A Time of End

by Le Veque, Kathryn

  Christopher was still vastly upset but listening to his son tell the tale had him envisioning his beautiful, well-mannered daughter as she acted the part of a fool. He almost wished he’d been there to see it.

  “Christ,” he muttered, wiping a hand over his face. “She really did that?”

  “She did,” Peter said. “Sean thought it was better to discourage the king than to run from him. The more she would run, the more obsessed he would be. But if she proved herself undesirable…”

  “Then John would put her out of his mind,” Christopher finished for him, seeing the logic. Forcing himself to calm, he sighed heavily. “Cissy always was a bit of performer. Thank God she had the wherewithal to listen to Sean. Let us hope it throws John off her scent for good.”

  “I would not be too sure,” William said quietly. When everyone turned to look at him, he simply lifted his shoulders. “John does not discourage so easily, especially if he believes the prize outweighs the negative aspects. To marry his son to a de Lohr… that would be a triumph for him and a defeat for you, Chris. I would not trust that your daughter’s bad behavior has destroyed his aspirations.”

  Christopher pondered that for a moment. “I suppose not,” he said. “I have been doing battle against John for over twenty years. I know what the man is capable of, better than most. But Christin won the first battle. Let us see if we can win the war because there is no possibility John will ever have Cissy for his son. None at all.”

  William nodded faintly. “He would use your daughter against you,” he said. “To ensure your neutrality in any movement against him, he would use her. Chris, you need to remove her from Norwich immediately. Take her back to Lioncross and keep her there. We cannot take the chance. Meanwhile, we are still dealing with a threat from within but it would seem that we have two fronts to this situation – John’s interest in Christin de Lohr and an unnamed threat against John.”

  It was a portentous observation because it was entirely true. As the reality of the situation began to settle, the men looked to one another, understanding the irony of the circumstances they found themselves in. While they were trying to protect a king, he was trying to subvert one of their own.

  The power struggle between John and William Marshal was real. Remove de Lohr and a good portion of The Marshal’s power would be neutralized.

  It was something that could not happen.

  “What would you have Kress and I do, my lord?” Maxton asked. “Since we were the ones who interrogated Lord Prescombe, I feel as if we should focus on the unnamed threat. Would you agree?”

  William nodded. “Indeed,” he said. “Caius, you work with them. They will inform you of everything you need to know. Meanwhile, Christopher and David and Peter will work to remove Christin from Norwich.”

  “Sherry, Bric, and Kevin are at Norwich, too,” Peter reminded him. “They are ready to do your bidding.”

  William’s gaze trailed to the massive square keep before him. He found himself shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked at it. “Then find them,” he told Peter. “Gather them. I would meet with all of my men when I arrive so we may make the appropriate plans.”

  Peter nodded, spurring his horse forward and thundering back towards the castle. Christopher watched him go, unable to fight off the powerful sense of trepidation he was feeling. John had always had an attraction to the de Lohr women; first Dustin, now Dustin’s daughter.

  It made Christopher ill simply to think on it.

  Christin married to Robert FitzRoy…

  Over his dead body.

  “Cissy?” Wynter’s head peeked in her chamber door. “Someone is here to see you this morning.”

  Christin was sitting by the hearth, drying out the hair she’d just washed because it had food and vomit it in from the previous night. In fact, she’d just finished a bath where she’d scrubbed herself from head to toe, washing away the wine stains and the cow dung. Combing the ends of her dark, nearly-dry hair, she glanced up at Wynter.

  “Who is it?” she asked.

  “He says to tell you that Sherry has come to speak to you.”

  That had Christin on her feet. Suddenly, she was quite eager to see who had come calling for her but she wasn’t dressed for it. Quickly, she shirked her dressing robe, one made from heavy brocade, and dressed in a linen gown that was heavy in fabric, yet simple but lovely.

  Wynter rushed into the chamber to help her, taking the comb and plaiting her hair into a braid that draped gracefully over one shoulder as Christin tied up the front of her bodice. She looked quite lovely and angelic in the simple linen that emphasized her curvy figure. She was petite and big-chested like her mother, which gave her a pleasingly round silhouette. Pulling on her slippers, she dashed from the chamber and headed down the stairs.

  Alexander was standing in the doorway of the apartment building, smiling faintly at her as she came down the stairs far too quickly.

  “Careful, my lady,” he said, drinking in the sight of her. “It would not do to survive the king and then break your neck on the stairs.”

  Christin smiled at him, her face positively aglow. “I did survive the king,” she said quietly. “I hope my performance did not change your mind about me.”

  He grinned, full-on, and began to clap his hands slowly. The applause echoed off the stone. “Brilliant,” he said. “Positively one of the most brilliant things I have ever seen. If I was not already fond of you, last night’s entertainment alone would have had me begging for a lock of your hair.”

  She smiled bashfully. “You would not have to beg, I assure you.”

  Alexander was quite certain he’d not smiled so much in years. “Truly?” he said. “If I ask you for a lock now, will you give me one?”

  “Without hesitation.”

  He laughed softly. But all the while, his eyes were riveted to her as if he could look at nothing else. “Astonishing,” he murmured. “You, dear lady, are astonishing. Will you walk with me this morn?”

  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 that 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 th
an 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.”