Page 84 of Gambling with the Earl
He ducked back into their bedchamber, smiling at the sight of her sitting up and rubbing her eyes, her beautiful red-gold hair tumbling down her back.
“Go back to sleep,” he urged.
“What is it?” she persisted.
“Nothing that can’t wait.” He took three strides across the floor and dropped a kiss onto her forehead. “I’m sorry to wake you.”
Kitty’s dextrous fingers plucked the parchment from his hand before he could stop her. She raised her eyebrows. “An urgent message?”
Guy sighed and sat down on the bed. The sheets were crumpled and warm. “Apparently so.”
She laid a hand on his knee and looked at him seriously. “Please open it.”
The red seal looked familiar as he broke it and unfurled the parchment, his eyes skimming the words quickly. With everyline he read, his heart beat faster and the knowledge he would have to leave Kitty’s side dropped like a stone into his chest.
“It’s Otto,” he said bleakly. “Otto Sarragnac, son of the Earl of Darkmoor,” he added, seeing her blank expression.
“Oh!” Her eyes opened wide. “The man who…?”
He nodded, pursing his lips at the unwelcome memory of how Lord Ulric had disrespected his wife. “His son, that is,” he corrected.
“What does he want?”
Guy folded the parchment, wanting to treasure every moment of this domestic scene. Beyond the castle walls he could hear gulls crying and waves breaking upon the cliffs. The white-washed walls of the bedchamber were patterned with sunlight and Kitty herself was a vision of loveliness. A beautiful woman, carrying his child.
He took a deep breath. “I must leave you, for a short while,” he said. “I promise, it is the last thing I want.”
Her hand touched his, warm and comforting. “Tell me what has happened?”
“It is all Otto’s worst fears come to pass. His father, Lord Ulric, has died in battle. Now Darkmoor is plunged into unrest and my cousin needs a man he can trust by his side. When he was last here, I promised him he could call on me at such a time.”
Kitty’s sea-green eyes flashed with understanding. “Of course, you must go,” she said bravely, nodding once.
Guy cupped her face with his palm. “Thank you for understanding.”
She shrugged, smiling. “I married a knight,” she said simply. “And I love you for that. I would not change who you are.”
“A knight with a wife to come home to, and a child on the way.” He placed his hand against the curve of her belly, beforepulling her into a tight embrace. “There is no luckier man in the land.”
THE END
