Rise of the Defender (35 page)

     Christopher raised an eyebrow at her. “Nay,
I do not, so long as he is respectful at all times. Get your hands off her,
David. I shall take her from here.”

     David handed Dustin off to Christopher. “You
always spoil my fun,” he complained.

     Christopher jerked his head at his brother,
silently ordering him to make himself useful elsewhere. Good-natured was the
exchange, leaving all three of them grinning. When his brother sauntered off,
Christopher turned back to his wife.

     “You look lovely on this hellish morn,” he
said softly.

     She felt her cheeks flush. “I dressed in
the warmest dress I could find. David tells me that he and Edward and Leeton
are coming with us to London.”

     “’Tis true, although Max and Anthony are
verily upset with it, but I feel strongly that their place is here, guarding my
fortress,” he replied. “Jeffrey seems to be content to stay. I was planning on
leaving all of my knights here, but have since changed my mind.”

     “Since you captured the spy?” she asked
quietly.

     “Mayhap,” he shrugged. “In any case, I feel
better having adequate protection if I am indisposed.”

     “So you bring knights to protect me?” she
asked, thinking it a bit excessive. “I can take care of myself, Christopher.”

     He gave her a reproving eye. “Nonetheless,
Lady de Lohr, my knights will be your shadow.”

     She was standing on the third step up from
the floor, almost eye-to-eye with him. Her eyes lingered on the golden beard
and on the soft lips that had driven her mad with awakening passion. He saw her
expression go soft and distant.

     “What are you thinking?” he stepped closer
to her.

     She shook her head, flushing again. “I…about
last night, I suppose,” she said shyly. “Do you remember when you asked my
permission to address me as Lady de Lohr, and you further told me that David
said I hated the name?”

     He nodded faintly. “I remember.”

     Her gray eyes found his blue. “I do not
hate it anymore.”

     A slow smile spread across his mouth,
broadening into the wide grin that near made her swoon. How she loved that
smile!

     “I am glad. I like using it,” he murmured.

     He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing it
sweetly before escorting her off the steps and leading her into the grand hall.
Because everyone was so busy, a scheduled meal had not been served. Instead,
there were great plates of fruits and bread, honey and butter set out on the
long table.

     Dustin took a great slab of bread with
butter and honey, chewing contentedly as Christopher conversed with Leeton for
a moment, quietly. Since she could not hear their words, her mind wandered to
Caesar and she wondered where the cat was. As soon as she remembered again that
the feline was caught in the storm, her concern rose and she wandered out of
the hall and disappeared into the kitchens.

     The cook, a small woman, hadn’t seen the
cat, and neither had any of the other kitchen servants. The back door leading
into the kitchen yard was wide open and Dustin finished her bread standing in
the archway, watching the rain fall onto the already-saturated ground. There
was an icy wind with the storm, frozen fingers reaching out to touch her until
she was shivering. Even after she had finished eating, she stood leaning
against the doorjamb, wondering if the rain would let up enough to allow Caesar
to return home.

     “There you are,” Christopher came up behind
her. “I was not even aware that you had left until I turned and found you
missing. What are you doing?”

     She glanced up at him and he noticed that
her eyes were almost the exact color of the sky. “Watching for Caesar,” she
said, somewhat wistfully. “Where do you think he is?”

     He gazed out over the muddy yard. “He's
probably found a cozy spot somewhere in a thicket and is as dry as we are. You
worry overmuch for him.”

     “He’s old, Christopher,” she admonished
softly. “Of course I worry over him.”

     He caught her mood and put a hand on her
shoulder. “Do you want me to go and look for him? I did yesterday, you know,
and didn’t catch a glimpse.”

     She was touched that he would go through
that much trouble for her. “Nay, ‘tis not necessary, I am sure. If he's hiding,
you shall never find him.” She let out a sigh, looking up at the dark clouds. “I
suppose he will just have to wait until the rain clears.”

     Reluctantly, she turned from the rain and
allowed her husband to lead her back into the warm hall. Jeffrey was there, as
were the de Velt twins, eating everything that had been laid out. Dustin went
to Jeffrey.

     “Jeffrey, Caesar is caught out in the storm
and I fear he will not return before I leave for London. Would you please take
care of him while I am away?” she asked.

     He nodded, “Yah, my lady. I shall find him
when the rain stops. And he can even sleep in my bed if he wishes.”

     “Thank you,” she smiled easily. “And my
rabbits, too? Will you feed them?”

     The cat was one thing, but the rabbits were
another. Jeffrey cleared his throat, glancing at Christopher’s stern face. “Yah,
my lady, I shall feed the rabbits.”

     “Feed them to the cat,” Max muttered and
Anthony chortled loudly.

     Christopher shot them both a threatening
glare as Dustin turned to them, her pretty face menacing. “If you do, I shall
have
you
for supper when I return.”

     The twins were immediately remorseful. “My
apologies, my lady. We promise nothing will happen to the rabbits,” Max said
earnestly, though Anthony was still twittering.

     “I shall take care of the bunnies,” Jeffrey
reiterated, glancing reprovingly at the two knights. “I am in charge while the
baron is gone.”

     “Chris?” David bellowed at his brother from
the front door. “The wagons are loaded and most of the men are assembled in the
bailey.”

     “Very well,” Christopher called back,
putting his arm around Dustin’s waist and pulling her with him toward the front
door. “Gather your cloak, sweetheart, and anything else you would carry with
you. I shall return in a few minutes.”

     “And then we leave?” she asked, her stomach
fluttering with excitement.

     “Aye, if everything is in order, we do,” he
gave her a wink and exited out into the pouring rain.

     Exhilarated, Dustin dashed up the stairs to
her room where her cloak and small traveling bag waited. The bag was her
mother’s, a small thing that hung on a golden robe that secured around her
wrist. Inside, she had placed several of her mother’s personal beauty items she
wasn’t sure she would need, but wanted to bring them just the same - a comb, a
brush, a small hand-mirror of polished silver, a small glass vial of beeswax
for chapped lips, another vial with a cake of ocher that her mother used to
color her cheeks when she was particularly pale, a vial of rose-scented
perfume, and a tortoise-shell hair clip.

     She felt rather foolish for bringing so
many vain, feminine items, especially in lieu of the fact that she didn’t even
know how to use the ocher, but she had them anyway. Just in case.

     The cloak was terribly heavy as she slung
it over her arm. Grabbing the small bag, she made her way to the door, her eyes
lingering over her room, wondering when she would see it again.

     There were so many memories that crept into
her mind as she stood in the doorway, her father, her mother, Caesar, Rebecca.
So very many things, most of them happy, a few sad. And then came Christopher.
It was almost as if there were two Dustins; -one before the baron, and one
after.

     With a faint smile, she closed the door,
mentally trying to prepare herself for what lay ahead.

***

     Edward waited for her in the foyer, helping
her secure her cloak as well as any mother, making sure it was securely
fastened around her neck to prevent any rain from seeping in. Smart man that he
was, he retrieved a shawl from a serving wench and tied it around her shoulders
and neck before securing the cloak, adding another layer of protection. Dustin
simply stood still and let him fuss over her, glancing at his face now and
again and thinking him to be a very handsome man. His eyes were the most
amazing gold color, and his manner confident and business-like. She knew
Christopher put a great deal of trust in Edward, as much as he did in David.

     She was also to discover that Christopher
had seen to every little detail of the journey. Things she could have quite easily
arranged, he had done. Two maids were to accompany her, older women who had
served her mother and had always made sure Dustin’s clothes were clean. She
never had a maid of her own because she didn’t want or need one, yet in London,
she suspected she would need the help. Young boys, pages or squires that Christopher
had brought with him, were dashing about and helping the knights finish with
details.

     Edward left her standing in the open front
door as he went to inform Christopher that Lady de Lohr was ready, and she had
a chance to see for herself what a madhouse the bailey had become. Soldiers,
she suspected easily over one hundred, were in loose ranks in the bailey being
hounded by the pounding rain. The big destriers were being brought out by
grooms, snorting and dancing and snapping at anything that moved. Behind them,
she could see a groom leading out her lanky warmblood. She’d never even told
her husband that she had a personal horse, he must have suspected. She wondered
with a grin if he had spent his time looking for a little palfrey, not a
big-boned gelding.

     Her horse, a beautiful rich brown with four
white stockings, was named Hercules by her father because the animal was
uncannily strong. But the animal was attached to Dustin and she could handle him
better than any other, including the stable master. Yet he looked as calm and
docile as a kitten as the groomsman led him out behind the harried destriers. Fact
was, he could probably hold his own in fight with a destrier and most likely
win.

     Someone began shouting orders and she
jumped, for the voice was as loud as the thunder overhead. Her eyes found the
source of the shouting and she was not surprised to see Christopher commanding
his soldiers to straighten their ranks. He was walking toward her as he
bellowed, moving quite easily in his bulky armor, with David and Leeton making
sure his orders were carried out.

     She watched him with his men for the first
time, pride filling her when she saw how easily he controlled them, and how
they obviously respected him. The presence and power the man radiated was
unlike anything she had ever seen. Her father had been a good soldier, but he
was more of a politician than a warrior. She realized that watching Christopher
with his men charged her with a peculiar sort of excitement.

     He mounted the steps and she stepped back,
rain pouring off of him as he stepped just inside the threshold.

     “Edward says you are ready,” he said, his
face and body soaked.

     “I am, my lord,” she replied. Lord, the man
was big and imposing when he was still in his command mode. She’d seen him in
full armor many times, but never when he had been directly commanding his men.
It was as if there were two different personalities in the same man.

     He shook his head, water spatting on the
floor. “I think you will ride in the wagon under a tarp for a while, at least
until this godforsaken rain lets up.”

     “I am not afraid of a little rain, my lord,”
she said. “I have ridden through worse.”

     “That was not a request, my lady.” He
seemed preoccupied and harsh. “You will do as I say,” he turned and shouted to
the nearest soldier. “Is the tarpaulin rigged on the large wagon?”

     The affirmative reply came and he turned
back to his wife. “Very well, then. Let us depart.”

     She nodded, putting her hood up to protect
herself from the downpour and making sure the heavy cloak was secured.

     “Dustin,” he said softly.

     Her eyes snapped up to him, aware of his
tender tone. She was surprised to see him smiling down at her. He looked as if
he wanted to say something, but instead he bent down and kissed her cheek, his
wet helmet dripping water on her woolen hood.

     “Come on,” he said hoarsely.

     He gathered her up in his arms, groaning
aloud with all of the weight she was carrying. “Christ, woman,” he pretended to
huff. “You must weigh as much as I do.”

     She giggled at his feigned misery, wrapping
her thickly-bundled arms around his neck. He winked at her, grunting again as
he carried her out into the driving weather.

     The back of the wagon was actually arranged
nicely. Soldiers had secured a large oiled tarp over the entire bed and then
had spread out a coverlet on the floor of the wagon. There were even a few
pillows, and Christopher deposited her on one of them. Dustin glanced about,
noticing that the two maids were at the far end, surrounded by their belongings.