Christin nodded eagerly, taking his elbow as they headed over to the garden. The day was bright, with puffy clouds overhead, and the castle garden looked much different in the daylight. There was a big yew tree, a pond, and many green and growing things that were starting to go dormant as autumn settled in.
Alexander walked her past the tree and over to the pond, all the while holding the fingers that were clutched around his elbow. Outside of the castle, he’d seen the groups of nobles coming into the castle and knew they would soon be inundated with people for the festivities, so his plan this morning was to have a few moments alone with Christin before William Marshal arrived. After that, there was no telling what he’d be called upon to do and he didn’t want to take the chance that he might not see her.
Therefore, this was a precious moment.
And a nervous one. God help him, he was actually nervous. He’d spent all night staring up at the ceiling, reliving the events in the hall, wondering how such a beautiful, intelligent woman could actually notice a man like him. Certainly, he had prestige and a reputation, but a woman like Christin de Lohr should have far more than that. The attention of a fine woman wasn’t something he’d ever really had to ponder, so this was quite new to him. He felt so inadequate.
But, oh… so lucky.
“I’ve not yet seen Lord de Winter this morning,” Christin said, breaking into his thoughts. “I am not entirely sure how I am going to apologize for destroying his hall.”
Alexander looked at her, grinning. “You did a splendid job of it,” he said. “I’ve not seen that much chaos in quite some time. And that knight you kept threatening – the one you threw bones at – he’s actually a good man so I hope you do not really think poorly of him.”
She looked at him, mortified. “I do not know why I did that,” she said. “It just came out. I should find him and apologize to him, too.”
Alexander laughed softly. “He would run from you in terror,” he said. “I will find him and make mention of the situation. I will ease things; have no fear.”
Christin sighed heavily. “I was only concerned with the king’s reaction, to be truthful,” she said. “He seemed quite appalled, did he not?”
“He did, indeed.”
“Do you think it was enough to discourage him.”
“I think it certainly gave him pause, but I also think it would be wise for you to leave the castle and stay at that inn near the cathedral until he leaves. Just to stay out of his way.”
She came to a halt, facing him. “If you think so,” she said. “But I must confess all of this to The Marshal, too. It is possible he may not want me to leave. I had a task to perform at the celebration and that was to infiltrate the women. Remember?”
Alexander’s smile faded. “I remember,” he said. “But I do not think that will be wise after last night. I think it best to get you out of John’s sight altogether. I think your presence will cause an added complication we do not need.”
Christin could see his point. She averted her gaze, looking at her feet. “I’ve made a mess of things, I think.”
He reached out, tipping her head up to look at him. His eyes glittered at her. “You have not,” he said. “It is John who is to blame. But, then again, I cannot blame him when I look at you. You have stars in your eyes and the beauty of a clear night sky. There is no man in England who would not see that. But I have an advantage. I know that the quality of your character is equal to everything men see on the outside.”
She was deeply flattered by his words. “Even after last night?”
“Especially after last night.”
Reaching up, she stroked his cheek gently and he caught her hand, kissing it tenderly. They simply stood there a moment, gazing at each other, understanding that whatever was brewing between them had somehow solidified overnight. It was only yesterday that they were confessing their feelings. Today, they were free to speak of them and more.
Christin took him by the hand, pulling him over to a stone bench by the pond.
“Come and sit with me,” she said. “Tell me how it will be between us from now on. I must remain here at Norwich because I serve Lady de Winter, but you… you will leave at some point.”
Alexander nodded, politely helping her to sit before he sat beside her. “I will return to London with William Marshal,” he said. “Where he goes, I go.”
“When shall I see you again?”
That had been on Alexander’s mind most of the night. “That is a good question,” he said, holding her hand to his chest. “I told you that I have been a loner and a wanderer. I have friends, that is true, and very good friends. But I have never had a lady who I have been fond of, so this is all very new to me. All I know is that I do not want to leave when The Marshal returns to London. I want to remain here, with you.”
Christin smiled at him, clutching the hand that was holding hers. “This is new to me, also,” she said. “I do not want you to leave, either, but I know you must. I do not know when The Marshal will call upon me again and until he does, I will remain at Norwich.”
Alexander sat there for a moment, staring down at her hands as they held his. He simply stared, clearly lost in thought.
“When Maxton and Kress and Achilles married for love, I thought it was weak of them,” he said after a moment. “I did not know Maxton’s wife very well, but I knew the women that Kress and Achilles wed. Although they were fine women, I still thought it was weak of them to make their careers secondary to their marriages. To these women, they surrendered. After all, we have served together for over twenty years, all of us. We have faced life and death together. We are a brotherhood like none other and I did not understand why they let their personal feelings interfere with that. But now… now, I do, because I find myself facing the same thing.”
Christin was listening to him seriously. “And this disturbs you?”
He shook his head, slowly. “It does not. I thought it would, but it does not.”
“Then what do you wish to do, Sherry? Do you wish to think about this? I do not want you to be confused and miserable over your feelings for me.”
He looked at her, then. “There is no confusion,” he murmured. “That is why this is all so baffling, but at the same time, all so wonderful. There is absolutely no confusion. I know what I want and I know what I feel, and both of those roads lead to you. Everything leads to you. And now I am trying to determine our future.”
Christin could see that, in spite of his words, he was puzzled. As he’d said, this was new to him, so he was trying to plot a course. She scooted closer to him, gently laying her head on his shoulder.
“You do not have to decide anything today,” she said softly. “We do not have to do anything right this very moment. We have time. But know this; no matter how long it takes for you to determine our future, I will wait for you. I will be right here, waiting for you.”
Surprise washed over his features. “You would truly wait for me?”
She nodded. “Of course I would. I do not give my affections easily, Sherry. I do not give them at all, really. I assured you that this was not a whim and you told me that you would stop at nothing to make me yours. I will hold you to that, but I will not rush you.”
He leaned his head so that it was resting on hers, a sweet and simple gesture that meant the world to him. “That is what’s so strange about this,” he said. “I do not want to leave you. I want to be with you every day for the rest of my life, so I want to determine the course of our future now. I will have to leave with The Marshal, but I will return for you as soon as I can.”
She chuckled; he could feel her. “You must still speak with my father, you know.”
“I know. And I will do that as soon as I can.”
“What will you say to him?”
“That I wish to marry his daughter and ask for his blessing. That’s to the point.”
She lifted her head, forcing him to lift his. She stared at him for a moment. “Then… then you simply
do not wish to court me? I have seen couples court only to have them move on to others when they realize they are not compatible. I have not seen it often, but I have seen it. I thought… I thought mayhap you meant we should know each other first before…”
She trailed off and he frowned. “What did you think I meant when I said I would stop at nothing to make you mine?”
She grinned, nervously. “I… I suppose marriage, but I did not wish to presume anything.”
He grinned because she was. “Silly wench,” he growled. “Of course I meant marriage. Why do you think I have been trying to figure out our future?”
She eyed him. “You are not going to be like Bric and lock me up in a castle somewhere, are you?”
He laughed. “Not you,” he said. “You’d find a way to break out and then you’d come after me and throw bones at me.”
Christin laughed right along with him, finding something so wonderful and giddy about laughing with a man she was quickly coming to adore.
“I would never throw bones at you, I promise,” she said, sobering. “But it’s as I told you before – I like serving with The Marshal. I feel as if I am making a difference as few women can claim.”
He sobered also, reaching out to cup her face. “That is because you are young and beautiful, and he makes you do things that, as my wife, I would not permit you to do.” He watched her as she reconciled herself to that. “If you wish to continue in that capacity, however, all you need do is tell me. I would not want you to be unhappy. But I will not marry a woman who wishes to continue her duty of flirting with men.”
Now she looked wounded. “It is much more than that,” she said. “I may not do important work like participating in battles or commanding men, but my work is important, too.”
He immediately put his arms around her, his face finding delicious refuge in the side of her head. “I am sorry,” he whispered into her hair. “I did not mean to suggest you were not valuable. You are; you are very valuable. But you are more valuable to me than anyone else on this earth. You will have to decide if that is more important than serving The Marshal.”
Christin was all folded up in his massive arms, her chin on his shoulder. It was a moment that drained everything out of her until she was putty in his arms, for the man had an embrace like no other. She felt so very safe and adored, and it was something she never wanted to be without.
Certainly, serving The Marshal had been fulfilling. But being adored… even loved… by Alexander was more fulfilling than even that. For the first time in her life, she felt whole.
“There is no decision to make,” she said, her arms around him, caressing him. “My choice is you. It will always be you.”
“You are certain?”
She lifted her head to look at him, her features alive with all of the warmth and adoration she was feeling. “I’ve been waiting all of my life for you,” she whispered. “I simply did not know it until now.”
He pulled her close, looking into her eyes, seeing a life he never thought he’d have. Never did he imagine he’d fall for a woman, but Christin wasn’t just any woman.
She was the most remarkable woman he’d ever known.
“I told you that I could only offer you me, that I had nothing more to give you,” he said. “That is not entirely true. I have been thinking about my father… I will try to reconcile with him after all of these years. I am his heir, after all. You deserve your own home, Cissy. Mayhap… mayhap it is finally time to face my father. Every man must face his mistakes at some point, so mayhap it is my time to do that.”
She smiled. “Do not do it for me,” she said. “You must do this for you. But if I can be the catalyst to greater things for you, I am happy to be that.”
A smile spread over his lips as he bent over her and kissed her gently on the cheek. “You are wise, indeed,” he said. “I am looking forward to a lifetime of coming to know that wisdom. What a great privilege it will be.”
With that, his lips claimed hers and he kissed her sweetly but with passion that quickly overwhelmed him. He had to fight the urge to ravage her, so the kiss was passionate but not lengthy. They were not in a private place, after all, and he’d probably shown her too much affection already. As he released her from his embrace and picked up both of her hands, kissing each one gently, they both heard a voice from over near the yew tree.
“I believe this is a good time to ask what I have been witnessing.”
Christin gasped and stood up quickly, but Alexander didn’t move. He remained on the bench with Christin’s hands still in his grip as Christopher de Lohr moved from his position near the tree and began the slow, deliberate trek in their direction.
And he did not look pleased.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“You summoned me, your grace?”
Sean was standing in the doorway of John’s chamber, the master’s chamber that Old Daveigh and Lady de Winter had surrendered to the king upon his arrival. The chamber was spacious and comfortable, and afforded John a perfect view of the gatehouses that protected Norwich Castle. He could see the groups of nobles coming into the castle to attend his celebration.
So many groups, which John thought was rather impressive. He had no idea so many of them would have attended his feast. He wasn’t well liked in Norfolk and was pleased to see he’d been wrong. The castle was filling up quickly and he could see encampments being set up in the baileys below.
But it wasn’t today’s feast on his mind.
It was last night’s.
“Come in,” he said to Sean as he remained by the window, feeling the cool breeze caress his face. “It seems that everyone in Norfolk has decided to come today. Free food and drink will bring them in, you know.”
Sean entered the chamber, shutting the door behind him. “I believe they are coming to pay their respects to you, your grace.”
John snorted as he came away from the window. Dressed in a silken robe, he was nude beneath it and the robe wasn’t exactly covering him. He’d had a somewhat fit body in his youth that, in his advancing years, was starting to shift and he was getting a belly on him. It was his belly poking through the opening of his robe and being that he was well-endowed, his flaccid member could also be seen. Sean found himself looking the man in the eyes because he didn’t want to see anything else.
It was disturbing enough as it was.
“You are being kind because you know it is not true,” John said. “They are here because Old Daveigh asked it of them. But that does not matter; that is not why I summoned you.”
“How may I be of service, your grace?”
“Christin de Lohr.”
“What about her?”
“You will take her north today.”
Sean was greatly surprised. After the fiasco last night, that was the last thing he expected to hear. “If that is your wish, your grace.”
“It is,” John said. He wagged a finger at Sean as he moved to collect his cup of watered wine. “Last night was a disgrace. I would have believed the woman to have terrible manners for the fact that everything she did was exaggerated. Her manners were too terrible, if you know what I mean. Clearly, she was trying to dissuade me, but I am not easily deterred. I still want her for Robert and you will take her to him.”
Sean’s heart sank. “As you wish, your grace,” Sean said. “But what about Christopher de Lohr? We have discussed how badly this could go for you if you abduct his daughter. Does this not concern you?”
John nodded. “It should, I know,” he said. “But I do not believe Christopher will be a problem for one very good reason – he wants his daughter safe and whole. Control the daughter, you control the father. I know you are trying to protect me, Sean, but do not worry so. Christin de Lohr is the key to controlling the entire de Lohr war machine.”
Sean had heard that before. He still couldn’t believe that John was being so reckless, but the man seemed resolute. He’d already said what he needed to say when the idea was first brought about and
he was afraid that any more conjecture on his part would cause John to be suspicious somehow, so he shut his mouth.
He had little choice.
The Lord of the Shadows was obedient in all things.
“As you say, your grace,” he said. “When shall I go?”
“Quickly,” John said, swilling the liquid in the cup. “Today, if you can. I am not sure who will be in attendance today but it is guaranteed that de Lohr allies will be here. Old Daveigh is a de Lohr ally, so whatever you do must not alert him. In fact… I believe I will send Gerard to take her north. You will remain here with me because I will need you to deter Old Daveigh if he becomes suspicious of what I have done. You are a much better persuader than Gerard is.”
Sean nodded. “As you wish, your grace.”
John stroked his chin. “I was tempted to taste her last night in spite of her behavior, but I decided to leave her a maiden,” he said. “That will be my wedding gift to Robert.”
“Does Robert know of your plans or should we send word ahead?”
“Gerard will tell him when he delivers her.”
“Aye, your grace.”
John turned back towards the window, wine in hand. “She thought she was quite clever last night,” he said. “What Lady Christin does not know is that even if she looked like the hind end of a goat, I would still marry her to Robert. Nothing she can do will change my mind. Now, send Gerard to me. There is no time to waste.”
Sean was already heading for the door. He quit the chamber, leaving the king to watch the arrival of the guests and drink his wine, but all the while he was thinking that he needed to find Christin and tell her to get the hell out of Norwich.
Their plan had not succeeded.
Worse still, he needed to find Alexander. The man had to know that Christin was in grave danger. He hadn’t taken ten steps, however, when the chamber door opened again and John was calling for him.
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