Timeless Christmas Romance

by O’Donnell, Laurel

  Henry scratched his neck, confused.

  “She could be hurt.”

  Henry began to shake his head, then stopped and looked at the courtyard below. “She looks fine to me.”

  Michael slapped the edge of the window in his hurry to see them. They walked through the courtyard, leading the brown palfrey, talking. A radiant smile the likes of which Michael had never seen spread across Eve’s face. Rage and jealousy burned within him and he hurried from the window toward the courtyard.

  Chapter Four

  Gabriel listened to Eve’s description of the tapestry her aunt had sent her and nodded. “I would like to see it.”

  “I would love to show it to you,” Eve said as they walked through the courtyard. The sun was beginning to set and many of the merchants were leaving the castle, carrying empty baskets and steering wagons toward the gatehouse. “It’s just so lovely with the image of a jousting scene and –”

  “Jousting isn’t lovely.”

  They looked up to see Michael coming toward them like a storm cloud. His dark gaze swung from Eve to Gabriel and then back to Eve.

  Gabriel had never seen this furious look on Michael’s face, but his guard rose immediately in preparation for a battle.

  “Where have you been?” Michael demanded.

  Eve cast Gabriel a sideways conspiratorial glance. “We were searching for angels.”

  Gabriel grinned at her lightheartedness, of the plan they had hatched to keep the horseback riding lessons a secret.

  “Isn’t that the way your sister died?”

  Eve’s smile vanished.

  Horror and sympathy swirled inside of Gabriel. He watched as she fought to keep her hurt inside.

  “Excuse me,” she murmured to Gabriel before racing off toward the keep.

  “Eve!” Gabriel called. He instinctively moved to go after her, but Michael stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

  “I want you to leave.”

  Gabriel jerked away from his brother’s hand and whirled on him, just as angry as he was. “How can you be so callous?”

  “Find an angel with another woman. This one is mine,” Michael warned.

  “Are you certain?” Gabriel couldn’t help but taunt.

  Michael’s eyes widened in fury and he glared hot rage at him, anger snarling his lips.

  “Be careful of your answer, brother. It might be a lie.” Gabriel shoved by him, knocking into his shoulder as he led the palfrey to the stables. His fist was tight with fury around the reins. Not that his brother dared to threaten him, but it was the way he treated Eve. She deserved better. It should be him, he thought. But he quickly pushed the thought aside. He hadn’t fought for her when it had first happened, he had no right to her now. Michael was his blood, after all. And with the approaching Yuletide and the preparations for the wedding, Gabe felt misplaced. He rounded the corner of the stables to find Henry leaning against the wall.

  “Tsk tsk tsk,” Henry greeted.

  Gabriel walked by him, leading the palfrey to her stall. A stable boy quickly rushed over and took the reins from him to lead her away.

  “I’ve seen that look before.”

  There were times that Henry was more of a pain than a friend. Gabriel left the stables and Henry followed.

  “But mostly the man ended up on the ground after one of your blows.”

  “He’s my brother. What would you have me do?”

  “Leave. He asked you to leave.”

  “We’re not here because of his invitation. It turns out Lady Eve invited us,” he called over his shoulder.

  “If we’re not leaving, how are you going to hide your jealousy?”

  “I’m not jealous,” Gabriel insisted, whirling on him. He looked around quickly to see if others had heard. The blacksmith wiped a hand across his forehead in his shop, but he did not look up. “I’m not jealous,” he repeated in a softer voice. “The way he treats Eve is no way to treat your future wife.”

  “How would you know? You have no wife.”

  “It’s no way to treat any lady!” Gabriel shook his head. “You’re her friend. Am I wrong? Does he treat her with disrespect?”

  Henry inhaled. “As her future husband, it is his right to treat her any way he likes.”

  Gabriel ground his teeth and shook his head.

  Henry put a hand on Gabe’s shoulder. “You’re going to have to come to terms with it or do something about it.”

  “What would you have me do?”

  “That’s not for me to decide.”

  Gabriel cursed silently. “There’s nothing I can do.”

  Eve sat in her chambers near the hearth, staring down at her one good hand. The flames of the hearth did not warm her soul or ease the guilt of Michael’s words. Why had Michael said that? Did he want to remind her of Eden’s death? Did he want to remind her that they all thought it was her fault?

  A knock came at her door.

  Her lady’s maid, Mary, a small, thin young woman with brown hair, rose from her seat opposite of Eve where she was stitching one of Eve’s dresses, and opened the door. She looked back at Eve and announced quietly, “It’s Lord Michael.”

  Eve scowled. She wanted to tell Mary to send him away. The last thing she wanted was to see Michael. She wanted to be alone. But Michael wouldn’t like that, and neither would her father. She relented with a nod.

  Mary opened the door to allow Michael entrance and moved to a corner of the room to continue her sewing.

  Michael crossed the room and stood behind Eve. “You missed dinner. I was worried.”

  No apology. No acknowledgement that what he had said had wounded her. Eve got the impression he wanted her to apologize.

  “Imagine what our guests thought.”

  Still, she did not turn to him.

  “Eve,” he said softly. “I’m trying to protect you.”

  “From whom? Gabriel was a gentleman. We had fun. He made me laugh which is more than you do.”

  Michael pulled back, startled.

  Guilt immediately settled on her shoulders. She was harsh, and she shouldn’t be. “I’m sorry,” she conceded with a sigh. “I didn’t mean that.”

  “Eve,” he whispered. “Gabe is… well, he is not dependable. He won’t be here for you like I will. Like I’ve always been. I rescued you from the woods when we were young, and I visited you every summer. We had fun. We got to know each other. I have waited until you were ready to marry you on the Yuletide. On the same night I rescued you all those years ago. A new beginning for us.” He reached for her hand.

  She wanted to pull it away from his touch but knew she shouldn’t. He was trying. But she knew the truth about him. He saw her as a monster. How could they have a future together?

  He covered her good hand with his. “I don’t want to see you hurt.”

  She wasn’t sure that marrying him wouldn’t be the perfect way to hurt her. She wasn’t sure any longer if it was the right thing to do. He didn’t love her. But what choice did she have? Her father had promised her to him years ago.

  “There,” he said and patted her head as if she were a dog. “All better.” He stood and moved to the door. “Your best option would be to stay away from Gabriel. For your own good.” He glanced at Mary and then departed the room.

  Mary didn’t glance up from her sewing. She was a good maid, minding her own business, even though she heard everything. She continued her chore of mending the dress, pushing the needle through the fabric and pulling it through on the other side.

  Eve watched her for a moment, the strokes of her hand sure and exact. In, out. It was similar to embroidery. “Mary,” Eve called.

  Mary set her sewing on the bed and rose to come to Eve’s side. “Yes, m’lady.”

  “Do you think you could aid me in…” She drew in her breath. “Do you think you could help me create a simple, small tapestry?”

  “Embroidery, m’lady?”

  Eve nodded.

  “Aye,” Mary said.

&nb
sp; Eve captured her arm. “You mustn’t tell anyone else.”

  Mary shook her head. “No, m’lady.”

  The next day, Eve hurried through the hallway toward the Great Hall and the morning meal. She had never been so excited about her accomplishments as she had these past two days. She was quite proud of the small tapestry she had created the night before. It was very small, but she had done it by herself.

  As she moved by the large double doors leading to the inner ward, she heard a small whistling as the wind found a crack at the base of the doors to enter the castle. The air in front of the double doors was colder than the upstairs hallway. The weather must have gotten colder, but Eve didn’t care. She was flush with excitement and she wasn’t certain whether it was from her accomplishments or seeing Gabe.

  As she neared the doors to the Great Hall, she heard the loud chatter that usually accompanied the morning meal. She paused in the doorway, scanning the room, not bothering to look at the head table. Gabe would be seated in the middle of the room, at a table for the knights.

  The room was already filled with their guests. Nobles, knights and peasants all sat at the wooden tables lining the room. Soft tones from a harp echoed throughout the Great Hall.

  A nobleman with a long green cortehardie that trailed behind him passed Eve, bowing to her in greeting. She barely heard him she was so intensely looking for Gabe.

  A large guffaw of laughter sounded from the middle of the room, drawing Eve’s attention. When she saw Gabriel, the rest of the room faded. Her entire vision was taken up by his laughing face. His eyes squinted, his mouth was open in merriment. Her heart hammered in her chest. Her palms became wet with anticipation and excitement.

  Beside him, Henry chortled just as hard. The small group of men around him were all laughing.

  As she approached down the long aisle, Gabe was the only one she looked at. She stopped beside him.

  Slowly, the laughing ceased.

  Gabriel swung around, and their gazes locked. He quickly stood, bowing slightly. “M’lady.”

  “May I have a word with you?” she asked, barely able to control her excitement.

  “It would be my pleasure,” Gabe said, extending his arm for her.

  She hooked her hand through his arm, her heart pounding as he led her from the Great Hall. Her hand rested against his strong arm and warmth flooded through her. Just this small contact heightened her awareness of his strength, of his closeness. It was a moment later that she realized it was her deformed hand, tucked in her sleeve, that lay upon his arm. He had not pulled away in repulsion. Warmth blossomed inside her entire body.

  He led her out of the Great Hall and around the corner where he paused, his gaze sweeping over her. “You look tired.”

  She bowed her head. “I was up most of the night. I made you something.” She reached inside of her other sleeve and produced the small, brown piece of tapestry. For a moment, doubt festered in her and she held it tightly. “It’s not very good.”

  Gabe chuckled softly and held his hand out. “That’s not something you tell the recipient of the gift.”

  He was right, but it didn’t alleviate her anxiousness. She was so proud of it and, really, it was an outline at best. And not a very good one. She hesitantly handed it to him.

  He took it and unfolded the square piece of fabric.

  Eve’s heart pounded so hard she was sure he heard it.

  He stared at it for a long moment. “You did this?”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Mary helped. She showed me how. I did the stitches and… it’s nothing very elaborate. But I thought of you when I was making it and –”

  He grinned at her. “I love it.”

  Love it. The words on his lips sent waves of happiness through her.

  “I thought you couldn’t embroider.”

  She smiled full out. “Someone told me I could do whatever I put my mind to.”

  “Must be a very intelligent person.”

  “He is amazing,” she whispered. When his gaze lifted to pin her to the spot, she quickly dropped her stare in embarrassment to the tapestry he held delicately in his hands. “And he was absolutely correct. I know that I can never give him the treasure he has given me, so I made him this gift. It’s an –”

  “Angel.” They said together.

  Her gaze snapped up to his. “You know what it is?”

  “Of course I do.” He traced part of the embroidery with his finger. “These are her wings, this is her dress. And she even has a little halo here.”

  Her heart bloomed. Love it. Love him. She couldn’t look away from him as he stared at the tapestry. His profile was stunning, nothing short of a piece of artwork.

  He looked at her.

  Her gaze drifted to his lips and she realized the sudden urge to kiss him swept through her. She parted her lips in a small gasp and stepped away from him. “Yes. Correct. That’s exactly what they are.”

  He looked at the tapestry again. “I thank you, m’lady. I shall always keep this close to my heart.” He delicately folded the tapestry in half and placed it inside of his jupon.

  “You like it?”

  “I do.” His gaze moved over her face. “Very much.” He leaned closer to her. “You will meet me in the stables after the morning meal to go horseback riding?”

  She nodded in excitement.

  “Then we should return to the meal.”

  She nodded again, and Gabe presented his arm. Before she could put her hand through it, Michael rushed from the Great Hall. He searched the corridor with his eyes and when he saw them, he came toward them.

  Gabe stepped toward his brother, placing himself before Eve protectively.

  “What are you doing out here?” Michael demanded. “The morning meal is being served.”

  “We were just returning,” Gabriel replied.

  Michael’s gaze shifted from Gabe to Eve. He knocked a shoulder into Gabe’s as he stepped past him. “Good.” He offered his arm to Eve.

  Eve glanced askance at Gabriel. She would have liked to return to the meal with him.

  Gabe relented with a quick nod.

  Eve put her good hand on the crook of Michael’s arm, but her eyes were on Gabriel as they walked by him into the Great Hall.

  Michael held his head high as they entered the Great Hall and walked down the center aisle.

  “You didn’t have to knock into him,” Eve murmured.

  “I must remind him of his place. Younger brother.” He nodded to one of the noble women seated on a bench at one of the tables. “Guest at our wedding.”

  The reminder didn’t miss her. She knew her place, too. “Still, you should treat him more kindly.”

  “I told you not to invite him.”

  “I had hoped the two of you could put whatever separated you behind you and become friends, become brothers.”

  “That will not happen. Not as long as he monopolizes your time.”

  “Monopolize…?” she echoed. Michael certainly didn’t want to spend any time with her. She kept her mouth closed, not wanting to fight with him here.

  They rounded the head table and Michael led her to her seat. She sat, and he pushed her chair in, leaning forward to whisper, “I do not want you spending any more time with him.”

  As he said the words, Gabriel walked into the Great Hall. Just seeing him sent a strange longing through her, a rush and a thrill. She mentally shook herself to concentrate on Michael’s words. “He’s your brother. How can you say that?”

  “I’ve already explained how he might hurt you. And I don’t want to see that happening.” He took his chair beside her. “I also don’t want him coming between us.”

  Eve watched Gabe sit down. Henry leaned over and spoke to him. Gabe glanced at her and nodded. If only it had been Gabriel who had saved her. If only he was the one sitting beside her now.

  Gabe paused on his way back to his chambers. He reached into his jupon to retrieve the tapestry. An angel. She had thought of him as she made
it. And he couldn’t stop thinking of her. She was beautiful and strong-willed. It should be him, he thought again. She should be his.

  “What’s this?”

  Michael ripped the tapestry from his hands.

  Instinctively, Gabriel lurched for it.

  Michael turned his back on Gabriel, looking at it. “What is it? A pig?”

  “An angel,” Gabriel replied and settled back. If Michael knew how much it meant to him, he would make it harder to get.

  “An angel?” Michael guffawed. “Trying your hand at embroidery?”

  “No.” Gabe crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Who made it for you? Your betrothed?” he taunted. “Is she five summers old?” Michael smiled condescendingly with mockery.

  “Your betrothed.”

  Michael’s laughter ceased quickly, and he studied the tapestry. “Now I know you are lying. Eve can’t embroider.” He whirled back to him. “I don’t see why you have to provoke me. You have everything you want. I heard about your jousts. Undefeated, is it?”

  Gabe shrugged. “Defeated once, last year.”

  Michael nodded, looking him over from head to toe. “That’s an impressive feat, little brother. And yet, you came here. What is it you want?”

  “Want? I haven’t seen you in…” He took a deep breath. “A long time. I wanted to spend the Yuletide with you.”

  Michael’s eyes narrowed. “And there is nothing else?”

  “What do you think I want?”

  Michael looked down at the tapestry in his hands. “An angel.”

  “Michael, I missed father’s burial last year. I didn’t want to miss your wedding, too. You are the only remaining family I have.”

  “There are no hard feelings between us?”

  “Hard feelings? Why would there be?” But the old resentment coursed through him, tightening his jaw and the muscles across his shoulders. “After what you did.”

  Michael handed the tapestry back to him. “I’m doing you a favor. I’m marrying her so you don’t have to. You would have been tied down, unable to compete in the joust you love so much.”

  “I compete in the joust to forget what you did.”

  “Would you change places with me?” Michael demanded.