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The Flower And The Sword. Jacqueline Navin
Читать онлайн.Название The Flower And The Sword
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Автор произведения Jacqueline Navin
Издательство HarperCollins
Lily did not think she could. The water slapped rudely against the sides, rocking the boat as the currents took over. She forced herself to unfurl her grip, not wanting to appear childish.
He slipped a protective arm about her, pulling her against the hard mass of his chest. “Hold on to me, or rather I shall hold on to you and make sure you do not spill overboard.”
“I know I am being silly,” Lily murmured. Her fear of the ocean was being replaced by the overwhelming awareness of his male body. The scent of him, mild and masculine and unbearably stirring, was having a dangerous yet familiar effect on her senses.
“See, look,” he said, pointing back to the coast Lily peered over his broad shoulder. The beach was already reduced to a pale ribbon between the water and the stark gray of the cliff. The docks, so alive a moment ago with the daily activities of fishmongering, looked merely like a placid spray of color. She could not even distinguish people.
Uncoiling from him, she sat upright, forgetting for a moment the tiny boat surrounded by sea. “It’s beautiful!” she breathed. The cliffs were monstrous, dominating the horizon. She had never seen anything so majestic, so seemingly impenetrable. And Charolais, resting on top like a crown, its towers stretching to the sky like a fairy castle amidst the clouds. The sandstone walls were bleached by the sun, making them glimmer like some enchanted place.
“It is a breathtaking sight,” said Lily. “One can almost imagine the Vikings sailing up in their longboats, greedy for the tin to be pilfered in the moors beyond the cliffs. Or think of the generations of English sailors, weary and homesick, laying sight of this land, knowing their journey was almost at an end.”
“How many thought themselves safe when they spied land, heading toward the guiding lights only to find the wreckers were about their evil business?”
Startled at this dark observation, she looked at him. “Those are just stories,” she said. “No one would do such a thing.”
His eyes darkened. “Darling, you are an innocent. Men—and women—have indeed done such things. And worse.”
She turned away, troubled.
“Will you regret leaving?” he asked.
She blinked in surprise. “No. When Mother was alive, Charolais was a happy place. But there has not been any joy within those walls in a long time. I will be glad to leave it behind.”
“What a sad tale,” he commented.
“Oh, not so much,” she said, and laughed. Her eyes sparkled as they met his. “It does have a happy ending.”
“Ah—” he nodded “—as it should.”
“What of you?” she asked. “Were your childhood days happy ones?”
“Fairly typical.” A slight smile curled the edges of his mouth.
Lord, he was handsome, she reflected, studying the chiseled jaw and hard planes of his face, softened now by fond remembrance.
“I was always fetching Alexander out of trouble. He was a bully even as a boy, and it tended to annoy people.” His wry look marked this as an understatement. “But I was not fostered away from home, which was lucky. My father could see no merit in it since he said he had the best training in the shire. Besides, I like to think he was rather proud of me. He liked to watch me practice. My mother, on the other hand, busied herself with my sister. The boys, she would say, were my father’s job.” He paused. “They both died of fever when I was away on Crusade, along with my sister.”
“I am sorry,” she said. “I noticed you and Andrew are close.”
“Yes, he came to live with me at Kensmouth when I returned home.”
“And Alexander?” she asked.
“He sees himself as the patriarch, which is reasonable given he’s the eldest. Though he is not in favor with me at the moment, I must admit, however grudgingly, he is fond of his family and a good brother.” He winced, then grinned. “That was almost painful to say.”
Lily laughed. Her spirits felt as if they were soaring. Everything was so easy when she was with Rogan, all of the darkness and confusion of life at Charolais faded and was replaced with brilliant, serene simplicity.
Rogan interrupted her musings. “Part of the reason I brought you out here was to speak to you about our marriage. I do not know what your father has told you, if indeed he has said anything. You should know it was he who proposed it, to align our families as was originally intended. It is a good idea, fortuitous for both houses.”
“Yes, it keeps the peace,” she said quickly, hoping to hide the crushing impact of his words. She had suspected this was his reason of course, at times convinced it was the only reason a man like Rogan St. Cyr would bother with her.
“You have a quick mind,” he said approvingly, “and it does serve that purpose well. But when your father approached me, it was Catherine he wished to be wed. I asked for you instead.” At her shocked expression, he laughed. “I will not speak ill of her, for she is your sister, but suffice to say that I did not feel Catherine and I would suit.”
He grew serious. “But I want you to know I feel very differently about you. I was not at all displeased with the alliance. So, though it was prompted by your father, never think that I was unwilling to take you as my wife. And despite the advantages for both our families, my motivations were not simply duty. I can even admit that the thought had crossed my mind before Enguerrand and I spoke. It simply happened faster than I had anticipated.”
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