Misplaced Angel

Chapter 29

He thought long and hard of what he was going to say to her. They had a quiet supper and enjoyed their evening.
They retired early to their room. He watched as she did her nightly routine of washing up and removing her gown to put on her chemise.
When she finished, she walked slowly towards the bed and smiled sweetly at him.
His chest tightened at the view of her.
He leaned back above his pillows and looked at her.

Gently, he pulled her over to sit straddling him. She looked so beautiful, his train of thought easily could be lost staring into her eyes.
She knew something was wrong because she held his somber look.

He lowered his eyes and playfully entwined his fingers with hers. He swallowed hard thinking of where to begin.

"Tara I need to speak to you.." He spoke softly.
Looking down at their joined hands he began.
She patiently waited for him to speak.

"Many years ago when my father was Lord of Chaswick, there was a lot of feuds. Many of them had to do with sieges, and the taking of lands. Territory.
My father saw that because of this there was a lot of bloodshed.

There were two lands in particular that gained most notoriety for these quarrels, that was my father's and Lord Marlaude's.
So to protect the lands they made an agreement and decided to become allies and merge the two families."

He paused...

"To do this my father and Maularde made a pact that they would unite through a betrothal of their firstborn children which would be myself and Maulardes daughter Erica.

Upon this pact, they agreed that on her 18th birthday she would marry me.

"Years have passed and since then the feud over our lands has stopped. My father's end, due to his illness, the agreement was forgotten....but... Marlaude has not. Today a messenger brought the missive saying that in three days' time Erica, his daughter will be 18."

He looked up at her. She quietly sat above him, he was not sure whether to stop or continue.
" I was not aware of this arrangement," he emphasized.

He squeezed her hand gently to bring her back from her thoughts. Their eyes connected.

"I don't plan to go through with the agreement." He paused.
Tara, I want you to be my wife." He said.
"Marry me, Tara,"

She looked down into his eyes and saw he really was serious. Her heart skipped a beat at his words. But the truth is she couldn't do it.

"Tara,"

She gently caressed his chest, her eyes slowly gleamed with tears.

Then she looked at him.

"Oh, Duncan! As much as I would like to say yes. We can't," she slowly shook her head.

"Why?" His eyes searched hers.

She looked away.

"We simply can't, Duncan," she shrugged her shoulders in defeat.

He sat up. He raised his hand slowly to caress her cheek.

"I want you to be my wife," he repeated again.

She closed her eyes, trying to pull away but he would not let her. In a swift soft motion, he turned with her onto the bed. He lay above her looking down at her.

She was silent for a while.

"You have to marry her, Duncan," she gazed up into his scowling eyes.

"I will not," he frowned.