Claire Delacroix Read Online Free PDF Page B

and the steed’s tail. The vivid blue of the sky shows the hues of Merlyn’s garb and his eyes to advantage, the sunlight glints on the gold of his cloak clasp and the silver of his steed’s harness. They are magnificent, the two of them, as far beyond our daily lives as might be imagined.
    “Let it be known by all that I would wed this woman honorably on this very day, that I will do so in the chapel before whosoever of you will witness the match.”
    I stare at him in shock. Is he mad?
    Do I care?
    “What about the banns?” cries one bold woman as I grapple with the whimsy of his offer.
    “There is no consanguinity between us,” Merlyn declares, then winks at me. “Unless you have kin in France.”
    I shake my head, marveling.
    He nods but once, the matter resolved. “And I have no kin here. I am certain that a donation to the chapel can see such trivialities waived. We shall be wed by the priest of the lady’s choosing.” He turns back to face me and his eyes shine. “If my lady’s terms are truly as she declares.” He smiles, and as his voice falls low, I have a sudden sense that I wager with the devil himself. “If her deeds are truly as bold as her speech.”
    The villagers laugh, jostling each other at this unexpected marvel, then turn to watch me. It is the first but not the last time that Merlyn astounds me with his choices.
    Nor is it the last time that he makes my heart thunder.
    “Are you certain of your choice, Laird Merlyn?” shouts a bold villager. “This one has the sharpest tongue of any damsel in Kinfairlie!”
    Merlyn’s gaze darkens, his smile turns seductive. “I have a fancy for maidens with sharp tongues.” He coaxes the steed closer and offers his hand to me. “But is this lady of bold speech equally bold in deed? Is she bold enough to accept me, the heir of the Lammergeier? Or have I guessed wrongly that she is stalwart enough to face any challenge?”
    There it is again, that mischief, that certainty that not only is his family’s repute well known but that I will not rise to his dare. Perhaps it is a test of whether I will make a fitting bride for him.
    Perhaps it is a warning.
    The truth is that I do not care. I know only that Fortune smiles upon me. I know that Merlyn has wealth, I know that he is handsome, I know that he is not a fool. I know that he makes my heart leap. I know that even if he is a rogue, even if he is mad, that as his wife I could still live well enough on his coin. I know that this chance would only be mine if I seize it immediately.
    And most importantly of all, I know that I want to surprise him. I am seduced by that dimple and by that dare in his eyes.
    He is irresistible, and he desires me. I have no intent of granting him the time to change his thinking.
    I hand my basket to the woman beside me, an elderly neighbor of ours. “Take this home to my mother, if you will, Anna, and please bid her hasten to the chapel if she would see me wed to Laird Merlyn of Ravensmuir by Kinfairlie’s own priest.”
    The crowd hoots with glee but I see only Merlyn’s brilliant smile. My heart lurches, but I take his hand as if there is nothing uncommon in what I do. I catch my breath at his strength and surety when he grasps me around the waist and pulls me directly into the saddle before him.
    And I find the evidence of his desire pressed against my buttocks, my breath deserting me as his lips touch my ear.
    “So, you are indeed as audacious a woman as I suspected.” He murmurs, his voice making me shiver. He seems untroubled by what has always been perceived as a liability in my character by others. “Your intrepid nature will serve you well at Ravensmuir.”
    I wonder then if there is more to the tale of him, more to his need for a bride than I might be pleased to learn.
    But such concerns grow no roots in my thoughts, not then. He kisses me, possessively, thoroughly, exhilaratingly, coaxing the spark between us to a smoldering blaze. When he lifts his head, he