Samantha James
Page 28
He cast a dubious glance at Brother Baldric. “I do believe,” he finished, “that I am not given to a religious disposition.”
They all laughed, including Brother Baldric.
He looked at Gillian then. “I regret that we could not return sooner and ease your worries, but we had no choice but to wait. When word reached Ireland of the king’s death, we decided it would be safe to return to England.”
Brother Baldric glanced at Gareth. “’Tis glad I am to see that you kept your promise and kept Lady Gillian safely away from the king’s hand. And somehow I am not surprised that you chose to marry her in order to do it.”
Gareth took his wife’s hand, his gaze tender as he carried it to his lips. “Ah, but that was not the only reason I married her.”
Clifton blushed, while Brother Baldric cleared his throat. “So I see, milord.” His gaze encompassed the cradle near the fire where Madeleine slept soundly. Nonetheless, his faded eyes gleamed his approval.
Clifton was thin from his ordeal, but Brother Baldric appeared more frail than ever. Gareth couldn’t help but admire him, for it was his loyalty to Ellis of Westerbrook, and Gillian and Clifton, that gave him the strength to go on, a strength that burned from within…a strength that few men possessed. Gillian remarked upon it as well.
“Brother Baldric, I still cannot believe you are here. I was convinced we’d lost you, especially when Gareth learned from Father Aidan that you had left your deathbed.”
“I thought I would die, too. But I did not,” he said simply, “and I can think of only one reason why—”
“Do not tell me,” Gillian interrupted with a smile. “’Twas God’s will!”
“Indeed.” Brother Baldric slipped his hands into his sleeves, his eyes twinkling.
A short time later, they all said their good nights; both Brother Baldric and Clifton were understandably exhausted from their journey.
Gareth and Gillian were soon snug in their bed as well. He slipped a finger beneath her chin.
“Are you happy, sweet?”
Her heart full of joy, she twined about his neck and gave him her answer with her lips. But after a moment, she drew back with a soft laugh.
Gareth cocked a brow aslant. “What do you find so amusing, wife?”
“I was just thinking of that long-ago day we found you on the beach, half-dead and half-drowned.”
“Oh, aye. I can see why you would be much amused by that,” he observed wryly.
“Brother Baldric wasn’t entirely approving when I insisted on taking you back to the cottage. He wasn’t certain you were worthy of saving—he thought you might be a scoundrel. But I knew he was wrong. Even then I believed in you.”
His eyes incredibly soft, he kissed the corner of her lips. “And what did you believe, sweet?”
“I believed that you were a man of honor and truth. And I was right.” Her tone deepened to huskiness. “For you, Gareth of Sommerfield, are a man of true heart…the truest heart.”
About the Author
It was SAMANTHA JAMES’s love of reading as a child that steered her toward a writing career. Among her favorites in those days were the Trixie Belden and Cherry Ames series of books. She still loves a blend of mystery and romance, and, of course, a happily-ever-after ending.
The award-winning, bestselling author of fourteen romances and one novella, her books have ranged from medieval to Regency and the American West. Please visit her on the web at www.samanthajames.com.
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Praise for The incomparable
USA Today bestselling author
SAMANTHA
JAMES
“WRITES EXACTLY THE SORT OF BOOK
I LOVE TO READ.”
Linda Lael Miller
“TUGS ON THE HEARTSTRINGS.”
Catherine Anderson
“PROVIDES ALL THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS
FOR AN ENJOYABLE READ.”
Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
“READERS WILL ADORE HER ENDEARING, THREE-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERS.”
Romantic Times BOOKclub
“JAMES DELIVERS DELICIOUS AND
EXCITING ROMANCE.”
Publishers Weekly
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
THE TRUEST HEART. Copyright © 2001 by Sandra Kleinschmit. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of PerfectBound™.
PerfectBound™ and the PerfectBound™ logo are trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
Mobipocket Reader November 2005 ISBN 0-06-113002-8
10 9 8 7 6 5
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Table of Contents
Prologue
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
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19
20
21
22
About the Author
Praise
Copyright
Cover
About the Publisher