While Angels Slept (28 page)

“You should not
have sent them away in the first place,” he pointed an accusing finger, spittle
flying from his lips. “Why would you do such a thing?”

Tevin cocked a
dark eyebrow, fists resting on his hips. “You know why.”

Geoff’s lips
curled in a sneer. “If I knew, I would not have asked.”

Tevin’s eyes
narrowed. “Because you cannot be trusted,” he said. “You have no self-control
when it comes to a woman,
any
woman, so in order to protect the women residing
at Rochester, I was forced to send them somewhere where you could not get to
them.”

Geoff’s
twitching grew worse. “You have no say in how I conduct my life, Tevin. I take
what I want.”

“You cannot take
Lady Cantia, Val, or Arabel.  In order to curb your temptation, I sought to
move them out of your reach.”

Geoff smacked
the table in front of him.  Then he threw the cups that were on it, followed by
the pitcher half-filled with wine.  Ruby red liquid sprayed on the stone walls
as Geoff flirted with the boundaries of a temper tantrum.

“And you were
punished for it,” he seethed. “Val is injured and Lady Cantia and Arabel are
missing.
You
were wrong, Tevin, not me. You cannot blame me for your
failure.”

Tevin’s
composure slipped a notch. “If you had any self-control, I would not have had
to send them away, so do not turn this around as if I am the one with issues. 
If you would act like a man once in a while and not a spoiled child, we would
not have this problem.”

Geoff ripped off
a barbaric yell and charged Tevin.  He ran at him crazily, hands out like
claws, and Tevin easily side-stepped the man, causing him to trip over a chair
and crash into a wall.  As Tevin faced him, waiting for his next move, Geoff
pulled himself off of the wall and plunged a hand into his tunic, rooting around
until he withdrew a wicked-looking dirk.  He flashed it at Tevin, and the
stakes of the game changed dramatically.

With another
yell, he charged Tevin again, dirk held high.  Tevin was prepared; as the man
drew near, he reached out and grabbed his wrist, twisting it around until Geoff
screamed with pain. Geoff ended up biting Tevin’s bare hand and when Tevin let
go before he could break the skin, Geoff brought the dirk to bear on Tevin’s
neck. 

In a movement
for self-preservation, Tevin lashed up a big arm, blocking the dirk as he
grabbed Geoff around the throat with his other hand.  He’d only meant to disarm
him but by the way he grabbed Geoff, he ended up snapping his skull upward at
an awkward angle. Bones snapped. The dirk dropped, and so did Geoff.

As quickly as
the battle started, it was over.  Tevin gazed down at his cousin as Myles,
having been over by the door for the duration of the fight, rushed to Geoff’s
side and felt for a pulse.  After a moment, he shook his head and looked up at
Tevin.

“He is dead,” he
said quietly.

Tevin’s brow
furrowed with disbelief. “He cannot be.”

“He is.”

“Are you sure?”

“Verily.”

Tevin’s stunned
gaze moved between Geoff and Myles. “But… but I was not trying to kill him,” he
said after a moment. “I was only trying to disarm him.”

Myles’ gaze
lingered on Geoff. “I know,” he said. “I saw what happened. He was trying to
kill you, Tevin. You did what you had to do.”

Tevin wasn’t
sure if he felt better or worse by that statement.  Disbelief and shock overwhelmed
him, so much so that he ended up stumbling back against the heavy table behind
him as he attempted to wrap his mind around what he had just done.

“Oh…God,” he
hissed.  “I did not mean to do it.”

Myles could see
how shocked he was. “Tevin,” he said softly, firmly. “The man was trying to
kill you. You defended yourself. What happened was an accident.   Although I
normally refrain from speaking ill of the dead, you know as well as I do that
Geoff was a vile, corruptible man.  His death is not an unwelcome one by any means. 
You did us all a service.”

Tevin was still
struggling although he wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was simply the swiftness of
it and the fact that he truly hadn’t been trying to kill him. He and Geoff had
been given to tussles in the past, but nothing like this. He looked at Myles,
his dark eyes intense as he came to terms with what he had done.  

“The truth is
that, at some point, Geoff would have tried to kill me or have me killed,” he
said, his voice hoarse. “He both loved and hated me, but mostly, he envied me.
I know that as well as anyone. But all I can think of now is that the women in
my family are finally safe.  If that is a selfish thought, then I do not
apologize. It is the truth.”

Myles nodded in
agreement, making his way over to him. “There is something else you must think
of also.”

“What?”

“You are now the
Earl of East Anglia,” he reminded him softly, a twinkle in his eye. “Long live
the earl.”

Tevin stared at
him, realizing he was right.  In the blink of an eye, the powerful Viscount Winterton
had become the extremely powerful Earl of East Anglia. He reached out, grabbing
Myles by the wrist as if to confirm the truth.  His eyes were wide on Myles,
who broke into a smile.

“Aye, Tevin,” he
affirmed quietly. “It is you.  What is your first command, my lord?”

Tevin struggled
to push through his shock.  He now commanded thousands.  “I… I am not sure,” he
hissed. “This is a day I never thought would truly come, at least not like
this.”

“The day has
come. Give me a command.”

Tevin maintained
his grip on Myles’ wrist.  “It is strange that all I can think of at this
moment is my father,” he said softly. “He was Winterton for so long.  It was
always my father who would succeed as the earl, never me, at least not until
four years ago when I lost both my father and Torston.”

“I remember.”

“Now that the
time has come, I feel…surprise.  Unadulterated surprise.”

Myles’
expression tightened. “You must put that aside,” he said. “I realize you are
shocked, Tevin, but much requires your attention at the moment. Be shocked
later if you must, give in to your astonishment at that time, but right now we
require your level head. We need it. Much is going on and we require your
wisdom in all things. What will your first command be, my lord?”

Tevin looked at
the man, knowing he was correct in every facet.  Too much depended on Tevin at
the moment and he drew on that strength, that inner force of character, to
settle himself.  He had to.  Forcing himself to think, he pushed himself off
the table.

“Have Geoff’s
body taken out of here,” he said as he moved towards the door.  He couldn’t
bring himself to look at his cousin lying in a heap on the floor. “Have the
servants prepare his body so we can move him to Rochester Cathedral.”

“It will be
done,” Myles said smartly. “But what of you? What shall you do now?”

Tevin’s mind was
working. “I will be riding for Cantia and Arabel,” he said. “There is nothing
more important to me at this moment, not even Anglia.  However, you will send
word to all of our allies, including Matilda and Stephen, informing them that I
have assumed the earldom at Geoff’s passing.  You will also call a meeting with
all of my close allies to discuss the situation and how it will now affect
them.  My loyalties shall be made clear.”

Myles paused by
the door, bringing Tevin to a halt. “What would that be, my lord?”

Tevin’s jaw
ticked; he was gaining confidence and lucidity by the second. Now, he was doing
what he was born to do. Finally, Anglia was in the hands of someone wise and
intelligent. It was time to reclaim Anglia’s good name and take a stand in this
land of chaos and greed. When Tevin looked at Myles, it was with all
seriousness.

“Brac Penden did
not
die in vain,” he said pointedly, with emotion. “Discover who holds
Dartford Crossing and tell them that I would meet with them when I return. I
would suspect we are already allies. Stephen is the rightful king and I intend
to support the man.”

Myles nodded,
warmth in his pale blue eyes, as he marched off to carry out the earl’s
orders.  Tevin stood in the doorway a moment, still stunned, yet knowing what
he had to do.  Even though he’d never truly lusted after Geoff’s title and
power, he realized he was more than ready to assume the mantle.  He’d been bred
for this moment.

He was East
Anglia.

***

Val was dead
asleep when the door to her chamber opened, creaking and old. In fact, it was
stuck, making noise that awakened her.  Exhausted and drugged on something the
surgeon gave her, she could barely open her eyes. 

Myles came into
the room, kneeling down next to the bed.  His fair face was serious as he put a
gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Val?” he said
softly. “Are you awake?”

She inhaled,
long and deep, before nodding her head. “I am,” her eyes lolled open, looking
at him. “What time is it?”

“Almost dawn,” Myles
caressed her shoulder gently. “I have come to tell you that something has
happened.”

Muddled though
she may be, those words had meaning to her. Val blinked her eyes, struggling to
focus. “What has happened?” she looked apprehensive. “Tevin? Is he well?”

Myles shushed
her softly, cutting her off. “Geoff is dead,” he murmured. “Your brother is now
the Earl of East Anglia. I am summoning men at this moment to spread the word,
and then I am riding to Dartford Crossing to find out who holds the bridge. Your
brother needs to speak with them. I am telling you all of this in case Tevin
comes to you; he is somewhat overwhelmed by everything at the moment so he make
seek solace with you.  I wanted you to be prepared.”

Val understood
most of what he said, but she was still focused on Geoff’s death.  Her pale
face slackened. “Geoff is
dead
?” she repeated in a whisper. “What
happened?”

Myles sighed as
he moved from caressing her shoulder to stroking her hair. “He attacked Tevin
in anger,” he said quietly. “Your brother was trying to protect himself and
accidentally killed him.”

Val’s eyes
widened. “My God,” she gasped. “Where is my brother?”

“Inside the
keep, but I suspect he will make his way out here to you shortly.”

“Is he not
riding for Cantia and Arabel?”

“Aye, he is. He
says there is nothing more important to him at this moment, not even Anglia.”

Val thought on
that a moment. Then she tried to sit up. “I must go to him,” she grunted. “I
must find my brother.”

Myles threw an
arm across her shoulders, preventing her from rising.  She was fairly weak and
didn’t give him much of a fight.  He was able to push her back to the bed
without a significant struggle.

“He will come to
you, I am sure,” Myles insisted softly. “Be at ease, Val. I do not want to see
you further injure yourself.”

There was
something in his tone that made Val take a closer look. For a man who, as long
as she had known him, had only spoken of warring things and other trivial
subjects, it was a tone of voice she had always wanted to hear from him. Perhaps
his sympathy for her injury would cause him to say something sweet to her,
something she had longed for.  Perhaps he would say that he felt more for her
than just knightly camaraderie. 

“Why not?” she
asked softly.

He appeared
confused by the question. “What do you mean?”

“Why do you not
want to see me injure myself further?”

Myles stared at
her. But as he did so, something in his blue eyes changed. They seemed to
soften, grow liquid and warm. A faint smile tugged at his lips.

“Because I do
not,” he whispered. “That is all you need to know.”

She could sense
humor and her dark eyes glittered. “That is not true,” she murmured. “I need to
know everything. Tell me, Myles.”

His smile grew
although he fought it, biting his lip as he averted his gaze. “I cannot tell
you.”

“Why not?”

“Because I am a
coward.”

She grinned.
“Myles de Lohr, you are no such thing. Tell me why you do not wish for me to
injure myself further or... or I swear I will never speak to you again.”

He cast her a
sidelong glance. “Never?”

“Never. Never,
ever.”

“That is a very
long time.”

“It is. Are you
willing to take that chance?”

He sighed
heavily, although he was still having difficulty looking at her. “Can you at
least give me time to determine what it is I need to say before you cut me off
completely? I do not want to say the wrong thing.”

She did giggle,
then. “How on earth can you say the wrong thing? Myles, you had better tell me
what I wish to hear or there will be seriously consequences.”

His grin broke
through. “I do not like consequences.”

“Would it be
easier if I spoke first?”

His grin faded
and he looked at her, then.  In fact, he looked both curious and hopeful. It
was a strange combination.

“Aye, I believe
it would,” he murmured.

Her smile faded
as well, though it didn’t vanish completely. She gazed at the man, his handsome
face, someone she had known for many years. She had always been very fond of
him, made stronger now with age and experience. She couldn’t remember when she
hadn’t longed for him in a way that made her heart race and her palms sweat. Reaching
out, she gently touched his wrist.

“Very well,” she
whispered. “Promise you will not laugh.”

“I will not
laugh, I swear.”

She nodded her
head, almost reluctantly, as she summoned her courage. “I know I am not a fine
lady with elegant pursuits,” she whispered. “But I am strong, brave, and of
good character, and I swear I would love you forever if given the chance. I
would do all in my power to make you happy and content, Myles. Perhaps you do
not feel the same way about me but I would be honored if you would at least
give me the chance.”