My Lady's Guardian (30 page)

"But I love you," she said in a clear voice that could be heard to the back of the hall.

Gareth didn't know where to turn, whom to appeal to. The king's frown was starting to fade, and the queen wiped a tear from her cheek. No help there. He would go to her brothers, tell them—

What could he tell them? Margery had just proclaimed her choice before the entire land. She had destroyed her chances with any other man—all for him.

"You should not have done this," he said with a shaky voice.

Margery took his hands in hers and pressed her lips to his knuckles. "You're everything to me, Gareth. I want only you."

He pulled her to her feet. He had to find a private place to talk some sense into her, to make her see that she'd be ruining the rest of her life.

She drew his head down and kissed him. He had never thought to feel her lips again, and for a moment he was caught up in the incredible magic of

her kiss. From somewhere far away he heard cheers and applause. By the saints, what was he doing?

He gripped her shoulders and held her away. "We have to talk," he said in an urgent voice.

King Henry raised his arms for silence. "Sir Gareth, what is your answer?"

There wasn't a sound as Gareth swept his gaze over the crowd and saw Wallace grinning. This was all too overwhelming.

"Why are you doing this?" Gareth demanded of Margery, regardless of the waiting king.

"Because I love you and I can't be happy with anyone else."

"I have no land, no lineage that isn't tainted." Even his pride fled as he looked into her hopeful eyes.

She cupped his cheek. "I am not marrying your lineage. Do you not trust my feelings? I will not abandon you, as so many others have done. Do you love me?"

He closed his eyes. "Margery, please."

"Do you love me?" she repeated.

"God help me—yes."

With a glad cry, she threw her arms around him. "That is all I've ever wanted. We will make each other so happy!"

Gareth held Margery tight against him, amazed that he'd somehow won her love, despite his sins and his foolish mistakes. They would spend their days together, their nights in each other's arms. And if God didn't bless them with their own babies, they would find other children in need of a home. Margery had enough love for dozens of children.

"Silence!" The king's voice echoed through the noisy hall. "Mistress Margery has not had her answer yet."

Margery stepped away from him. Holding her hands, Gareth looked deep into her eyes, then dropped to his knees. He kissed her hands as she had done to him, then said in a loud voice, "I will take this woman as my bride, and I pledge that I will make myself worthy of her."

King Henry sighed. "Very well. The queen tells me we'll find some sort of title for you."

Margery laughed and fell into Gareth's arms, spreading kisses over his face as he stood up. "I knew it," she whispered. "I knew you wouldn't refuse me."

"I couldn't—especially after I found this." From the pouch at his belt, he removed the crystal stone and held it up to the light. "I feared I'd lost it. You'd think it was the most precious jewel, the way my heart grieved for it."

Margery closed her eyes and a tear escaped. She smiled and would have wiped it away, but he grasped her hands and leaned in to kiss her tears.

"My lady, I promise you'll never have cause to shed these again."

"Except in joy," she said, fumbling in her purse. "Be warned, I cry very easily when I'm happy." She held up her own half of the crystal stone. "I've kept this with me since childhood, and never have you been far from my thoughts."

With their lips together he murmured, "You've been in my dreams. We shall never be parted again."

They shared a deeper, more joyous kiss, oblivious to the cheers resounding through the hall.

Epilogue

A month later, Gareth, Margery, and her entire family were gathered at Hawksbury Castle. It was a brilliant, cool autumn day, perfect for endless feasting. Margery hadn't imagined that she could ever again feel this excited about every day of her life. This afternoon, she would finally be married to the man she loved.

She looked around the table as all her friends and family gathered for the morning meal. Gareth sat across from her, talking with her two brothers. Although it had taken a few weeks, the three men had finally begun to have conversations that didn't involve angry scowls and clipped words.

Margery sat between her two sisters by marriage, Reynold's wife, Katherine, and James's wife, Isabel. Both women were so different, yet so

perfectly completed their expanding family. Margery had never had sisters before them, and it felt wonderful to be able to share her every thought and feeling. The three of them had spent endless hours talking about every facet of the wedding day. Isabel, who had not had a proper marriage, seemed to most enjoy learning how to plan one. She'd said she needed to be prepared, since their first child was a daughter.

Margery couldn't stop smiling. She gazed on Gareth with wonder, still unable to believe she'd be spending every night in his arms.

He glanced at her with a warm smile, then his gaze sharpened and his face grew serious.

Before Margery could question him, Katherine looked back and forth between them. "What is wrong with your bridegroom?"

"Men," Isabel said, rolling her eyes. "He is just anxious to get the day over with, and move on to the important matters."

The women laughed as Gareth rose to his feet and came around to her side of the table. He examined Margery almost quizzically, then a small smile turned up one corner of his mouth.

"What is it?" she asked, reaching up to take his hands.

"Nothing. I just think it is definitely time to be about this wedding."

Margery stared up at him with bemusement. His eyes weren't looking into her face, but lower. She blushed furiously before she realized that he was staring directly at her stomach and smiling with pride.

Awareness came over her in a rush of joy and tears. She gasped and spread her hands across her stomach. "A baby!" she blurted, forgetting where she was.

There was dead silence.

Gareth grinned. "'Tis a boy," he said confidently.

As tears gathered in Margery's eyes, both her brothers sprang to their feet, hands on their sword hilts, their faces wearing identical angry scowls as they glared at Gareth. Smiling, their wives tugged them back down again.

Gareth gave her a silly, satisfied grin. She brought his hand down to her stomach, and together they touched the miracle of their child. He was right —this one would be a boy. But there would be others...

Margery met Gareth's smile with one of her own, feeling loved and cherished, and very, very blessed.