Shannon and Heather Rekindle their Love

---------------- ORIGINAL STORY FROM THE 1960s- ----------------

769

Heather found Shannon sitting on a bench in the garden at Ratherwood Hall. He was leaning over, his face in his hands, so he did not notice her until she at down beside him. He looked up an her and smiled a sad smile.

"Why art thou so sad?" Heather asked quietly. "Is it because Sire Christophe sent Virginnie away?"

He shook his head. "Nay, nay. I'm glad she's gone. A man does not like to see proof of his weakness, you know." Then he said, "How is Sir Christophe, the pure and gentle?"

Heather looked disturbed, both by the bitterness in Shannon's voice, and the mention of the Gallic knight. "I wouldn't know and could hardly care less! I though of him at first as a sort of father confessor but now I see he is merely a self-centered fool." Her voice now became like Shannon's had been. "It's bad enough that he condemned my taking in and loving dear little Seamus, but what he said of thee is too much."

Shannon looked somewhat surprised but continued in the same bitter tone, "Aye, that man has the vanity and audacity of a self-canonized saint! How the King and Queen find the patience to put up with his insolence is beyond me. He and that blasted sister of his! The patronizing lady, she was! Ha, and I her humble servant! She never satisfied me anyway…not after thee!" His voice gentled. "Oh Heather, I love thee! How could I have done it when I love thee so! Och, your love was such ecstasy! And thou wart even holding back!" He closed his eyes and inclined his face to the sky. "What bliss it must be to know the full extent of your love!" He face darkened though and he looked down at her. He said, " I don't know what I will do now. I have little to live for."

Heather's voice was frantic. "Oh, my darling! There's me to live for! I've changed, Shannon. Please don't leave me! Please hold me now!"

Shannon's unbelieving eyes cast an amazed look into hers. Uncertainly, he put is harms around her, dizzy. Then looking at her face an seeing an expression that touched his heart, he kissed her.

Up in the King's chambers, Josephine chanced to look out the window at that moment. She saw them and, with a little cry, whirled about threw her arms about Lawrence, who had just come up behind her.

"What was that for? He laughed. Josephine pulled him to the window, he saw what she saw, put his arms around her and smiled. "Now do ye not be jealous, " he said. She laughed.

At supper all eyes were on Heather and Shannon who sat together on the bench, hands intertwined. After all had eaten and they were seated about the fire, Shannon sang a gentle song of love, so tender that the Queen wept. Though most of the courtiers hardly noticed it, those who did thought dark thoughts. Lawrence saw their frowns and returned them. He knew that though his heart had felt pangs of hurt, that truly she wept because he she'd felt her love for him and he drew her close. And later that evening he was comforted by her increased passion for him.

Next: "Lanimere" Series, including Tavish's Birth