It felt as if hours had passed since Eddie burst into Roger’s room accompanied by some of Lord Yves’s men to demand the earl release her. Giric had changed his mind about the conditions of her brother’s release.
He truly hadn’t known who she was, and even more meaningful was that Eddie pulled her aside and told her how much he liked and respected Sir Giric.
“He did this for you.” Eddie smiled.
Once he’d finished, she told Eddie of her conversation with Sybil. Roger had been pushing her into marrying Eddie. Roger’s estate had mounted serious debts, and another earl had started putting pressure on him. He’d thought an alliance with Eddie would help, and when Sybil hadn’t been able to secure Jennet’s brother’s interest, he’d threatened to give her in marriage to a newly widowed neighboring baron who was known to beat his wife. None of it made Sybil any less guilty, but now they knew it was more than just her obsession with Eddie that led to her actions.
When Eddie proposed to Ada, Roger had set his sights on Jennet and her dowry, hoping to secure both in one fell swoop. He didn’t really want her—it had been all about his debts.
After the confrontation, they’d gone back to her chamber to let Ada know they were safe and tell her the news of what had transpired.
It was already dark when Jennet found herself running through the halls to find Giric. He wasn’t in his room. Her heart sank as she wondered if he’d left for Scotland already. She skipped down the stairs, and there was no sight of him in the great hall. Then she remembered their special spot. The gardens.
The pressure on her heart eased when she saw him sitting on their bench. His thumbs ran over the material of the kerchief she’d given him. The bells tolled for the curfew, and his head dipped. Did he truly think her affection was that fragile, that she wouldn’t forgive him for what he had done? But she hadn’t said the words held so closely in her heart. He didn’t know how she truly felt.
Giric drew the cloth to his nose and breathed in.
She stepped out of the shadows. “You must have won a lady’s heart to collect such a favor.”
His head snapped up to meet her regard. She saw hope in his eyes, and he seemed to be holding his breath.
“I am afraid that my lady will not forgive my lapse in honor.”
“And do you think she should?”
“I believe the lady has had enough of others making decisions for her and she should choose. I am afraid I am at her mercy.”
“And what might you do to regain a lady’s trust?” She eased onto the bench, so close their legs were touching.
He opened his mouth to speak, but she covered his lips with her finger. His warm breath moved around her as his chest rose and fell.
“What if what she wants in return is too much for a knight to offer?”
“The lady is worth any price.” His fingers closed around hers, and he gently curled her hand in his, placing a sweet kiss on top of the sensitive flesh.
Her insides clenched and heated with the need to have him nearer. “And what if she demands your undying loyalty, your devotion, and…your love.”
“She may not ken it, but she has had those things since the first moment her hand touched mine.” He swiveled his palm so that it was flush with hers as it had been the first night they’d danced.
“Then kiss me, knight, and prove that you are worthy of my affections.” As she trailed her fingers across his cheek, she could see the bruises he’d earned in battle. Some she now knew he had earned saving Eddie’s life.
His hand threaded through her hair and drew her near. But instead of his lips landing on hers, they moved to her ear. His warm breath sent chills down her spine. “Ye will always be the only woman for me. I pledge everything that I am to ye, Jennet. I love ye.”
Her breath caught at the raw emotion she heard in his heavy lilt. The one that had wrapped itself around her and taken her senses. His lips landed on hers, and the embrace was magical. It soothed the hurt of the day, spoke of intimate nights ahead, and promised security in the future.
When he finally pulled back, she met his heated gaze straight on. “Then, Sir Giric, your revenge against my family is complete, and you have earned my undying love.”
“Then ’tis the sweetest vengeance I shall ever know. I will cherish it for the rest of my life.”