The Dark One: Dark Knight (54 page)

     “Gaston.” Remington exclaimed weakly.  “I
thought you were with your new troops.”

     He entered the room deliberately, eyeing
her.  “I was until a loyal soldier told me that your sister had ordered
palfreys readied.  Your palfrey.”

     Remington looked exceedingly guilty as
Jasmine leaned close to her sister, raging quietly. “That damn soldier ran
right to him.”

     “Well that he did, madam,” Gaston said
sharply, pointing to the door.  “I will speak with your sister alone.”

     Jasmine bolted, slamming the door in her
wake.  Remington eased herself onto the bed as Gaston approached her.

     “Do not yell at me,” she said softly,
avoiding his hard gaze.   “'Tis not as it appears.”

     “Just where in the hell were you going?” he
demanded.  “Look at you, Remi. You can hardly stand.  How were you going to
stay mounted on a horse?”

     She hung her head as he loomed over her. 
“Well?  I am waiting for an answer.”

     She was reluctant to tell him anything, but
decided to inform him of the whole, sordid affair. He already knew the majority
of Guy's atrocities; surely one more would not shock him.  For Jasmine's sake,
she must tell.

     “Sit down,” she begged softly, raising her
face to meet his when he did not move.  “Please?”

     He did, but he sat in a chair opposite her,
not next to her on the bed as she had hoped.  “I am waiting, madam.”

     She met his gaze.  “Jasmine has a secret. 
Not even Antonius knows this.”

     “What?” he demanded.  Remington took a deep
breath to bolster her strength and her courage.  He was most intimidating when
he was angry.  “Two and a half years ago, she became pregnant.  Guy, of course,
was the father and the moment the child was born, he gave her away to a peasant
family to raise as their own.  Jasmine has mourned for two years in want of her
baby and now that Guy is never to return, she intends to have her back.  I was
going to go with her because she did not want Antonius, or any of the other
knights, to know.”

     His tensed expression instantly softened,
as she had hoped.  He stared at her a long moment before rising from the
chair.  “By God's Bloody Rood,” he muttered, raking his fingers through his
hair to slick it back.  He chewed on her statement a moment before finally
turning to her. “Why must she go now?  Why today?”

     “When you were separated from Trenton, was
there not a day that passed that you did not wish to hold him?” she returned
softly.  “She cannot wait any longer, Gaston.  She wants her baby and I must
take her.”

     “But why you?” he demanded softly, moving
to the bed.  “Why can't Rory or Skye go with her?”

     To his dismay, Remington suddenly burst
into soft sobs.  Tears coursed down her cheeks and he knelt swiftly to wipe
them away.  “I am sorry, angel.  Do not cry.  Please.”

     “I have to go because... because I was the
one who took the baby to them at the first,” she whispered miserably.  “Guy
made me hand the infant over, alone.  I must go because the family will not
recognize Jasmine.  But they will recognize me and know that I have returned
for her.”

     He let out a hissing curse, wiping at the
tears and kissing her left hand. “God, Remi,” he whispered.  He was so torn
with indecision that it was making him insane, and his hatred of Guy Stoneley
was growing by leaps and bounds.  He would not deny her, but he certainly did
not want her going this day.  She was far too weak.  “But do you have to go
today?  Can this not wait for a day or so, love?”

     She wiped at her nose.  “You shall have to
ask my sister.”

     He kissed her hand again.  “I will, then.
You should not be out and about.”

     He rose, his gaze lingering on her dark
head a moment and the rage of the devil filling him.  To think of her at the
mercy of her deviant husband made him crazed, but he calmed himself with the
knowledge that her trials were over.

     With everything Mari-Elle had done to him,
it had been nothing compared to her humiliation. When he thought of Jasmine
bearing a bastard from her sister's husband, it infuriated him to the point
where he literally tore the door off its hinges as he attempted to open it.

     Remington gasped, her eyes wide as he
sheepishly propped the door against the jamb so it would not fall. She knew he
wasn't angry with her, but his display of strength awed her just the same. 
Recovering her shock, she cocked an eyebrow.

     “We will have no more doors left in this
corridor if you continue with your uncontrolled outbursts,” she teased gently.

     He twisted his mouth wryly in agreement,
making sure the door was not about to fall over before stepping into the hall
in search of Jasmine.

     The blond sister was not difficult to find;
she was walking toward him, eyeing the door with apprehension.  “Where's Remi?”

     “On the bed where she should be,” he
replied, looking at the woman through new eyes.  No wonder she was the more
emotional of the group with everything that had happened. “I would speak with
you, Jasmine.”

     Jasmine looked at him and knew instantly
that Remington had told him everything.  Her eyes widened. “She told you.”

     He could see the fury of betrayal and he
sought to calm her.  “Aye, she did,” he said quietly. “I have but two questions
for you; must you go this day, and if you must, do you believe the family will
turn the child over to you with my assurance that you are the true parent? 
Remington is fearful they will not release the child to anyone but her, and I
do not want her out of bed much less traveling.”

     Jasmine was gearing up for a rage, but
Gaston's calm words doused her fire.  He was speaking casually, as if the fact
that she bore a bastard meant nothing in the world.  He did not speak to her as
if she were a lower life form, or a charity case.  He spoke to her as one would
speak to a lady of noble breeding.  But the concern his voice was evident and
it disarmed her.

     Her guard went down.  “I…. I want my babe.”

     He could read the torment in her eyes,
torment of separation from a child that he knew very well.  “Will they release
the child on my word?”

     Jasmine's eyes began to well but she fought
them back.  “I do not know, my lord.  If they do not?”

     He looked at her a moment.  “Gather your
cloak and a blanket for the child.  Let me tell your sister our plans and we
shall be on our way.”

     Jasmine blinked bewilderedly; amazed that
he would actually take an active interest in her problem.  She'd never had a
man take her side in anything, and she found the support to be overwhelming.

     Nodding unsteadily, she moved past him to
gather her things.

     Gaston went back into the bedchamber where
Remington was to find her lying back on the bed with her eyes closed.  Her
angelic face was pale and drawn and he felt a pang of concern for her fatigue.

     “Sit up, angel, and let me get this cloak
off,” he said gently, pulling her up carefully.

     “Did you speak with Jasmine?” she asked
wearily.

     “Aye,” he tossed the cloak aside and gently
lifted her, placing her on the pillows and pulling the coverlet over her.  “You
rest now and I shall return later.”

     “Where are you going?” she asked, closing
her eyes as he tucked her in.

     He braced his arms on either side of her,
gazing down at her sweet face.  “To retrieve a relative.  I shall send Eudora
in with your supper, and I want you to eat something.  Do you understand?”

     She smiled softly at him, her left hand
reaching up to stroke his stubbled face. “I love you, Dark Knight.”

     He kissed the palm of her hand and touched
her forehead quickly to make sure her fever was moderate. “Rest.  I shall be
back.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

     Remington cried the first time she saw
Mary.  Nearly two years old with silken blond hair, she was the most beautiful
child she had ever seen.  For the first day Jasmine could not go five minutes without
weeping, setting off Rory and Skye every time.  Gaston merely shook his head at
the women; they were comical as well as touching and he was pleased he had been
able to assist.

     It had not been overly difficult; the
peasant family already had six children to feed and was not reluctant to return
Mary to her rightful mother.  But the child had been clean and well fed, and
Gaston had paid the family well enough to support them easily for years to
come.

     When he saw Jasmine cuddle her daughter for
the first time, the great expense had been worth every pence.  He had chuckled
at himself for becoming soft in his old age, smiling at the mother and daughter
and wondering fleetingly if he and Remington would be so blessed one day.

     Antonius had not been difficult, either. 
Gaston explained the situation because Jasmine had been too choked up to speak
a complete sentence.  Confession ended, without another word said, Antonius had
put his arms around the two ladies and had kissed them both tenderly.  Gaston
had been impressed with his knight's compassion.

     It was late when he checked in on Trenton. 
The lad was sound asleep in his big room, his face unlined with the terrible
events he had suffered through.  Gaston was deeply saddened at his son's grief
and he wished he could comfort the boy, but Trenton seemed to be mightily
confused and distant.  Gaston could only hope the morrow dawned a bit brighter
for his son.

     He slept with Remington that night in the
small lady's bed, much smaller than his massive one. She ran a fever most of
the night, sleeping listlessly, but by the time morning broke so had the
fever.  When Eudora brought the morning meal, Remington sat up and ate nearly
an entire bowl of porridge and honey and he was pleased to see that she was
recovering well.

     After the dishes were cleared away and
Remington and Gaston were talking between themselves, Dane wandered into the
room aimlessly.  Both adults focused on the young lad.

     “What's the matter, sweetheart?” Remington
asked.  “Why the long face?”

     He frowned and toyed with the coverlet. 
“Nothing.”

     Gaston was sitting in the big chair next to
the bed.  “Did you see your new cousin?”

     His scowl was evident.  “Aye.”

     Remington raised her eyebrows expectantly. 
“And?”

     He turned away from his mother irritably. 
“And it's just a girl.  Another girl.”

     Girls aren't so bad, Dane,” Gaston said
with a faint smile.  “You shall come to realize that one day.”

     Dane made such a face that Gaston almost
laughed.  “I do not want any more girls.”

     “Then go find Trenton.  Surely you two can
find something to do,” Remington suggested.

     “He does not want to play,” Dane said
forlornly.  “I knocked at his door but he told me to go away.  I told him I was
sorry about his mother, but he yelled at me and told me it was your fault.”

     He was looking at Remington, who in turn
glanced at Gaston.  He scratched his chin leisurely and rose on his massive
legs.  “Mayhap we should go see Trenton together, Dane.”

     He did not give the lad a chance to protest
as he grabbed him by the shoulders and urged him through the door.  He paused a
moment before following him, long enough to kiss Remington sweetly.  “I have
got other duties to see to this morn.”

     She smiled.  “Aye, a whole keep full of new
soldiers to keep you busy.”

     He returned her smile.  “Rest this morn,
angel.  You need to regain your strength.”

     Her face fell with mock disappointment. 
“But I was so looking forward to playing with Mary.”

     “Leave the child to become used to her
mother,” he said sternly.  “You shall have plenty of time to play with her
later.”

     She stuck her tongue out at him and he
scowled severely, but the mood was light.  With a shake of his finger, he moved
past the unhinged door.

     Dane was silent the entire walk to
Trenton's room.

     “My mother did not have anything to do with
your wife's death, did she?” he finally asked as they approached Trenton's
door.

     “Nay,” Gaston replied firmly.  “Nor did I. 
Her death was of natural causes, Dane.  Do not worry yourself.”

     Dane still looked doubtful as Gaston
knocked on his son's door.

     “Go away.'' Trenton hollered.

     Gaston unlatched the door.  “By what right
do you use that tone, Master de Russe?”

     Trenton looked surprised to see his father,
but visibly frowned at Dane.  Gaston could sense the hostility, the jealousy,
and the pain.  Rapidly, he came to a decision.