The Gift

by Julie Garwood

  Sara noticed the other guests made a wide path for the man. She decided then that he was very like Nathan.

  “The marquess of St. James.”

  The shouted announcement drew everyone’s attention. Sara turned to look up at the entrance. Her heart started beating frantically at the sight of her husband. She’d never seen him dressed in formal attire before. It was a bit overwhelming. His hair was bound behind his neck, and he wore the black jacket and pants like a mighty king. The arrogance in both his stance and his expression made her knees weak.

  She instinctively started to walk toward him.

  It was easy for Nathan to find his wife in the crowd. As soon as his name had been announced the guests had all moved toward the corners. Sara stood all alone in the center of the dance floor.

  She looked magnificent to him. She was so delicate, so exquisite, so ... damned naked.

  Nathan bounded down the stairs toward his wife. He was already taking his jacket off.

  As soon as Nathan came down the steps the Winchesters started forward. The St. James men immediately imitated that action.

  Caine nudged Jade. “Go sit down,” he whispered. “There could be trouble, and I don’t want to have to worry about you.”

  Jade nodded. She wanted Caine’s mind solely on protecting her brother. Then she spotted Colin coming down the steps. From the bulge under his jacket she surmised he was armed for any eventuality.

  Nathan had his jacket off, but when he reached Sara he couldn’t remember what he was supposed to do with it.

  “Sara?”

  “Yes, Nathan?”

  She waited for him to say something more.

  He seemed content to stand there and stare at her. Her love was so apparent in her gaze. Her smile was tender. Dear God, he thought, he was unworthy of her, and yet she loved him.

  He broke out in a cold sweat. He started to reach for the handkerchief Colin had stuffed in his pocket, then realized he was holding the coat in his hands. He couldn’t imagine why. He put it back on. He couldn’t take his gaze off his beautiful wife, and his arm got all caught up in the sleeve, but he finally righted the thing.

  Sara stepped forward and adjusted his cravat just so, then moved back again.

  And still he couldn’t speak to her. God, it had to be right, he told himself. She deserved that much. No, no, it had to be perfect for her, not just right, he decided once again. He’d take her down to the library, get the papers signed, and then he’d...

  “I love you, Sara.” His voice sounded as if he’d just had a taste of her soup.

  She made him tell her again. Her eyes were filled with tears, and he knew she’d heard him the first time. “I wasn’t supposed to say that—not yet, anyway,” he muttered. “I love you.”

  Her expression didn’t change. His did. He looked as though he was going to be sick.

  She took pity on him. “I know you love me, Nathan. It took me a long while to realize it—almost as long as it took for you to come and fetch me—but I know now. You’ve loved me for a long time, haven’t you?”

  His relief was obvious. “Why didn’t you tell me you knew?” he demanded in a whisper. “Damn it, Sara, I went through hell.”

  Her eyes widened, and her face turned pink. “You went through hell? You’re the one who refused to have any faith in me. You’re the one who would never tell me what was in your heart. I told you all the time, Nathan.”

  He shook his head. His grin was sheepish. “No, Sara, not all the time. You told me once a day. Some days you waited until after dinner. I’d find myself getting nervous.”

  She took a step toward him. “You waited each day for me to tell you I loved you?”

  He could tell from her expression that she was pleased with his confession. “Will you marry me?” he asked her in a fervent whisper. He’d leaned down until he was almost touching her forehead. “I’ll get down on one knee if you want me to, Sara. I won’t like it,” he added in a rush of honesty. “But I’ll do it. Please marry me.”

  She had never seen her husband so rattled. Telling her what was in his heart was obvious torture for him. It made her love him all the more, of course. “Nathan, we’re already married, remember?”

  Their audience was enthralled. The couple staring so lovingly into each other’s eyes was such a romantic spectacle. Women dabbed at their eyes with their husbands’ handkerchiefs.

  Nathan had forgotten all about the other guests. He was desperately trying to get his plan completed so he could take Sara home.

  “We have to go down to the library,” he announced. “I want you to sign a paper breaking the contract.”

  “All right, Nathan,” she answered.

  Her ready agreement didn’t surprise him. She’d always had such trust in him. He was still humbled by her faith. “My God, Sara, I love you so much, it . . . hurts.”

  She solemnly nodded. “I can see that it does,” she whispered. “Are you getting seasick?”

  He shook his head. “After you sign your paper, I’ll sign mine,” he stated.

  “Why are you signing papers?” she asked.

  “I’m also going to break the contract. I don’t want the inheritance. I already have the greatest gift of all,” he whispered. “I have you.” His smile was filled with tenderness when he added, “You’re everything I could ever want.”

  She started crying. He couldn’t stop himself from pulling her into his arms. He leaned down and kissed his wife. She kissed him back.

  A collective sigh came from the women in the crowd.

  Yet Nathan’s hope that the evening would turn out to be perfect for his wife was not completely fulfilled. By the St. James family’s standards it was a huge success. By everyone else’s standards it was a nightmare.

  No one, however, would ever forget the brawl.

  It began innocently enough when Nathan turned to take Sara to the library. She tugged on his hand to make him stop.

  “I believe you love me, Nathan,” she said when she had his full attention again. “You don’t have to give up the king’s gift just to prove it.”

  “Yes, I do,” he returned. “I want to show you how much I love you. It’s the only way you’re going to believe me. You’ve given me your love for so long, and I’ve given you nothing but aggravation. It’s penance, Sara. I have to do this.”

  She shook her head. “No, you don’t have to do this. Nathan, you will show me you have faith in me and my love by not giving up the gift. You waited long years for that inheritance, and you’re going to keep it.”

  “My mind’s made up, wife.”

  “Unmake it,” she countered.

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  She could tell from the set look on his face that he was determined to make a noble sacrifice for her. She was just as determined not to let him.

  “And if I don’t sign my paper?” she asked.

  She folded her arms in front of her and frowned up at him while she waited for his answer.

  Dear heaven, how she loved him, she thought. And how he loved her, too. He looked like he wanted to throttle her. She felt like laughing.

  “If you don’t sign the paper, Sara, then your family can have the king’s gift. I don’t want it.”

  “I won’t have it.”

  “Now, Sara . . .”

  He didn’t realize they were shouting. She did. She turned to look over the St. James section of the crowd until she found the man she wanted. “Uncle Dunnford?” she called out. “Nathan wants to give up the king’s gift.”

  “Oh, hell, Sara, why’d you do that?”

  She turned around and smiled at her husband. Nathan was already taking his jacket off. Then Sara noticed Caine and Colin were doing the same thing.

  She started to laugh. God help her, she’d already turned into a St. James.

  Nathan didn’t look sick anymore. A sparkle had come into his eyes. He was such a fit man. And she was just the woman to manage him. He was glaring at her chest. Then hi
s jacket was around her shoulders, and he was demanding that she put her arms through the sleeves. “If you ever wear that gown again, I’ll tear it off you,” he whispered. “Hell, here they come.”

  The St. James men were moving forward like a troop of soldiers set on war. “I love you, Nathan. Do remember not to tuck your thumb under your fingers. You wouldn’t want to break it.”

  Nathan raised an eyebrow over that suggestion. She retaliated by giving him a slow, sexy wink. He grabbed her by the lapels of his jacket, kissed her hard, and then pushed her behind his back.

  It was, without a doubt, a night to remember. The duke and duchess of Farnmount, both surely in their late sixties, couldn’t have been more pleased with the entertainment. Their little gathering would provide enough talk to keep everyone well fed in the gossip department for a good long while.

  Sara remembered seeing the stately couple perched on the top step. They each held a goblet of wine, and after the first punch was landed the duke of Farnmount directed the orchestra to begin playing a waltz.

  In truth, however, Sara liked the aftermath much better than the brawl. As soon as the fight was over Nathan dragged her out into the night. He didn’t want to waste time taking her back to the ship, and so he took her back to Caine’s and Jade’s townhouse.

  He was frantic to touch her. She was just as frantic to let him. Their lovemaking was passionate, wild, and filled with love.

  Sara was sprawled on top of her husband in the center of the bed. Her chin was propped on top of her folded hands, and she was staring down into his beautiful eyes.

  He looked thoroughly content. He was gently rubbing her backside in a haphazard way. Now that they were all alone Nathan was able to tell her how much he loved her without turning gray at all. He was a bit of a romantic. He opened the drawer of the table next to the bed, pulled out a piece of paper, and handed it to her.

  “Pick out the ones you like,” he ordered.

  She chose “sweetheart,” “my love,” and “my sweet” from the list of endearments on the sheet. Nathan promised to memorize them.

  “I used to be a little envious of Jade,” she told him. “I didn’t think I could ever be like her, and my staff kept making comparisons.”

  “I don’t want you to be like anyone else,” he whispered. “Your love has given me such strength, Sara.”

  He leaned up to kiss her. “I have come to rely on your love. It became my anchor. It was the one certainty I had, and it took me a long while to realize it.”

  “How long will it take for you to have complete faith in me?” she asked.

  “I already have complete faith in you,” he argued.

  “Will you tell me all about your past?”

  He looked a little wary now. “In time,” he finally agreed.

  “Tell me now.”

  He shook his head. “It would only upset you, sweetheart. I’ve led a rather black life. I’ve done a few things you might consider . . . worrisome. I think it would be better if I just tell you one story at a time.”

  “Then it is only out of consideration for my tender feelings that you hesitate to tell me about your past?”

  He nodded.

  “Were some of these things . . . illegal?”

  Her husband looked highly uncomfortable. “Some would say they were,” he admitted.

  It took all she had not to laugh. “I’m happy you’re so concerned about my feelings, husband, and now I know you only hesitate to tell me about your past because I might worry, and not because you think I might accidentally blurt out anything of significance.”

  The sparkle that came into her eyes puzzled him. She was up to something, but he couldn’t imagine what it could be. He wrapped his arms around her waist and let out a loud, satisfied yawn. He closed his eyes. “I know you love me,” he whispered. “And in time—say five or ten years, my love—I’ll tell you everything. By then you should have become accustomed to me.”

  She did laugh then. He was still a little scared. Oh, she knew he trusted her, knew he loved her, but it was all so new for Nathan, and it was going to take him time to rid himself of all his shields.

  She didn’t have any such problems, of course. She’d loved him for the longest time.

  Nathan blew out the candle and nuzzled his wife’s ear. “I love you, Sara.”

  “I love you too, Pagan.”