Archangel (25 page)

David’s eyebrows lifted. “What problem?”

Kevin hesitated. “It would seem that Gart… there is no simple way to tell you this so I will come out with it.  Gart and the Lady Emberley de Moyon are in love.  Gart would not permit Buckland’s escort to take Lady Emberley and her children to London so I helped them to escape.”

David stared at him. The shock in his expression was evident. “But…,” he faltered and started again. “Gart swore to me that there was nothing more than casual concern towards the lady, as the sister of his best friend. He looked me in the eye and swore to me that he was not attempting to come between Buckland and his wife.”

Kevin sighed faintly; having spent the past few weeks with Gart and Emberley, he had come to see the love between them and was naturally defensive of the pair, right or wrong.

“All I can tell you is this,” he said quietly. “I have spent the better part of three weeks with Gart, the lady and her children.  It is vastly apparent that Gart and the lady love each other a great deal and from what I have been told, Buckland is abusive and horrible to the woman.  Moreover, Buckland has announced to all of England that he and the Queen are lovers.  Lady Emberley does not deserve such shame, my lord.”

David’s shock was turning to anger. “It is not your right or duty to decide such matters, Kevin,” he said. “Gart is in a world of trouble and you along with him.  How on earth could you assist him in this… this madness?”

Kevin wouldn’t back down. “Because, quite simply, Buckland will kill him if he finds out.  Gart is my friend. I cannot let that happen.”

David was normally quick to temper, a reputation that was not in danger of dying this day. With a growl, he smacked his fist against his open palm, pacing away from his wife and Kevin to blow off the building steam.  He whirled on Kevin, jabbing a finger at the man.

“Gart knows what trouble this will bring him,” he hissed. “He swore to me that there was nothing between him and the lady. And now I find out he lied.”

Kevin shook his head. “From what I was told, he did not lie to you.  What he felt for the lady came well after you had left.”

“He told you this?”

“He did. We discussed it.”

“It does not matter,” David threw up his hands. “He lied to me and now he is on the run with Baron Buckland’s wife and children.  Gart Forbes has never been a fool, not in the entire time I have known   him, so for him to commit something so utterly stupid and deadly is beyond my comprehension. What in the hell is the man thinking?”

Kevin remained calm. “He had to take her into hiding, my lord,” he said quietly. “She carries his child. If Buckland discovers this, he will kill her as well.”

David’s ranting came to an abrupt halt and he stared at Kevin, wide-eyed.  “Sweet Jesus,” he breathed.  “Is this true?”

Kevin nodded, reaching up to remove his helm.  His dark blond hair was matted with sweat and filth, and he ran a gloved hand across it to scratch at his scalp.

“While we traveled to Wales, Gart told me the entire story of his acquaintance with Lady Emberley. I was told that you were there on the last occasion that Buckland beat her,” he said softly.  “Gart said you tried to help but Buckland threatened you.”

Some of David’s anger left him.  He sighed heavily. “I was there,” he admitted faintly. “It is cruel and brutal, and something I would never engage in, but a husband has every right to beat his wife so long as he does not kill her.”

This time, Emilie gasped.  She had been listening to the entire story, wide-eyed and silent, but her husband’s comments compelled her to speak.

“David,” she said reproachfully. “That is a terrible thing to say.”

David looked at his beautiful wife and lifted his shoulders. “It is true,” he said. “As weak and foolish as it sounds, it is true.  I should have known Gart was feeling more for Lady Emberley than he let on simply by the way he was acting towards her.  He almost killed Buckland the night we arrived because Buckland struck his wife in Gart’s presence.  I should have… known.”

He shook his head and averted his gaze, truly at a loss with the situation. With his fury abating, now he was feeling despondent and apprehensive. Sensing this, Emilie turned to Kevin.

“Where did Gart go?” she asked gently.  “You said that you helped him to escape. Where is he?”

Kevin passed a glance at David before speaking, hesitantly, but knowing he had to answer her question. “To the Welsh Marches.  He is with my father.”

David looked sharply at him. “Viscount Trelystan?”

Kevin nodded. “My father was more than happy to house a fugitive of the king’s ally.”

David looked sick, making a face and rolling his eyes miserably. “This is my fault,” he grunted. “I should not have allowed Gart to remain behind with Lady Emberley. He said he simply wanted to get reacquainted with his dead friend’s sister but I should have known there was more to it. Buckland is going to come down around me now, for everything.”

Kevin shook his head. “Buckland’s escort never, at any point, saw Gart,” he told him. “I made sure of that. For all they know, the lady and her children simply fled the castle during the night.  Gart’s name was never mentioned nor was he sighted.”

David waved him off irritably. “It does not matter,” he said. “Buckland will remember what happened when Gart was at Dunster and will assume, correctly, that the man is somehow involved in his wife’s disappearance. Do you know why de Moyon sent for his wife and children to join him in London? Did you hear the foulest of reasons before you left?”

Kevin shook his head and David continued, disgust in his tone. “He sent for them because, as rumor has it, the queen has set her sights on another lover and Buckland hopes to make her jealous.  He assumes having his wife at his side will accomplish that.  But now she is missing and Buckland will remember how Forbes acted towards the woman.  He will presume the man is responsible for her disappearance and that presumption will bring him to me.”

Emilie could see how torn her husband was and she went to him, putting a soft hand on his arm.  “I have heard the same thing,” she said gently. “Isabella has made it clear that her interest is in a French mercenary, a friend of her father’s.  It is all the gossip mills can speak of. Buckland is falling out of favor.”

David sighed heavily. “It will only make de Moyon bent on blood,” he said quietly. “He will be shamed by his wife’s disappearance and his vengeance will know no limits.”

Emilie stroked his blond head. “When he comes to you, you will tell him that you do not know where Gart is,” she said firmly. “You were not involved in this and it is not your fault.”

Kevin interrupted. “My lord, if I may,” he said, watching David and Emilie look at him. “Gart is coming to London as we speak. He wanted to settle Emberley and the children first before leaving them, but he is coming to see you.  He is coming to tell you everything himself.”

David rolled his eyes again. “Dear God,” he muttered. “He is going to get himself killed. Buckland will have him arrested the moment he sets foot in the city.”

“Buckland will not know he has anything to do with his wife’s disappearance.”

De Lohr looked at the man as if he was an idiot. “Are you serious? After everything I just told you, you do not believe that de Moyon will be intelligent enough to figure out what has happened? Either you are a massive fool or I am.”

Kevin didn’t take offense.  He propped his helm up on the saddle as a groom approached to take his charger away, feeling increasingly weary. The entire venture had him physically as well as emotionally drained.

“I will not tell you any more than I already have, my lord,” he said quietly. “That way, when Buckland asks you what you know of the situation, you can be truthful and tell him that you do not know where Gart has gone.  But I will tell you this; Lady Emberley is a sweet and wonderful woman, and the stories I have heard about Buckland’s treatment of her makes me want to kill him myself.  I will die before I tell Buckland anything about Gart or the lady.”

David knew he would, too.  De Lara was a man of great honor, honesty and strength.   He waved the man off.

“It will not come to that,” he said, all of the fire and agitation gone out of him.  Then he looked at Kevin. “Did you tell Gart that he is due to leave for France next week?”

“I did, my lord. That is why he is coming to see you.”

David thought on the great implications of that visit, none of which he was particularly thrilled to entertain. He couldn’t see Gart wanting to leave the lady and her children, especially to fight for the lady’s husband’s lover.  He shook his head in resignation; the situation grew more complicated by the minute. Emilie, seeing that her husband was mentally spent after such devastating news and that de Lara was so exhausted that he was about to collapse, intervened.

“Kevin, go and gain some respite,” she told him. “You look as if you utterly spent. We will speak more of this later.”

Kevin nodded gratefully and turned for the rear of the manse, the back entrance used by servants and soldiers.  There was a kitchen back there and cool, comfortable rooms with fluffy beds.  He was dreaming of one now.  As the knight wandered away, Emilie turned to her husband.

“I will say this to you, husband,” she murmured, moving to the man and winding her hands around his arm. “You and I know what it is like to truly love someone.  If Gart has found true love in the arms of an abused woman, then we cannot fault him.  Look at the situation in his terms – what if I was married to another who beat me terribly? How would you feel? Would you walk away or would you do something about it?  Gart apparently has the courage to do something about it and I find that sweet and admirable.”

David looked at her a moment before kissing her soft cheek. “I do not fault the man true love,” he murmured. “But facts are facts – Lady Emberley is married to Baron Buckland. Gart, at the very least, could be tried for thievery if this situation gets out of control. But I suppose we shall hear the whole story when he arrives so there is nothing to do but wait.”

Emilie knew he was right, but she was more than curious to hear the tale.  She had known Gart Forbes for four years and the man was the consummate knight, always in control and always professional. He was big, strong and frightening. To hear that he fell in love with a married woman was something of a shock.  She would have never guessed the man capable of such emotion.

For Gart’s sake, as well as her husband’s, she truly hoped Buckland never discovered the truth of it.

Chapter Fourteen

“Why can I not go with you?” Romney was on the verge of a full-blown tantrum. “I can be your squire.”

Gart was patiently packing his bags. “I do not need a squire.”

“I can tend your horse, then. I will not eat much, I swear it.” Romney, his wooden sword in hand, went to Gart and put his face between Gart and the bag the man was packing.  When Gart looked down, all he could see were big blue eyes staring up at him. “Can I please come with you?
Please?
”

Gart sighed faintly. “If you go with me, who will take care of your mother?” he ran a big hand over the boy’s blond hair. “If I am gone, there is only one man I would trust with her protection and that is you. Would you disappoint me so?”

Romney’s face screwed up in a terrible frown.  As he was thinking of a serious reply, Emberley entered the chamber with her arms laden with freshly washed garments. She went to the big bed and in the center of the room where Gart was packing his bag and carefully laid them out across the heavy wool coverlet.

“These are dry,” she told Gart as she peeled the top layer off, a tunic, and began to carefully roll it up. “I have six of them.  There are four more drying in the sun.”