He grinned, holding her head between his two enormous hands. “I know it now.”
“You do.”
He kissed her again, gently this time. “Now,” he said. “It is time for you to pack a satchel and prepare to depart. I will return for you once I’ve finished preparing the horses.”
“Shall I meet you below, in the farm fields?”
“Nay.”
She looked at him, surprised. “Why not?”
“Because there are enough men around now that we can lose ourselves leaving through the main gate,” he said. “I am confident that there is so much activity, and everyone is focused on the evening’s feast, that we will be able to slip by unnoticed. Also, I do not want you out of my sight, so you will remain here until I return for you. I do not want you wandering alone with all of the soldiers around and with the king’s men lurking. Therefore, pack your bag and I will return for you shortly.”
He seemed determined. Christin simply nodded, trusting him and his plans. He kissed her once more, twice more, before moving to help her pull the top of her dress up. Realizing their time alone was ended, she made an unhappy face and begrudgingly climbed off him, refitting her dress, which was bunched up around her waist. The bodice went back up and the skirts went back down, and she looked at her coverlet to see the evidence of their activities.
Alexander was on his feet, tying off his breeches, as she went to the bed and noted a wet, slightly pink stain on it. He turned to see what had her attention and, noticing the evidence of their activities, reached down and flipped the coverlet over without a word. Now, the stain was on the underside with the clean coverlet above. When she looked at him, rather embarrassed, he smiled as he bent over and kissed her forehead.
“It is not that I am ashamed of what we did,” he said quietly. “But I do not want others to know of it, for obvious reasons. What we shared, Cissy… that is for us alone and no one else.”
She nodded. “Agreed.”
He put a big hand on her face, cupping her cheek and forcing her to look at him. “Are you sure you’re well?”
“I am fine.”
“No discomfort or regrets?”
She shook her head, throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing him tightly. “Never,” she murmured. “But already, I miss you. Please hurry back to me, Sherry. Every day of this separation will be torture.”
He enveloped her in his enormous arms, memorizing the feel of her against him to recall on the days to come. He honestly didn’t know what the future would bring them, or how long they would truly be separated, but he didn’t want to frighten her with his speculation. He wanted this moment to be as warm and without angst as it could possibly be.
“It will be torture, indeed,” he said after a moment. “But I carry your love and that will give me the strength of the archangels for what is to come.”
Kissing her on the side of the head, he let her go, heading for the door. He was about to lift the latch when a word from her stopped him.
“Will I carry your love, also?” she asked quietly.
He paused, turning to her. The twinkle in his dark eyes told her everything even before he spoke. “You do,” he murmured. “It does not seem possible that I am capable of saying this so soon, but it is what I feel. My love was only meant for you.”
With that, he slipped from the door, out into the dark landing beyond. Christin went to the door, hearing his boot falls as he descended the stairs and headed out into the day beyond.
With a smile playing on her lips, she closed her door and bolted it. She simply stood there for a moment, reliving the past several minutes, feeling as if her heart had wings. She never knew that she could be so completely and utterly happy, as if she were walking on clouds. It didn’t seem possible.
But possible, it was.
He loved her.
Pushing her silly daydreams aside, she went on the hunt for her satchel.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Thank God he’d been able to break free.
Sean was free and clear now that Monnington’s body had been cleaned up off the stones where he landed. As far as everyone was concerned, it was a terrible accident.
Now, he was on the hunt.
He had no idea where Christin was, but he needed to get to The Marshal or Christopher to tell them what was afoot. Unfortunately, that meant going to the encampment area where there were dozens of lords set up for a nice, long stay in honor of the king’s birthday celebration.
Sean wasn’t so certain he wanted to head down there because there would literally be hundreds of witnesses to his presence in the de Lohr encampment and that wasn’t something he wanted to explain to the king should word get back to him. The same could be said for entering The Marshal’s encampment, so he realized as he came to the main gatehouse that led down into the baileys that he wouldn’t be able to go to them.
They would have to come to him.
But that didn’t stop him from heading out into the encampments, however. He was hoping to catch the eye of anyone – Maxton, Kress, Alexander, even his brother – anyone – and perhaps he could convey to them that he needed to speak. For all the witnesses to his presence would know, however, he was simply perusing those who had come to the celebration, information he would relay to the king. As long as he wasn’t seen specifically speaking with de Lohr or The Marshal, his behavior would be perfectly normal.
The de Lohr and Marshal camps were right next to each other and the first person he happened to see was his good friend, Caius d’Avignon. Tall, black-haired Caius spied him almost immediately as he stood speaking to Maxton, who turned around casually to notice Sean standing back on the roadway that led to the gatehouse. When Sean tightened his gloves, or at least pretended to, and used his right hand to point discreetly to the keep, they realized it was a signal.
Caius followed, leaving Maxton to inform The Marshal of Sean’s appearance.
Sean wandered back inside the walls that enclosed the keep with Caius strolling casually several yards behind him. There were a few of the king’s soldiers lingering in this area, near the stairs that led into the keep, but he ignored them. He went around behind the chapel, watching as Caius entered the area.
When Caius saw him back behind the chapel, he continued forward, winding his way among the outbuildings before doubling back and ending up behind the chapel where Sean was. Or, at least where he thought Sean was. When he didn’t see the man immediately, he grew frustrated and started to walk to the front of the chapel when a big hand shot out and grabbed him from the doorway at the rear of the chapel.
Sean yanked him into the dark, empty church.
“Jesus, Sean,” Caius grunted. “You scared the hell out of me.”
Knowing that was an impossible task, Sean fought off a grin. “I doubt that,” he said. “No one frightens The Britannia Viper and lives to tell the tale.”
Caius looked at the man, smiling. “That is true,” he said, his gaze lingering on Sean a moment. “I am the very model of an unflappable man. It has been a long time, my friend.”
“It has.”
“I would ask how you have been, but I suspect that is not a fair question.”
Sean shrugged. “I am well, if that is what you mean,” he said. “But doing what I do… it is every bit the hell you thought it would be, Cai. I would say that you should be glad you are not in my shoes, but there are days when I wish you were with all my heart.”