Page 55 of Devoted to the Spanish Duke
Miracles were something she had been raised to believe in, and now she had several of her own. She was home, back with her family. And the man she loved was here.
“Mamá, I see you have met Lisandro,” she said.
Her mother nodded. “Yes. Though I still cannot believe that it was the Duke of Tolosa who went all the way to England to rescue you.”
Lisandro held out a hand and helped the duchess to stand. He then took a step back and grinned at Maria. “Do you require my assistance or is this another one of those moments when you tell me that you have been leaping to your feet since you were a child?” he teased.
Her mother’s mouth opened on a smallO, but Maria simply laughed.
“You are never going to allow me to forget that remark about the Andalusians, are you?” She accepted his outstretched hand, then fell into his arms as soon as she was upright. He didn’t protest when she reached up and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. The sooner her family understood the true nature of her and Lisandro’s relationship the better.
To her mother’s questioning look, she nodded. “I have agreed to marry Lisandro.”
A red-faced Lisandro cleared his throat. “I hadn’t quite got to that part yet. I’d thought it better to wait until you and Diego had returned before broaching the subject.”
She gifted him with a second kiss, this time on the lips. Little more than an hour ago, she had seen a man die; and after all she had been through, Maria was determined that life was for living. She wasn’t going to waste another minute waiting to begin a new one as Lisandro’s wife.
The duchess clasped her hands together. On her lips sat a small smile, but her eyes glinted with joy. “Well then, Don de Aguirre, may I suggest you go and speak to my husband. Because if you plan to ask for our daughter’s hand in marriage, you might want to first do something about putting an end to the feud between our families.”
Maria and Lisandro exchanged a smile. Hand in hand, they followed the duchess back into the castle. It was time to settle the long-standing argument which had begun over a pair of goats.
Chapter Thirty-Two
It wasn’t how he had ever imagined asking for a woman’s hand in marriage but considering the kind of day it had already been, Lisandro decided he should just go along with things. Besides, it wasn’t every day that a hundred-year feud came to an end.
I hope it is coming to an end.
Seated around the table in the Duke of Villabona’s private suite were himself, Maria, the duke and duchess, and Diego. In front of them lay an aged piece of parchment.
He had never seen the document before, but he knew of its existence, and of what his forebears had agreed to when they’d signed it. An agreement they had then reneged upon.
The duke pointed to a line of scrawl. “You can see clearly that it was in the terms of the contract. A contract the Aguirre family failed to fulfil.”
“Papá,” said Maria.
“Well, it does,” he replied.
Lisandro held up his hand. “If I may. Yes, the contract stipulates those terms. My understanding is that my great-great-grandfather, the Duke of Tolosa, took grievous offense at the Duke of Villabona making unwelcome advances to his wife. That was why the final part of the deal was not completed.”
The duke snorted. “Yes, well I heard she was quite willing.”
“Papá!” cried Maria.
Lisandro didn’t respond to the insult to his family. He, too, had heard those rumors. But if they were ever going to get this feud settled, both parties would have to make concessions. It was ridiculous that things had ever been allowed to get to this stage in the first place. Two pigheaded great-great-grandsires had condemned their descendants to keeping up a pointless feud which could have so easily been resolved if they had been willing to put their stubborn prides aside all those long years ago.
“Don de Elizondo, would you care to offer up an apology for the behavior of your grandsire?” Lisandro said. He calmly met the duke’s gaze.
“Will you fulfil the contract?”
A look passed between them—a silent agreement that this whole discussion meant more than just settling an old dispute. It was the establishment of a valuable and trusted friendship
The two of them would do what they could in order to make this part of Spain safe against the machinations of the king. Men like Lisandro and Antonio had to take a stand and stop Spain from spiraling into a bloody civil war.
“Yes. I will fulfil the contract. Today. And on this exact day every year,” replied Lisandro.
“Well then, I offer my family’s formal apology for any offense caused to the late Duchess of Tolosa and succeeding generations,” announced the duke.
Lisandro rose and offered Antonio his hand. It was quickly accepted. The ancient feud was finally over. There were smiles all around the table.
