Dragonblade Trilogy - 02 - Island of Glass by Kathryn Le Veque Page B

generations removed.”
    The idea that had occurred to Aubrielle
earlier suddenly took full bloom. But she had to be clever about it; St. Héver
was no fool.
    “Sir Kenneth, may I ask you
another question?”
    “If you must, my lady.”
    She smiled at his reply; he
seemed so resistant. “You said that anyone in England would be pleased and
privileged to receive this earldom, did you not?”
    “I did, my lady.”
    “And you are sworn to obey my
commands, as your lady?”
    He knew instantly where she was
leading. Or, at least, he thought he did. “You cannot give me this earldom, my
lady.”
    “But I can order you to marry me
and thereby transfer title and power to you.”
    He didn’t see her proposal coming
until she had said it. Instead of instant refusal, he actually stopped to ponder
the idea. It was entirely out of character that he should even remotely
entertain it. As much as the thought of being married to her enticed him on too
many levels to acknowledge, he knew that he could not.
    “Out of the question, my lady.”
    “But why?’ she moved towards him,
her lovely face anxious. “You are perfect. You are descended from royalty. In
fact, you are a distant cousin to the king. He would not refuse the match. Is
the means by which you inherit the earldom so unattractive to you?”
    For some reason, he was having
difficulty looking at her. He turned away, pacing towards the hearth simply to
have some breathing room. “The means by which to achieve this is perhaps the
most attractive aspect of it, have no doubt.”
    “Then why do you refuse? Do you
not want to be the second Earl of Wrexham?”
    He crossed his arms and looked at
her. “Why do you offer this? Surely you do not wish to marry me.”
    She couldn’t tell if he was
angered by the idea or pleased by it. She was careful to explain. “It would be
a marriage of convenience, I assure you. I would not expect you to perform the
duties of a husband, physically or emotionally. The marriage would be in title
only, simply so I would not have to shoulder the burden of this vast earldom. I
would not interfere with your rule or your life.”
    He didn’t know why her words
disappointed him so. He had thought he had made it clear that the marriage
aspect did not distress him. Obviously, it distressed her. He was ashamed that
he had revealed his thoughts on the matter, embarrassed that she had not
responded in kind.
    “I shall not be a convenience for
you.” He moved for the door. “If that will be all, my lady, I shall beg my
leave.”
    “No, wait,” she pleaded.
    He paused at the door, his eyes
like ice. “What is your wish, my lady?”
    Her expression softened. In spite
of their rough beginnings, Kenneth St. Héver had shown an inordinate amount of
kindness to her. Even when she was in the vault, he had never berated her or
been cruel.  He had spent the entire night by her side, making sure she was
comfortable. All she had ever shown him was spitefulness.  She was coming to
feel very sorry for her actions.
    “Please do not go,” she asked
softly.
    The ice in his gaze melted
somewhat. “What do you wish?”
    “I wish for you to marry me and
inherit the earldom. You may consider it a reward for all of your years of
service. You may consider it my gift to you for the kindness you have shown me.
If I said this was a marriage of convenience, I simply meant that you should
feel no obligation towards me.”
    Her gentleness surprised him. He
had no idea she was capable of it. He knew he should have stuck to his
instincts and left the room, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
    “I was always under the
impression that it was a man’s duty to offer a proposal of marriage, my lady,”
he said quietly. “I have never heard of a woman offering.”
    She smiled faintly. “As you have
said, I am somewhat unconventional.”
    He gazed at her, studying her
fine features. He was attracted to her, of that there was little doubt. He was
coming to see that, when