Chapter Eleven #4
Christopher could only imagine the self-restraint the man had been forced to employ not to punish the man who touched his lady. “Then he is a greater man than I am because I would have no such self-control,” he said to Zayin. “But you have met this woman?”
“I have, my lord.”
“And?”
“And she is most worthy of Garret. I believe she will be good for him.”
That was enough for Christopher. If the wise Muslim approved of the woman, then he approved of her as well.
He returned his attention to Garret. “Do you want my advice?” he said.
“Get her out of there immediately. Today. Bring her to Westminster and then send her with an escort on to Lioncross. My wife will take good care of her.”
Garret was feeling a great deal of relief.
Reaching out, he grasped Christopher by the arm.
“Thank you,” he said sincerely. “When the incident happened yesterday, you were one of the first people I thought to send word to in order to find a haven for her. Your appearance today has been most fortuitous.”
Christopher could see the utter gratitude in Garret’s expression. “I am happy to be of service,” he said. “And I am most eager to meet this young woman who has turned your head.”
Garret thought on the exquisite creature with the creamy skin and bronze-colored hair. “You will not be disappointed, I assure you.”
“I am sure I will not be. But, Garret… you do intend to marry her, don’t you? What I mean to say is that this is not some chivalrous action with no goal in mind. Marriage is your intention, isn’t it?”
Garret thought on the question a moment before snorting ironically.
“I never imagined myself the marrying kind,” he said.
“I am a seasoned man, set in his ways, so marriage was not a priority. I had my career, my dedication to my king, and my life was complete. Or so I thought until I met Lyssa. I feel like a man who has seen the sun for the first time and realized the beauty of the world around me. She is the sun and all my world is incandescent. I cannot explain it better than that.”
Christopher was sympathetic. “I know exactly how you feel,” he said. “Finding a woman you have feelings for is most definitely an awakening. How long have you known her?”
“Two days.”
Christopher’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Two days?” he repeated. He glanced at Zayin, who nodded his head as if there was nothing strange about it. Covering his shock, Christopher chuckled. “Then she must be very special, indeed.”
Garret could see that he was trying not to scold him for having known the woman such a short amount of time before declaring his intentions.
“I know it seems ridiculous to declare my intentions after knowing her so short a time, but I am not a poor judge of character. Often, my life depends on such things. I knew nearly the moment I met her that she was a woman I wanted in my life. When you meet her, you will understand.”
Christopher could hear the emotion in the man’s voice. “I understand already,” he said. “As I said, I know what it is like to feel something for a woman, Garret. When she is the right one, you know it in your heart. Do not let anything stand in your way if she is the one you want.”
Garret’s black eyes glittered. “Trust me when I say that I will kill anyone who gets in my way, Colchester included,” he said. “That is why Lyssa must be removed immediately. If he so much as looks at her again, I will kill him and that will cause untold problems.”
That was an understatement. Garret had shown restraint once but it would not happen again, and Christopher could only shake his head.
“It will not come to that,” he said firmly, “because you are going to remove her today. Go and retrieve her now before another moment passes. The longer she stays there, the worse it may be for you both.”
Garret thought that was an excellent idea.
He’d planned on going to The Wix this morning as it was, but Christopher’s words had him feeling a renewed sense of urgency.
He was just about to say so when the door to the solar opened and he turned, casually, to see who it was.
In truth, he was unprepared for what he saw.
Rickard was in the doorway.
This was not a normal occurrence. Rickard had never simply appeared at Westminster, not in all the time he’d been in residence with Colchester at The Wix.
Rickard was a busy man and socializing with his brother was far down on his list of priorities, understandably.
Therefore, Garret was startled by the man’s appearance.
But that surprise was quickly overwhelmed by a gnawing sense of concern.
He broke away from Christopher and moved in his brother’s direction.
“Rickard,” he said, concern on his face. “Is everything well, man?”
Rickard was sweaty and strained. He looked around the chamber, seeing all of the men, men he knew but not as well as his brother did. He also saw Christopher, who was coming in his direction with a look of both surprise and interest on his face.
“I am sorry to interrupt,” Rickard said to his brother, but he was looking at Christopher. “Greetings, my lord. I had no idea you were in London.”
Christopher was cordial to Garret’s older brother, a serious career knight who had only a fraction of his brother’s talent. “It is good to see you, Rickard,” he said. “It has been a while.”
Rickard nodded. “It has, my lord,” he said. “This is your army in the bailey?”
Christopher nodded. “All of them,” he said, somewhat drolly. “We are just passing through on our way to rendezvous with Richard in France. I hear you are serving Colchester now.”
Rickard nodded. But then, he looked at Garret. “I must speak with you, Garret. Alone, if you please.”
Garret stiffened. “Is Lyssa well?”
Rickard could see his brother’s panic. “She is well,” he said. “It is not her I have come to speak with you about. It is….”
He trailed off, unwilling to say anything more with all of the knights listening to him. Garret sensed his brother’s trouble; he didn’t know these men like he did. He didn’t have that trust. But Garret trusted them with his life. He knew they wouldn’t repeat what they’d heard within these walls.
“Is it about Colchester?” he asked.
Rickard didn’t answer the question directly. “Just a moment of your time, Garret. Please.”
Garret could see that his brother was hesitant to speak and he hastened to reassure him.
“Rickard, if this is about Colchester, we have already been discussing him,” he said.
“You may speak freely in front of these men. Whatever you say will not leave this chamber; I swear it. And the Earl of Worcester is beyond contestation, so you may tell him anything with confidence.”
Rickard didn’t really want to speak in front of these men but, now, if he didn’t, it would be an insult.
Garret had just vouched for their trustworthiness so Rickard had no choice.
He should have been annoyed with his brother but he couldn’t spare the energy.
After his conversation with Jago the previous evening, he’d been waiting all night for the opportunity to ride to Westminster and now that he was here, he had no choice but to quickly speak and then return to The Wix before he was missed.
Already, his absence might rouse suspicion but he had to take that chance.
Garret had to know.
Therefore, he looked directly at the man.
“You asked me yesterday if Colchester had switched his allegiance to John,” he finally said. “Why did you ask me that, Garret? What do you know?”
Garret glanced at Christopher before speaking. “Know? Nothing for certain. But I have reason to suspect.”
Rickard couldn’t really think of anything to tell him other than the truth; ten simple words came to mind, but they were words that Garret would understand completely.
Ten little words that summed up the situation perfectly. Fixing his brother in the eye, he shook his head with disgust.
“You have every reason to be suspect. You were right.”