'My lord, you are embarrassing me in front of this company,' Clare said through her teeth. 'Kindly sit down and behave yourself.'
Gareth folded his arms across his broad chest. 'Not until we have done with this idiocy. Everyone in this hall knows that freeing those seven men is a ludicrous notion. Give me a single sound reason for doing it.'
Clare was rapidly losing her temper. 'It would be an act of mercy and compassion.'
'This is not sufficient reason.'
'It would be just the sort of gracious gesture that would do proper honor to the birthday of Saint Hermione.'
'Madam, until I came to this isle, I had never even heard of Saint Hermione. I am certainly not going to release those men on her account. Give me another reason.'
'To celebrate the visit of your parents?' she tried desperately.
'Nay, that is not sufficient reason.'
Clare could not stand it anymore. She leaped to her ' feet. 'I ask a favor of you, sir. I vow, Hellhound, if you have the smallest spark of affection in your heart for me, you will show mercy toward those men.'
Gareth's eyes were unreadable. 'The smallest spark of affection, did you say?'
'Aye,' she flung back, goaded beyond endurance. 'If you returned even a portion of the love that I have for you, my lord, you would have no difficulty granting me this boon.'
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Clare wanted to disappear in a puff of smoke. She could not believe she had been such a fool.
Not a single person moved. Even the servants were frozen in place.
'Let me make certain that I comprehend this, madam,' Gareth said slowly.
'What you are saying is that if I loved you, I would free those seven men?'
Fool, fool, fool. Glare wondered if she would ever live down this humiliation. But there was no going back. She lifted her chin and looked straight into the smoky depths of Gareth's eyes.
'Aye, my lord. That is exactly what I am saying.'
'So be it.'
Clare's mouth opened and closed. She gazed at him, uncomprehending. 'I beg your pardon, my lord?'
Gareth started to smile. 'I said, so be it. Those men in the cellar shall be escorted off Desire in the morning. They shall be banished from the isle and the vicinity of Seabern.'
Clare could not believe her ears. 'You are actually going to do it?
You'll free them? For my sake?'
'As proof of my love for you.'
'Oh, Gareth.' Clare threw herself into his arms. 'You do have a wondrous way of making a grand and gracious gesture. Thank you, my lord.'
Gareth caught her close and started to laugh. The great, roaring sound filled the hall and bounced off the ceiling. The guests grinned at one another.
'You really do love me?' Clare's voice was muffled against Gareth's broad chest.
Gareth stopped laughing. He looked down at her, his crystal eyes suddenly so clear that Clare could see all the way to his soul. The truth blazed there in the depths.
'How could I not love you, Clare? You hpld my heart and my future in your hands.'
The hall broke into wild, thundering applause as the Hellhound bent his head to kiss his lady wife.
Out of the comer of her eye Clare saw Helen lean slightly toward Thurston. The abbess whispered something. Thurston nodded and smiled with satisfaction.
Lost in the wonder of the moment, Clare felt happiness rise within her.
It flooded her senses, a unique, intoxicating scent that she recognized at once as the perfume of love.
