The de Lohr Dynasty

by Le Veque, Kathryn

  “Stop,” he begged softly. “Please… stop. Do not leave.”

  Liselotte was trying very hard to stave off tears. “Please let me go, my lord,” she said. “I… I should not have said those things. It would be better if I….”

  “Quiet,” he commanded. “Stop talking. Let me speak.”

  She shook her head but kept silent and Daniel pulled her back into the room as she tried to resist him. He knew she was terribly embarrassed but he didn’t care. Something in her confession prompted something within him to speak, to confess just as she was. All of the interest and confusion he’d felt over Liselotte was whirling in his chest, demanding to be explored. All of this because she had spoken of her interest in him.

  She was braver than he was in that respect.

  Perhaps there was some part of him that could see being her husband, being by her side every day, exploring this woman who was so strong that nothing could break her. She was a rock, fighting and struggling for her family all of these years. He’d never seen a stronger woman, strong in both conviction and character.

  She wasn’t of his class? Daniel was coming to think it was the other way around.

  “You are misunderstanding the entire situation, lady,” he said as she struggled against his grasp. “Did it ever occur to you that the reason I feel strongly about helping Shadowmoor is because I found Lord Etzel’s daughter to be quite attractive and alluring? Did it ever occur to you that the reason I purchased fine dresses for you in town today is because I wanted to see your glorious beauty clothed in something that is worthy of you? Liselotte, you are the bravest and strongest woman I have ever known, all of it wrapped up in a magnificent beauty that I have never seen anywhere in my travels. Had I run in to Gunnar and taken him back to Shadowmoor, with only your father there and not you, I might have stayed to help. I am not even certain of that. But upon meeting the glorious l’Audacieux sister and hearing of her struggles against Bramley… suffice it to say that you are the reason I am doing all of this, Liselotte. It is you and you alone.”

  By this time, Liselotte had stopped resisting him. She was looking up at Daniel with a mixture of shock and hope, of delight and disbelief. It was nearly everything she wanted to hear from the man… but not quite. She had opened the subject, the subject of marriage, and there was nothing left to do but forge on until she had her answer.

  To push until she could push no more.

  “But why would you do this for a woman you have no intention of marrying?” she asked. “What you are doing… it will be a waste of your time.”

  Daniel gazed into her sweet face. He wanted to kiss her very badly but he had a feeling it might not be well-received, at least not at the moment. “I never said I did not wish to marry you,” he murmured. “You never heard those words come out of my mouth. I said I was a traveling man and would never marry, but I never said that I did not wish to marry you. We have only just met and to speak of marriage between us would be premature at best. Would you agree with this statement?”

  Liselotte shrugged weakly. “I have not thought on it,” she said. “But I suppose you are correct; it is foolish of me to say such things given the fact that we have only just met. Forgive me for being so ridiculous. It will not happen again.”

  His gaze drifted over her bronze hair, such a luscious color. He wondered what it would feel like to run his fingers through it. “If it does happen again, I will not be troubled by it,” he said. “But for now, I will say this – I have never before met a woman who has intrigued me so. I am not sure what is in my heart, for it is uncharted territory. All I know is that I have never wanted to do anything for someone more than I have wanted to do it for you. You are a strong, beautiful woman and you deserve more than life has seen fit to give you. Mayhap your father was right in a sense – mayhap God did bring me to you. But you must also consider the fact that He may have brought you to me.”

  Liselotte wasn’t feeling quite so embarrassed any longer, mostly because Daniel’s manner was calming. He had that way about him, the great communicator that he was. He was being logical and kind, reasonable to a fault. He wasn’t making her feel as if she should be embarrassed about her feelings. In truth, he seemed to have some feelings of his own.

  “Why would God do that?” she asked. “I have nothing to give you.”

  His smile returned. “Nothing,” he said. “Or, mayhap, everything. I have been wandering all of these years, happy in my freedom, but mayhap I wander because I am searching for something. My father always suggested that, you know. He felt that I was searching for something, or someone, to complete my happiness and that is why I never liked to stay in one place for long.”

  Liselotte felt such hope in her heart that it was close to exploding. She felt certain that he was speaking of a woman. A wife. “Searching for what?” she asked. “A person? Wealth? Glory?”

  Daniel’s eyes twinkled in the dim light of the hall. “My father suspected I would know it when I found it,” he said. “Who is not to say it is a strong maiden from a broken-down fortress with an ancient royal legacy?”

  Liselotte dared to return his smile. “Me?”

  He lifted his eyebrows, rather haughtily. “Did I mention you by name?”

  “Nay.”

  “Then cease your assumptions.”

  “Are they assumptions? I am the only maiden I know with a broken-down fortress. Or do you know more of us?”

  His eyes narrowed. “Cheeky wench.”

  He said it with exaggeration and she knew he was jesting with her. The mood was much better now where even moments before, it had been full of uncertainty. Even if Daniel was unable to truly give her hope, for anything, he’d said enough. Liselotte was satisfied with as much as he was able to say. She was satisfied with his kindness towards her, for not making her feel foolish, and for his gentleness. For a man who was sworn to bachelorhood, he was strangely open and honest about things with her. It was an admirable quality.

  “Then I will assume no longer,” she said, a timid smile on her lips.

  He nodded faintly, his gaze drifting over every portion of her face as he did. It was as if he were eating her alive, probing every feature, digesting her as only he could. Perhaps he was determining if she really was what he had been looking for all of his years. His expression suggested that he was looking for answers, but his tone, when he spoke, was neutral enough.

  “I will tell you when your assumptions are warranted,” he said. “In fact, when the time comes, I will tell you plainly so there will be no need for assumptions at all.”

  She smiled, somewhat coyly, and gently pulled her arm from his grip, turning back for the table where the remains of her meal were. It seemed as if they had said all that needed to be said but the silence between them now was comfortable enough. Almost as if they had an understanding between them. Gunnar was still sleeping like the dead in his dog pack as Liselotte headed back for the table, having no idea that, behind her, Daniel was now having something of a crisis.

  Assumptions. Perhaps they had said all that needed to be said at the moment, but he was still in the throes of the conversation. He wasn’t lying when he said that he would tell her plainly if, and when, he could figure out exactly what he was feeling, but the truth was that he was completely uncertain about any of it. He was uncertain of these odd sensations he felt when it came to Liselotte and he was uncertain if he would truly feel comfortable being pledged to a woman. Having a wife.

  The mere mention of it seemed alien to him.

  Daniel wasn’t one to stay away from women in general. In fact, he always selected women who were very willing to let him do as he pleased and he had been in trouble because of it on more than one occasion. Fathers of compromised daughters tended not to view his actions too favorably and his own father had even been forced to pay off a few outraged fathers so they would not try to burn Daniel at the stake. But looking at Liselotte, the thought of toying with her affections, as he’d done so many times in the past, never en
tered his mind. There was something about the woman that commanded his respect and admiration. He would never toy with her.

  But he wasn’t beyond pretending with her. Perhaps it would help him understand his feelings better if he did.

  The very idea intrigued him.

  “Are we still friends then, my lady?” he asked as he trailed her back to the table.

  Liselotte nodded. “Of course we are.”

  “Then as one friend to another, there is something you can help me with if you are willing.”

  She reached the table, turning to look at him. “Of course I am willing,” she said. “How may I be of service?”

  Daniel twisted his lips wryly. “I do believe we may have fallen into a nest of hunters,” he said, lowering his voice. “Lady Glennie, although very kind, looks at me as if she wants to eat me and her father has that same expression when he looks at you. Do you understand my meaning?”

  Liselotte had no idea what he was talking about. “I fear that I do not,” she said. “What are you saying?”

  Daniel wriggled his eyebrows, somewhat comically. “I mean that Lady Glennie seems on the hunt for a husband,” he said. “I do not like the way she looks at me. You will be doing me a great favor if you would allow me to pretend that I am courting you. That would not only deter her from me but it would deter her father from you. It would be safe for us both to pretend such a thing. Are you willing to do that?”

  So he has noticed the way Glennie has been looking at him! Liselotte pretended to be cool in considering the matter but, truth be told, she wasn’t hard pressed to agree. Being naïve in the ways of romance as she was, all she could envision was the dream of pretending she and Daniel were a couple. She didn’t go so far as to imagine her shattered heart once the pretending was over. If she and Daniel pretended to be a pair, then Glennie would leave him alone and she wouldn’t be forced to strangle the woman. She didn’t even care about Easton and whatever interest Daniel imagined from the man; all she cared about was pretending that she and Daniel were together. Perhaps something inside of her would be satisfied if she did.

  A dream that may never become a reality.

  “I am willing,” she said. “But are you certain about this? About Lady Glennie and Lord de Royans, I mean. Are they really hunters?”

  Daniel nodded seriously. “They are, indeed,” he said. “Therefore, I will make it clear that you are spoken for – and so am I – and mayhap this alliance we are attempting to establish may not be ruined, after all. But I should at least like to get a message off to my uncle before Glennie’s heart is crushed and Easton challenges me for your hand.”

  He said it somewhat humorously and Liselotte couldn’t help but giggle. “God’s Bones,” she exclaimed. “What if he does challenge you? What will you do?”

  Daniel grinned, without humor. “Run like a rabbit and leave you to his lascivious intentions.”

  She laughed louder. “You would not fight for me?”

  “To pretend with you is one thing but to die for you is entirely another.”

  “Then I am shocked and scandalized. You had better amend your thoughts or I will tell Lady Glennie that you secretly lust for her.”

  Daniel’s eyes widened. “You threaten me to tears, lady,” he said. Then, he sighed with great exaggeration. “Very well. I will fight Easton if I must but know it gives me no pleasure. And if he kills me, I will haunt you from the grave.”

  Liselotte snickered into her hand. “I believe you.”

  Daniel moved closer to her, enchanted by her laughter. He realized it was the first time he’d really seen her laugh freely. She had a beautiful smile and enchanting laughter. Reaching out, he took the hand that was covering her mouth and brought it to lips, kissing it in the same place that touched her own lips. When he saw the look of astonishment on her face, he kissed it again for good measure.

  “There,” he said, his voice low. “That is what betrothed people do. Now, I will see you to your chamber and then return for your brother. You will sleep well this night, Lady Liselotte. You have a warm bed and my protection. Sleep without fear.”

  In the wake of Daniel’s kiss, the humor was gone from Liselotte’s manner. She was left trembling from his kiss, unable to reply when their banter had been so recently lively. Daniel must have caught her quivering lips because he took them as an invitation; quivering and sweet, he was on her in an instant, kissing her with a warm and swift mouth, suckling her lips as she collapsed in his arms. He kissed her until she could hardly breathe and even when he removed his mouth from hers, he simply stood there and held her, feeling her soft slender body pressed against his. It was the most magnificent thing he could have ever experienced.

  The bachelor’s soul began to shatter completely.

  “Come, now,” he whispered, releasing her from his embrace and holding on to her arm when she couldn’t seem to catch her balance. “Take your food with you. I will return you to your chamber now.”

  Stunned by his kiss, Liselotte did as she was told, grasping her half-finished plate of fruit and cheese and bread as she allowed Daniel to lead her back to her borrowed chamber. He was very proper about it, opening the door for her and ensuring that she entered, and then bolted the door, before he left. As she stood just inside the door, trying to catch her breath and listening as his boot falls faded away, she could have never known that as Daniel headed back down to the hall to collect Gunnar, his heart was beating just as fast as hers was.

  He felt the magic, too.

  But he calmed himself, trying to pretend it really didn’t matter. He’d had literally hundreds of kisses so this one was no different… at least, that’s what he tried to tell himself. But he knew it was a foolish attempt. This kiss had been very, very different, more than he could put into words.

  But thoughts of the kiss were pushed aside as he entered the hall. Easton was there, waiting for him, and Daniel turned the missive over to the man that was to be sent with the messenger. After that, he sat up a good portion of the night with Easton, drinking good wine and speaking on a great many things.

  All thoughts of Liselotte’s sweet lips faded for the moment as Daniel came to know the father of his hated enemy as a man of humor, of gentleness, and of great wisdom, and more and more he began to feel pity for the family who had lost a son and didn’t yet know it. It was the drink causing him to feel such things, that was true, but it was also human decency. Brighton’s foolish actions were to have a lasting effect.

  Daniel began to feel anger towards Brighton, different than the anger he’d felt before. Brighton had been intelligent and skilled without a doubt, but he’d forced his hand as a stubborn and spoiled man, and now his family would feel the terrible grief at his death. A death that didn’t have to happen.

  The more Daniel spoke with Easton, the more he was fairly certain he could never tell the man what he knew. All risks aside, and in making an enemy out of the House of de Royans in general, he wasn’t sure he could bring such pain on a man who was seemingly quite generous and normal. When, and if, Easton was ever told of Brighton’s death, it would not be from Daniel’s lips. He couldn’t bring himself to do it, for a variety of reasons.

  Deep into the night, the wine finally caught up to Easton and the man excused himself to sleep as Daniel did the same. Pulling Gunnar from the pack of dogs, he carried the boy back to their shared chamber and put him to bed. Stripping down and climbing into his bed, thoughts of Liselotte returned. He couldn’t seem to shake them.

  When he finally dreamt, it was with visions of women with bronze-colored hair.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “Daniel!” Gunnar was yelling. “Look! Look at me!”

  It was early morning on the day following their arrival at Netherghyll and Daniel, having finished yet another conference with Easton and Caston as the men broke their fast in the great hall, was heading out to the stables to check on Ares. He was just inside the stable yard when he spied Gunnar in the midst of several goats that were qu
ite happily frisking him for food. Gunnar giggled and twitched, pushing the goats away, but it was clear that he was as happy as a lark. Daniel shook his head reproachfully at the boy although he was grinning.

  “Are those your new clothes that those goats are eating?” he called out. “You are nothing more than a goat yourself, Gunnar l’Audacieux.”

  Gunnar laughed happily. “They like me,” he announced. Then, he pushed through the crowd of goats and ran at Daniel. “Can we go back to town today so I can have my goats from the livery? Can we take them home with us?”

  Daniel reached out, putting a big hand on Gunnar’s blond head. “You would like that, wouldn’t you?”

  Gunnar nodded enthusiastically and Daniel chuckled at the lad. This morning, in his new clothes and having slept on a full stomach, he was happy and rosy-cheeked. He looked like an entirely different boy from the one he had rescued from Bramley only a couple of days before. He nearly looked normal, without the weight of starvation hanging down upon him. It made him sad to think on the suffering the young boy had endured. Daniel’s smile faded and he removed his hand from Gunnar’s head.

  “We will, indeed, return to town this morning,” he said. “We left the stores I purchased there and we must return for them. In fact, after I have checked on my horse, I will rouse your sister and we will return to town and then on to Shadowmoor.”

  Gunnar simply turned around and ran back for the goats as if to get in all the time he could with them before Daniel dragged him away. His four-legged friends greeted him happily and Daniel could hear the boy giggling as he continued on into the stable. Immediately upon entering, he could see at least three stable boys crowded around the last stall that housed a big black horse. Daniel fought off a grin as he approached.

  “Well,” he said, watching the boys jump at the sound of his voice. “What are you doing to my horse?”

  Ares nickered softly at the sound of Daniel’s voice and when the stable boys turned around, Daniel could see they had various food items in their hands. One lad seemed to have a bucket of half-eaten grain while another had carrots. The third lad had bread crusts. All three looked startled and, upon closer inspection, rather guilty.