The Lady and the Earl (38 page)

Declan
wanted to hit something in frustration.  He would be glad once he was rid of these rumors and back in his own home in
Westbrook
.  If the journey went smoothly, he could be looking into Allana’s eyes in two days time.
  Then he would know for certain if the rumors were true.  Her eyes could not lie to him.
  He
nodded to himself
as he climbed into the carriage that would take him home.

The weeks without
Declan
went by slowly for Allana.  She was bed ridden for the first week, and the second week she left her bed only with another’s assistance.  In the weeks following, she healed enough and gained enough strength to spend most of her time with Lancelot, talking to him and soothing him.  The poor animal had lost his confidence in humans.  He was jittery and skittish, allowing only Allana and
Fredric
near him. 

Allana worked with Fredric frequently
.  Aside from her father and Connor
,
she avoided men.  They made her nervous
,
even Fredric’s
grand
father
Dalon
.  Why should she fear any except Lucas?  She should not, yet she did.  But Fredric was different.  He was just a boy.  He was her friend.  He could not hurt her, and he would not.

A
t first
Fredric
was distant.  Allana
caught him eyeing her in reserve, which saddened her.
 
He
was
a good friend to her, and she knew he harbored feeling
s
for her.  Had Lucas taken that friendship along with everything else? 

“F
reddy, what is bothering you?” s
he finally asked him one day.

He shook his head and moved to muck out the stall next to Lancelot’s. 

Allana followed him. 

“Please Freddy.  You have
n’t
looked at me
the same
since…since it happened
.  Why?  Do you truly see me differently now
?” she
asked quietly.

He still would not look at her.  He was shaking, though.  “I
…I
know,” he finally said.

Allana froze.  “What do you mean?”

“I know who it was.  I know what happened,” he said
in a whisper
.  He looked at her, and she saw hate in those deep brown eyes.
 

Allana swallowed a lump in her throat.  “You know?”

“I do, and I did nothing.  I did
n’
t know he would come for you,” he said as tears leaked out of his eyes.  “I’m so sorry, my Lady.  I failed you.”

Her breath caught in her throat.
  The hate was not for her.
  “What happened, Freddy
?” she
asked.

“I came to visit Lancelot.  He is my favorite. 
He
was already
here
.  I tried to stop him, but failed.  He bruised me up pretty good, but nowhere anyone could see. 
Just my ribs and back.
  I told my
grandfather
Lancelot kicked me when I went near him.
 
Lucas…h
e threatened me. 
Told me not to say anything.
 
All I could do was
stare
at him.
  I couldn’t do anything.  He laughed at me and left.  I thought he’d left for good.  I didn’t know.  I swear I didn’t know
he was coming for you
,”
the boy
finished.  Allana could tell he was fighting back emotions.  He did
n’t
want to appear weak in front of her.

“
Oh Freddy,
I’
m so sorry.”  She walked to him and wrapped him up in her arms.  “It was not your fault.  You did
n’t
know.  How could you know?”  She could feel him shaking beneath her embrace.  She shed her own tears with him.  The torment this boy must have been putting
himself through was wrong.  He should
n’t
blame himself for something he could
n’t
have predicted
, n
obody could have predicted.
 

“I am sorry.  I couldn’t protect Lancelot.  I couldn’t protect you,” he cried.

“No, Freddy.
  Do not be sorry.  You stood up to him.  You fought him, and for that, I am grateful,” Allana said in earnest.

“But
—
”
h
e tried to argue, but she
stopped him
. 

“No.  You listen to me.”  She pulled away from him and forced him to look at her.  “You are not to blame.  Do you understand me?  You are an honorable, strong young man.  But Lucas is much larger than either of us.  We fought, and that
is what matters.”  Those words
hit her like a hammer. 
She’d
fought, but what good had it done?  It had saved her virtue
;
that is what it had done.  Of course, had Connor not arrived when he had, her virtue would be gone as well.

Fredric
stared at her and nodded.  “Should I have told someone, my Lady
?” he
asked quietly.

Her eyes widened.  “No.  I still fear his threats.”

Fredric’s eyes turned angry.  “I hate him for what he has done to you.  You should not fear any man.  You should tell Master Connor…no, Lord Cunningham.  He would dispatch Lucas easily, and you could be free of him.  If only I were older, I would do it for you!”

Allana smiled.  “Yes, I believe you would.  But I cannot tell anyone.  I dare not,” she said sadly.

“Then I shall keep your secret, my Lady.”

“Our secret, Freddy.
  It is now our secret.”

The weeks that followed were much better for Allana.  She had an understanding soul
who knew her secret.  It was healing to be able to confide in someone even if that someone was a boy of twelve.  The two of them worked with Lancelot together, and eventually Allana was able to mount her proud horse without
fear he would throw her. 
Unfortunately, it would be another week or two before her ribs would be well enough for her to ride her magnificent horse. 

She thought of
Declan
often when she
wasn’
t caring for Lancelot or
reading the endearing letter he left for her over and over, looking forward to the day she would see him again. 
She was gaining confidence slowly.  She
didn’t
mind
Dalon’s
presence any longer.  But she
hadn’t
been exposed to many other men since her incident, and she was afraid of how she might act toward Declan
when she saw him again
.  Would she be
skittish and jittery
as Lancelot had been toward everyone except her
and Fredric
?
Surely
not.
 
She loved
Declan
with all of her heart.  It was ridiculous to even think of being afraid of him
because he would never hurt her.  Thus, she pushed her fears aside and waited patiently for the day he would return to her.

Declan
was gone
four weeks before returning.  Allana
was in the library trying to read a book when he finally arrived. 

Lilly sat next to
her
reading her own book while Allana tried to concentrate on the one in front of her.  She
didn’t
feel like reading
.  She was too restless to read, but Lilly had insisted and had shushed Allana several times already for striking up conversation instead. 

So Allana
stared a
t her book blankly and thought of
Declan
.  One week and she would be his.  Her ribs should be healed enough by then for her to have a normal wedding night, shouldn’t they?  She would hate to have to wait any longer to be his in all ways.  Allana blushed at the thought, glancing toward Lilly to make certain she hadn’t noticed her sudden change in color.
  Surely, it was inappropriate to think such things.

Voices from the main hall caught her attention.

“Did you hear that?”
Allana asked Lilly.  Had
she
even heard it?  She strained her ears to listen.

Lilly sighed irritably.  “Will I ever be able to read without interruptions?”

“
Shhh
.
  I’
m trying to listen,” Allana said, ignoring Lilly’s remark. 
Was that
Declan’s
voice she
heard?

Lilly lifted an eyebrow.  “And what, may I ask, are you listening for?”

“
I think I heard…yes, I did!
”
Allana said excitedly.

“Heard what?”
Lilly asked in bewilderment.

“
I heard
Declan
’s
voice
. 
He’s here.  Lilly, he’s finally here
!
” 
Allana
jumped to her feet and rushed out of the room.  She wanted to run, but her ribs
were still too sore for such an act.  She would have to walk instead.
  But she made it a
very quick
walk, speeding to the entrance hall as quickly as possible.  She stopped short when spotting him.  Her heart skipped a beat and butterflies filled her stomach. 
She’d
almost forgotten how handsome he was.  When he looked at her, she grew warm all over, and she knew, healed or not, she would be his on her wedding night.

*
             
*
             
*

Declan
did
not
see her enter the room, but somehow he knew
Allana
was there.  He turned in her direction and smiled slightly at her.  The look in her eyes
was just as he had remembe
red, yet distrust clouded his mind.
 

“Excuse me, Connor.  Marcus.  There is someone I
must
say hello to,”
Declan
said motioning toward Allana.  She was absolutely breathtaking.  He watched for a moment as she came toward him before he in turn walked toward her.  His mind was whirling.  How should he
approach her?  He wanted to
pull her to him,
and
kiss her thoroughly.  He could not, of course, not in front of Marcus and Connor.  But even
if they weren’t there
, could Declan do as he wished? 
He’d
been poisoned while in London, and that poison ran deep.  For the first time since rescuing
Allana
from the lake of mud, he doubted himself and her. 
 

He reached her in three long strides, bow
ed
politely to her and receiv
ed
a curtsy in
re
turn
.
 
“Allana,” he said, looking into her lovely green eyes that sparkled warmly.

“
Declan
,” came her reply.  She smiled affectionately at him, heating his being. 

“How have you been
?” he
asked.  Desperately his eyes searched hers looking for a sign it truly was love radiating from her.  He hated not knowing.  Why had he let himself grow so attached so quickly?

“Terrible,” she replied, “but
I’m
much better now that you are back.”

It was said with such honesty
. 
He smiled. 
“
Would you care to walk with me
?” he
asked.

“I would
be delighted
to,” she replied softly.

“Good.”  He turned to
Lord
Tananguard and Connor.  “Marcus, Connor.  Do you mind if I bypass your company and take
Lady
Allana for a walk
?”

“Of course not, but when you return, I would like to meet with you if you do
n’t
mind,”
Lord
Tananguard said to
Declan
.

Declan
nodded in reply.  He turned back to Allana and offered her his arm.  “Shall we
?” he
asked.