The de Lohr Dynasty

by Le Veque, Kathryn

  “We do not have many visitors,” she said. “They do not know how to properly behave.”

  David’s focus was still on the younger sisters. “It is no wonder you have few visitors if they are putting dog shite in helms or pulling any number of other nasty tricks,” he said, listening to Emilie gasp. His next words were focused on Nathalie and Emilie. “Mayhap they have not yet met with someone who will do to them what they do to others. Tyranny such as theirs cannot go unanswered.”

  Now, Nathalie didn’t look so enraged. She was looking rather fearful, and Elise beside her appeared equally as fearful. Lyle cleared his throat softly.

  “They are young and spirited,” he said. “Do not pay any attention to them. Since Emilie has monopolized all of your time this afternoon, I am eager to hear of your exploits since we last saw you. I know there has been skirmishes against John all spring and into the summer, but I am curious to know the details. I am also eager to hear of Richard’s situation.”

  He was changing the subject away from his naughty younger daughters. “Of course,” David replied, but when Lyle looked away to hold his cup to a servant for more wine, David looked at Nathalie and Elise and drew an index finger across his throat in a slashing gesture, signaling that the war between them was on. As Nathalie’s eyes flew open wide in shock and Elise yelped, David reached for his cup of wine and pretended not to know the reason behind their troubles. He continued with the conversation as if nothing was amiss. “You were wise to leave London when you did, my lord. Shortly thereafter was when John began unleashing his mercenary army. My brother and I have been all over Nottinghamshire, Norfolk, and into Yorkshire trying to prevent John from gaining properties.”

  Lyle, oblivious to his terrified younger daughters, listened intently. “But he has gained property.”

  David popped a piece of bread into his mouth. “He has.”

  The mood of the conversation turned serious, veering away from the naughty daughters. Lyle took a long gulp of his wine. “Is he gaining the edge, David?” he asked. “Will Richard lose his kingdom?”

  David shook his head. “John’s army is full of mercenaries,” he said. “French, Teutonic, and the like. John’s allies are feeding money into his coffers but the source of money is not endless. It will dry up and when it does, the mercenaries will leave. John knows this, which is why he has been granting properties to some of the wealthier mercenaries, but they are crown properties that belong to his brother. We have spent a good deal of time purging these mercenaries from property that does not belong to them. Will John win this battle? I do not believe he will. Support for Richard is still overwhelmingly strong.”

  “But meanwhile, you still go and risk your life for a king whose fate is not certain,” Emilie said softly. She had been listening intently to the conversation. “What will happen if Richard does not return and John becomes king? Will you then become an enemy of the crown because you supported Richard?”

  David looked at her, a smile on his lips. He couldn’t stop smiling when it came to her. “Nay,” he said. “The House of de Lohr has always supported the crown. If John is the rightful king, then we will swear allegiance to him. Right now, he is not and that is why we fight against him.”

  Emilie smiled timidly, reaching out to take his hand but realizing she would be doing it with an audience. It was not proper. She quickly pulled her hand away but Lyle, who had seen the action, spoke.

  “You may take his hand, Emilie,” he said. “After all, he is your betrothed. You are permitted to touch him.”

  Emilie’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped as the subject switched from battles to betrothals. She was not prepared for what her father said and it sent her head spinning.

  “Betrothed?” she repeated in shock, looking between her father and David. “When… how….?

  She was sputtering, bringing laugher from both David and Lyle. It was David who spoke. “Your father graciously agreed to my offer of marriage,” he said. “I was wondering when he was going to tell you because I have had a difficult time keep the secret all afternoon. Do you have any idea how many times I wanted to tell you while we were sitting by the lake? I have bitten my tongue so much that it is surely in shreds by now.”

  Thrilled, Emilie let out a shriek and bolted up from her chair, rushing to her father and throwing her arms around his neck. She was laughing happily, something that almost sounded maniacal, as Lyle permitted her to nearly strangle him in her joy. It was good to see her so happy, something rarely envisioned when it came to Emilie. She’d had her share of disappointments and sorrow over the past several months, particularly when it came to Brickley, so to see her so truly joyful did Lyle’s heart good. In seeing her reaction, he knew he’d made the correct decision.

  He laughed softly as Emilie peppered his face with kisses, still gripping him around the neck. “Thank you, Papa!” she said in between kisses. “You have made me so happy!”

  Before Lyle could reply, she released him and he nearly fell from his chair from the force of her happy grip. Then she turned her joy on David and threw her arms around his neck, too, laughing and jumping at the same time. David lost his balance from the momentum of her hug, tipping sideways in the chair and coming close to falling off of it as she embraced him. He managed to get one arm down, bracing himself against the floor, as the other arm held Emilie.

  “I cannot tell,” he said as she squeezed. “Are you pleased or not?”

  Emilie laughed loudly, but quickly realized she had nearly pushed the man off of his chair. She let go of his neck, pulling on his arm to right him in his seat. David was grinning from ear to ear.

  “I am pleased,” Emilie assured him. “Can you not tell?”

  He chuckled. “I can,” he said. “Then you believe you will like spending your life as Lady de Lohr?”

  Emilie’s joy turned from exuberance into something much deeper and warmer as she gazed at him. Her hands were clasped against her chest, her expression one of utter delight and adoration.

  “Aye,” she whispered fervently. “I will love every moment of my life just as I will love my husband for every moment of it as well.”

  David stared at her. I will love my husband. Was she already declaring her love for him? Was it even possible she would feel that way about him? Her statement left him speechless, struggling to say something. He immediately thought of his brother, of Christopher, and of his wife, Dustin.

  It seemed as if Christopher and Dustin had married so long ago but in truth, it was not that long ago at all. A year and no more. David had wrestled with the union since the beginning because he could see that Christopher had developed feelings for his wife, and David had been embittered about it. That was no secret. He had even criticized his brother for it. And now, here he was, betrothed to a woman that he dreamt about day and night. She was declaring her love for him. Suddenly, he was coming to understand what his brother had been feeling all of these months, with a wife whom he adored.

  Now, things were becoming clearer.

  But David still couldn’t bring himself to say it, even if it was true.

  I will love my wife….

  “I am pleased, then,” was all David could say to her glowing face. “For I never thought I would find a woman who could put up with me. It is too late to decline, now. We are committed for life.”

  Emilie was still smiling, still gazing into his handsome face, but the truth was that she felt a bit disappointed. She had dared to speak of her love for him and he had not responded to her. She didn’t even know why she said it, only that it had come out before she had realized what she was saying. She thought she might have seen a flicker of shock in David’s eyes, but to his credit, at least he didn’t pull away from her completely. He was still smiling at her, still enjoying the moment.

  Still, she wished he could have said something sweet to her, something that would sing to her in her dreams of the love they could look forward to.

  “You have me forever,” she said. “I would
not decline something I have been praying so earnestly for.”

  David appreciated her response. She didn’t mention anything about him refusing to speak of his love for her. There was still joy in her expression, as if it really didn’t matter all that much. It was enough to make him feel bad that he hadn’t spoken of his love for her.

  … did he, in fact, love her?

  More and more, he was certain that he did.

  “As have I,” David said. “But that brings up a serious point – I do not know when we can be married. I am duty-bound to my brother, and to Richard, so until things are settled, I may not see you very much for the next few months. But mayhap that does not matter, after all – mayhap you would appreciate the time to build your trousseau and plan an elaborate wedding with many guests. I will leave that to you.”

  Emilie was delighted, of course, but she simply shrugged. “I have not thought of when we can be wed,” she said, looking to her father. “Have you, Papa?”

  Lyle shook his head. “I have no preference,” he said. “It is your decision. I will leave it to you and David to decide.”

  “Papa!” Nathalie, who had been silent during the entire betrothal conversation, spoke up. “Elise and I would like to be excused. We want to go to bed.”

  Lyle looked at her. “Have you no congratulations to give your sister?” he asked. “She is to be married. Surely you can wish her great happiness.”

  Nathalie looked between David and Emilie, nervously. “I wish you great happiness,” she said, mostly to Emilie, before returning her focus to her father. “May we leave?”

  Lyle waved them off, glad to be rid of the troublemakers. “Find Lillibet,” he said. “She will see you to sleep.”

  The girls quickly left the table, departing the hall and followed by Cid and Roland, who had been sitting beneath the table, hoping for scraps. As the girls and dogs faded out into the darkness beyond the hall, Lyle lifted a cup to David and Emilie.

  “I will expand on Nathalie’s wish for happiness and give you a wish of my own,” he said. “May you know more happiness than sorrow, more smiles than tears, and may you both be true and faithful to one another until the death. That is the best blessing I can possibly give you. May you both know happiness with each other, in this life and beyond.”

  David silently thanked the man for his good wishes and lifted his cup to him before drinking deeply. Emilie claimed her cup as well, smiling at David as she sipped of her wine. With the younger girls out of the hall now, there was more of a festive atmosphere with just the three of them celebrating the betrothal. In truth, that was all they needed – just the three of them celebrating something that had been several months in the making.

  Lyle, for one, was glad that David had survived John’s skirmishes. He was looking forward to having David as a son. He even wondered if David would swear fealty to him and remain in Canterbury as opposed to returning to Lioncross with his brother. They were all details to be determined when the time came, but Lyle was selfish – he didn’t want his daughter going to the Welsh borders so her husband could serve his mighty brother. Therefore, he wanted David here at Canterbury.

  But then there was the matter of Brickley. That old, familiar subject of the conflict between Brickley and David. Lyle knew, as he’d speculated before, that Brickley would more than likely not remain at Canterbury with David as his liege. But that was Brickley’s choice, something Lyle would not interfere in. The path was now set and David de Lohr would marry Emilie and become the next Earl of Canterbury. Lyle felt tremendous relief in that knowledge; even though the title would pass from the House of Hampton, it would be passing into one of the most prominent families in England. He couldn’t hope for better.

  As Lyle thought on the future for his earldom, Emilie was thinking on her future in general. She had dreamed of this day and now it was here. David was her husband for all intents and purposes, and all of the ups and downs she had experienced since knowing the man suddenly seemed hardly worth the effort. The tournament, escaping the Sheriff of Nottingham, the misunderstanding that separated them for two months, the prince’s masque, and then Brickley burning David’s missives. All of it seemed so far away, simply things she’d had to endure before David finally became hers. She had no idea that such happiness was possible.

  “Thank you, Papa,” she said to his toast, draining her cup of the sweet, tart wine. “Your blessing means everything.”

  Lyle set his cup down, looking at his daughter as she gazed into the face of the man she loved. He remembered an expression like that on Willow’s face, long ago, when they had been betrothed. He had felt like the most fortunate man in the world at that time and he still cursed God for bringing about the cancer that killed his wife. It had been so long ago and he missed her so. Looking at Emilie and David, he couldn’t help but feel some envy. But he also couldn’t help feeling the joy.

  “Then I will leave you two to discuss what must be discussed before David leaves on the morrow,” he said. “I will bid you both a good evening.”

  Emilie kissed her father good-night and David shook the man’s hand. When Lyle finally wandered out of the hall, David turned to Emilie to see that she was looking at him expectantly. He lifted his eyebrows at her.

  “You have something on your mind,” he said. “What is it?”

  Emilie shook her head, reaching out to take his big hand. He clutched her fingers, lifting them to his lips for a gentle kiss. “Did you truly believe we would ever see this moment?” she asked. “I will admit that I wondered.”

  He tugged on her arm, pulling her out of her seat and onto his lap. He wrapped his big arms around her as she snuggled close. “I hope your father cannot see this,” he said. “I should not be holding you so improperly.”

  Emilie giggled. “Let him see,” she said boldly. “We are to be married, are we not? You may do whatever you wish with me.”

  He cast her a long, doubtful look before breaking down into soft laughter. “If that were true, I might consider very inappropriate things with you.”

  Emilie was both intrigued and willing. “You entice me, my lord.”

  He looked at her rather strangely. “What do you know about inappropriate actions?” he asked, a hint of suspicion in his tone. “You should be fighting me off at the very least. Are you so willing to be ravaged?”

  Emilie giggled, her arms around his neck. Her face was very close to his and she had the privilege of studying his face at close range, his long and straight nose with a dusting of faded freckles. His skin was somewhat weathered by the years in harsh climates but it only seemed to make him more handsome.

  “I am willing to be ravaged by you,” she clarified. “You have behaved like a proper gentleman all afternoon. I am afraid I am starting to feel offended by your restraint.”

  David fought off a grin. “Is that so?”

  “It is.”

  “I was trying to behave myself.”

  “And so you did. Now, my father is gone, my sisters are in bed, and we are alone. Will you still show such restraint?”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Are you sure you know what you are saying?”

  “I am not sure. Why don’t you show me what I think I meant?”

  He looked at her, puzzled by her nonsensical answer, and then he started laughing. “I have never seen a lady so eager to be overwhelmed by a man,” he said. “I thought you were a demure, sweet child.”

  She gave him a rather naughty look. “You were wrong.”

  His smile vanished. “I am?” he said. “Pray, tell me how I am wrong and careful your answer lest I be forced to spank you.”

  She giggled and tightened up her arms around his neck. “Come, now,” she said, rather seductively. “Do you think I have been living in a convent for the past few years? Of course I have not. I have had suitors, many of them, in fact. Much as you find women attractive, I find men attractive, but none so attractive as you. I have a healthy appetite for men and I am not ashamed of it.”

&
nbsp; He looked at her, astonished. “A healthy appetite for men?”

  Her fingers toyed with the hair at the base his skull as her hands lingered at the back of his neck. “A healthy appetite for you,” she whispered. “Kiss me.”

  He didn’t have the chance to do it, for she was descending upon his lips before he could speak. They had kissed before and it had been a spark of a kiss that had quickly grown into a raging blaze. This kiss was no different; something about the feel of Emilie in his hands and the taste of her upon his lips sent a flush of liquid heat through his veins. It had been so long since he’d held her and even in those times, the contact had been brief. Someone had always interrupted them. But tonight, there would be no interruptions.

  He intended to experience this woman he was pledged to marry.

  The situation quickly grew amorous, nearly out of control. Seated on his lap, Emilie was trapped against him as his mouth ravaged her. He moved from her lips to her chin to her cheeks, tasting every bit of flesh he could get his hands and mouth on, but it still wasn’t enough. He could feel her rounded buttocks on his lap and his erection was already straining against his breeches. She was his, after all.

  And he wanted all of her.

  The hall was on the same level as Lyle’s solar and the small room where David would be sleeping. He picked Emilie up and carried her through the solar and into the small chamber, kicking the door shut behind him. When he set Emilie to her feet, she threw the bolt to lock the door and David looked at her with some surprise, but she simply gave him a devilish smile that made his heart beat wildly. Before he could say a word, she threw herself at him, arms around his neck, and kissed him passionately.

  David was as caught up in her heat as she was in his. The flames of desire were raging wildly. His arms went around her, his lips on hers, his tongue invading the sweet recesses of her mouth. Rather than respond timidly, or not at all, Emilie was a bundle of heated flesh that matched him in his aggression. In fact, she seemed to be more aggressive than he was, her sweet body pressed up against him as close as she could go. She wasn’t timid in the least, which both surprised and pleased him. When she began suckling on his earlobe, David lost his balance and tumbled back onto his bed, which quickly collapsed.