Trouble in Paradise

 Desperately clawing at the ice, she screamed, only

to  hear laughter coming from the deck of the ship that
she’d been forced to jump off  just  moments ago.
As the ice broke, and she plunged into the icy depths
of the water, she managed to take a big gasp of air before
the waves sucked her underneath.  Gweneth  panicked  for  a
moment,  until  she felt  a strong,  masculine hand grip hers
tightly, under the water, and pull her  forward,  with  the man  to whom it belonged.
She  tried  to struggle,  but the  cold waves,  her  soaked  gown
of   blue velvet,  and  the man’s grasp  on  her  dainty  wrist  made it  futile.
When  they  resurfaced  above the  water,   they were  a  secluded  cove
at the  edge  of the shore!  The  ship  from which  she’d  been  forced  to jump
was nowhere in sight, and she smiled in spite of herself.  She  had  survived!
Then  guilt overcame her,  as she thought of Niall…..but  as  hot tears rushed to her
sapphire eyes,  Niall’s  familiar  black  locks, already  tinged   with  silver  in spite of
his youth,  surfaced  beside  her,   and   he  grinned,  slowly  releasing   his  grip  on  her   arm.
She sputtered for a minute, then smiled, and clasped him against
her  happily, and kissed him!
“Niall!  Tis you, tis truly you!”,  she breathed,  her  breath hot against
his  soggy  collar,  in spite of the frigid waters  surrounding  them.
“And  who  else  were  you  expecting  beside you,  Love,  the  King  himself?”,  he  asked,
laughing,  delighting  in  teasing  her, despite  the  circumstances….. or perhaps  because of them…
Gwyneth  swatted  his  arm,   and  retorted,  “Nay,  Milord,  hardly that…..  else  we  would
both  be facing  the  executioner’s  blade  at  the  Tower,  wouldn’t  we  now?”
“Tis  true  enough,  Lass,  I  vow. “, he  grinned.  “But  I’d  not  have  things  otherwise,  and  I’m
sure  enough  that  you  wouldn’t  either,  eh?”
Gwyneth   didn’t  say  anything  in response,  but  her  cheeks  were flushed  in  spite  of  the cold,
Lips  that  begged  for  kissing,  thought  Niall  hotly,  as  he  felt  his  body  responding  to  her  nearness,
in  spite  of  still  being  partially  immersed  in  icy  water.
Before  she  knew  what  was happening,  Gwyneth  was being  dragged  to  shore!
“Niall,  what   is  the matter  with you?!”,  she  huffed,   perplexed  by  his  sudden  roughness,  and
change  in manner  towards  her.   “Slow  down!”,   she  added,  aggravated,  as  she  trailed  after him,
tripping  over  the  soggy  skirts  of  her  gown…
“Time  we  were  ashore,  sweet  Gywn.  Our  salvation  is  at hand.”,  he  answered,  his  voice  softening
but  still  gruffer  than  usual,  especially  when  he  was  addressing   her.
At  first,  Gwyneth  was flooded  with relief,  but  just  as  quickly,  it was  replaced  by anger!
“You….you  PLANNED  this  fiasco,  Niall  Roberts?!”,  she  asked,  her  eyes  widening  in  disbelief.
“I  walked  the  plank  because  of  some  half-baked  scheme  of  yours,  and  you  didn’t  think  to  tell
me  about  it  beforehand?  I  thought  we  were  partners…….  but  apparently  I  was mistaken.”
She  stopped  speaking  and  looked  at  him, quite  calmly,  considering  the  circumstances,  and
watched   him  for  a few  moments. 
“Well,  what  of it ?”,  Gwyneth  snapped  impatiently,  when  he  remained  doggedly  silent  for
several  minutes.
At  last  she  sighed,  and  shrugged  her  shoulders  expressively.
“Guess  I  have  an  answer,  then,  do  I  not,  Milord?”.  Gwyneth  said  softly,  but  intently.
Now  it  was  HER  turn  not  to meet  HIS  gaze.
Just  as  it  appeared  that  each  was  about  to  say  something  to  the  other,  they  were
interrupted   by  the  horn  of  the  ship  arriving  to  rescue  them,  and  transport  them  to
safety.
“Partner  or  no,  I  shall  expect  quite  a handsome  payment  for  this.  I will  entertain  any
offer  you  wish  for  me  to  consider  over  dinner  tonight.”,  she  said  quietly  in his  ear,
before  being   assisted  aboard  the  waiting  ship.
Niall  nodded,  his  eyes  flickering  with  an  unnamed  emotion  as  he  watched  her  retreating  form.
But  then  he  smiled,  briefly,  and  went  to  his  quarters  to  make  the  necessary  arrangements  for
dinner….
Later,  he  found  himself  met  with  icy  silence,  as  he  opened  a  bottle  of French  Bordeaux  for  them
to  share  before  dinner.   As  he  poured  them  each  some  of  the  fragrant  ruby  wine  into  an
elegant  silver  chalice,  he  took  special  note  of  Gwyneth’s  attire,  as  his  eyes  raked  over  her
hungrily.  Gwyneth  was  resplendent  in  emerald  green  satin;  a far  cry  from  the  drenched   and
grimy  blue velvet  dress  he’d  left  her  in  earlier……..  his  back  to   her,  he  smiled.  Actually,  he
 choice  of  gown  had  been  far  easier  to  arrange  than  he’d  imagined…… a few  pieces  of  gold
slipped   to  her  maid….. child’s play…..
His  reverie  was  interrupted  when  he  realized  that  Gwyneth  was  addressing  him.
“I  am ready  to  entertain  your  offer  now,  Niall.  Are  you  prepared  to  present  it  to me?”, she  asked
smoothly,  pausing  to  sip  her  wine,  and  peer  at him coyly  over  its rim.
“Indeed  I  am,  sweet  Gwyneth.”,  Niall  replied,  his  voice  as smooth  and  seductive  as hers.
“But   it  was  never  a  business  partnership  that  I sought from  you.  Will  you  marry  me?”,  he
asked.