Desire

PROLOGUE

It is extremely unlikely that the lady of Desire is still a virgin,"

Thurston of Landry said. "But under the circumstances, I'm certain you'll find yourself able to overlook that aspect of the situation."

Gareth looked at his father impassively. His reaction to the news that his future bride had already dishonored herself with another man was virtually undetectable, a mere tightening of his fingers around his wine cup.

As a bastard son who'd been obliged to make his way in the world with his sword, he'd had years of experience concealing his emotions. In truth, he had become so skilled at the business that most people concluded that he possessed no strong feeling of any kind.

"You say she is an heiress?" Gareth forced himself to concentrate on the most important element of the matter. "She holds an estate?"

"Aye."

"In that case, she'll do as a wife." Gareth hid his intense satisfaction.

His father was right. As long as the lady was not pregnant with another man's babe, Gareth was prepared to overlook the issue of his bride's honor or lack of same for the sake of gaining lands of his own.

Lands of his own. The words shimmered with promise.

A place where he belonged; a place where he was not just the bastard son whose presence must be tolerated; a place where he was welcomed and needed not merely because his skill with a sword made him temporarily useful. He wanted to live in a place where he had a right to sit in front of his own hearth.

Gareth was thirty-one years old and he knew that he might never again be granted this opportunity.

He was a man who had long since learned to seize whatever chance fate brought his way. It was a philosophy which had served him well in the past.

"She is now sole mistress of the Isle of Desire." Thurston sipped wine from his finely crafted silver cup and gazed thoughtfully into the fire.

"Her father, Sir Humphrey, favored travel and intellectual pursuits over working the land. Unfortunately, word has reached me that he died? several months ago while on a journey in Spain. Murdered by bandits."

"There are no male heirs?"

"Nay. Two years ago, Humphrey's only son, Edmund, broke his fool neck in a tournament. Clare, the daughter, is the only one left. She inherits the manor."

"And as Sir Humphrey's liege lord, you have wardship of his daughter.

She will marry at your command."

Thurston's mouth twitched. "That remains to be seen."

Gareth realized that his father was barely restraining a grin. The knowledge made him uneasy.

As a man whose own natural temperament had always been of a profoundly serious and deeply restrained nature, Gareth was not much given to mirth. He rarely esponded with even mild amusement to the jests and japes that made others laugh aloud.

His unsmiling countenance nicely complemented his reputation as a ruthless man who could be exceedingly dangerous to cross, but it was not deliberate. He had no particular objection to smiles and laughter; he simply was not often inclined to indulge in either.

Now he waited warily to learn what it was that Thurston found so amusing in what should have been a straightforward matter of business.

He studied his father's lean, elegant profile in the light of the flames on the hearth. Thurston was in his mid-fifties. His thick, dark hair was streaked with silver, but he still captured the attention of every female who came within his sphere.

It was not only the power Thurston wielded as one of Henry II's favored barons that made him an object of merest to the female of the species, Gareth knew. It was also Thurston's handsome face and form that made him attractive to women.

Thurston's skill at seduction, employed quite freely in his younger days both before and after his arranged marriage, had been legendary.

Gareth's mother, the youngest daughter of a noble family in the south, had been one of his many conquests. As far as Gareth knew, he was his father's only adult illegitimate offspring. If there had been others over the years, none had survived infancy.

To Thurston's credit and his wife's thinly disguised displeasure, he had done his duty by his bastard son. He had acknowledged Gareth from the start.

Gareth had been raised by his mother until the age of eight. During those years Thurston had been a frequent visitor to the quiet manor house where Gareth and his mother had gone to live. But when Gareth had turned eight, the age when the sons of nobles went into training for knighthood, his mother had announced that she intended to take the veil.

There had been a fierce argument. Gareth would never forget his father's rage. But his mother had been adamant and in the end she had won.

Thurston had even provided the magnificent dowry that had made the convent more than happy to accept Gareth's mother as a novitiate.

Thurston had taken his bastard son home to Beckworth Castle. He had seen to Gareth's education as a knight with the same care and diligence that he had applied to the rearing of his legitimate sons and his heir, Simon.

Thurston's wife, Lady Lorice, beautiful, cold, and proud, had had no option but to tolerate the situation.

Perhaps not unnaturally, however, she had not gone out of her way to make young Gareth welcome in the household.

Deeply aware of his status as an outsider, missing the studious, contemplative atmosphere of his mother's household, Gareth had poured all his energies into his training with lance and sword. He had practiced endlessly, seeking an elusive satisfaction in a quest for perfection.

When he was not honing his fighting skills, he had sought out the solitude of the library of the local Benedictine monastery. There he had read anything and everything that Brother Andrew, the librarian, had given him.

By the time he was seventeen, Gareth had studied a wide variety of subjects. He had delved into treatises on mathematics and optics that had been translated from the Greek and Arabic by Gerard of Cremona. He had pondered Aristotle's theories of the four elements: earth, water, air, and fire. He was fascinated by Plato's writings on astronomy, light, and matter.

Gareth's interests in scholarly subjects had never proven to be of much practical use, but his skills as a knight and as a commander of men had enabled him to carve out a lucrative career for himself.

Many a powerful lord, including his own father, had considerable use for a man who knew how to hunt the thieves and marauding, renegade knights who were a constant threat to their remote estates and manors.

The business of snaring outlaws paid well and Gareth was adept at it. He had never been particularly enamored of the profession, but he was a man of means, thanks to his talent with a sword. He could not, however, satisfy his smoldering desire for lands of his own. Only his liege lord, his father, could grant him the manor that would make him a landed knight.

Four days ago Gareth had received Thurston's summons to Beckworth Castle. Tonight he had learned that his greatest wish was about to be fulfilled. It only required that he accept a lady with a blemished reputation as his wife.

It was a small price to pay for gaining the one thing he craved most in the world. Gareth was accustomed to paying for what he wanted.

"How old is the lady of Desire?" he asked.

"Let me think. Clare would be three and twenty now, I believe," Thurston said.

Gareth frowned. "And still unwed?"

"I am told that she has no great wish to be wed," Thurston said. "Some women do not, you know. Your own mother, for example."

"I doubt that my mother had much choice in the matter after I was conceived," Gareth said in a carefully neutral tone. This was old and all too familiar ground. He knew well how to conceal his bitterness.

"She was fortunate to find a nunnery that would take her."

"On that score you are wrong." Thurston rested his elbows on the carved wooden arms of his chair and laced his long fingers beneath his chin.

"With the dowry that I provided, you may be assured that your mother had her choice of convents. Indeed, the most important houses competed for her." His mouth curved wryly. "Little did any of them realize, of course, that whichever house took her in would soon find itself under her command."

Gareth shrugged. He saw his mother infrequently, but he corresponded with her regularly and he knew that Thurston was correct. His mother was a brilliant, formidable woman. Every bit as brilliant and as formidable as his father, in fact.

Gareth focused his attention on the matter at hand. "Is Lady Clare ill-formed in some fashion?"

"Not to my knowledge. I have not seen her since she was a child, but as I recall, she was a well-made girl. She showed no promise of being a great beauty, but I noticed naught that would be deemed ugly or misshapen in her appearance."

Thurston cocked one brow. "Are her looks a matter of great concern?"

"Nay." Gareth gazed into the fire. "Only her lands are of concern to me."

"I thought as much."

"I was merely seeking reasons to understand why she has never wed."

Thurston moved one hand in a dismissing gesture. The exquisite crimson and gold embroidery on the sleeve of his tunic gleamed in the firelight.

"As I said, some women have no great desire for the marriage bed, for one reason or another. From all accounts, Lady Clare is apparently one such female. She has agreed to wed now only because she knows she must."

"For the sake of her holdings?"

"Aye. The Isle of Desire is a plump bird, ripe for the plucking. It needs protection. She writes that there have been problems already with her neighbor; Nicholas of Seabern, as well as with a band of brigands who are harassing her shipments of goods to London."

"So she is in need of a husband who can defend her manor and you, sir, wish to be certain that Desire continues to be profitable for you."

"Aye. The isle itself is not large. The lands produce a certain amount of wool and the crops are reliable. But that is not the true source of the manor's wealth." Thurston picked up a small, delicately embroidered bag that lay on a nearby table. "This is what provides the income from Desire." He tossed the small bag to Gareth.

Gareth caught the little sack easily. The scent of flowers and herbs wafted from it. He held the bag to his nose and inhaled the lush, rich, strikingly complex fragrance. It was a heady aroma that elicited a strangely sensual hunger somewhere inside him. He took another sniff.

"Perfumes?"

"Aye. Tis an isle of flowers and herbs. And the products it sends to market are perfumes and creams of every description."

Gareth looked at the fragrant little bag in his hand. "So I am to become a gardener?"

Thurston smiled. "It will be something of a change for the Hellhound of Wyckmere."

"Aye, that it will. I have little knowledge of gardening, but I expect that I shall soon learn whatever is necessary."

"You have always been quick in that regard, no matter what the subject."

Gareth ignored the comment. "So the lady of Desire is willing to wed a man to protect her vast flower garden. And I want lands of my own. It would seem that she and I can strike a fair bargain."

"Mayhap."

Gareth narrowed his eyes. "Is there some doubt?"

The smile that had been hovering around Thurston's mouth turned into a brief, laughing grin. "I fear there is some competition for the position."

"What competition?"

"Nicholas of Seabern, Clare's nearest neighbor, is also one of my vassals. He's had his eye on Desire for some time. In fact, he is the chief reason why I suspect that the lady is no longer a virgin."

"He seduced her?"

"From what I can gather, my sources tell me Nicholas virtually kidnapped her last month and held her at Seabern Keep for some four days."

"And then tried to force her to accept him as a husband?"

"Aye. The lady, however, has refused."

Gareth raised an eyebrow at that news. He was not surprised at the tale.

Kidnapping unwed heiresses was a common enough sport. But he was startled to learn that the lady had not been immediately wed after the incident. Few women would have had the temerity to refuse marriage after having lost their virginity and their reputation to an encroaching lord. "A most unusual female."

"Aye. It seems Lady Clare has some very particular requirements regarding the man who will be her lord." Thurston grinned again. "She has sent me a recipe for a husband, in fact. She wishes to select one who meets her exacting specifications, you see."

"Hell's teeth. A recipe?" Gareth muttered. "What nonsense is this? I knew there was something you were keeping from me."

"She has written her requirements out in great detail. Here, see for yourself." Thurston picked up a folded sheet of parchment that was lying on a nearby table. He handed it to Gareth.

Gareth glanced at the broken seal and saw that it was in the shape of a rose.

He read swiftly through the greeting and opening paragraph of the beautifully scripted letter. He slowed down when he reached the portion which detailed the lady's requirements in a husband.

I have given your wishes and the needs of my people much thought, my lord. I regretfully accept the necessity of a marriage. To that end, I have considered die matter with extreme care. Desire is a very remote place, as you well know. I know of no eligible men in the vicinity except my neighbor, Sir Nicholas, who is unacceptable.

I therefore respectfully request that you send me a selection of at least three or four suitors. I shall choose a husband from among them. To assist you in the task of selecting the candidates for the position, I have prepared a recipe which specifies the qualifications I require.

You, my lord, obviously have an interest in these lands. I understand that you wish them to be protected, as do I. From your point of view, therefore, the future lord of Desire must be a trustworthy knight who can command a small but effective company of fighting men. I will remind you that he must bring such a company with him, as there are no trained men-at-arms here on the isle.

In addition to that obvious requirement, which I know that you will see to, I have three more requirements of my own. I wish to specify them in great detail so that you will have no trouble comprehending them.

First, as regards his physical qualities, the future lord of Desire must be a man of moderate proportions and stature. It has been my observation that extremely large men prefer to rely on brute strength to achieve their ends rather than upon their wits and learning. I do not care for men who try to overwhelm one with their physical prowess. Therefore, please keep size in mind when you make your selections for me.

Second, my future lord must be a man of cheerful countenance and well-mannered, pleasing disposition. I am certain you will understand when I tell you that I have no wish to be bound to a man who is melancholic or given to fits of temper and foul moods. I wish my husband to have the gift of laughter, a man who will be able to take pleasure in the humble forms of entertainment which we enjoy here on the isle.

Third, it is absolutely essential that my husband be a learned man, one who is capable of reading and who enjoys intellectual discourse. I will wish to engage in much conversation with him, especially during.the cold winter months when we shall both be obliged to spend a great deal of time together indoors.

I trust my three requirements are quite plain and that my recipe is clear. There should be no problem in selecting several candidates from among your acquaintances.

Please send these suitors to me at your earliest convenience. I will make my choice as quickly as possible and inform you of my decision.

Written at the manor of Desire, the seventh of April.

Gareth refolded the letter, aware of the unholy amusement in his father's eyes. "I wonder how she set about creating her recipe for a perfect lord and husband."

Thurston chuckled. "I suspect she took the basic elements from some minstrel's romantic ballad. You know the sort. They generally feature a chivalrous hero who slays evil magicians for sport and vows undying love to his lady."

"A lady who usually belongs to another man," Gareth muttered. "The hero's liege lord, for example.

Aye, I know the sort of song you mean. I do not care for such, myself."

"The ladies love them."

Gareth shrugged. "How many candidates will you send, my lord?"

"I am a great believer in indulging females up to a point. I shall allow Lady Clare to make her choice from between two suitors."

Gareth's brow rose. "Not three or four?"

"Nay. In my experience one only asks for trouble when one grants a woman too many choices."

"Two suitors, then. Myself and one other."

"Aye."

"Who shall I be competing against?"

Thurston grinned. "Sir Nicholas of Seabern. Good luck to you, son. The lady's requirements are simple, are they not? Her recipe specifies a man who is of moderate size, much given to laughter, and able to read."

Gareth handed the letter back to his father. "She is fortunate, is she not? I meet one of her requirements. I can read."