by Jackie Ivie
“A moment to bathe?” he considered her. “Non.”
“No?”
“No.” He shook his head and pulled her hand.
“But I want to look beautiful for you.”
Giselle stayed in the shadow of the hall. She was going to marry the man of her dreams in a sack cloth dress? Sometimes, he was very obtuse.
“You are tres belle, Giselle, as always. I’ve rarely seen anything as lovely. Besides, when you bathe today, and you’re going to bathe all right, it’s going to be in broad daylight.”
He looked down at her. His long eyelashes shielded his gaze from her, and she must have looked as puzzled as she felt.
“Then I’ll already be your husband, and nothing will stop me from being there. Do you understand now, darling? No more deceit, no more secrets, and no more lies. Merde, but you’re a vixen, and I grow tired of your slowness. You give me no other choice.”
Giselle opened her mouth to reply, but she made no sound as he lifted her and left her in no doubt of his intentions. And no one looked surprised as Navarre carried Giselle into Mother Superior’s office.
EPILOGUE
“Navarre, we mustn’t come here so often.” Giselle’s whisper seemed loud in the peaceful contentment the arbor always seemed to inspire.
“Why?”
“I think Louisa suspicions.”
“Your companion is aware of this? But, I said nothing. We are touring the vineyard, remember? It will be a good year, too.”
Giselle laughed. “Louisa knows, Navarre. You can hardly keep your hands from me. It’s no secret to her. She’s known for years.”
“She knows that we come to the arbor? But, it is my secret place. Giselle. I didn’t even tell Esmee of it,” he complained.
“Non.” She reached up to push his hat away and run her fingers through that honey-gold hair. “Not this, but she knew everything else.”
“Well, don’t look at me. I certainly didn’t tell her.”
“I did.”
“You spoke of me…of us? I am surprised at you, Giselle.”
“I had to have someone to confide in, Navarre. You left me nothing when you moved to the dower house each time. You don’t know how dark it was for me. I don’t know how I survived it.”
“Oh. Then. I was demented, my love. Come here. I will make it up to you again.”
“Again?”
Navarre held her close. “Oui. Last night wasn’t enough? I shall redouble my efforts.” He lifted her chin with his finger, and touched his lips to hers, and her sigh blended with his. Then, he lifted his head.
“Je t’adore, Giselle. More now than ever, if such a thing is possible.”’
She blinked rapidly at the tears filling her eyes.
“Always the tears it is with you. You are in luck that I know now it’s due to the beautiful things I say. Here.” He handed her his monogrammed handkerchief and smiled softly. Then, he turned her so her back was to him, and they both surveyed the view.
“It is a lovely valley, Navarre.”
“That it is. Perhaps I shall dower our firstborn, Claudia, with it.”
“What of Evette, Jessamine, and Marguerite?”
“You shall make me a poor man with all these daughters you present to me, Giselle.”
“That…matters to you?” she stiffened.
Navarre spun her so quickly, the trees above her whirled. “You know me much better than that, Giselle. Do I look like it matters to me?”
“You look like the most handsome man I’ve ever met.’’
“Oh, Giselle, I have never loved another. I shall never love another. I cannot believe how full my heart is, and yet it grows each time I look upon one of our babes. If you were to present me with nothing but daughters, I would be a very wealthy man. To prove it to you, I shall allow all my children to wed where their heart takes them. Just as I did.”
“Oh, Navarre.” She could hardly see him through the blur of tears in her eyes.
“Besides, I have my sons, Etienne and Pierre-Navarre, to bring in rich brides, non? I must speak with my neighbors.”
“But you just said…!”
“I love you, Giselle. My brother had it wrong all those years ago, too. You are not wondrous when you’re angered. You are spectacular! And it isn’t your anger that makes it so, it’s when you feel strongly about something. Come. I didn’t bring you here to make parlor talk with you.”
He was walking toward the divan, lifting her into his arms at the same time.
“Navarre, I’m warning you….”
“Do not take that tone with me, Madame. You promised me a dozen children once, remember?”
“That wasn’t me, Navarre. That was you.”
“Details. It’s always the details with you women.”
“Navarre?”
“Oui?”
“We mustn’t be out too long. They’ll suspicion.”
“Perhaps we should wait before giving Etienne his pony. I never considered that aspect.”
“Oh, hush, and kiss me. You’re wasting time.”
His grin was her answer, then their lips touched, and their hearts meshed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jackie Ivie lives in Alaska with her husband and three pets. She started her writing career with hot Highland historical romances from Kensington. Her eleventh, LAIRD BALLANCLAIRE, is set for publication October 2013. Keeping her head in the clouds most of the time, Jackie spends most of her time researching, developing, and writing her paranormal series - Vampire Assassin League -because there’s just something about a hot vampire with a mate fixation. Jackie loves to hear from fans at http://www.jackieivie.com/
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Copyright © 2013 Jackie Ivie ISBN 978 1 939820 19 8
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