Under The Kissing Bough: 15 Romantic Holiday Novellas

by Kathryn Le Veque

  “I feel how tense ye are, m’lady,” he told her. “Dinna worry about a thing. Ye’re with me now and I’ll protect ye from the daggered looks ye’re gettin’ from the crowd.”

  “Thank you,” she said, not sure if his offer of protection made her feel more secure or more uncomfortable since he’d pointed out everyone was staring at her. “I’m not that sure about the dance, as we don’t partake in this activity at the abbey.”

  “Then I’ll lead ye, and ye just follow,” he said, flashing her a smile of strong, straight, white teeth. He was ever so handsome. Taking her into his arms, he guided her through the steps of the dance and, after a few minutes, she found that she’d remembered the actions after all. “Ye are a fast learner.” He leaned up against her body and his warmth made her tingle with anticipation. It felt good to be so close to a man. The Scots must dance closer than the English, who usually left space between them.

  “I suppose I remember the dance from childhood after all,” she told him, not able to look him in the eye for fear he’d see her desire to kiss him again.

  “How long have ye been a nun?”

  “Oh, I’m not a nun!” She almost shouted her words as she denied the accusation. “I’ve only been raised by nuns; that’s all.”

  “Really? That’s interestin’.” He twirled her around and she dared to glance up at his handsome face once more. Gabrielle was far too lucky to be getting a man like Ross. She despised her sister for a mere moment, wishing she were the one marrying the Scot. “I’ve never heard of anyone bein’ raised in a convent and no’ joinin’ the Order,” he continued.

  “It seems nuns are superstitious as well.” She faced him and curtsied as he bowed and they continued the dance as he led her across the floor with his chin raised as if he were proud of accompanying her. For the first time in her life, she felt like a noblewoman. The feeling made her heady and she found it hard to breathe. “They didn’t want the wrath of God on their heads for bringing a spawn of the devil into the Order,” she told him under her breath.

  He laughed and the deep timbre of his voice resounded through the room. It felt good to make a man laugh, even if he was laughing at her misfortune.

  “I dinna believe in superstitions and I think it is a guid thing ye are no’ a nun.”

  She stopped the dance as the music ended and looked up into his mesmerizing green eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “What I mean, lassie, is that by the way ye kiss, I am sure, someday, ye will make a guid wife to a verra lucky man.”

  “No man will ever want me.” Bile rose in her throat and she felt as if she wanted to retch. The truth was sickening and she wished to go back to the feeling she’d had when he’d proudly displayed her on the dance floor. That had made her feel like a noblewoman. But now she felt more like a leper, thinking of having to grow old all alone just because she was born the second twin.

  “If I wasna already betrothed to yer sister, I would scoop ye up before another man could.”

  “You – you would?” She wasn’t sure if he was saying this as a jest or with sincerity, as he was very hard to read.

  He didn’t have a chance to answer because her father came over and interrupted them.

  “Ross, I’d like you to join me and some of my knights at the hearth for a drink.”

  “Aye,” he said with a nod of his head. “I’d like a dram of whisky.”

  They left and Annalyse suddenly felt insecure and all alone. She spotted her sister on the bench at the dais along with her mother and walked over to join them.

  “Annalyse, stay with your sister while I find the chambermaid and make certain she prepares a room for you during your visit,” said her mother.

  “Thank you, Mother.” She sat down on the bench next to her sister. Immediately feeling her sister’s fear, she reached out and touched her hand. “I feel that you’re frightened, Gabrielle, but you don’t have to worry. I’m here to help you through this birth. Women give birth every day and this will be no different.”

  “I feel things as well, Sister, and what I feel is your attraction to the Scot,” said Gabrielle with a slight smile.

  “Surely, I don’t know what you mean.” Annalyse pulled her hand away from her sister, not wanting any more of her secrets revealed.

  “He is a very handsome man and I cannot blame you for having eyes for him,” said Gabrielle. “But I am to marry him and, sadly, he is not my king.” The smile left her face and she shook her head. “You would be better suited for the Scot than I.”

  “We both know that can never happen.” Annalyse’s heart dropped to her stomach knowing she would probably never get the opportunity to marry in this lifetime. “If I had been born first, mayhap things would be different.”

  She felt Gabrielle’s uncomfortable reaction to that statement. If her sister hadn’t been so heavy with child, Annalyse might have thought there was another reason for the way she stirred restlessly on the chair.

  “Annalyse, I need to talk to you.” Tears formed in Gabrielle’s eyes.

  “You’re upset,” answered Annalyse knowingly. “Is it because the king has rejected you and your baby?”

  “Nay,” she said, using the square linen cloth on the table to wipe her eyes. “It’s more than just that. I am terrified of this birth and am afraid it will end up being horrible and cursed in the end.”

  Annalyse quickly stood and put her hands on her hips. “If you’re thinking I’m going to curse the birth of your baby, why did you send for me in the first place?”

  “Nay, Sister, this has naught to do with you.” Gabrielle reached out and took Annalyse’s hand in hers.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Feel for yourself and I think you’ll understand.” Gabrielle placed Annalyse’s palm on her belly and took a deep breath and released it slowly.

  Annalyse was about to ask her again what she meant when she felt the baby kick. “He kicked,” she said excitedly, smiling from ear to ear. But then she felt more kicking and still more, and she knew something was wrong. A vision flashed through her mind and suddenly she knew why her sister feared this birth. She pulled her hand back as if she’d been burned and her eyes interlocked with her sister’s. On shaky legs, she sat back down. Gabrielle’s eyes were filled with tears and Annalyse felt fear – not for herself but for what was about to happen.

  “Gabrielle, I see why you sent for me now. And you are right – this birth will be horrible and cursed.”

  “So you felt it, too?” asked her sister.

  “I did,” said Annalyse, shaking her head and leaning closer to whisper so no one would hear them. “This is not good, Sister. I think you are about to birth the king not one . . . but two bastards!”

  DESTINY’S KISS

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “Two babies at the same time?” Tears fell from Gabrielle’s eyes. She shook her head furiously as if she thought that action could shake away the horrible situation she was in. “They’ll be feared and cursed – and I’ll die giving birth!”

  “Nonsense,” said Annalyse putting her arm around her sister’s shoulder to calm her, though she agreed with her completely. She didn’t wish on any baby the lifestyle with which she’d been inflicted. “Mother birthed us and did not die. Everything will be all right.” Lying wasn’t a good thing to do when your twin sister could read your thoughts and feelings.

  “You fear for the babies and me as well,” said Gabrielle. “I know it.”

  “All right, I do,” she finally admitted, no longer able to keep it inside. She noticed the Scot look up from the other side of the room. “Keep your voice down or someone will hear you. We’ll just have to keep this secret to ourselves.”

  “You’re addled if you think we can keep this a secret,” said Gabrielle, crying even more. “And when Edward finds out, he’ll use it against Father. This is awful.”

  “You don’t need to tell me, I know.” Feeling an edge of resentment toward her sister, an evil part of her felt satisfied that no
w Gabrielle would know how it felt to be called cursed. “I’ve lived as the cursed twin for the last twenty years while you had everything I always wanted. Mayhap, now you’ll know how I felt after all.”

  “How can you say that, Sister? I felt your pain every day. I begged Father to bring you back from the abbey, and when he wouldn’t, I went to the king to see if he could help.”

  “You did?” Annalyse had never known this before now.

  “I managed to secure the position of the queen’s lady-in-waiting and knew I could use that as an advantage to talk to the king about you.”

  “What did he say?”

  Gabrielle dabbed at her eyes, bit her lip, and looked down to her belly. “I never had a chance to ask. Before I knew it, he’d taken me as his mistress and then I became too frightened to ask him about you.”

  “So the king doesn’t know you have a twin sister?”

  Gabrielle shook her head. “Father told the king he had no male heir and that I was his only child. I couldn’t make him look bad in the king’s eyes.”

  Annalyse jumped up from her chair and put her hands on her hips in frustration. “You say you tried to help me, but you didn’t! You only thought about yourself. Well, you deserve everything you got and now I’m sorry I came here at all.” Hurrying across the great hall, she quickly slipped out the door and into the night. Running across the courtyard with her cloak billowing out behind her, she didn’t stop until she reached the mews. She rushed inside and threw herself down in the hay, crying, realizing not even her twin had her best interests in mind. Loneliness swelled in her chest and she couldn’t help but feel sorry for herself. No one cared about her and no one would miss her should she leave this earth forever. At times like this, she wished she had never been born at all.

  She wasn’t sure how long she lay there crying, but after some time she had the feeling that she wasn’t alone. Someone was in the mews besides the birds; she felt it deep inside.

  “Who’s there?” she called out, looking around the darkened mews with wide eyes. “Make yourself known or I’ll cut you to pieces.” She pulled up the edge of her gown and grabbed for the dagger strapped to her leg. Nuns didn’t carry weapons and she’d kept this her secret since she knew she couldn’t count on anyone to protect her. Standing up, she made her way to the rail, scoping the area, listening intently since she was sure she’d heard footsteps. From behind her, a falcon squawked and fluttered its wings, scaring her and causing her to jump.

  Her body spun around in a half-circle and her arms shot forward, holding her dagger with both hands as it wavered in the air. “I’ll stab you. I swear I will. Now, make your presence known.” A shiver ran down her spine and her legs quaked beneath her as her thoughts ran rampant. Had an angered inhabitant or two come to kill the cursed daughter of the lord of the castle before misfortune fell upon their heads?

  Someone touched her shoulder and she cried out. Annalyse twirled around, waving her dagger wildly through the air.

  “Losh me, stop that!” Ross’ hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, stilling her action. “If ye keep that up, ye’re goin’ to hurt someone, lassie.”

  “That’s the idea!” She still didn’t let down her guard. “I have to fend for myself since I’m all alone. No one wants to help me – they just want to hurt me.”

  “No’ me, lassie. I came to see if ye’re all right. I saw ye leave the hall cryin’ and yer sister is cryin’, too.”

  “I’m not crying,” she said looking the other way. He took the dagger from her, shoving it under his belt and she crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Want to tell me what it is that made no’ one, but two lassies cry?”

  “Nay. It’s none of your concern. Now, leave me be.” She looked the other way to avoid getting trapped into telling him the truth.

  He stepped in front of her. “It is my concern if I’m goin’ to marry into yer family.” He reached out his hand and brushed a tear away from her eyes with his thumb.

  “Why are you so kind to me when everyone else shuns me?” she asked.

  “Mayhap that’s why. I dinna need to remind ye that I am a Scot. We’re no’ loved or accepted by the English, but yer faither has made an alliance with me by betrothin’ me to yer sister.”

  “Then go to her and leave me be.”

  “I canna, lassie. Ever since our kiss, I canna think of anyone else but ye.”

  “You – you liked the kiss?” Slowly, her arms dropped to her sides and she looked directly at him. Even in the dark, she could see the sincerity in his eyes. There was an attraction between them; there could be no denying. His long red hair hung down as he leaned in closer to her. A straight nose and chiseled cheekbones made him look so handsome that for a mere moment, all her troubles faded away. His short red beard and mustache made him seem distinguished as he kept his eyes focused on her mouth.

  “Ye tell me,” he said, leaning over further and kissing her again. Their lips melded together and his arms closed around her, pulling her up against his broad chest. Her head tilted backward and she let him kiss her, not being exactly sure why she wasn’t pushing him away. He was her sister’s betrothed, but Annalyse no longer cared. Some wickedness deep within her wanted Gabrielle to know that she had been kissing her man. She hated the fact Gabrielle had everything in life and she had nothing. This would be her justice for everyone and everything that had ever wronged her. Or so she thought. What started as a vengeful game turned into something else quickly, scaring her when she realized she couldn’t stop herself. Reaching up and putting her hands on his shoulders, she pulled the Scot even closer and deepened the kiss, getting caught up in the intimate moment. Then to her surprise, his tongue shot out into her mouth, exciting her even more. She wanted to try this, too. Her sister had known the ways of coupling with a man, but she’d been denied the same opportunity. At twenty years of age, Annalyse was well past marrying age and also tired of being pushed off and considered a nun. This time, she would feel what her sister had felt all the times she’d kissed a man and nothing was going to stop her from experiencing it.

  “Kiss me again,” she said. Before he could answer, she reached up and kissed him, letting her tongue enter his mouth this time, getting a moan in return from the Scot. Then his hands started to roam and she felt him squeeze her rump as he pulled her against his hardened form. Suddenly seeing where this was leading, she realized her game had gone too far. If she wasn’t careful, the Scot might throw her down in the hay and have his way with her right here. Annalyse’s pious upbringing reared its head and shame filled her senses for what she’d just done with another woman’s betrothed. Pushing away from him, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

  “Don’t try that again or next time I really will stab you.” Her hand shot out and she yanked her dagger from his waist belt, causing him to jump back in surprise. The birds became startled, watching and listening from their perches. The smell of hay and lust filled the air, and while she felt ashamed and held back her tears, he only chuckled.

  “I think I’m marryin’ the wrong twin,” he said with a devious grin. “I like a woman with fire in her veins.”

  “Well, I’m not your betrothed and I warn you not to try anything with me again or I’ll tell my sister.”

  That only made him laugh harder. “I wouldna suggest that, unless ye want me to reveal to her the way ye were kissin’ me. That, my lady, was no’ the kiss of a lassie who didna enjoy it.”

  “Darn, that kissing bough,” she spat, blaming this whole thing on the fact she’d been lingering under the mistletoe when she’d first arrived, secretly hoping to experience a kiss. And now that she had, she found herself only wanting more. She was a cursed twin and didn’t deserve this, she reminded herself silently. She could never have this. This man wasn’t hers – he was her sister’s. No matter what happened, it seemed her sister always won and she lost. Yes, Annalyse was certain she would continue to live her life doomed by the hand of God alone.

  DES
TINY’S KISS

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The next day was Christmas and, although Annalyse told herself she would leave the castle and go back to the nunnery, she found herself staying, instead. Her sister thought she was staying to help her through the birth, but Annalyse wasn’t sure if that was her reason or if it was just because she wanted to see Ross again.

  Standing behind the partition leading to the kitchen, she watched as her family sat at the dais table eating their Christmas meal. She’d overslept and no one had come to wake her, so the meal had started without her. She wasn’t sure if she was welcome at the dais but guessed not since no one had come to call for her. Her sister had lent her one of her gowns and she felt noble for the first time in her life, but not confident enough to march up to the dais and sit down with her family.

  Her father sat at the center of the long trestle table with her mother at his right side. Gabrielle sat next to her and Ross sat next to her father. The Scot looked up and saw her standing there, so she quickly ducked behind the screen, almost knocking into a serving girl in the process.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, but the girl wouldn’t even look at her. Instead, the girl blessed herself and hurried away. All the other servants coming from the kitchen made a wide circle, walking around her, careful to avoid accidentally touching her. She was about to go back to her chamber when Ross stepped around the wall, his big body blocking her path.

  “Lady Annalyse,” he said. “I was wonderin’ where ye were. Why are ye lurkin’ around back here instead of sittin’ at the dais like yer sister?”

  “I’m not sure I’m welcome at my father’s table,” she told him.

  “Why no’?” he asked. “Yer sister is heavy with a bairn and has no husband and yet she sups with yer faither. Come, join us at the table.” He held out his hand and she considered taking it, but then thought how angry her father would be and just shook her head.

  “Nay, I can’t. I’ll get something to eat from the kitchen and take it back to my chamber.”