. I don’t want anyone around who depends on me. All I want is to be left alone. So if you care so much about my happiness, you can leave on the boat which brought you here.”

Jessamine stood upright, staring back at Gareth. Her lip quivered and her dark eyes shone with unshed tears. “But you kissed me. We were talking like normal people before the pets came crashing in.”

Gareth flew to the bed and placed his pillow on it. He took a breath and steadied himself before turning to face her. “You’re a beautiful woman, and you’re alone with me in my room. I reacted to it. I’m still capable of reacting to
that
if you want a more
normal
wedding night. But a kiss or even making love doesn’t mean I have any more feelings for you now than I had yesterday. Earlier, I was shocked to learn you knew my secret, and it threw me. Now, I don’t wish to discuss it any further tonight. I’m tired, and I just want to sleep.”

Gareth threw himself into his bed and pulled the covers over his head. No one was going to assume they knew him or what he should do with his life. He had a plan before the wedding to send everyone away, and he would stick to it. He didn’t owe anyone anything. And with that he reached up and turned the lamp down, leaving Jessamine to stand alone in the dark.

He tucked himself into his blanket, convinced the conversation was over. He expected some kind of sniveling from the corner where he heard her creep off to, but there wasn’t any such sound. His heart sank at the thought that he’d hurt her, but he sucked in a deep breath, convinced it was for the best. There were too many unknowns in his future. Unseelie Fae assassins were trying to kill him, and Seelie Faes were trying to drag him back to their court and make him king.

Gareth flipped onto his back. He was in no position to protect her, not the way a good husband should, and how could he even hope to be a good husband. He’d never seen one before. Well, there was Thompton but he hardly knew the man…er…fairy.

Gareth flipped over to his other side now that Jessamine was no longer in the bed. The cool cotton sheet no longer held her body heat. He breathed in.
Ugh. Her scent was still there.

Her scent always made it hard to stay angry. The memory of her warm body inches from him flooded his mind along with the ache that she wouldn’t be there any longer. He reached out to touch the spot when water splashed over him, drenching him, the blankets, and bed.

Gareth bolted up. His eyes locked on Jessamine’s silhouette standing over him with the pitcher from the wash stand. He wiped the water from his face. “What the devil?”

Jessamine lowered the jug and shifted her hip to the side. “If I can’t sleep, neither will you. And I’m not going anywhere. That
is
the final decision. ”

With that she slammed the pitcher down on the nightstand and stomped off to the other side of the room.

Gareth and Jessamine didn’t speak the remainder of the night. He’d folded the blanket to form a pallet from the parts which weren’t soaked, while she rested in the chair. Crickets chirped through the night, and the moon cut through the slit in the curtains with a silvery glow. The lonely sounds of constant repositioning came and went, but no sleep was to be had by either of the newlyweds.

When the early morning calls of birds replaced that of the crickets, a soft knock came to the door. “Are ye decent? I’ve got yer breakfast.” Sarah poked her head in before she entered with the tray. “I’ve made excuses fer ye with the extra guests that ye were sleepin’ in and wished them all safe travel.”

Sarah pushed open the curtains, letting warm golden sun illuminate the bed chamber before turning and gasping at the room in shambles. “What in heaven’s name?” She glanced between the two of them as she spoke. “Ye were gettin’ on so well last evenin’ until the assassin.” She stormed over to the bed. “And why is the bed soaked?”

Gareth no longer bothered with pretense. He flew to the table where she’d placed the tray and poured himself some coffee. He did his best to gulp the hot liquid energy without burning his tongue. “She poured water on me because I was trying to sleep when she wanted to argue.”

Sarah chuckled. “I’d forgotten this part of being newly married.” She bit back a smile as she began tidying up the room.

Jessamine strode toward Sarah, flailing her arms toward Gareth. “How can he sleep when we have such a big problem between us?”

Sarah turned to face her. “I don’t know, sweeting, but it seems to be normal for men to just roll over and sleep while we are still screamin’ at ’em. Now eat up so I can help ye with yer corset. Tabitha’s been circlin’ a big box sent here as a wedding gift. She hears tickin’ and is dyin’ to find out what it be.”

Jessamine marched to the table, grabbing a bread roll, as she headed for the screen. “Oh, I don’t need help with my corset. Mine are all self-lacing.”

Sarah tilted her head, her brows furrowed. “Self-lacing?”

“Yes, another creation from my mother. You pull a string and gears cinch it to your chosen tightness. Tell Tabitha we’ll be right down.”

“Yes, milady” Sarah nodded and left the room.

Gareth made his way to his bureau and quickly dressed before Jessamine could come out from behind the screen. When she emerged, she was put together in a stylish, garnet day dress and ruffled, black bustle. Dark ringlets fell about her hair bun.

She tilted her head just so she could glance up under dark lashes. “Shall I go down first to make sure you can fly down?”

Gareth sighed. “I suppose that is necessary with your father and Grandfather still in the house.”

Jessamine headed for the door and paused. “You want to send me away even though I know your secret?”

Gareth shook his head. “You’ve kept it this long…I suppose I can trust you’ll continue to keep it.”

“See, you admit you can trust me. How many people can you say that about? Does it really mean nothing to you?”

Gareth clenched his jaw. He was caught off guard and had no reply.

“Not only can you trust me but know that I am a woman who finds you extraordinary.”

Gareth rolled his eyes with a look of disinterest. “Because I can fly.”

Jessamine moved closer. “No, not because of that one thing, but because of who you are.”

“And how do you know who I am when I don’t even know?”

She positioned herself in front of him to make eye contact. “Because I can see you. I always could. Even before I knew you could fly, remember? If you let me into your life, I’ll help you see it, too.”

“Maybe you see only what you want to see.”

She shook her head as her shoulders fell. “I’ll whistle when it’s clear.”

She left, and Gareth took a breath to clear his head. But, as usual, it didn’t work when the room was full of Jessamine’s essence. A soft whistle came, and he zipped out the door and down over the stair’s railing, landing in his chair. Jessamine stepped behind him to push it.

“I can manage,” Gareth snapped.

Jessamine stepped away and put up her hands in surrender. “As you wish.”

They made their way to the study where Tabitha circled a giant, white box with a lavender bow on top holding it together. The box was the size of a wardrobe.

“Finally, you two are down. This arrived an hour ago, and I’m just dying to find out what’s in it. I hear ticks and clicks. I’m wondering if it’s from someone in the bonnet club.”

Gareth glanced away bored. “Perhaps it holds the world’s largest bonnet.”

Jessamine and Tabitha only giggled and made knowing glances at each other.

“Who does it say it’s from?” Jessamine asked as she moved closer to inspect it.

“It doesn’t. But I’d wager it something very modern.”

Jessamine stepped back and stood next to Gareth. She set a soft hand on his shoulder. He relented and let it stay. Her eyes twinkled as she nodded to Tabitha. “Go ahead. Pull the ribbon.”

Tabitha squealed, jumping around in her blue day dress, making her loose blonde curls bounce. She pulled the ribbon, and the sides of the box fell away to reveal a tall, silver horse. Steam escaped its nostrils.

Jessamine clapped her hands in delight. “It’s beautiful.”

Gareth wheeled his chair around to inspect it from a different angle. “What is it?”

Tabitha circled the metallic animal, rubbing her hand along the body. “It’s a steam horse. It’s part of the women’s underground movement.”

Gareth circled back in the other direction. “The what?”

Jessamine pulled out her charm necklace to show Gareth. “It’s a small underground movement headed by women to modernize society. It’s like a secret sisterhood. Our charms show other women of the movement that we too are part of it. We have an owl charm to symbolize wisdom, a gear to show we are mechanizing, a clock to show we are women of the times, and individual charms for our special interest of knowledge. See, I have wings.”

Tabitha continued to circle the horse. “But if it’s steam-powered, why do I hear the clicking and whirring of clockwork gears?” Her face lit up. “Ah, here is the source. There’s a saddlebag. The sounds are coming from there.” Tabitha lifted the flap of the bag.

Two mechanical doves took flight and began to circle her and the horse.

Jessamine smiled, her eyes following the two birds. “How lovely.”

The doves circled Tabitha and the horse together at first, sending off clicks as their circle of flight narrowed to just Tabitha. Then the birds lowered, and a trapdoor sprang open on their backs. A silver thread flew out of one and connected to the door of the other bird as they continued their circled flight, only faster now and lower, entangling Tabitha in the thread before anyone realized what was happening.

“What’s it doing?” She cried out as the birds strapped her arms to her side, and the steam horse lowered its head, scooping her onto its back.