Chapter Twenty-Four #3
“I am pleased,” he replied, feeling a bit more comfortable knowing she was handling the news of his marriage well. “Is he here?”
“Nay,” she shook her head and her earbobs jingled. “He is too old to travel, truly. He prefers our chateau near Brittany and allows me all of the freedom I wish. Unlike you.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “I was only thinking of your safety, Amanda, and you know it.”
She smiled. “I do, and I miss your protectiveness. Surely you are as protective with your wife?”
“Absolutely,” he said firmly. “Sometimes I wonder how Dustin ever got along before I married her.”
“Dustin?” Amanda repeated. “What a lovely name. Which one is she?”
Christopher turned to look at his party and was not surprised to see Dustin gazing back at him questioningly. “In the red surcoat,” he said.
Amanda squinted to get a better look. “Oh, Chris, she is exquisite. I saw her during the dance earlier and she has a lot of spirit. No wonder you married her.”
He let the statement go, not wanting to delve any further into the subject. In fact, his nervousness was returning. “Honestly, Amanda, it has been damn good to see you,” he held up the goblet. “My wife is waiting for this.”
Amanda nodded understandingly. “Of course,” she said, but then she suddenly put her hand on his arm. “Chris, I must speak with you later. ’Tis most important that I see you alone. Would you oblige me?”
He certainly didn’t want to, but he nodded faintly. “If it is that important, I will. Where would you have me meet you?”
Amanda’s eyes flicked to Dustin and back again. “Before you leave the hall tonight? Mayhap outside in the corridor? There is a small alcove at the base of the stairs.”
“I know the place,” he said, wary of her true intentions. The woman was a firebrand of passion. The room she was suggesting was very secluded. “Why don’t you go there now and I shall try to get away for a few minutes.”
“Good,” Amanda said, turning away with a final glance at Dustin.
Christopher took a deep breath, wondering what sort of fresh hell he was getting himself into. He hoped she would not try and rekindle the old flame of passion. He returned to Dustin and handed her the refreshments. She drank down the wine as he sat.
“Who was that woman you were talking to?” she asked.
“A woman I knew once,” he said.
“What’s her name?” she set the goblet down and looked at him.
“Lady Amanda de Fortlage,” he replied, hoping she wouldn’t press anymore. “Do you feel all right? Mayhap we should retire.”
“I am fine,” she said, starting in on the pastry. “Did you know Lady Amanda well?”
“Fairly well,” he replied. “But that was a long time ago. Where did Lady Emilie go?”
“She’s dancing with David.” Thankfully, her attention turned to the dance floor and she was smiling. “They make a handsome couple, don’t you think? I would certainly love to have her as a sister-in-law.”
He snorted. “David? Marry? I think not.”
“Why not?” she demanded “You did.”
“But I was forced…I mean, I had no choice, but I do not regret it,” he said, grinning smugly at her. “In fact, I cannot imagine my life without you.”
She raised a reproving eyebrow. “You say that now, husband,” she said, watching him snort. “Tell me; if you saw me here tonight and you did not know me, would you want to meet me?”
He rubbed his jaw. “Mayhap. I would certainly think you were the most beautiful woman in the room.”
“Mayhap?” she repeated his word deliberately. “You are unsure if you would want to know me?”
“I did not say that,” he said, his lip twitching with a smile. “You asked if I would want to meet you, and I said mayhap. I do not demand introductions to women, Dustin. Usually, they introduce themselves to me.”
Her eyebrows shot up in outrage. “I certainly would not have introduced myself, so I guess we would never have known one another.”
“Why wouldn’t you have introduced yourself to the Lion’s Claw?” he asked earnestly, baiting her.
She raised her chin, looking away from him. “Because I wouldn’t give a lick about you or your lofty title.”
He was trying not to laugh. “I can hardly believe that I would fall in that category,” he said. Then he leaned forward, his chin on her shoulder. “You would not have introduced yourself? Truly?”
“Nay,” she said, crossing her arms.
He gave a soft chuckle. “Oh, sweetheart, of course I would have asked to meet you. In fact, I would have wooed you endlessly.”
She eyed him, still miffed. “Would you have married me?”
“Probably not. But we would have had a grand time of it,” he said, laughing.
“Oh!” She jerked away from him, facing him indignantly. “What do you mean by that?”
He giggled uncontrollably. “Nothing, sweet, nothing. Suffice it to say that we are married and I am glad of it.”
“You do not get off that easily,” she said, grabbing his tunic. “What do you mean we would have had a grand time? Do you mean to say you would have taken advantage of me, used me like a whore, and then moved on? I would not have been worth marrying?”
He tried to kiss her but she dodged him. “You are the only woman in the realm worth marrying,” he said softly, catching her face in his hands. “But whether or not I would have been wise enough to realize it is another matter.”
She softened considerably at his words, trying to remain wounded but not succeeding. When he kissed her sweetly, she relented fully.
“Now,” he said, “I have some business to attend to for a moment.”
He called to Marcus and the man looked over at him from where he was talking to two young ladies. When Christopher beckoned, he excused himself politely and approached.
“I have something to do that shan’t take me but a few minutes.” Christopher stood up and offered Marcus his chair. “Entertain Lady de Lohr while I am away, please.”
Marcus sat down and Christopher winked at his wife before he quit the hall.
Dustin watched his massive frame leave through the ornate doorway, focusing reluctantly on Marcus.
The man merely smiled at her, pleasantly, before finding interest elsewhere.
He never left her side but he didn’t pay much attention to her, either.
Such was the situation between him and Dustin these days; she accepted it, but she was sorry.
Whatever was troubling him, she hoped he would soon be over it.
She missed the old Marcus.
*
Amanda was waiting in the alcove. Christopher slipped into the small room, pulling the heavy silk portiere closed behind him. Impatiently, he faced his old flame and crossed his arms.
“What is so important, Amanda?” he demanded in a low voice.
Her smile vanished. She had expected more than this surly attitude from a man she had devoted her life to for a year and a half. Rebuffed by the demeanor, the old familiar hurt began to creep into her veins.
“Not only to me, but to you, Chris,” she said softly. “I haven’t seen you since we last parted ways. You were preparing to leave with Richard, I believe, when I last saw you. I am glad to see you returned home whole and safe, and a legend, no less. I was very proud to hear…”
He cut her off irritably. “My wife is waiting for me. What is it that you wanted to say?”
Amanda was not an aggressive, overbearing noblewoman, as so many of them were. She had a genuinely sweet character and Christopher’s brusque manner was upsetting her greatly.
“Why are you acting like this?” she whispered. “I have done nothing to warrant this treatment.”
His stiff stance softened, nay, she had not. But he was terrified to be alone with her, not because she was a weakness for him, but he was afraid someone would see them.
“I am sorry,” he said. “It’s just that I have had a busy day and I am fatigued. Please tell me what was so important that I must meet with you privately.”
She gazed back at him a moment, the man she had loved so dearly. He was even more handsome and powerful than she had ever remembered; her life that could have been. But in the same thought she knew in her heart that he had never truly wanted her.
“Your wife is very lucky, Chris,” she said softly. “And very young. Where did you find her?”
He sighed. “Richard betrothed us and we have been married less than four months.”
“She’s a beautiful girl,” Amanda observed. “Is she kind, too?”
He almost smiled. “When she wants to be. But more often than not, she’s a stubborn, spirited wench who always gets her way.”
Amanda smiled. “Most women do. Pray be good to her; I know how you hate disobedience in a woman.”
He nodded, avoiding her knowing gaze. “May we come to the point, Amanda? Or did you simply wish to get me alone and talk about my wife.”
Amanda shook her head. “Nay, I can find out all I want about her from the gossips. Your wife is a favorite subject right now. And what’s this I hear about Marcus Burton?”
Christopher blinked slowly, rolling his eyes up to her. “Lies, all of it. Marcus is a good and loyal vassal, as you well know.”
She could sense his impatience with her and knew she had better come to the point of their clandestine meeting or there would be hard feelings between them.
She was hurt to realize he did not want to be around her in the least, whether it was because of her personally or because he was truthful when he said he wanted to return to his wife, she wasn’t sure.
But to avoid a most uncomfortable situation, she decided to come to the point.
“I asked to meet you here for a valid reason, Chris,” she began softly. “There is something you should know. When we last met, before you left for the crusades, I had come to tell you of something. Do you remember? I sent you a missive saying that I was coming specifically to see you?”
He nodded slowly. “I do. You told me you were returning to France.”
“True, but I didn’t tell you everything I had intended to,” she said softly, lowering her gaze for the first time. She suddenly seemed ill at ease and he saw her take a deep breath. “I had gone to London to tell you…to tell you that I was pregnant with your child.”
His eyes widened. “What?”