A Time of End

by Le Veque, Kathryn

“Help?” Christopher repeated as if the very suggested insulted him. “I will not only help, I will lead the charge to regain my daughter. What is this about, Kevin?”

  Kevin took a step closer to them, lowering his voice so the soldiers milling about could not hear.

  “Sean is taking your daughter to FitzRoy because he must,” he said quietly. “As I said, he must maintain the illusion that he is loyal to the king. But he also believes that he should take her to FitzRoy for one very important reason.”

  Christopher’s eyebrows flew up. “I would like to hear that reason.”

  Kevin glanced at Peter somewhat nervously before continuing. “My lord, I am sorry to have to be the one to tell you this,” he said. “I did not think this would ever be my duty to disclose, but it is a well-known fact that you are unaware that your daughter serves The Marshal as a…”

  “Spy,” Christopher cut him off. “I know. William told me.”

  As Kevin looked surprised, Peter’s eyes widened. “You know?” he demanded. “How long have you known, Papa?”

  Christopher shrugged. “Only a few hours,” he said wryly. Then, he pointed at Peter. “And I shall deal with you later for it. I understand it was you who recruited her. For shame, Peter. Pulling your little sister into a man’s game.”

  As Peter tried not to look sheepish, or afraid of fatherly retribution, Kevin spoke up. “Then if you already know of her service, you must know that she is good at what she does,” he said. “Very good. Sherry and Sean believe that Christin can kill FitzRoy and end this situation once and for all.”

  Christopher’s jaw dropped in astonishment. “What?” he hissed. “They are putting the burden on her for this?”

  Kevin continued quickly. “It is not as it sounds,” he said. “But the truth is that she can get the closest to FitzRoy where the rest of us cannot. Eliminate the reason for the king’s fixation, and you eliminate the problem. If FitzRoy is out of the way, then Lady Christin is safe. So are any other daughters the king wishes to pledge to his bastard son should a de Lohr betrothal fall through.”

  Christopher shut his mouth, mostly because the solution made perfect sense. Eliminating FitzRoy was something he’d already told David he was going to do, but he believed his only chance to accomplish it would be after the marriage took place. He never thought he would make it in time to stop the wedding. Now, Alexander and Sean had come up with a solution.

  Whether or not he liked it.

  Christin would be the assassin.

  He stood there a moment, mulling it over, as Kevin, Peter, and, most of all, David watched him carefully. Christopher could be their biggest ally or their biggest obstacle. If he didn’t like the plan, then they were back to the beginning, so they could only pray he agreed with it.

  Letting his daughter do the dirty work she was apparently born to do. She was, after all, a de Lohr.

  Finally, he sighed.

  “I suppose that it is logical that she should be the one to do it since she will be able to get close to him,” he said. “I cannot say I like the idea of my daughter carrying out such a brutal task. That is man’s work. Considering she has been serving The Marshal for two years now, however, I suppose I must try and look at her as one of his agents and less like my daughter.”

  Both Kevin and Peter nodded their heads, with Peter speaking first. “Papa, you’ve not seen her in action,” he said. “Her hands are steady and her mind is strong. Back at Ramsbury while you and Uncle David were feasting, Christin was attacked by a French spy. She killed the woman without hesitation. She can do the same thing to FitzRoy and this nightmare will be over.”

  Christopher sighed heavily, trying to digest what he was being told about petite, pretty Christin. Was it true she was a killer in disguise? If he believed Peter, then she was. What was it that William had said to him? Your children want to be a tribute to the de Lohr name. Let them.

  Perhaps it was time to do that.

  It wasn’t as if he had a choice.

  “Very well,” he finally said, though it was clear he wasn’t completely supportive. “You said you wanted my help. What would you have me do?”

  They were all breathing a sigh of relief to varying degrees and Kevin spoke quickly. “You and your army must engage the king’s soldiers,” he said. “Sean has about one hundred men with him, men that Gerard had originally planned as the escort. When Sean took Christin, he had no choice but to let those men go along. They must be engaged by you and your army while Sean and the rest of us, disguised as royal knights, take Christin to FitzRoy. Sean says that the royal soldiers must not be witness to any interaction he has with FitzRoy, especially because Christin will kill him. Sean must disavow all knowledge of Christin’s actions to keep himself separated from the incident.”

  Christopher could see the logic. “That is true,” he said. “He essentially brought one hundred witnesses with him.”

  “That is what he said.”

  “How far is Dereham?”

  Both Kevin and Peter looked up the dark road. “Mayhap six or eight miles up the road,” Kevin said. “The king’s men are camped outside of the village.”

  Christopher thought on that before looking to David. “If we leave in the morning, we shall not be able to catch up to them fast enough,” he said. “But if we go tonight and catch them by surprise before sunrise…”

  “Then we will most certainly keep them busy,” David finished for them.

  Christopher nodded. “We must gather the senior sergeants and tell them that we are marching through the night and why,” he said. “Then we will inform the men. But for now, let them have a hot meal. We can make it to Dereham well before dawn. Kevin, return to Sherry and your brother and tell them that we will be there come sunrise to keep John’s army busy while they head on to Bishop’s Lynn.”

  “Aye, my lord.”

  Kevin fled. They watched him go, but Christopher found his attention settling on his son, who was looking after Kevin most wistfully. He could tell that the man wanted to be off on a great adventure, not stuck with his father and uncle. Even if they would be engaging in battle on the morrow.

  “Well?” he said to Peter. “What do you want to do? Ride with your sister and Sherry and the rest of them, or face battle with me and your uncle.”

  Peter looked at him. “I would face battle with you,” he said. “You need me more than Christin does. She has Sherry and the rest of them. You only have Uncle David.”

  David scowled. “What is that supposed to mean, you foolish whelp?”

  Peter, who had a bit of a wicked streak in him, put his hand on his uncle’s shoulder. “I saw you back at Norwich,” he said. “When we faced the king and his guard? I saw how weak and pitiful you were, Uncle David. I was afraid I was going to have to save you.”

  David knew he was jesting but his pride would not let him walk away from it. He looked at Christopher. “You had the opportunity to drown him when he was young,” he said. “I told you that you should have done it.”

  Christopher started to laugh. “There is time yet still.”

  “Is there?” David said as if surprised. “Good. I plan to tie him in a sack and throw him in the river.”

  “I am too big for a sack,” Peter said.

  David shook his head, heading off towards the camping army. “Never underestimate my determination to shove you into a sack. If you don’t fit the first time, I shall figure out a way.”

  Peter was grinning, receiving a gentle slap to the head from his father as they followed David towards the army. Already, the smells of food and bread were in the air, but Christopher wasn’t much thinking on that. He was thinking of the daughter he was going to have to trust to men he’d known, loved, and served with for years, only somehow it was different now.

  It was Christin.

  And Alexander.

  He was going to have to trust that Alexander would keep her safe.

  He could only pray.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  The
Cock and Bull Inn

  When Christin had departed Norwich, she’d had the satchel she’d packed for her escape into the town with Alexander, which someone had managed to pick up when she had dropped it in the fight against Gerard and Sean. It must have been one of the royal soldiers, who had carried it with him and then given it to one of the servants at the inn, who delivered it to her. Suddenly, she found herself with a sleeping shift along with clean clothing, a comb, pins for her hair, soap, and other necessities.

  She considered herself very fortunate.

  Sean had disappeared and although she’d waited for him, patiently she thought, it became clear that he wasn’t returning any time soon, so she sent for a bath and food, which were brought to her in that order. The bath was nothing more than a big pot and a stool, which she sat upon while she washed with several inches of hot water in the bottom of the pot, but it had been heavenly and she’d put on her sleeping shift by the time the food arrived.

  The meal was a stew with great hunks of cream-colored bread with a dark crust and butter on the side. The stew had beans and cabbage and barley in it, and it was quite delicious. She ate two big bowls of the stuff along with most of the bread, stuffing herself while she waited for Sean to return.

  But still, he didn’t come back.

  With all of the food gone and the bath water cold, Christin decided to stop waiting for Sean and simply go to bed. She was exhausted. Crawling into the rather small bed that had a surprisingly clean, if not slightly stiff from being boiled, coverlet, she fell asleep quickly, only to be awakened by someone whispering in her ear.

  “Cissy?”

  Startled by the heated whisper, she threw up a balled fist just as she caught a glimpse of Alexander’s face. His catlike reflexes prevented her from making contact with his nose as he caught her fist in one of his big hands. She looked astonished and he simply grinned.

  “That could have been disastrous,” he teased. “I rather like my face the way it is.”

  “Sherry!” she gasped. “How in the world did you get in here?”

  He sat on the edge of the bed, still holding her hand, only now he was kissing it. “You have a window that is shockingly easy to climb through,” he said. “All I had to do was shimmy up the tree outside and grab hold.”

  She sat up, looking to the open window. The shutters and oil cloth had been pushed back, letting the cold night air in. A little more alert now, she realized what he’d done.

  “Then I am glad you were the one who discovered that,” she said, yawning. “It would not do for some cutthroat to crash into my chamber.”

  He was still grinning, still kissing her hand. “I am a cutthroat and I did crash into your chamber, but at least I mean you no harm,” he said, watching her smile. “At least, not in the literal sense. Are you well after your adventure today? I saw Sean in the livery. He told me everything.”

  She nodded. “I am fine,” she said. “But I have a confession to make. I was outside of my apartment when they set upon me. I was going to meet you in the stable, but they were waiting for me. I tried to get away and that is how they were able to catch me. There were just too many of them.”

  His smile faded. “I told you to stay in your chamber. Did you think I did that just to hear the sound of my own voice?”

  She was properly contrite. “Nay,” she said. “I am sorry. I suppose I was simply eager to see you. I could not wait.”

  Of course, he couldn’t become cross with her when she put it like that. He sighed heavily, eyeing her appropriately so she would know he was not pleased with her behavior, but she smiled sweetly at him and he surrendered without a fight. He put his arms around her, hugging her tightly.

  “You are forgiven,” he murmured. “Truth be told, I could not wait to see you, either. That’s why I climbed in your window.”

  Christin clung to him, drawing strength from him in a way she never knew possible. When he held her in his arms, it was as if nothing in the world could touch her. She felt safe and warm and deliriously happy. But she knew it was only temporary, at least until they resumed their trek to Bishop’s Lynn.

  She relaxed her hold.

  “Did Sean tell you about his plan for FitzRoy?” she asked softly.

  Alexander loosened his grip so he could look her in the eye. “Aye,” he said. “I know it is a lot to ask of you, but I also know you can do it. You simply have to look at this like any other directive from William Marshal. You must become that agent that is hardened and focused – no emotion, no past, and no future. You live, and remain, in that moment – the moment that Robert FitzRoy becomes your prey. Focus on your task and you will succeed.”

  She nodded. “I will,” she said. “But where will you be?”

  “I will be close by,” he said. “I am riding with Sean disguised as a royal knight. In fact, we are all going to be with you.”

  “Who is ‘all’?”

  “Maxton, Kress, Cai, Bric, Kevin, and Sean,” he said. “Your father is not far behind us and he will be engaging the royal soldiers, keeping them occupied while the group of us escorts you to FitzRoy. That way, whatever happens, we can cover our tracks without any witnesses. And we shall cover yours.”

  “My father is in on this plan, then?”

  “He has been trailing us. Kevin rode back to find him, so if he is not aware of the plan now, he soon will be.”

  “He must be terribly worried.”

  “I am sure he is. But he knows we would not let anything happen to you. I would not let anything happen to you.” He looked her over, studying her lovely face. “Nothing will go wrong, Cissy. But we will all be there in case something does.”

  She felt much better hearing that. Truth be told, she was apprehensive and understandably so. There was so much at stake and the burden of it was heavy, crushingly so, but Alexander was absolutely right – she needed to treat this situation like any other mission. FitzRoy was her prey. When he put it that way, she was able to feel more confident about it.

  “I am glad,” she said softly, leaning her head against his, feeling him gently kiss her forehead. “I feel much better knowing you will be there. But this… this is my fight, Sherry. I am the target, after all, and I will fight my own battle.”

  He put a big hand on her head, smoothing back her dark hair as he gazed into her eyes. “But not alone,” he said softly. “Never alone, Cissy. As long as I have breath in my body, you will never be alone.”

  “Nor will you,” she said. “I can only imagine that must feel strange for a man like you. You told me that you preferred to work alone.”

  He smiled faintly as he pinched her chin gently. “Not anymore.”

  She reached out, touching his face, and he closed his eyes to the flutter of her fingers. Both hands came up and she gently clasped his face, her fingers in his hair. Their warm, gentle conversation turned into something else. The passion that ignited so easily between them flared. Eyes still closed, Alexander leaned forward and kissed her.

  There was nothing more to say.

  His lips were soft and warm, his tongue licking at her lips until she opened them. She responded to him quickly, comfortable and titillated with his attention. Alexander lay her back against the small bed, covering her with his big body as their kisses became more heated. With no one to interrupt them, he could take his time with her.

  But he didn’t want to.

  Something about the woman inflamed him. He wore full armor, putting him in a logistically difficult position for what he wanted to accomplish. But that didn’t stop him. He continued to kiss her as he went to work on his mail.

  His belt, his sword, and his tunic were the first things to come off. Christin, swept up by the fervor that was brewing between them, began to help him with his pieces of protection. She pulled the hauberk off, followed by the mail coat. Then it was a matter of stripping off the under tunic and breeches. All the while, she never said a word, a more than willing participant to what they intended to do.

  The pow
er of attraction between them was overwhelming.

  With his armor and tunics off, he went to work on Christin’s shift, pulling it right over her head. She was nude beneath it and, for a moment, he simply looked at her, feasting on her gorgeous form. There was something so surreal and magical about her beauty. Once again, his lips fused to hers, his heated touch speaking more than words ever could.

  The more he touched, the more he had to have her. Alexander was so consumed by his passion that he was blinded it by it. Taking her in his arms, he continued to kiss her as he wedged himself between her legs. With one hand, he managed to guide his erection into her warm, wet core.

  Christin groaned as he invaded her body. She was tender from earlier in the day, but the pain of his entry only served to enhance the sensations he was creating within her. Alexander tried to be gentle, but his need for the woman was overpowering. He slid into her, with a few tender thrusts, until he was seated. Then, he began to move.

  The thrusts were gentle at first, erotic and slow. She was slick and welcoming. But his passion dictated his movements, and they became faster. A hand moved to her full breasts, gently fondling the soft skin as her legs wrapped around him, holding him tightly.

  That only wanted to make him thrust harder.

  Her soft gasps in his ear threw him over the edge. He could feel himself peaking faster than he ever thought possible. Harder and faster he went, feeling her body stiffen beneath him until she began to twitch and her soft cries filled the chamber. Feeling her release draw at him, demanding his seed, he didn’t do what he’d done earlier – he didn’t withdraw and spill himself elsewhere. This time, he spilled his seed deep inside her delicious body. He shouldn’t have done it, but he didn’t much care.

  It was the most satisfying thing he’d ever done.

  But he was still moving within her. He could not seem to stop moving, making their passion last until it could last no more. Beneath him, he felt her release at least twice more, her body shuddering with delight and her legs trembling uncontrollably. In fact, her entire body was trembling uncontrollably, which excited him beyond reason.