The Earl's Entanglement (Border Series Book 5)(77)

“Under the watchful eye of your brother,” Sara finished.

Was Sara really suggesting she should go to him later?

Aye, she would. They needed time alone, away from prying eyes, to settle all the questions that remained between them. But before the night was through, there would be no doubt.

The man she loved would be hers.

Tonight . . . and forever.





30





Why was he still here?

He owed as much to Lady Sara after listening to his offer—nay, his plea—for Emma’s hand in marriage. For her friendship and their shared history.

Who am I fooling?

He was still here because of her. Could there truly be hope? Geoffrey had made it fairly clear there wasn’t any, and yet he couldn’t bear to accept that he was too late.

“Lord Clave.” Geoffrey Waryn strode through the hall to where he stood waiting by the mantel. “Come, sit with me.”

Garrick followed Geoffrey to the raised dais. His host indicated for him to sit next to him, and so he did.

“The ladies should arrive shortly,” Geoffrey said, then thanked the cupbearer for filling his goblet with wine, and Garrick did the same.

“I assume a toast will be in order?” his host said.

Though Garrick didn’t understand his meaning, he lifted his goblet anyway.

Which was when Geoffrey burst into laughter. “I can see they didn’t tell you yet.”

As they watched the hall continue to fill, a flash of green and blue peeked out from the crowd. Sara and Emma appeared on the opposite side of the hall.

The men stood.

Bloody hell.

It was her smile that he noticed first. She beamed as if she had not a care in the world. Her mood, coupled with Geoffrey’s odd comment, was Garrick’s first indication the situation was not quite as he’d thought.

“Tell me what?”

The ladies were halfway to the dais when a pleasant but indistinguishable scent announced the arrival of the first course. But Garrick didn’t look at the servants waiting at the side of the hall for their lady to sit. He didn’t look at Geoffrey for a response to his question.

He looked instead at Emma, who stared straight back as if she’d just been told a tantalizing secret. Her smile held both promise and desire, and his body instantly responded.

“That both my wife and I, independently, intercepted the message to Sowlis.”

It took him a moment to grasp Geoffrey’s words. “Intercepted?”

“Stopped him from delivering it. I wanted to speak to Emma first before I gave my approval. Which, of course, you have.”

She is not marrying Graeme. I have her brother’s approval.

Emma began to follow Sara around to Geoffrey’s left, but the countess stopped her.

“I do believe you have a new seat this eve,” she said. They both looked at the empty seat next to Garrick.

Emma simply smiled as she made her way to the chair. She stepped up, thanked the servant who held the ornate wooden chair for her, and sat.

When a trencher was placed between them, Garrick peered around Geoffrey to greet Sara. “Good eve, my lady.”

“Lord Clave.”

It seemed everyone other than him was smiling and in good cheer. Perhaps if he’d learned about their change in circumstances before sitting down to the meal, he’d feel the same.

When Sara leaned in to say something to her husband, Garrick took advantage of their distraction and turned back to Emma.

“Why did you not tell me?” he whispered.

Her smile faltered, likely at his harsh tone. “I had hoped for the chance to speak with you, alone.”

“So it seems you are free to marry once again?”

Garrick hated that she’d accepted Graeme’s proposal, even though they had parted under less than ideal circumstances. He was not happy with her decision, but neither did he pretend the outcome would be anything other than Emma belonging to him.

And he to her.

“Aye, my lord.”

He ignored the herring and herbs that had been placed on their shared trencher.

“And you’re sure you are not wanting to send that messenger back to Scotland?” he pressed.

Her eyes narrowed. “If you’re sure you don’t want to find another Scottish heiress to secure your claim to Linkirk.”

The mood shifted. Despite the tone of their words, the very air around them seemed lighter, less oppressive than it had been just moments before.

“There is only one thing I want, Lady Emma. And I believe you know what it is,” he whispered.

She held his gaze, boldly and with more promise than he deserved. “What, may I presume to ask, is that, my lord?”

“You shall find out soon enough.” With that, he gave his attention to their hosts. “Lord—”

“Geoffrey,” the man corrected.

Though he’d known Sara since childhood, he could not say the same for her husband. The earl’s easy request for Garrick to use his given name confirmed the words he’d said before.

“Garrick Helmsley. Brother-in-law.” Sara’s broad smile was infectious enough for him to stop thinking, for the moment, of Graeme de Sowlis and Emma’s ready acceptance of his offer.

“Pardon me,” Emma interrupted.