“I should not be doing this,” she said with disapproval in her tone, “but Lady Emllyn has been nearly frantic to see you and I promised her that I would let the two of you remain in the same room. She has assured me that you are her watchdog and nothing more.”
Devlin nodded. “That would be a fair statement, m’lady.”
Elyse cocked a dubious eyebrow. “And you swear you will not molest her?”
“I swear.”
She sighed heavily again. “If my father finds out, I will be in for a row.”
“He will not find out. And I am grateful for the kindness, for I am leaving tomorrow and it may be some time before I see the lady again, if ever.” He paused, his dark blue eyes glimmering with worry. “You… you will take care of Lady Emllyn, won’t you? Since I will be leaving and unable to watch over her, you will do it, won’t you?”
Elyse cocked her head with concern. “Where are you going?”
Devlin didn’t want to tell her what he had discussed with her father so he skirted the truth. “Your father has asked me to leave and I must comply,” he said. “I worry over the lady’s safety while I am gone.”
Elyse shook her head, putting a gentle hand on his wrist to comfort him. “Do not worry,” she said. “I will take care of her. She is in good hands.”
Devlin nodded, feeling depressed and resigned. “You have my thanks.”
Elyse remove her hand from his wrist. “It is my pleasure,” she said. “Lady Emllyn seems like a kind and lovely woman.”
“She is, m’lady.”
Elyse smiled at him, sensing his morose mood, and moved for the chamber door. “I will go and get her now,” she said softly. Then, she glanced around the room. “This is usually an alcove for the servants but I made it as comfortable as I could in what short time I had. I hope it is enough.”
“It is finer and lovelier than anything I have ever seen.”
Elyse smiled demurely, a practiced gesture. “Thank you,” she said, lifting the latch on the door. “You will stay here and I will return shortly with Lady Emllyn.”
She left Devlin standing in the middle of the lush chamber, surrounded by stone walls, fine silks, and softly glowing lamps. A gentle breeze blew at the curtains, lifting them slightly and sending wisps of cold air into the room. He noticed there was an elaborate brazier near the smaller of the mattresses and it was giving off a fair amount of heat. It made the small chamber rather cozy.
As he faced the larger bed, inspecting the myriad of lush silk pillows thrown about it, he heard the door latch lift. By the time he turned around, Emllyn was moving stiffly but quickly into the chamber. He could see Elyse outside as she guided the woman in and then shut the door silently behind her. The moment the door was shut, his attention riveted to Emllyn.
Clad in the blue brocaded robe and with her hair artfully arranged, she looked beautiful and ethereal. It was as Emllyn was always meant to be, a glorious angel in the midst of a colorless world. Devlin just stood there and stared at her, a million words running through his head. He could hardly grasp just one. But when she smiled timidly at him, everything came crashing down around him and his heart leapt into his throat. He’d never been so glad to see anyone in his entire life.
“Are you well, Emllyn?” he asked softly.
She nodded. “Much better,” she said. “My fever is nearly gone and my leg is doing very well, thank you.”
He smiled faintly at her, his heart beating so loudly that he could hear it in his ears. His chest was tight and his arms tingled. He was all shades of giddy at the sight and sound of her.
“De Noble, the commander of Glenteige, has ordered me to leave on the morrow,” he said, his voice strangely tight. “Somehow, our great plans are not happening as they should.”
The smile vanished from Emllyn’s face. “You areleaving?” she gasped. “Why? What has happened?”
Devlin could see how the idea crushed her so. It crushed him as well. The more he stared at her, fumbling for an answer, the more everything crushed down upon him until he could hardly breathe.
In two giant strides he was upon her, his big hands cupping her face and his lips slanting hungrily over hers. It seemed the most natural of things to do, a kiss that was the best and purest kiss he had ever given, meant only for her. There was no lust in it, no selfishness. It was honest and true, an expression of his feelings for her, feelings he hadn’t fully realized until this very moment.
Once his captive, she was now much more. She was all. Everything came spilling out before he could stop it.
“Forgive me,” he breathed. “You were right, Emllyn; you were so right. I was brutal and barbaric when we first met. I took a possession, a prize, an object and nothing more. In the heat of battle you represented everything I hated and everything I was fighting against, but now… God forgive me for the way I treated you. I am so very sorry. I tell you this because… because I have missed you so terribly. I thought never to see you again with all that has happened and now that you are here, all I can feel is utter happiness. Please… for what I have done to you in the past, I beg your forgiveness.”
Emllyn’s hands were on his wrists; they had been since the moment his lips had claimed hers, clinging to him as he held her head and kissed her. There was joy and relief in her heart that she couldn’t begin to describe, a euphoria that was enveloping her in a warm and liquid embrace until she could hardly stand. In fact, her knees gave out and Devlin picked her up, holding her against him as his mouth ravaged her. Emllyn wrapped her arms around his neck as if to never let go, tears of joy and adoration falling from her eyes.
“You are forgiven,” she whispered. “I know it was war that drove you to do what you did. That barbarian is not the Devlin I have come to know.”
He pulled his mouth away from her, nearly ripping himself free, and his dark blue eyes bore into her as if to reach in and clamp onto her very soul.
