Chapter Ten
Daisy watched the suncome up on May Day, already up to begin the arduous process of having her hair done in the intricate braids her mother had insisted upon. Her maid worked busily behind her as the reds and golds on the horizon danced before Daisy’s eyes.
She still wasn’t happy about the way her mother had bullied her into this entire thing, but she was trying desperately to remember the May Days of her youth, when the beautiful gowns and flowers had made the day seem as though she’d entered the realm of the fairies. Maybe if she tried hard enough, she could find that magic one more time. Lord knew that magic had been in short supply in her life as of late.
At last, her maid had finished braiding the flowers into her hair, and she donned the gorgeous white gown her mother’s seamstress had created. As she stood in front of the mirror, she had to admit that she looked good, perhaps the best she’d ever looked in her life. Was she as beautiful as Violet? Probably not. But did that matter? No, she realized. It didn’t.
She and her sister were very different. They both had their strengths and weaknesses. She had to find a way to quit comparing herself to Violet and start celebrating her own unique beauty. She could not expect Flynn to love her until she found a way to love herself.
She’d lived too long in her sister’s shadow, but today was her time to shine. She was the Queen of May Day and the eyes of the entire village would be on her. For once in her life, she decided to believe that she was worthy of love and admiration.
A tentative smile curved her lips, and then she went downstairs to join her parents for the ride to the church in town where the festivities would be held.
* * *
ASENSE OF RIGHTNESSfilled Flynn as he watched the May Day parade approach the church.
Five years ago, he’d stood in this same spot, a boy who did not truly know his own mind, captivated by a pretty face, desperate to have someone waiting for him as he ventured into the unknown. Now, he was a man who’d tasted the horrors of battle, been wounded, and knew exactly what he wanted.
And what he wanted was the beautiful girl who led the others at the head of the parade. He caught his breath at the sheer magnificence of this woman who’d risked so much to provide him a light in the darkness that had been his life while he’d been gone.
She wore a breathtaking gown of filmy white layers that moved enticingly as she danced toward him. Her dark hair was intricately braided and threaded with spring flowers. She looked fey, reminded him of legends of old, and it was all he could do not to rush forward and take her in his arms and beg forgiveness.
But this was her moment. Everyone here was staring at her, enchanted by her beauty. He wanted her to experience that, to be the center of attention. Violet had overshadowed her for far too long.
She was his queen, and he intended to forever show her that she was first in his heart.
For the next hour, he hung back, getting some food and ale as he watched her go about her duties. He didn’t think she’d seen him, and he was all right with that. He was content just watching her, enjoying her obvious pleasure of the day.
Knowing her as he realized he did, this whole thing had to be very uncomfortable and overwhelming for her, but you couldn’t tell by looking at her. She laughed and danced and talked to people, handling the myriad duties of queen of the day with charm and grace. He realized she’d be just as capable as his wife.
Heath and Violet held court at a table under a white tent, but he didn’t join them. He’d long since forgiven his sister-in-law for inadvertently breaking his heart. She hadn’t realized how much he cared for her, and she seemed to truly love his brother, or at least in as much as she was capable of loving anyone other than herself. But he found that he still wasn’t very comfortable in her presence. She nearly always managed to add some pitying or catty comment about Daisy to any conversation, and he couldn’t wait for her to realize that as far as he was concerned, Daisy was the far more beautiful and kind Weatherby sister.
At last, the festivities began to wind down. There would be dancing and drinking later on, but the morning portion was done. She’d be expected to come back, and he hoped to join her, but everyone would go home and freshen up and rest a bit before the nighttime activities commenced.
Even though he’d been watching her most of the day, he almost missed it when she ducked into the trees at the edge of the field. Cursing softly under his breath, he took off after her, but by the time he got to the trees himself, she had disappeared into the forest. He stood in a small clearing, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to figure out where she’d gone.
Then, suddenly, he knew.
Swallowing thickly, he headed in the direction of the place where he’d met Violet four years ago. He wasn’t sure why she’d thought to go there, and he feared it didn’t bode well for the success of his suit. The last thing he wanted was the shadow of their past to ruin the bright future he hoped to build with her.
By the time he reached the clearing, he’d nearly convinced himself that he’d been wrong, that she’d just used the woods as a shortcut home or gone to find fresh wildflowers to replenish the blossoms in her hair, but to both his relief and dismay, he found her standing under the very tree where he’d once kissed her sister.
Her dark eyes widened when she saw him, and for a moment, he thought she might bolt, but then she squared her shoulders. “Flynn. What are you doing here?”
“I followed you,” he replied, standing before her with his heart on his sleeve. “I’ve been waiting all day for the right time to speak to you.”
She blinked but didn’t look convinced. “You could have talked to me anytime during the past month,” she pointed out, and the pain in her voice slayed him. The last thing he’d wanted to do was hurt her.
“I needed to figure a few things out,” he told her softly. “I wasn’t sure...” He shook his head, unsure how to explain himself. He’d let too much time pass, and he knew it.
“You weren’t sure of what?” she asked irritably. “I think you’ve already said everything you needed to say. You made it quite clear that you can’t forgive me.”
An awkward silence fell between them, and he wasn’t quite sure how to break it. He’d prepared a whole speech, but suddenly, it seemed completely inadequate.
“I’ve missed you,” he said at last. “For years, you were my best friend, my confidante. The one person in the entire world who seemed to understand me. Ever since I came home, I’ve felt lost.”
