Chapter Six #6
With a loud sigh of satisfaction, Arik stretched out on the vacated blanket and closed his eyes with contentment. “Thank God they’ve gone. Now I can get some sleep.”
Gaston eyed his second, his gaze moving to Remington. He was puzzled to see her face awash with distress as she anxiously followed her sister’s movements.
“What’s wrong?” he asked softly.
Remington tore her gaze away and glanced down at him. “Nothing, my lord,” she looked back to Jasmine and Skye.
Gaston accepted her answer and dug into the basket next to her, drawing forth a large green apple.
He bit into it with gusto, chewing loudly as his gaze drifted out over the green countryside.
He was about to comment on it when he looked up at Remington and saw that she was in the same stiff position as she had been moments earlier.
He took another large bite of the apple and tossed it aside, rising to his feet.
“Walk with me,” he said to Remington.
She jerked her head up to him. “I…uh, where?”
He reached down and pulled her to her feet. When she tried to disengage her hands from his, he firmly took one and tucked it into the crook of his arm. Silently, he began to walk the edges of the lake, away from the others.
“Why are you looking at my men like that?” he asked.
“Like what?” she asked innocently, though she was looking back over her shoulder.
“Like they are going to ravish your sisters,” he said. “Honestly, Remi, they’re perfectly safe with my knights.”
“It’s just that…you called me Remi?”
He blinked at the total change of subject, seeing that she was looking up at him with wide eyes. “That’s your name, isn’t it?”
“Aye, it is,” she nodded slowly. “But you have never used it.”
He shrugged. “I have heard your sisters call you by it,” he said. “I won’t use the name if it offends you.”
“Nay, it does not,” she said quickly, offering him a small smile. “You may call me Remi if you want to.”
“I want to,” he looked down his nose at her, but there was a faint smile on his lips. “Now answer my question. Why are you so worried?”
He was so tall she had to crane her neck sharply to look him in the face. “I would be honest with you, then,” she said quietly. “As I told you last night, my sisters are…compromised, thanks to my husband. I do not want them being hurt.”
“Hurt by what?” he wanted to know.
“Hurt by men who are looking for virgins to wed,” she snapped softly. “They are not maidens.”
He understood, sort of. “I am sure Antonius and Nicolas can deal with that fact.”
She stopped, facing off against him. “Gaston, purity of a bride is very important to a prospective husband. I will not allow your men to hurt my sisters because they fell victim to something beyond their control. But more importantly, if they are not looking for a wife, I do not want them taking advantage of my sisters. Being a whore to one man is quite enough.”
He crossed his massive arms in front of his broad chest, arms as thick around as she was. “So what would you have me do? Find out their intentions before I allow them to pursue your sisters? That is a little overbearing, do not you think?”
“Nay, I do not,” Remington said hotly. “You just do not understand.”
She spun away from him but he grabbed her, pulling her back against him.
For a brief second she couldn’t breathe as his eyes bore down into her and her body went even hotter than it already was.
Pressed against his chest, she wondered why her limbs tingled painfully and she tried to pull away, but he would not let her.
“I understand you are overprotective of your sisters,” he said, his voice a growl. “You must allow them to live their own lives, Remi. They’ll not always have you around to champion them.”
“I must protect them,” she insisted, a look of desperation filling her eyes. “I have always tried to protect them but I am not always successful. Gaston, I must do what I can.”
He fully understood her fears now. She was entirely helpless against her husband and she hated herself for it. His grip on her wrists loosened and he stroked the backs of her silky hands.
“Very well, angel,” he said softly. “I shall talk to my knights and find out what their intentions might be.”
“Thank you,” she was electrified by his gentle caressing. She’d never experienced anything so sweet, as small a gesture as it might be.
He gazed into her sea-crystal eyes, his expression soft. “Anything for you. Anything at all.”
Her cheeks flushed and he laughed softly, releasing her hands but again tucking one into his elbow.
A destrier burst through the undergrowth on the other side of the lake and Patrick rode into view. It took Remington a moment to realize Rory was astride behind him.
“Well…would you look at that?” she said with surprise. “He brought her.”
Gaston watched the chestnut destrier round the lake. “Patrick is quite convincing when he puts his mind to it. Lady Rory did not stand a chance.”
“Is that so?” Remington slanted an arrogant gaze at him. “Rory is fairly persuasive when she wants to be, as well. If she did not want to come, nothing he could have said would have convinced her.”
“Ah, but Rory relies on brute strength to accomplish her goals,” Gaston said. “Patrick relies on his wits.”
Remington’s mouth opened in outrage. “Are you saying my sister is stupid?”
“Not at all,” Gaston said steadily, passing her an amused glance from the corner of his eye. “The fact that she had agreed to come with Patrick proves that she has some intelligence.”
Remington put her hands on her hips. “You border on slander, Dark Knight.”
He looked at her fully. “I told you not to call me that.”
She lifted her chin defiantly, but there was a good deal of humor to it. “My apologies, oh Devil’s Spawn.”
He put his hands on his hips, raising a disapproving eyebrow at her. “You saucy bit of baggage. I ought to blister your backside this instant.”
Her defiant stance bow down in an instant and she actually laughed at him, loudly. He raised both eyebrows, although his lips were twitching. “You think it funny, do you?”
Her eyes were bright at him. “I think you are funny, my lord.”
“I am not,” he mumbled, feigning irritation.
“Aye, you are and you are not even aware of it,” she let her gaze linger a moment longer before focusing back on her sister. “I would greet Rory, with your permission.”
“By all means,” he let her go.
He made his way back to Arik, still lying underneath the tree. He picked another apple from the basket and leaned back against the trunk of the ancient oak to enjoy it, his gaze never leaving Remington as she spoke animatedly to her sister.
“You are interested in Lady Stoneley,” Arik mumbled, his eyes closed.
“She is pleasant enough conversation,” Gaston replied.
Arik snorted, brushing a fly on his face. “Gaston, you have smiled more in the past few days than I have ever known you to smile in your life. And you are smiling at her. And the fact that we are here, resting under a tree when there is much work to be done, only reinforces my suspicions.”
Gaston munched on the apple, ignoring his only friend. Arik opened one eye. “I do not blame you, though. She’s incredible.”
Gaston continued to ignore him soundly, chewing on the last of the core and throwing it away. “Are we prepared for Lord Brimley on the morrow?”
“Aye,” Arik replied. “Being the closest baron, we received an answer from him the same day we sent the missive. He should be arriving by noon tomorrow.”
“Good,” Gaston said. “Hopefully the meeting with Brimley will establish a favorable climate for the rest of our talks. I want these meetings to be a mutual exchange of information, not a list of threats.”
Arik shrugged and rolled over onto his side. “’Twill be interesting to see what transpires, my lord.”
On the other side of the small lake, Remington screamed with laughter as Charles and Dane splashed at her. He could see Rory shaking her fists at the young men. It took him a moment to realize that Antonius and Jasmine were missing.
“Damn,” he muttered, pushing himself off the tree. “Where’s Antonius?”
Arik looked about weakly. “I do not know,” he replied. “But look; Nicolas and Rory are standing within a few feet of each other and have yet to raise their voices. Amazing.”
“Not really when you consider they spent the night together.” Gaston was concerned regarding the whereabouts of his knight and the lady. “I guessed they would either kill each other or emerge on pleasant terms. I am pleased it was the latter.”
Gaston wandered out from underneath the tree, his trained eyes roving the little dell they were in. Much to his relief, he saw Antonius and Jasmine sitting under a tree on the crest of a small rise not too far away and he scratched his head, irritated with himself for jumping to conclusions.
But truth was, he did not care what his men did on their own time. He was not a meddler; the fact of the matter was he did not want Remington to be angry with him should something unfavorable happen to her sister.
With a disgusted shake of his head, he turned back for Arik and the tree, wondering what other food was in the basket.
Remington suddenly let out a loud scream and he whirled, his body instinctively preparing for battle when he saw that she had gotten too close to the edge of the lake and Charles had pulled her in.
He relaxed, smiling faintly as he watched her sputter and attempt to climb out of the lake.
With every step she took, her young cousin would pull her further out into the water.
Dane yelled happily in his cousin’s favor.
Remington was up to her waist when she grabbed hold of Charles’ fair head and dunked him under the water.
He came up, sputtering and grabbed her before she could escape.
Remington found herself completely submerged by her cousin and son, but not before Rory and Skye jumped in to the rescue.
Within seconds, the water was churning with a good-natured family brawl.