Sean shook his head. “He does not even know you are coming.”
Her brow furrowed. “And I am to kill this man who is essentially innocent of his father’s plans?”
Sean could see, in that moment, that she wasn’t hardened like the rest of The Marshal’s agents. Like he was. He would kill and not ask any questions, but she still had a conscience. That was the blessing of her youth and her sex. She still had emotions that hadn’t been driven out of her by age and hardship and duty. He envied that, but it was a bad quality to have for a spy who was expected to do things that were, at times, unconscionable.
“Robert FitzRoy has never been innocent of anything in his life,” Sean said. “He was born from a rape when the king forced himself on the daughter of his tutor. He has lived in the finest houses and he has done things that you would expect from a man with no soul, much like his father. Christin, if you do not kill him, you will be forced to marry him. You must choose between him and you. What will your choice be?”
When he put it that way, there was no other choice she could make. “Me,” she said quietly. “I choose me. I will do what is necessary.”
Sean’s eyes glittered at her. “Good,” he said. “I will remain at Bishop’s Lynn as long as I can if you need assistance. But whatever you do, you must do it as soon as you arrive. The longer you wait, the more your courage will wane and the more FitzRoy may simply overwhelm you. It is a difficult task and I understand that, but you must show no mercy because, surely, if the marriage goes through, none will be shown to you. The king wants this marriage because he wants to control your father and the moment you become Lady FitzRoy, your life is only worth the degree of your father’s good behavior. Therefore, it is kill or be killed.”
She was looking at him with some fear, but she tempered it well. She had to. She’d known from the start that this was a political move by the king against her beloved father. She would not be the instrument to Christopher de Lohr’s caging.
She had to protect her father most of all.
“I will not fail.”
Sean believed her. “Now,” he said. “I am going out to find Sherry before he burns this village to the ground in his rage. You will stay here and bolt that door. Do not open it for anyone but me. Is that clear?”
Christin nodded. “It is,” she said. “And… Sean?”
“Aye?”
“Thank you. For all of the help you have given me… thank you.”
He simply nodded, faintly, and quit the chamber, leaving Christin to rush forward and bolt the door. She stood there a moment as her last vestiges of bravery fled, allowing herself to feel her fear for the first time.
The prospects were utterly terrifying.
It was enough to drive her to her knees.
It was after dusk, with a cold evening settling over the land, and Alexander knew that Sean and John’s men hadn’t gone any further than Dereham because the night was only lit by a sliver moon and to ride out in the darkness would be foolish.
Especially with valuable cargo.
Therefore, he entered the village in the dark and from the outskirts, leaving his horse tethered in a copse of trees to shield the animal as he slithered in. Through gardens and alleys, beneath windows as families shared their evening meal. He was stealthy in his movements, hunting for John’s men, heading for the center of town and any liveries there might be. He was fairly certain John’s men would stash their horses in a livery but he was quickly surprised to realize they were camping on the other side of town, out in the open.
Alexander ducked down low, watching the camp in the distance. There were at least two big fires and men gathered all around. He found it rather surprising that there were so many men; he’d had no idea that so many had accompanied de Lara when they’d taken Christin out of Norwich. He would have thought it might have been another army except for the fact that he could plainly see the crimson royal tunics on some of the men closest to the fire.
He seriously wondered if Christin was somewhere in their midst. He couldn’t imagine they’d keep her out in the open, in the elements, and he didn’t see de Lara anywhere, which led him to believe that Sean and Christin were somewhere in the town. That had him looking around the center of the village, which was several buildings surrounding the town well in the center. There was an inn across the square. He could see the light coming from the windows and hear the soft roar of men from a door that was partially propped open. Just as he headed in the direction of the inn, he saw a very big figure emerge onto the street.
Sean.
Where there was Sean, there was Christin. Alexander’s heart began to race. He sank back into the shadows, watching as the man went across the alley to the livery. Not wanting to be seen, Alexander waited as a wagon lumbered by him, using it for cover as he darted across the street, taking position next to the entry of the livery and peeking inside.
He could see Sean over by the rear of the livery as the man was fussing with his horse; Alexander couldn’t quite see what it was. But Sean’s back was to him and that was all he needed to sneak up behind him and throw the blade of a dagger across his neck.
Sean froze.
“I am not going to ask you why you did what you did, for I already know,” Alexander hissed in his ear. “But you will take me to Christin and if you do not, I will kill you and find her myself.”
Realizing who it was, Sean put up his hands to show he was not a threat. “You do not need to kill me,” he said steadily. “Christin is unharmed and she is comfortable and safe. But you and I must speak.”
Alexander didn’t move. The dagger remained at Sean’s throat. “I want to see Christin.”
“You are not going to see her until you and I have had a chance to speak. But if you’d rather kill me, then get on with it.”
Alexander’s dagger remained at his throat a moment longer before just as swiftly dropping it. He stepped well back, away from Sean so the man couldn’t lunge at him with any ease. He faced Sean in the dim light, feeling many different emotions, not the least of which was anger.
Pure, naked anger.
“What in the hell did you do?” he finally demanded. “I thought that whole performance last night was to deter the king from wanting Cissy for his son? Did you lie to us just to put us off our guard?”
Sean shook his head. “I am sure it looks like that, but I would not do that, nor did I,” he said. “I spoke with the king this morning and he was not deterred by Christin’s performance. He considers her breeding and name more important than bad manners, only I could not get away from the man to tell you that. By the time I got away from him and went to find The Marshal, the wheels were already in motion.”
Alexander stared at him a moment before shaking his head. “Christ,” he muttered, visibly relaxing. “I did not want to believe you had betrayed us, but this looks bad, Sean.”
“I know,” Sean said quietly. “The only reason I was the one in a position to take her was because she stabbed Gerard with a dagger. The man was bleeding and in no position to ride.”
Alexander looked at him. “D’Athée?”
“Aye.”
“The man is an animal.”’
“He is, which is why we are all most fortunate that I am at the head of this and not him.”