The Knight and the Dove (28 page)

This made no sense to Megan at all, but Bracken was so new at expressing himself he didn’t know how to carry on. Instead he said, “I’ll order a guard right now. We’ll be ready to leave in less than an hour.”

“We?”

“Yes. I’ll be going with you.”

Megan frowned. “Because you do not trust me to return?”

“No,” Bracken answered honestly. Such a thing had never occurred to him. “I would know that you have arrived safely at your father’s castle and will return in good health as well. I can’t see to this if I’m not with you. That is all.”

Megan could only nod. She thanked him quietly and turned away from the field.

How long, Lord,
she prayed silently
How long will I forget myself and sin against Your name? I confess my anger and ask Your strength to resist this sin.

Megan finished her prayer by asking for forbearance when seeing her mother. It seemed she could never please Annora, but as she could think of little else but seeing her, Megan was feeling very faithless by the time they left for Stone Lake.

The ride was long, and because they hadn’t left Hawkings Crest until after the noon meal, they even spent a night camped in the forest. But to Megan’s mind, she was standing before her mother before she felt prepared.

Her mother surveyed her with censorious eyes, and for the first time Megan found something over which to be thankful. Her mother was never a hypocrite. It wasn’t easy that she never spared Megan’s feelings in front of others or put up a false front, but she was honest. She believed that everyone was able to see the deficiencies in her youngest child.

“Go and bathe. I have fabric here, but you can’t possibly get near anything when you reek of horses.”

Megan began to move away

“Don’t slouch!” Annora barked at her. Megan, whose shoulders were already straight as a line, put them back unnaturally. She kept on toward the stairs and did not look back, even when she heard her mother say, “Well, at least you seemed to have dropped some weight. I’m sure Lord Bracken does not want a fat bride.”

“Annora!” Vincent reprimanded her in a whisper of great heat.

“Do
not
defend her, Vincent,” Annora came right back at him, not bothering to lower her own voice. “You know I’m right. Now, please introduce me to Lady Louisa.”

The introductions were made, but poor Louisa heard little of them. At one point during the confrontation with Megan and her mother, Louisa had had to put a restraining hand on Bracken’s arm, and she was still so shaken by what she had seen and heard that she didn’t know if she’d replied well to Lady Annora or not.

A gracious hostess when she chose to be, Annora commented kindly, “You must be weary. Would you like to see your chambers?”

“Yes, please.” Louisa’s voice was wooden, but Annora did not seem to notice.

“And you, Bracken, would you like to go up also?”

Bracken answered with little more than a nod of his head, but Annora paid little attention. She knew how moody men could be. She saw them both to their rooms, unaware of the way Bracken kept an eye on his hostess. He went to Louisa’s room just as soon as the hallway was clear.

“I wish to be alone,” Louisa spoke on his knock.

“It’s me, Aunt Lou,” Bracken said, and the door was opened immediately. He hugged her the moment the door closed.

“Oh, Bracken,” she whispered, barely holding tears as she stepped from his embrace. “I had no idea, not a clue.”

“I know,” he said. “I was certain the situation had to be difficult, but I wasn’t aware of the full extent myself. I must admit that I’ve judged Megan too harshly where the relationship with her mother is concerned.”

Louisa went to a chair. She was trembling so badly that she had to sit down.

“I’m angry at Annora,” she admitted. “But I’m furious with Vincent. When he was at Hawkings Crest, he made me think his love for Megan was indescribably deep, but as soon as Annora fought with him, he backed down like a man defeated. If he truly loved Megan, how could he do such a thing?”

“I do not know, but I don’t think I can take much more.”

“What will you do?”

“I am not certain. Were she already my wife, I would not have remained silent, but when the situation is like this, I hesitate to act.”

As soon as he had seen that Louisa was going to be all right, Bracken returned to his room and paced for a time. He was most anxious to see Megan, but it had taken more contemplation on what he’d seen to strengthen his resolve in another man’s castle and with that man’s daughter. In the end he reasoned that although Megan was not yet his wife, he didn’t have to stand back and see her abused in anyway.

With that thought firmly planted in his mind, he left his bedchamber. A servant was passing, and with the authority that came naturally to him, he said, “I wish to see Lady Megan.”

“Yes, my lord,” the servant responded, swiftly changing direction. “I’ll show you the way.”

Once at the door, Bracken knocked. The door was opened by another servant after just a moment.

“I wish to see Lady Megan,” Bracken repeated.

“Of course, my lord. Just one moment.”

The door was closed in his face, but the woman was back directly.

“Lady Megan asks if she can meet with you in a few minutes.”

“That would be fine.”

The servant came out into the hall. “I’ll show you to the salon.”

Bracken followed without a word and was inside the spacious upstairs salon for less than five minutes before Megan joined him. He could see at a glance that she had bathed, and this reminded him of his own unwashed state. At any rate, the loveliness of her face and form did not distract Bracken from what he considered to be a more important matter—Megan’s heart. And Bracken planned to know the state of that vital member before either one of them left the room.

“How are you, Megan?” Bracken wasted no time.

“I’m well,” she told him, having understood exactly why he wished to see her. “Bracken, don’t mind Mother. She is often like that.” Megan
smiled to reassure him, but Bracken was not convinced. The young earl refused to believe that Annora’s words had no effect. Bracken wanted to know more but wasn’t sure how to question her. While he was still weighing his next words, Annora herself interrupted them.

“Megan, I am ready for you.”

Does her voice always sound so harsh and impatient when she speaks to
Megan?
Bracken wondered.

“I trust that I’m not disturbing anything,” Annora said belatedly, and in a voice that said it wouldn’t have mattered.

“No,” Megan answered with a swift look at Bracken. “I’ll see you later, Bracken.”

“Yes,” was all the young knight could manage before both women swept out of the room.

Much to Bracken’s surprise, the remainder of day was not a disaster. He even managed to find some time with Megan in the late afternoon. They were not alone exactly, since the great hall was always occupied, but they had taken two chairs by the hearth and actually talked for an hour without being disturbed.

“How did the dress fitting go?” Bracken had searched his mind for several minutes for something to talk about and was feeling quite proud of his opening.

“Well, there isn’t a dress yet, only fabric. I liked one in particular, but Mother wanted another.”

Bracken couldn’t stop the stiffening in his body. “Which one did you choose?”

Megan’s smile was genuine. “Which do you think?”

Bracken reluctantly smiled back. “Do you ever grow weary of her way with you?”

“Oh, yes,” Megan admitted, her eyes now far off. “It’s easier not to be here, but God has taught me many things through my relationship with my mother.”

Bracken frowned. “You make it sound as if it is God’s will that she treat you so.”

Megan’s head tipped to one side. “In a way, it is. It is not a mistake that she is my mother.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I believe God is sovereign, which means He rules over all and has a purpose in each circumstance. If that’s the case, Bracken, then He is in control of
everything—
even when it doesn’t please Him.”

Bracken had never thought of it that way. He believed in God, but he also believed in himself. He never hesitated to mentally give God the honor for his strong body and wealth, but Bracken believed that if he wanted something, he would have to fight for it. Before this conversation, Bracken would have said that God controlled all, but he wasn’t sure what to do with Megan’s belief concerning her mother. God had put the heavens and earth into motion—Bracken was certain of this— but right now he was not convinced that God’s hand still moved.

“I know that doesn’t excuse Mother, but as I said, God has taught me things.” Bracken had stayed silent for so long that Megan felt she had to go on. He now nodded in acknowledgment but changed the subject.

“Do you know how long your mother needs you here?”

“No, she doesn’t say. Is there a reason we need to be away?”

“No, but I enjoy my own home.”

“You could leave me,” Megan suggested, although she hated the idea.

Bracken didn’t answer verbally, but slowly shook his head. He would never leave her here at Annora’s mercy. The subject changed, so Bracken was unaware of what a relief his staying was for Megan.

Not long afterward, the young couple was joined by Louisa and Lyndon. The four visited until it was time for the evening meal. On a whole, the evening ended on a fairly high note, but Bracken was still concerned over Annora’s treatment of Megan. Her manner toward her that evening was subtle enough that he felt it would have been inappropriate to comment, but he took himself off to bed hoping they could leave soon and feeling very thankful that Marigold was not present.

Twenty