The de Lohr Dynasty: Medieval Legends: A Medieval Romance Collection

by Kathryn Le Veque

  Dustin looked at her friend. “You think he’s handsome?”

  “Aye, verily,” Rebecca said, focusing on the material. “The most handsome man I have seen.”

  Dustin turned away thoughtfully. So Rebecca thought he was handsome, did she? To hear her comment only reinforced the very same thoughts Dustin was trying to ignore.

  “This thread does not quite match,” Rebecca commented, holding up the spool for Dustin to see. “Let’s go see Mr. Codwalader. If he doesn’t have it in his stock, then he can probably dye the correct shade for us.

  Dustin nodded, following Rebecca into the small kitchen room where she had almost met her end. They went out the back door, heading for the heart of the village where the merchant’s shops were, and completely forgetting about the knight who was standing watch at their front door.

  Certain events happened purely by accident. Dustin and Rebecca stayed to watch Mr. Codwalader dye the thread a matching sapphire blue, an event that took a bit of time, which the two of them lost track of.

  Edward, promptly at noon, stuck his head into the hut to announce their imminent departure and was baffled to find the cottage deserted. Concerned for his mistress and terrified that Christopher would blame him if anything happened to her, he set out in search of Lady de Lohr.

  He had no idea where to look, of course, and after a half hour of searching, he made his way back to Lioncross. David was waiting for him in the bailey, his eyes widening when he saw Edward was alone.

  “Where is she?” he demanded.

  Edward was grim. “Gone,” he said reluctantly. “David, I need help looking for her.”

  “Gone? What in the hell do you mean?” David asked urgently.

  “Exactly what I said,” Edward said, running a hand across his face. “Christopher is going to kill me. I was standing watch outside the front door the whole time and the two of them must have slipped out the back door. I have no idea where they went.”

  David’s mouth went agape but he shut it rapidly. “Chris has got to know of this,” he turned and dashed into the castle.

  Edward dismounted and, not so eagerly, followed. Five minutes later, Christopher and the entire company of knights were mounted and tearing through the open gates toward the village.

  Dustin and Rebecca, completely unaware of the uproar they had caused, sat quite happily in Mr. Codwalader’s store and watched the man mix the dye to achieve the exact color of the material. They chatted with the wrinkled old man about different subjects, for Mr. Codwalader was very knowledgeable and they enjoyed his company. His wife had died years ago and he was alone, so he always enjoyed very lengthy conversations. Blissfully ignorant of the knights that were even now roaring into the village, they continued their discussion without reservation.

  Christopher split up his men, sending half to one end of the village for a hut-to-hut search while he and David and Edward took the main street. His gestures were sharp, his commands brusque, and no one wasted any time carrying out his orders.

  It was difficult for Christopher to express the emotions that were filling him. Anger, of course, but also a certain amount of apprehension after the attack the other day. He knew he had found his wife by pure chance and he had no desire to test his luck again. He had no idea where she might have gone but when he found her he hoped for her sake that her bottom had recovered somewhat from the other day because he was surely going to give her more of the same for filling him with a fear he had never experienced before.

  To imagine something horrible befalling Dustin brought terror to his veins and he was greatly disturbed by it. Angry with her for causing it and angry with himself for being weak enough to feel it.

  *

  Mr. Codwalader dyed the thread to perfection and, still wet, handed it back to Rebecca. She accepted the spool on a wire, still chatting leisurely with the little man and Dustin promised to pay him for it the next day.

  After lengthy goodbyes and thank-yous, the two women left the shop and cut through the small village, back to Rebecca’s hut. They had no way of knowing they had missed the search party by mere yards, as they had exited the rear of the shop while Dustin’s husband and his knights had entered another shop a few doors down, nearly ripping the panel of the candlemaker’s shop off its hinges in their haste.

  Still neglecting to remember her watchdog, Dustin and Rebecca spent a good deal of time going over the dresses again as the baron and his men nearly ripped the little town apart by the seams looking for them. Finally, Dustin’s stomach rumbled and she suddenly remembered about Edward and her promise to Christopher to return by the nooning meal.

  “What time is it?” she exclaimed, throwing the front door open. She was verily surprised to find that Edward was gone.

  “Well after midday,” Rebecca squinted up to the sky. “Where is your knight?”

  “I don’t know,” Dustin replied, puzzled. “Mayhap he got bored and went back to the keep.”

  She and Rebecca shrugged at each other, unconcerned with Edward, but Dustin was very concerned about being late for the nooning meal.

  “I hope Christopher isn’t too angry with me,” she said, kissing her friend’s cheek goodbye. “Thank you, Rebecca. I shall see you tomorrow.”

  As she had done hundreds of times before, Dustin gathered her skirts and walked casually back to the keep, enjoying the day and the birds and the sky, still totally unaware of the chaos that was erupting on her behalf.

  That ignorance was not to last for long.

  *

  Three hours later, the knights rode back into the bailey, greeted by a host of soldiers and young squires to take their animals and their gear.

  Christopher dismounted, tearing his gauntlets off and tucking them under his arm, his eyes riveted to the castle doors with his face set like stone. David walked up beside him.

  “Try not to be too hard on her, Chris,” he said. “Her friend said she did not deliberately disobey you.”

  Christopher didn’t reply, which concerned David. He knew his brother better than anyone, and when Christopher was silent it was usually a sign of extreme anger. But there was nothing more he could say, so he slowed his pace and let his brother continue on into the castle, to deal with his wife alone. He wondered if he shouldn’t follow at a safe distance, just to protect Dustin should Christopher go out of control. He had never seen that happen; still, he was concerned all the same.

  A serving wench directed Christopher outside and he found his wife in the small kitchen yard, dressed in her usual peasant garb with her hair pulled back to the nape of her neck, feeding her rabbits.

  Christopher marched up on her and stopped a few feet back, preparing to explode. He wanted to yell his head off but as soon as he saw her standing so innocently feeding her pets, he choked on his anger. But not quite; he was furious with her and had to clench his hands behind his back to keep from shaking her.

  “Dustin?” he said in a remarkably controlled voice.

  She turned around and he was caught off guard to see that her face lit up with a smile. “My lord, you have returned,” she said pleasantly, shoving the rabbit she was holding back into his hutch. “I asked where you had gone and no one was able to tell me very much. Is Edward with you? He left Rebecca’s hut before I did and I have not seen him.”

  This was not the manner or words of a disobedient, spiteful woman. He put his hands on his hips, trying not to glare at her as he realized she truly had no idea of what had transpired because of her thoughtlessness.

  “Aye, Edward is with me,” he said as evenly as he could manage. “You do not know where I have been?”

  She shook her head, wiping her hands on her dress. “Nay. Where?”

  Good Lord, he thought, turning away from her a brief moment, trying to maintain his composure. She truly didn’t know. He had been out terrorizing the peasants because he thought she was in danger, and she was completely unaware of what she had caused.

  “Inside, lady, if you will,” he stepped aside and
motioned to her.

  Not sensing his conflict in the least, Dustin preceded him into the castle and then allowed him to lead her up to her rooms. Once inside, he closed the door softly and she turned to him.

  She watched him as he slowly removed his helmet. It seemed to her that he was being rather thoughtful, and she wondered why.

  “Is something wrong, my lord?” she asked.

  He looked at her then, a bit calmer. “Where did you go today?”

  She looked confused. “To….to Rebecca’s cottage. You took me there.”

  He shook his head as he removed his mail hood. “Nay, I mean while Edward was supposed to be watching you. Where did you go?”

  She blinked, pulling her long ponytail over one shoulder absently. “We went to Mr. Codwalader’s store for thread. Rebecca needed an exact shade for the dress she is making, and he has the dyes. He always helps her with her sewing.”

  So that was it. Simple, straightforward. He still could not believe she didn’t grasp the seriousness of the situation.

  “That is where you went?” he raised his eyebrow. “Alone?”

  She nodded. “Aye, we cut across….” Her eyes suddenly widened at him. “We forgot about Edward. Was he supposed to go with us?”

  Christopher stared at her a moment before letting out an ironic sigh, sitting heavily in an oak chair. He put his hands to his head a moment, baffled at her innocence and suddenly lacking the desire or energy to get angry with her. He just couldn’t manage it.

  “Aye, he was,” he mumbled. “He was your escort, Dustin, remember? That means he goes wherever you go. Do you have any idea how badly you frightened him when he went to bring you back and you were missing?”

  She sat down on her bed, looking at her hands. “I forgot he was there, my lord. I am unused to escorts. When I returned, he was gone and I assumed he had come back to the keep. So I walked home alone, as I always have.”

  He eyed her. “There are certain things we need to establish at this moment, Lady de Lohr. I have a great many enemies, and when you married me they became your enemies as well. You are not free to come and go as you please, alone, for my enemies would take advantage of such a situation. As my wife, you are a valuable commodity and must be protected. You must remember this, Dustin. Your life will depend on it.”

  She swallowed. “You speak of the prince?”

  “He’s one,” he replied softly. “Everyone has enemies, sweetheart. As Richard’s envoy, I have more than my share.”

  She was still staring at her hands, thinking on his words. “Would they kill me?”

  “ ’Tis possible,” he said. “But more likely, they would use you to get to me.”

  She looked at him then. “I do not understand all of this, my lord,” she whispered. “Court intrigue is new to me. I know nothing.”

  He nodded. “You have indeed lived a sheltered, carefree life here at Lioncross. But no more, Dustin. You must grow up. It is not merely my enemies, but dangers in general. This world is not a safe place.”

  She hung her head and he felt himself relenting fully. He could see that she had not meant to cause any chaos, contrary to her nature. It was probably the first time in her life she had not meant to cause trouble, but had done so anyway.

  “I apologize for my actions, my lord,” she said regretfully.

  “No need,” he stood up. “Just remember yourself, my lady, especially while we are in London. There’s no room for mistakes there.

  “Then mayhap you should leave me here, just to be safe,” she said.

  He gave her a half smile. “Nay, wife, you will come with me,” he said. “You will enjoy your stay, I am sure.”

  “With your enemies prowling the halls, looking for the first opportunity to kill me? I think not,” she said with more irony than fear.

  He laughed, causing her to smile. “I promise I will give you your own dagger to defend yourself. I have a feeling you would give any accoster quite a fight.”

  “I have my own dagger,” she insisted. “Do you really think that I will need it?”

  “I was jesting, sweetheart,” he told her, gathering his mail, hood, and helmet. “You will never again need to defend yourself. I will do it for you.”

  “Why? Because you are my husband?” she teased lightly. “I do not recall that our wedding vows instructed you to defend me, only honor, obey, and trust.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “And you have already broken two of those vows, and I know not about the third.”

  She knew which ones he was referring to. “Aye, honor and obey have not always been my strong points, but I do trust you. Truly, I do.”

  He was standing by the door. “You had better,” he said. “And before the month is out, I intend to have the other two.”

  She smiled a sort of noncommittal smile and rose, turning away from him. He found his eyes drawn to her full breasts, her shapely hips, and her whole figure. Christ, she was lovely and full and supple. Thoughts he had had before, yet thoughts that stayed with him the rest of the day.

  Christopher tossed and turned that night. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Dustin, her sweet face, her luscious young body. Christ, it had been so long since he’d had a woman that his natural urges were getting the better of him and he’d been fighting off an erection most of the evening.

  Yet he would not go to his wife. His vows were firm and strong, she would have to come to him first. But his body screamed to touch her, to hold her, to caress her and taste her like he had no other. He had every legal and moral right to go storming into her room and drive into her until he found his release and his seed beget an heir, but he just could not seem to do it. He knew she didn’t want him, and that strengthened his resolve not to seek her out.

  But he was terribly distended, thinking of her, and he knew he would have to do something about it or face great unrest. There were always serving wenches willing to relieve a man, no more than objects for a man to relieve himself with. Throwing the covers off and hearing Caesar squeal in protest as he was disturbed, he donned his breeches and left his room, searching with an overpowering urge for a woman to release him.

  It wasn’t difficult. The castle was full of willing wenches, even sleepy ones, and he returned to his room in no time with a big-busted brunette ready to obey his every command.

  Christopher wasn’t nice about it. He ordered the woman to strip as he removed his breeches and roughly squeezed her breasts, suckling hard on her as she moaned and writhed loudly beneath him. His huge hands bruised her soft breasts and her moans were partially of pain, partially of pleasure. He ran his hands all over her, his eyes closed, not even realizing that he was thinking her to be his wife. Wishing her to be.

  That was the extent of his foreplay. He settled himself in between her legs and drove his massive organ into her so hard that she did scream from pain, and he slapped his hand over her mouth to quiet her. But her face soon awash with pleasure as he thrust into her, hard enough to bump her head against the wall. When he felt himself building quickly toward his release, he withdrew and turned the wench over on her stomach, propping her up on her knees. A trick he had learned of, so as not to deposit his seed and possibly beget a bastard, he eased himself into her anus.

  The wench moaned and cried softly, rubbing her woman’s center as he pushed his way into her. Within two hard thrusts, he was released, animalistic satisfaction washing over him, but nothing more.

  When he finally opened his eyes and looked down at her dark head, he was suddenly struck by the fact he had been picturing Dustin in his mind all along and was horrified at what he had done. He had done nothing but mate in a purely bestial sense and he was disgusted with himself.

  God help him, he wanted his wife in every sense of the word. He was ashamed that he was not strong enough to wait for her. Kicking the woman from his bed, he barely gave her time to dress before opening the door and practically throwing her from his room. He was hurried and urgent, wanting to get her out and forget about the wh
ole affair. He was a man unused to regret, but regret he did.

  *

  Dustin had no more woken up the next morning than she began to hear the rumors that the baron had bedded one of the kitchen servants. Deeply shocked, she pressed the silly maid who was helping her with her bath until she was sure she had all of the horrible, humiliating details. Even when she had stopped asking questions, the wench continued to prattle on as if she were talking to another silly female and not the baron’s wife. She went on and on and Dustin sat in stunned silence until hot tears began to sting her eyes and she chased the foolish woman from her room.

  It seemed that all she did was cry anymore. She cried now because she was terribly hurt if the rumors were true, and she had no reason to suspect that they were not. Except for fatherly kindness, Christopher had never indicated the least bit of attraction for her and she knew it was because she was unworthy of him. Yet he had seen fit to take a kitchen wench to bed with him, and that information cut her to the bone. He did not believe her worthy enough to bed. The more she brooded, the more angry and hurt she became until her pain was a raging fire in her chest.

  Why should she obey and honor him when he had seen it fit to dishonor her? True, it was not uncommon or even discouraged for the lord of the house to bed a servant. It was simply part of his privileges, yet her father had never done it because he actually loved her mother. She was blind and stupid to believe that Christopher would honor her in the same manner.

  She was crushed. She simply could not deal with the thoughts anymore and decided from that point on she would never again allow herself to like him. Truth was, she was coming to like him a great deal and for her emotions, she had received a slap in the face. That would happen no more. Men, as she had always believed, were pigs and liars and cheats, and she hated all of them. Christopher had almost changed her mind, but fortunately his actions had brought her back to her senses.

  She dressed in a standard dress, brown cloth skirt and a white blouse with a tight black girdle around her small waist. She was in the process of putting on her black leather slippers when she caught sight of her three new dresses hanging in her wardrobe.