Debra Kay Leland (37 page)

When she awoke it was nearly midday; she laid there looking up at the canopy above her, uneasy thoughts still swirling in her mind.  The child moved hard again and she frowned waiting for the pain to go away before she rose shakily and went to the door, she paused then lifted the latch not at all sure if she really wanted to leave ‘them’ into her world all over again or not.  But finally, she opened the door and peered at the stern face of the guard beside it asking that her maid come and attend her.  Emma came moments later with a tray and a frown on her weathered face; she set it down and looked at her mistresses again.  “Is there anything else?”

Miranda shrugged. 
“…I—I wish to speak with the healer and the midwives without the men knowing…   I—I do not know how to deliver this child and I would speak with them to steady my anxious heart.”

The older woman
nodded without a word and left.

It didn’t take long and the women came to see her.  Each reassuring her
and telling her how it would be for her.  She listened and worried and wished even more that her mother could be with her through it all…!

Garrick felt uneasy as he watched the women whispering among themselves before they went up to her; he
stood from his seat by the hearth and stopped the healer with a frown as he took her to the side. 
“Is there aught wrong with the lady that we should know about?”

“Nay, m’lord.”  She glanced at the stairs and lowered her voice.  “The girl is merely afraid of the trivial of childbirth and asked to speak with us in pri
vate.”

He nodded solemnly. 
“She is well then?”

“Aye, I believe so.”

He frowned and shifted on long legs.  “How much longer do ye think till the babe is delivered?”

The older woman frowned lightly
considering his words.  “Ah now, ‘tis hard to tell… the babe has settled low, ‘tis a good sign, I would think perhaps a fortnight.”

He couldn’t help but frown. 
“A fortnight?”

The older woman smiled.  “She is young and healthy, m’lord; she should have no problem with the childbirth though she be slender.”

He frowned even harder at the thought of the girl dying in childbirth or even worse watching her try to go on after she’d lost both William and his babe…  So much was riding on one young girl, it was hardly fair…

It had been two whole days and she had yet to allow anyone but her maid into William’s chamber.  He’d promised himself that he would give her time to consider his words and he hoped that she would believe what he had spoken over Lydan’s lies.  And yet despite his good intentions, somehow he found himself at her door anyway.  He knocked on the locked door and waited for an answer. 
“…Oh Miranda—I swear I shall break this door down if ye do not answer me!” 
He drew a calming breath and waited till he finally heard her lift the latch.  He sighed and opened the door.  The room was the same as it had always was, none of her things were even visible, only William’s, as if he had just left that very morning—and as if she still belonged to him...

She stood by the window with her back to him as she said softly,
“I am not yet ready to speak to thee.”

He didn’t move closer though he wanted to.  “But ye must, for we have things to speak of, Miranda.  Ye shall deliver the child soon, and ye must be safely wed soon after that.  Ye know what I say is true, I would not lie to thee as
Lydan has done.”

She dropped her head in a hand. 
“I am weary of this all...”

He knew it was true, he could see it in how she held her shoulders.  “What am I to say?  Ye know for thy sake and the sake of th
y child ye must be safely wed.”

She just shook her head slowly. 
“I regret the day I laid eyes on Whittington.”

“Do not fool thyself, ye were bound to this place the day ye saw Willi
am and fell in love with him.”

It was true and she knew it, but yet she had no ans
wer for his well chosen words.

“I offer ye my name and my title as protection for thee and thy child.  And if ye shall
have it, my affections also.”

She lifted her head, her back still to him.  “I
have no answer to give thee.”

He looked down for a long quiet moment.  “Ye cannot delay, Miranda.  If ye shall not have me, then another sh
all be found to take my place.”

“Aye, another and another
with the enticement of gold…”

“Ye know well that it ‘twas not for gold I sought thy hand…
but others may…”  He shifted uncomfortable not able to bare his heart to the girl as he wanted to.  “I have gold and wealth of my own; I need not thy dowry, I assure thee of that.  And in truth,
ye
are more valuable to me than riches or lands.”

She lifted a hand to silence him, straining against the emotion in her voice. 
“E—enough…”

He watched her as she stood with her back to him; her thin frame trembled even as
she tried to collect herself.

Though she tried not to cry,
yet the tears slowly ran down her flushed cheeks as she spoke,
“Ye know that I—I am without a choice in this, the whole world is laid upon my shoulder...”
  She closed her eyes and prayed out loud. 
“God, help me…  I am lost without thee, William!”
   The child moved hard and she stifled a gasp, her hands going to the swell of her stomach, her shoulders tensed as she moaned softly.

He reacted without thinking
, moving towards her and threading his strong arms around her, his warm hands moving over the child within her to sooth her.  And finally, as the pain subsided she slowly relaxed into his warm arms needing him now, though she did not want to.  His warm breath feathered against her cheek as he whispered softly to her. 
“Shhh, it shall pass…”
  His warm hands eased over her and the child within her that seemed to respond to his every touch. 
“Marry me…”

She closed her eyes against the flood of emotion his words caused her; she needed him, needed his care and strength
—and the protection he offered her and her child, but...

His lips brushed her neck softly, his words caressing her ear as he spoke. 
“Marry me…”
  His voice as soft as a whisper as he breathed the words against her gently,
“Marry me, Miranda…”

She looked down at his strong tanned hands that held her child and shivered against the feelings they caused.  She felt protected and cared for and her heart melted within her.

He laid his cheek against hers, his voice soft and low. 
“I shall protect thee…”

She closed her eyes at his soft words struggling against tears, and then without allowing herself to thi
nk further, she slowly nodded for she knew that she would not be able to endure another if she did not accept him.

His breathless whisper caressed her skin. 
“Say it…”

She hesitated at the words that would bind her to him forever
.  “…I—I shall wed thee…”

He smiled and held her closer. 
“I promise thee that ye have chosen well.  Another could not care for ye more than I have.”

She felt herself melt at his soft words
, wanting to be held, wanting to be loved and protected more than he would ever know... 
“We shall wed after the child is born, and I shall take thee back with me to Claymore.”

She stiffened at his words. 
“To—to Claymore?  I—I had not considered such…  I—I…”

“Do not worry thyself my lady, all shall be well.  Ye and thy child shall come to love it there. 
Claymore is near the sea…  ‘Tis a beautiful lush place, a fine place to raise a child…”

He turned her slowly in his arms and lay warm hands on her pale cheeks, his soft dark eyes never leaving hers as he slowly bent his head pressing his lips so
ftly upon hers.

She closed her ey
es as his lips lingered there.

Finally, he lifted his head and looked down at soft shaken features resting his forehead against hers as he sighed deeply. 
“If—it were possible I would make ye mine now… but the wedding must wait till after the child is born.”

She
closed her eyes at his words.

“Do not fear
, my lady, all shall be well…”

He drew her trembling frame slowly against his, a gentle hand on the child she carried.  “I shall leave thee for now, I have things to attend to
now that Lydan is gone home.”

“He—he is
gone?”

“Aye and rightly so, for I fear he would have found the end of my sword if he had not.  Rest now
, and I shall see to thee when evening has come.”  He kissed her again then straightened with a slow easy smile upon his handsome face.  “Ye shall not regret our marriage, I promise thee.”  He touched her cheek with the back of his hand and smiled; then left before he could draw her back into his arms again.

“Uncle, are ye awake?”

The older man shifted uncomfortably in the dim room.  “Aye.  Come in, Garrick.  Have ye come to
bear bad tiding to me again?  For I do not think I can bear more…”

“Nay uncle…. 
I only wish to tell thee that the lady has agreed to become my bride.”

The older man merely frowned at hi
s nephew’s words.  “In truth?”

“Aye, in truth.”  He settled himself in the cha
ir beside the older man’s bed.

Edmund smiled.  “All of Whittington rests on that small child, Garrick…  I shall see to the details of it all, the wedding must be
soon after it is born.”

Garrick leaned forward
with a frown and rested his elbows on his knees.  “And there is one thing more…  I only wish it would also good news, but there was trouble again last eve.  And I must ride to Rawling to see to it, though I should be back soon enough.”

“Another fire?”

“Aye, but thy vassals were wary of trouble and have kept an eye out for it.  They dowsed the fire without loss to life or property.”

Edmund relaxed and sighed heavily.  “
Just be careful, Garrick.  The girl and I have much hope riding on thee.”

“Aye, I shall, I have a bride
and a child to think of now.”

Edmund caught the
man’s smiled and it pleased him.

When Garrick arrived at Rawling he was met by the anxious men of the town; he reassured them that even as they spoke patrols were scouring the area.  But he reminded them to stay alert until whoever was responsible for it all was found.  Curious that strangers would not have drawn more attention to themselves with so many wary and watching here, but perhaps it ‘twas not a stranger at all…

He turned to his
own man at arms and took him to the side as he said in a guarded tone, “Send a group of men to Morley; if I am correct they shall descend upon that next.”

“Morley?  But
Kent is closer!”

“Aye, it is, but I have left it slip that we shall be patrolling Kent
this night, if the news reaches our foes they shall go elsewhere and Morley is not far, nor has it been a target before this—but it shall be tonight, I feel it!  I shall send a group of fifty of my uncles men to Kent, the rest I shall on patrols, so that there shall be little left unguarded this night. ”

The tall man nodded. 
“Aye, we shall do as ye have said, and perhaps finally we shall see them caught!”

“Place men in the forest and around the fields as well as near storage barns
—arrow or not, a man still has need to get close enough to shoot it and he shall need a fire to light his arrow too…  I can only hope it shall give him away in the end…  And Captain— do not kill the scoundrel, the Earl and I wish to see who it is and speak to them first!”

“Aye m’lord.”  Even as his man left his side, he worried for Miranda’s brother in all this, though
he still hoped he was wrong…! 

Garrick rode into the courtyard and dismounted only to find Nigel hurrying to his side.  He frowned at the man as he came closer.  “What is it?”

“’Tis the lady, she has asked for
thee and shall see no other!”

A hard frown creased his brow as he turned
from his horse and raced up the tall castle steps still in his armor, pulling at the bindings as he went, taking the stairs to William’s chambers two at a time.  Something was wrong, he could feel it!  The guards stepped back from her door keys in hand.  He stopped and tried the handle then lowered his voice as he spoke through the heavy wood that barred his way. 
“Miranda?!”

He heard her cry out from somewhere in the room and kicked the door without a thought before he raced in! 
“Miranda!”