That drew a strong reaction from the young knights. “You killed Henry’s nephew?” Stefan said, aghast. “Papa, why are we just hearing about this now?”
Daniel snorted. “Because I meant that you should,” he said. “What happened with Henry’s nephew happened a long time ago. Bramley was his name but you will never repeat that, do you hear? It was all in the course of a very bitter struggle. Mayhap I am simply not ready to relive those days yet. Someday, but not yet. Still… I always suspected that Henry knew what had happened. I am not sure how he knew, but I think he did. Therefore, as far as him needing me… it is possible that he needs me simply because I am part of the de Lohr war machine. It would not do for him to punish me and weaken the House of de Lohr. He needs us, especially now.”
He effectively put an end to their questioning about his past, but they were awed by the revelation. It was clear they wanted the details of this great and terrible deed but no one would push him. Daniel had told them all he would, for the time being. But there was more in his message, something that they were coming to understand. It wasn’t merely about his behavior; it was how Henry had reacted to it.
And, to him.
“And that is how you look upon this situation?” Stefan asked. “That Henry will not punish you for what happened here because he needs you?”
“I am counting on that.”
It made sense to all of them but still, Stefan continued. “It is not the king I worry about, truthfully, but Edward,” he said. “Henry’s son is the battle lord. He may very well bring his army down on us to punish us and Henry would look the other way.”
Daniel shrugged. “It is possible,” he said. “But I have to believe that with everything Henry is dealing with at this moment, he may find some doubt in Torran’s assessment that the House of de Lohr has turned against him. I would expect a missive from Henry before I’d expect his army. Still, the seed of doubt may be planted and that could be problematic.”
It was troubling to think that the future for the House of de Lohr had become particularly uncertain. It was bad enough that Henry was bent on vengeance against those who supported de Montfort, but now the potential of the House of de Lohr being targeted as well brought great unease within the young de Lohr men. In spite of what Daniel said about Henry be unwilling to punish him, still, there was always the possibility that Daniel could be wrong.
“Edward is a friend,” Chris said. “I fought with him at Evesham. I have known him for years. I cannot believe he would know de Serreaux’s words to be true. He could not believe that we have all turned against the crown.”
Daniel shrugged. “Time will tell,” he said, looking at his nephews. “If I were you, I would return home to your father. Tell him what has happened so he knows. Tell him that I will send him word if I hear anything more, or if anything happens.”
The three sons of Curtis de Lohr nodded, hugged their cousins farewell, and headed off to the keep to bid farewell to Liselotte and Veronica. Daniel stood with his remaining sons and two knights, watching his cousin’s sons as they went about their business. The mood that had settled was somber and uneasy, for all of them.
“I fear the situation may be worse for Curtis,” Daniel finally said. “He has done nothing wrong yet he will suffer by our actions. He has the bigger army and greater holdings. He has more to lose.”
Stefan looked at his father. “Do you believe it will really come to that?”
Daniel shrugged. “As I said, it is difficult to know,” he replied. Then, he cocked his head thoughtfully. “Unless, of course, I am able to get word to Henry before Torran can speak with him. Mayhap if I explain the situation and reaffirm that the House of de Lohr stands behind the crown, he will dismiss Torran’s assessment of the situation.”
Stefan and Perrin liked that idea very much. “Our messenger will be able to move faster than Torran and his men since they are traveling with de Garr,” Perrin said eagerly. “The man will not be able to travel very well or very fast, and our man could easily bypass them. Shall I send for a messenger, Papa?”
Daniel thought on that a moment longer before nodding his head. “Aye,” he replied. “The more I think on it, the more I think I should. At least this way, Henry will hear what has happened from my own lips. I will go and write the missive immediately. Send the messenger to me.”
With that, the five of them separated. Daniel headed into the keep while Stefan and Perrin moved to the troop house to hunt down a messenger. De Russe and du Bois went on their way to the gatehouse, as they had duties to attend to.
From the somber mood of only moments earlier, the simple fact that Daniel intended to send a missive to the king about the circumstances surrounding Chad’s escape with the de Shera girl made the men feel as if the situation weren’t entirely hopeless. Perhaps Henry wouldn’t declare them enemies, after all.
But that remained to be seen.
*
He’d awoken with his breeches around his knees, his boots on, and no memory of how he got that way.
Chad had awoken with a splitting headache, lying in this very odd position in a bed he didn’t recognize. It was dark, telling him that it was still at some point in the night, but he could also hear birds outside of his window. Birds usually awoke before dawn. Now, he had a better sense of time but still no idea where he was or how he had gotten there.
Very concerned, not to mention puzzled, he moved his head slightly to get a better idea of where, exactly, he was, and he caught sight of a sleeping figure on the other side of the bed. Turning his head a little more, he could see the back of Alessandria’s dark red head as she faced away from him, sleeping soundly. She had a coverlet wrapped up around the lower portion of her body where she had pulled it up from the sides, but her back and naked buttocks were facing him.
The sight of her nude flesh caused him a good deal of shock. Coupled with the fact that he was lying in bed with his breeches half-off, he could only come to one conclusion no matter how hard he tried to think of another explanation. Wracking his brain, he tried to recall the previous night but memories were slow to come. He remembered arriving at Bexley Manor and he remembered telling Lady du Bexley that his brothers weren’t married. There was a good deal of food and even sweets. Did someone ask him to sing a song? He had a recollection of perhaps singing a tune, but after that, he didn’t remember a bloody thing until this very moment.
He turned his head all the way to his right so he could get a full view of Alessandria as she softly snored next to him. Even though it was still dark outside, the fire in the hearth provided some light in the room, easily enough to see by. He could see the gentle curve of Alessandria’s back in the firelight and a hint of her pale buttocks. He simply lay there a moment, feeling himself grow hard simply looking at her, and he knew that he’d taken the woman even though he couldn’t remember it. His body was reacting to her nudity. Even if he did not remember, his body clearly did.
He wasn’t sure how he felt about it even though he knew he had feelings for her; he’d known that for some time. There was an attraction between them that he couldn’t deny and somehow, someway, the wine had gotten to him last night and his inhibitions had been lifted. He could only pray that she had been receptive to whatever it was he’d done because if she hadn’t been, that would be an entirely new set of problems. He could only pray he hadn’t been horrid and beastly.
He already felt ashamed and uncertain, even as he rolled out of bed, carefully, and used the chamber pot. He was ashamed and uncertain of his actions, of his behavior, knowing he should have been more careful with his wine intake because he was well aware that he became drunk easily. Drunkenness led to uninhibited behavior. His tunic and mail were in a pile on the floor, undoubtedly where he’d ripped them off in his lust, and he pulled them back on in silence. All the while, he kept his gaze on the bed where Alessandria lay.
She was sleeping like an angel, her luscious hair draped over her shoulders, breathing the deep, easy breaths of contentme
nt. Chad stood there a moment and watched her, feeling his heart swell with emotions that were difficult to grasp. He’d known many women in his life and he’d been fond of a few, but not like this. Never like this. He remembered thinking that he’d not married because he hadn’t found a worthy candidate yet, wishing Alessandria could be that candidate. After what he’d done last night, he suspected he wouldn’t have a choice in marrying the girl now.
And he didn’t regret a thing.
She was intelligent and lively, beautiful to a fault, and he would be very proud to announce to the world that she was his wife. More than that, if Henry wanted to marry the girl to de Serreaux as he had been told, then he was fairly certain that Torran wouldn’t want his leavings. He had marked her. Perhaps it had been a drunken haze, but there was a very old saying… in wine, there is truth. Maybe the truth was, deep down, he had wanted to mark her.
He wanted her for his own.
Chad sincerely wished he could have remembered what went on last night as his gaze lingered on Alessandria’s naked back. It was such a beautiful, slender back. His gaze moved over the bed itself, noting that the coverlet was still on it and everything was askew. Whatever had happened, they hadn’t even bothered to pull the covers away to get to the soft linens beneath. But as his gaze moved over the red silk coverlet, he noticed a stain somewhere towards the middle of the bed. Curious, he peered at it closely, realizing that it looked very much like blood.
The mark of virginity.
His eyebrows lifted as proof of his dirty deeds were presented. Digesting the reality of his actions, he still didn’t feel the least amount of regret. Well, except if she did. In that case, he wasn’t sure how he was going to handle the situation.
If he could only remember!
“Chad?”
Alessandria’s soft, sleepy voice filled the air and he was momentarily startled by it. He had thought she’d been asleep this entire time. The moment was upon him to face her, to face what he had done, so he squared his shoulders and faced it head-on. There was nothing else he could do.
“Good morn, my lady,” he said quietly. “Did you sleep well?”
Alessandria rolled over onto her back, taking the coverlet with her so she was still cozy-warm and covered from his lustful gaze. Sleepy, she gazed up at him, smiling and yawning. That was Chad’s first indication that, whatever had happened, hadn’t been one-sided. Alessandria didn’t look like a woman who’d be ravaged against her will.
“I think so,” she said, yawning again. “Is it time to leave?”
Chad nodded. “I think so,” he said. “I was just going to find a servant and find out what time it was. I’d also like food for our journey.”
Alessandria rubbed her eyes. “You already asked for that last night,” she said. “Remember? You asked the majordomo to bring us food in the morning and also food for our trip. He said that he would.”
Chad thought very hard on a request he couldn’t remember. “Ah,” he simply said, covering up his lack of memory. “I am much more efficient than I thought.”
Alessandria’s grin broadened. “You think of everything,” she said, somewhat sweetly. “You have been most thoughtful since wresting me from Newington. I can hardly believe it has only been two days that I have known you. It feels like I have known you my entire life.”
He smiled faintly. “Is that a good thing?”
She laughed softly. “It is a very good thing,” she said. Then, she sobered, the sea-colored eyes glimmering in the weak light. “What will happen now?”
“We will skirt London today and find lodgings to the north.”
She pulled the coverlet up to her neck. “I did not mean that,” she said. “I mean what will happen now.”
She lifted her eyebrows as she spoke the last word and Chad gradually realized what she meant. It was clear as day. What happens now that you have taken my virginity? His uncertainty returned and, perhaps, his chagrin. He cleared his throat softly.
“Aless, I will be honest,” he said. “When I drink, I have a tendency to lose my self-control and I am, unfortunately, one of those men who becomes easily sotted. I am very sorry if I forced myself upon you last night. Please know I would never intentionally harm or offend you. I cannot apologize enough or convey my sorrows enough. It should not have happened.”
Her smile faded. “Do… do you mean you regret your actions?”
He could see, right there, that if he said the wrong thing, it could easily destroy the fragile relationship building between them and he knew that he needed to be completely honest with her. Gentle, but honest. He wasn’t a man who laid his emotions or thoughts open to women but in this case, he suspected that it was necessary. She needed to know what was in his heart.
He wanted her to know.
“I do not regret them,” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “But I never meant to force myself upon you. My lady, I am not sure if you are aware or not, but I have been attracted to you from the start of our association. You spoke of joining the cloister, and never marrying, and I accepted your choices, but it did not stop my attraction. Last night… I am so very sorry the drink caused me to lose my self-control. That is the only thing I am sorry over. But based on the evidence of our activities last night in this bed, it would seem that you and I have a few things to discuss. I never meant to treat you so callously.”
It was a polite, kind answer and Alessandria’s heart swelled with joy. He feels something for me! “You did not treat me callously,” she said. “I… I will admit that I do not remember everything we did but I do know this – I wanted you to do what you did. As you have found attraction to me, so have I found it to you. You are a handsome and kind and chivalrous man. There is a great deal to be attracted to, so please do not apologize for what happened. I do not regret it in the least. But you are correct – we have a few things to discuss, not the least of which is the fact that I am no longer… well, you know….”
Chad did, indeed, know. No longer a virgin. He scratched his neck in a rather nervous gesture but when he looked at Alessandria and saw that she was grinning rather slyly, he burst out into reluctant laughter.
“This is very serious,” he said, trying to control his laughter. “We should not be treating this situation so casually. The fact of the matter is that I must marry you now and you told me that you did not intend to marry. What should I do?”
She reached out from beneath the covers, touching his hand that was resting on the coverlet. Her fingers wrapped around his as he lifted her hand, bringing it to his lips for a sweet kiss.
“I said that I did not wish to marry before I came to know you,” she said softly. “That opinion has now changed.”
He lifted his eyebrows, surprised. “It has?”
She nodded, coyly. “It has,” she confirmed. “Moreover, what is done… is done. We cannot take it back. I would not want to. But I do not want you to feel as if you are forced into marriage, Chad. That would not be good for either of us.”
He shook his head, still holding her hand. “I do not feel forced into anything,” he said. “As the heir of Canterbury, I will be the earl upon my father’s death and it is my duty to provide a son to perpetuate the family. I had to marry some time. I have never found a worthy candidate until I found you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Never more sure about anything in my life.”
“You are not saying it simply because… because of what happened last night? Do you feel obligated now?”
“I do not feel any sense of obligation. What I do is of my own free will.”
Alessandria was certain that if her heart swelled any more from sheer delight that it would burst. She squeezed his hand and he kissed her fingers again, their warm gazes locked in the dim light of the room. Everything was so wonderful and serene, happiness such as they had never known cloaking them like a mist, penetrating. They were giddy with it.
It was happiness they were sharing together at this very special moment, un
expected yet welcome. The situation could have been so much worse and in that relief, there was elation. There was the understanding that the feelings between them were plain and that last night’s passion had only been a prelude to a lifetime of it. But soon, Alessandria’s smile faded.
“What of Henry?” she asked. “You said that he wants to marry me to one of his knights. What shall you do?”
Chad shrugged. “I will marry you and that will take care of the situation,” he said. “Henry cannot do anything to dissolve our marriage.”
“But he will be angry.”
“That cannot be helped.”
Alessandria wasn’t sure she felt better about that particular part of the situation but he seemed fairly resolute. “Shouldn’t you ask your father first?” she said. “He may not want you to marry me, after all. He did not want me to stay at Canterbury because of the king and if you wish to marry me, he may not approve. He may not want anything to do with me.”
Chad frowned. “Are you trying to discourage me?”
She shook her head quickly. “Of course not,” she said, trying to be logical and reasonable about the situation. “I have never dreamt of having a husband or being married. Truthfully, I never thought I would have the opportunity which is why my intention was to join the cloister. All of this is happening so quickly… we are being impetuous, you know. Everyone will think so, including your father.”
Chad knew that. He squeezed her hand and stood up from the bed. “Whether or not we are being impetuous, all of that was decided last night when we’d both had too much to drink and our feelings became evident,” he said. “All I can tell you is that this feels like the right thing to do, whether I know you two days or two years. I will not turn you over to Henry and when we arrive at Isenhall, the first thing I shall do is ask Gallus for your hand. No one else is worthy of you, Aless, and it is my intention to make you my wife. I swear I will do all that I can to be a good husband.”
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