Desire

added helpfully.

'That is not at all amusing, sir.'

'This has gone far enough.' Gareth reached inside his outer tunic and withdrew a folded parchment leaf. 'You had best read this letter from Thurston of Landry before you proceed with your schemes, my lady.'

Clare regarded the letter warily before she took it from his hand. She studied the seal intently and then slowly broke it. Her mouth tightened as she read.

Gareth examined the neatly framed flower beds and the carefully trimmed borders of the garden as he waited for Clare to read through the letter.

He was familiar with the contents of Thurston's missive. His father had dictated the letter in Gareth's presence. It would be interesting to see how Clare reacted when she had finished reading.

He did not have long to wait. Clare was obviously very skilled at reading. Just as he was.

'I find this very difficult to believe,' Clare muttered as she hurriedly perused the first paragraph. 'Lord Thurston claims that you are the best candidate he could find. He says that you are the only one who was even remotely comparable to Lord Nicholas.'

'I told you as much.'

'I would not boast of it, if I were you. Nicholas is hardly a model of gracious chivalry.'

'I have heard that he is skilled with a sword and that he is loyal to his liege lord,' Gareth said softly. 'Those are Thurston's primary concerns.'

'It is easy for Lord Thurston to be satisfied with such simple qualifications. He is not obliged to marry the future lord of Desire.'

'I'll concede that much.'

Clare frowned as she returned her attention to the letter. 'Surely there must have been others who…

By Hermione's elbow, sir, this is impossible.' Clare looked up, clearly dumbfounded. 'Lord Thurston claims that you are his eldest son.'

'Aye.'

'That cannot be true. Never expect me to believe that Thurston of Landry would want his heir to wed someone like me.'

Gareth slanted her a sidelong glance. 'What is wrong with you?'

'Nothing, of course. But Thurston's heir will be expected to make a fine match with a truly great heiress, the daughter of a family which enjoys influence with King Henry. A grand lady whose dowry will include much wealth and vast estates. I have only one small manor and it is already bound to Lord Thurston.'

'You do not understand.'

'I most certainly do understand.' Clare's voice rang with fresh outrage.

'You, sir, are attempting to deceive me.'

The accusation annoyed him. 'No, madam, I am not trying to cheat you.'

'Do not think you can trick me so easily. If you were truly the baron's heir, he would not settle this tiny little manor on you.'

'Madam?'

'And why would you wish to live here in this remote place when, as Thurston's son and heir, you could have your choice of many fine holdings and great castles?'

' 'Tis true that I am Thurston of Landry's eldest son,' Gareth said through set teeth. 'But I am not his heir.'

'How can that be?'

'I'm his natural son, not his legitimate heir.' Gareth looked at her, curious to see how she would react when she learned the full truth. 'To be blunt, madam, I am Thurston's bastard.'

Clare was speechless for a moment. 'Oh.'

He saw that she was surprised, but he could not tell if she was shocked or angered or horrified to discover that she would soon be wed to a bastard. 'Now mayhap you understand.'

'Aye, sir, I do. Under the circumstances, Desire is no doubt as much as you can expect to receive by way of an inheritance, is it not?'

He did not like the hint of sympathy in her voice. 'Tis enough. More than I expected.'

Clare glowered at him and then bent her head over the letter. 'This is too much. Your father states that I am to marry at once and that he hopes I will choose you, but if not, he will accept Nicholas of Seabern as the new lord of Desire.'

'I told you that Thurston is most anxious to see the matter settled,'

Gareth said neutrally. 'He was much alarmed to discover that this manor had been without a lord for some time.'

'Ah?'

'For some reason, he did not learn of your father's death until very recently. Apparently your letter notifying him of the sad event was delayed for a few months.'

'Well, as to that, aye, there was some small delay.' Clare cleared her throat discreetly. 'I was numbed with grief for a time, of course.'

'Of course.'

'And then, when I eventually recovered, I discovered that there were a great many business matters that needed to be settled.'

'Naturally.'

'And then, the first thing I knew, it was winter,' Clare continued blithely. 'I reasoned that the roads would be impassable, what with the snow and ice. I decided it would be best to wait until early spring to send a message to Thurston.'

Gareth almost smiled. 'And while you waited for the roads to clear, you sought to discover a way to avoid marriage.'

Clare gave him a disgruntled look. 'It was worth a try.'

He shrugged. 'But the effort failed. So now we must go forward along a new path.'

'We?'

'Aye. There is no reason the marriage cannot be celebrated on the morrow, is there?'

'Impossible.' Desperation flashed in Clare's eyes. 'Absolutely impossible. It simply cannot be done.'

'It most certainly can be done, and well you know it. All that is required is that a priest be summoned?'

'We do not have a priest here on Desire,' Clare said swiftly.

'I'm sure that one can be found in Seabern. We shall make our vows in front of witnesses, and that is that.'

'But there is so much more to the matter,' Clare protested. 'A suitable celebration must be arranged.

My marshal already has his hands full organizing the household to accommodate all of your men. He will need weeks to arrange a wedding banquet and a proper feast for the villagers.'

'I am certain all can be arranged very quickly once you have made your selection. A day or two at most,' Gareth conceded.

'You speak as one who has never had to organize such an event,' she informed him with lofty disdain. 'Great quantities of bread must be baked. Fish must be caught. Chickens plucked. Sauces prepared. Casks of wine and ale will have to be purchased. It will be necessary to send someone to Seabern to obtain some of the supplies.'

Gareth came to a halt and confronted her. 'Lady, I have organized entire battles with less notice. But I am willing to be patient.'

'How patient?'

'Now we are to bargain on that point? I begin to comprehend that I am to marry a woman with a head for business. Very well, my terms are simple. I shall allow you a day to make your decision and to prepare.'

'One day?'

'Aye. An entire day. All of tomorrow, in fact. I am feeling in an indulgent mood.'

'You call that indulgent?'

'I do. We shall be married the day after tomorrow even if we are obliged to serve naught but bad ale and stale bread at the banquet. Do you comprehend me?'