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Havilland’s hurt was quickly soothed because he seemed quite sincere.

She believed him. She didn’t know why she should, but she did.

The man hadn’t lied to her since they’d known one another and she was coming to think she had jumped to conclusions.

She thought the worst of him and she shouldn’t have.

In fact, she was the least bit touched by his actions and quite a bit intrigued.

“A surprise?” she asked, dubious yet very interested. “Why can you not tell me?”

He pursed his lips ironically. “If I did, it wouldna be a surprise,” he said. “Ye must trust me. Ye must go back into yer chamber and put on the green dress. Or, if ye dunna like it, I will bring ye the entire trunk tae choose from. Will ye do this for me, Havilland? Please?”

Now he was asking in the sweetest way possible and there was no way she could deny him. The man had the ability to turn her to putty quickly, as if she were born to bow to his wishes. With something of a remorseful grin, she lowered the tunic and breeches she had clutched against her chest.

“If you say so,” she said. “I… I suppose I can wear the green dress if you like that one.”

“’Twill be the most beautiful dress in the world on ye.”

Her grin turned genuine as his sweet words took effect. “Are… are you sure this is not your way of telling me that you would rather see me dress as a lady?”

He shook his head, grinning. “If ye dunna believe me, then I will say this– wear what ye wish,” he said. “If ye wish tae wear yer breeches, then do. I willna say a word. But I think ye’ll want tae wear one of yer mother’s gowns today. I think ye’ll be glad ye did.”

She simply smiled at him, giving a chuckle or two because he was being so very sweet about it.

She felt badly that she ever doubted him.

But her smile must have been an invitation because Jamison came into the room, when he knew full well that he shouldn’t, and cupped her face in his hands to give her the most tender of kisses.

Havilland closed her eyes as his lips slanted over hers, feeling the warmth of the man embrace her.

She was coming to very much like his kisses.

But it was over too soon and he kissed her nose and a cheek before letting her go and heading out of the chamber.

“Hurry and dress,” he told her. “I will come for ye in a half an hour.”

Havilland, still tasting the man on her lips, nodded a bit unsteadily.

He winked at her and left the chamber, and she could hear his boots fading away as he went down the stairs.

Once the sounds faded away, she threw the breeches and tunics onto her bed and ran back across the landing, into the chamber she’d slept in the night before.

When she entered, Amaline was on her feet, inspecting the two dresses tossed over the chair. Havilland entered so swiftly that Amaline was startled.

“Where did you go?” she asked.

Havilland ran straight to the chair and snatched the green dress away, spreading it out on the bed to look at the entire garment.

“Ammie,” she said thoughtfully, avoiding her sister’s question altogether, “do you recall yesterday when we were in the loft, looking at these dresses and speaking on how Papa forced us to dress as we do?”

Amaline nodded as she came to stand next to her sister, looking down at the green dress. “Aye,” she said. She fingered the garment. “Why are these dresses here?”

Havilland looked at her little sister and thought she might like to tell her about Jamison. After all, she’d told no one and something inside her felt like bursting, to declare her joy to the world. She put her arm around her sister’s shoulders.

“Because Sir Jamison had them brought to us,” she said. “So very much has happened since he and the de Lohr knights arrived, I hardly know where to start. Ammie… he has asked me to marry him.”

Amaline looked at her sister with big eyes. “He has?” she said. “But… but he spanked you! When he first met you, he spanked you!”

Havilland giggled, kissing her sister on the temple.

“I know, little chick,” she said. Then, she sighed somewhat dramatically.

“I do not know how this has happened, only that is has. One moment, he was telling me that I was a disgrace to my sex and the next, he was telling me he wishes to marry me. Ammie, he is not like any other men we have ever known… he is thoughtful and compassionate. I know it is difficult to believe by looking at him, but he is. And when he saved me yesterday from Evon… oh, Ammie, you should have seen him! He was magnificent! There is not a man in the world who can best him in a fight.”

By this time, Amaline’s mouth was hanging open, shocked to the bone that her serious and duty-minded sister should show attention to a man. It was almost more than she could bear.

“You… you like him!” she accused. “Havi, is it true? You like him?”

Havilland nodded, feeling her cheeks flush at the admission. It wasn’t as if she was embarrassed about it– it was more the way thoughts of him made her feel. He made her feel all warm and flushed inside.

“It is true,” she said, giving her sister a squeeze. “I like him a great deal. And I have decided to accept his marriage proposal.”

Amaline’s features slacked in shock and, as Havilland watched, turned to distress.

“Marriage,” she finally breathed. “Oh, Havi… even as you say it, I cannot believe it. You have never expressed interest in marriage at all. When we spoke of it yesterday with Madeline, you never said a word. She spoke of wearing dresses and having children, but you did not say anything about it.”

Havilland’s giddy excitement took a dousing with Amaline’s angst. “Just because I did not speak of it does not mean I was not thinking about it,” she said.

“Of course, I would like to marry and have children.

I simply have not thought any more than that on the subject.

But Jamison is offering me a fine marriage with a man I truly admire. I can see nothing wrong with it.

“Except that you will be leaving me,” Amaline said, full of sorrow. “With Madeline in the vault and you marrying, I will be left here all alone.”

Havilland put her arms around her sister, squeezing her. “I promise I will not leave you all alone,” she said. “You can come with Jamison and me, wherever we go.”

“But what will happen to Papa and Four Crosses?”

Havilland’s gaze lingered on her younger sister for a moment.

“I have a feeling that Lord de Lohr will know of Papa’s situation soon enough,” she said quietly.

“It is time he knows, Ammie. We cannot keep up the charade any longer. With the Welsh on the attack, I will be honest… it is more than I wish to handle alone. I am very tired of handling such terrible problems alone. I do not want to do it anymore.”

Amaline knew the burden of command had taken a toll on Havilland since their father had gone completely mad.

She had watched her sister go from a relatively carefree maiden to a serious, sometimes sullen young woman.

When their father was in command, the situation was much better with the sisters because the responsibility wasn’t theirs.

But when Roald lost his mind, Havilland had been forced to assume that burden.

It had been a great deal for her to handle.

“I know,” Amaline said. “I am sorry. I did not mean to be selfish. If you like Jamison, then you should marry him.”

“And you will come with us?”

“Aye, of course. But… but what of Madeline?”

Havilland shook her head. “Her place in the vault is of her own doing,” she said. “I cannot help her. You cannot help her. I am afraid she is lost to us.”

In spite of her declaration the day before that she hoped Madeline was never released, a night of sleep and longing for her sister had changed Amaline’s mind somewhat.

She and Madeline had always been close in spite of Madeline being mean and manipulative at times.

Still, Madeline was their sister, part of their blood.

The morning saw Amaline torn on her position about Madeline’s imprisonment.

“Will you never speak to her again, then?” she asked quietly.

Havilland shrugged. “I do not know,” she said honestly. “She almost let Evon kill me. I am not sure I can forgive her for that.”

Amaline understood. But something in her felt a good deal of pity in spite of everything.

“I understand,” she said, sorrow in her voice.

Her gaze trailed off to the dresses on the chair and on the bed, and she hastened to change the subject.

Speaking of Madeline was too depressing.

“Will you tell me why Sir Jamison brought us these dresses, then?”

Havilland, who still had her sister in an embrace, released the young woman. “I do not know,” she said honestly. “He told me that we should put them on and then he had a surprise for us.”

Amaline was greatly interested in that. “A surprise?” she asked, the distress from moments before out of her voice. “I wonder what it could be?”

Havilland shrugged. “Unless we put these dresses on, we shall never find out,” she said, picking up the green dress. “You help me put this one on and I shall help you put the blue one on.”

Amaline was more than eager to help, her depression about Madeline eased by the lure of some manner of a surprise.

When Bethan entered the room a few moments later, bearing hot water, the toilette of Havilland and Amaline was in full swing.

Having never dressed as women before, it was something of an adventure, but in the end, it was something they very much liked.

Finally, without Roald de Llion convincing them that breeches and tunics were acceptable clothing for young ladies, they were able to experience what they’d never experienced in their life–

The feeling of being a woman for the very first time.

*

Jamison was waiting on the landing.