Page 70 of Legacy of Thorns
“Love!” Nanny exclaimed in alarm. “Whatever is wrong with her?”
“Archer is the one who woke her up,” Daphne explained. “Considering he’s young, good-looking, and was the one to rescue her, I suspect she was always going to be inclined toward him. But the Legacy is enhancing it into a full-blown infatuation. It might also explain her calm reaction to her father’s death.”
“Oh dear.” The older woman watched Gabrielle latch onto Archer’s arm and stare up at him with an adoring expression.
Looking at Archer’s face, Daphne couldn’t quite suppress another laugh. After a moment, Nanny chuckled as well.
“Maybe you’re right, and there’s a blessing to be found in this infatuation,” she said. “I can see this Archer isn’t one to take advantage. He’s certainly not using the opportunity to ingratiate himself with an heiress at any rate. If it will help ease the strangeness of it all for her, it might be a good thing.”
Across the entryway, Archer tried to shake Gabrielle off his arm, but she had latched on too tightly and wouldn’t let go. The girl glared back at Daphne whose eyebrows shot up.
“I’m not sure what I did,” she said mildly, “but your Gabrielle doesn’t seem too inclined toward me.”
“You’re mine,” Gabrielle declared loudly enough for Daphne to hear. “She can’t have you. She’s too old.”
Daphne grinned. “I most certainly am,” she called back. “You’re quite welcome to him.”
Gabrielle beamed, closed her eyes, and rested her head against Archer’s arm. He made a strangled sound in his throat and threw Daphne a look that was clearly asking for a rescue. She just laughed again. He shouldn’t have confessed that he’d been playacting toward her for so long if he wanted a quick rescue from her direction.
“No,” she said to Nanny. “You don’t need to worry about him trying to ingratiate himself with her.”
And she didn’t need to worry about Archer coming under the influence of the Legacy himself. Now that he’d finished the task of waking Gabrielle, his horror at her hero worship seemed to have counteracted any Legacy pull toward her.
“But who is he?” Nanny asked. “While we appreciate what you’ve done in waking us, how did you come to find us in the first place? If it’s been so many years…”
“He’s the son of Prince Timothy,” Daphne said, watching for a reaction.
“Oh!” The woman’s eyes lit up. “I remember the young prince! He was such a charming scamp. He was only a few years older than Lady Gabrielle when I accompanied her and the old lord on a visit to court. But that was back when she was just a young mite herself.” She shook her head. “And that’s hisson, you say!”
She fell into silence for a moment, pondering the enormity of the lost years.
“So you’ve come from court, then?” she said at last.
“Actually, we haven’t.” Daphne hesitated. “It’s a long story, and we might not have much time. I should tell you both at the same time.”
“Archer, bring Gabrielle over here,” she called, and he hurried to her side, trying unsuccessfully to outstrip Gabrielle.
“You have to rescue me,” he said in a desperate whisper when he reached her. Daphne just grinned at him.
“We’ll be more comfortable in here.” Nanny gestured them through a door off the entryway that gave into a comfortable sitting room.
Like the entryway itself, the room had been well preserved, protected from the ravages of time by the sleeping enchantment. Daphne selected the hardest looking seat in the group of chairs, determined to keep herself awake, and Archer quickly sat on a single armchair.
Gabrielle looked disappointed but settled for pulling her chair as close to his as she could and gazing at him adoringly.
Nanny frowned at her charge before sighing and looking to Daphne. “Now, what’s this urgent matter? Does it have to do with Lady Gabrielle?”
“I’m afraid it does.” Daphne outlined the facts about Barlowe and his quest as quickly as possible.
Nanny gave a shriek at hearing Barlowe’s intentions, but Gabrielle merely wrinkled her pretty nose.
“Of course I wouldn’t marry some old man who only wanted my castle.”
“Very right, my dear,” Nanny said firmly. “And so we’ll tell him when he arrives.”
Daphne and Archer exchanged dismayed looks.
“I’m afraid it might not be as simple as that,” Daphne said.
