Page 10 of Border Lord’s Bride

Elizabeth headed toward the loch and the icy fringe that had settled along the shoreline. Now that the excitement of the day had faded, her own troubles left her edgy and, if she was honest with herself, fearful. Her life would change in a dramatic way in three days' time.

She breathed out a column of frosty air that quickly vanished. How would she ever convince Lucius to go through with their marriage? She wasn't the kind of woman who got what she wanted through tricks or ploys. Nay, he would either accept her or reject her. And rejection seemed the more likely of the two.

And if he rejected her, she would be alone in this world with no one to rely on and nowhere to turn. Slowly, she walked in silent contemplation, until she realized where her feet had taken her. She paused as a tall, winged statue blocked the late-afternoon sun from her eyes. The angel's mildew-stained hands were outstretched in greeting, yet the statue's carved eyes were upon her, silently condemning her for invading the solace of the cemetery. Two steps more took her past the angel and to the foot of Marcus's grave.

A soft rustle sounded behind her.

"Do you miss him so very much?"

Elizabeth turned to face Lucius. For a split second she saw the boy who'd once lived behind those dark eyes. He used to laugh with her and talk with her about any number of things. His smile had seemed ever present.

He was not smiling now. "Do you miss him?" Lucius repeated.

"Some days." It was all she could say past the lump in her throat.

He nodded and came to stand beside her. "What was he like before he…" His words trailed off, but she knew what he was asking.

"He was happy, as Marcus always was. Nothing ever seemed to bother him." She couldn't bring herself to tell him about how Hadwell had found him upon the battlefield with a sword through his heart. Marcus had died defending his family and his country.

He'd had so few men that day when he went to attack the English. Yet Marcus felt it was a risk worth taking to save even one person he loved.

Elizabeth would do the same to save the family she so desperately wanted with the man before her. She'd been so close to that once. She'd known something was changing between Lucius and herself. But once Marcus started paying attention to her, his brother stopped looking at her at all.

Then he'd left without giving her a chance to explain the kiss he'd witnessed. He'd never even said good-bye. Elizabeth closed her eyes, trying to block the memory of the day Lucius left her for what she'd thought was forever. He'd always been her friend, yet she'd hidden from him how difficult things had become for her at Huntingdon Hall after her mother died. He had no idea how lonely she'd become or the misery she'd endured with no money to pay servants or even put food on the table. That's when her father started selling off their possessions.

"Elizabeth?" Lucius's voice jerked her back to the present. "You looked sad there for a moment. What is it?"

She opened her eyes and met his gaze. She could lie to him, put on the mantle of the grieving fiancée, but she had no stomach for it today. "My regrets have more to do with you than Marcus."

His eyes darkened. "Me? Why?" Bitterness lingered in his words.

Elizabeth swallowed the lump lodging like old dust in her throat. Could she tell him? Could she risk it all now? Open the old hurts and wounds that had been festering for so long?

She straightened. The time for fear was past. She was tired of lying and pretending. She was tired of being afraid. Perhaps the two of them could bridge the divide she'd wedged between them by accepting Marcus's advances instead of forcing him away. "Why did you leave Midwick Manor?"

"There was nothing left for me here. The Templars needed me."

Elizabeth felt tears sting her eyes. "Lucius, I needed you."

"It certainly didn't look it."

She shook her head. "Nay, you don't understand. Marcus kissed me. I was surprised, didn't know what to do. You assumed—"

"I saw the look in my brother's eyes. He'd fallen in love with you."

"But I had not fallen in love with him. Why did you not look into my eyes? You would have known the truth." Elizabeth took a deep breath. She had nothing to lose and everything to gain in the next heartbeat. "I have always loved you."

He remained silent, but she could see the thump of his pulse in his jaw. He turned his gaze to the grave at their feet. "But why…?" he finally said, almost to himself.

"I didn't get a chance to speak with you. You were gone the next day." She paused. "I waited months for you to return. You didn't."

Silence settled between them. "I miss him," Lucius finally said. "I could have come back to see him at any time, but I was always too busy with one Templar cause or another. After Peter's death, I missed Marcus all the more. And even then, I stayed away. If only I'd come home, maybe then he would still be here. Maybe I could have saved him from the English."

"No one could have saved him. The battle was swift. We had no time to gather the clans. Ten good men died that day, and the clans have been suffering since. The border is weak. I think that in part is why your uncle had such an easy time sending the servants away. They were scared with no one to protect them."

"I'm here to protect all of you now." His brow furrowed. "But even I cannot protect these lands alone."

"You aren't alone. We are all here, waiting for guidance, waiting to build a new future with you."