Brocade Series 02 - Giselle (41 page)

“
The Mother Superior has them. I made certain she knew my
intentions were strictly honorable. You must stop that, my love!”

All she wanted was to feel his skin against her again.

“You don’t know what you do! Give me a moment to compose
myself!”

Giselle stopped her motions and looked into eyes that were
merry, blue, and very close. “Of course I know, Navarre.” She
leaned forward to kiss his nose. “I always have.”

Giselle stood to watch him rise and averted her eyes as he
tucked in his shirt. Just the glimpse she had of him was enough to
start the hunger within her. She’d forgotten how masculine and
immense he was.

“Always?”

He looked at her from under his eyebrows as he worked his hair back into a queue.
He looked so beautiful, while she was a disgrace. Giselle looked down at herself. What was she thinking? She wore a brown
dress belted with a cord, and her oiled hair lay flat against her head. Yet s
omehow, when he looked at her, she felt beautiful.

“Oui,
Navarre. I know I tease, and I won’t stop. What do you have to say to that?” Giselle giggled as she opened the door and
stepped out into a large number of nuns in the hall.

“Je t
‘adore.
That
is what I say. Step lively, my good sisters.
There’s a wedding to attend. Don’t look at me like that. This is
sanctified ground, isn’t it? There’s a priest awaiting us, too. Don’t
just stand there. Go!”

They scattered, giggling
. Giselle smiled as she watched them. She’d noticed
before how women acted around Navarre, so it wasn’t a surprise. He
was a Berchald, after all.

“Navarre, can I take a moment to bathe
? Perhaps I can find something suitable to wear, too?”

“A moment to bathe?” he considered her. “
Non.
”

“No?”

“No.” He shook his head and pulled her hand.

“But I want to look beautiful for you.”

Giselle stayed in the shadow of the hall. She was going to marry the man of her dreams in
a sack cloth dress? Sometimes, he was very obtuse.

“You are
tres belle,
Giselle, as always. I’ve rarely seen
anything as lovely. Besides, when you bathe today, and you’re going
to bathe all right, it’s going to be in broad daylight.”

He looked
down at her. His long eyelashes shielded his gaze from her, and she must have looked as puzzled as she felt.

“Then I’ll already be your husband, and nothing will stop me
from being there. Do you understand now, darling? No more
deceit, no more secrets, and no more lies.
Merde,
but you’re a vixen, and I grow tired of your slowness. You give me no other choice.”

Giselle opened her mouth to reply,
but she made no sound as he lifted her and left her in no doubt of his
intentions. And n
o one looked surprised as Navarre carried Giselle into Mother
Superior’s office.

“Navarre, we mustn’t come here so often.” Giselle’s whisper
seemed loud in the peaceful contentment the arbor always seemed to
inspire.

“Why?”

“I think Louisa suspicions.”

“Your companion is aware of this
? But, I said nothing. We are touring the vineyard, remember? It will be a good year, too.”

Giselle
laughed. “Louisa knows, Navarre. You can hardly
keep your hands from me. It’s no secret to her. She’s known for
years.”

“She knows that we come to the arbor
? But, it is my secret place. Giselle. I didn’t even tell Esmee of it,” he complained.

“Non.”
She reached up to push his hat away and run her
fingers through that honey-gold hair. “Not this, but she knew
everything else.”

“Well, don’t look at me
. I certainly didn’t tell her.”

“I did.”

“You spoke of me…of us? I am surprised at you, Giselle.”

“
I had to have someone to confide in, Navarre. You left me
nothing when you moved to the dower house each time. You don’t
know how dark it was for me. I don’t know how I survived it.”

“Oh
. Then. I was demented, my love. Come here. I will
make it up to you again.”

“Again?”

Navarre held her close.
“Oui.
Last night wasn’t enough? I
shall redouble my efforts.” He lifted her chin with his finger, and
touched his lips to hers, and her sigh blended with his. Then, he
lifted his head.

“
Je t’adore,
Giselle. More now than ever, if such a thing is
possible.”’

She blinked rapidly at the tears filling her eyes.

“Always the tears it is with you. You are in luck that I know
now it’s due to the beautiful things I say. Here.” He handed her his
monogrammed handkerchief and smiled softly. Then, he turned her so her back was to him, and they both surveyed the view.

“It is a lovely valley, Navarre.”

“That it is. Perhaps I shall dower our firstborn, Claudia, with
it.”

“What of Evette, Jessamine, and Marguerite?”

“You shall make me a poor man with all these daughters you
present to me, Giselle.”

“That…matters to you?” she stiffened.

Navarre spun her so quickly, the trees above her whirled.
“You know me much better than that, Giselle. Do I look like it
matters to me?”

“You look like the most handsome man I’ve ever met.’’

“Oh, Giselle, I have never loved another. I shall never love another. I cannot believe how full my heart is, and yet it grows each
time I look upon one of our babes. If you were to present me with
nothing but daughters, I would be a very wealthy man. To prove it to
you, I shall allow all my children to wed where their heart takes them.
Just as I did.”

“Oh, Navarre.” She could hardly see him through the blur of
tears in her eyes.

“Besides, I have my sons, Etienne and
Pierre-Navarre, to bring in
rich brides,
non?
I must speak with my neighbors.”

“But
you just said…!”

“
I love you, Giselle. My brother had it wrong all those years
ago, too. You are not wondrous when you’re angered. You are
spectacular! And it isn’t your anger that makes it so, it’s when you
feel strongly about something. Come. I didn’t bring you here to
make parlor talk with you.”

He was walking toward the divan, lifting her into his arms at
the same time.

“Navarre,
I’m
warning you….”

“Do not take that tone with me,
Madame.
You promised me a dozen children once, remember?”

“That wasn’t me, Navarre. That was you.”

“Details. It’s always the details with you women.”

“Navarre?”

“Oui?”

“We mustn’t be out too long. They’ll suspicion.”

“Perhaps we should wait before giving Etienne his pony. I never considered that aspect.”

“Oh, hush, and kiss me
. You’re wasting time.”

His grin was her answer, then their lips touched, and
their hearts meshed
.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jackie Ivie lives in Alaska with her husband and three pets. She started her writing career with hot Highland historical romances from Kensington. Her eleventh, LAIRD BALLANCLAIRE, is set for publication October 2013. Keeping her head in the clouds most of the time, Jackie spends most of her time researching, developing, and writing her paranormal series - Vampire Assassin League -because there’s just something about a hot vampire with a mate fixation. Jackie loves to hear from fans at
http://www.jackieivie.com/

***

Copyright © 2013 Jackie Ivie
ISBN 978 1 939820 19 8

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