Chapter Fifty-Six #2
Time went quickly and before she realized it, the hour was upon her and it was time to take Christin to the bailey.
She could only pray that Darren was obedient, that God and luck were with them, and that they would make it safely out of Nottingham.
As she prepared a final tiny bag with food for her daughter, Gabrielle knocked softly and entered the room.
“I thought you might like to…..what are you doing?” she asked.
Dustin thought about trying to hide her plans, but there was no use to it. Gabrielle was her friend, and she would have to trust her.
“I am getting Christin out of here,” she said. “Today. Now.”
“What?” Gabrielle’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”
Dustin took a quick breath to bolster her courage and pulled Gabrielle down on the bed beside her.
“My husband’s squire is here,” she said softly.
“He came to watch over me, he says, by order of Christopher, but I in turn ordered him to take Christin out of here. Richard is riding to my aid, Gabrielle, and Nottingham will be a living hell. I do not want my daughter to perish or be used as a pawn in this evil game John plays. I want her safe.”
Gabrielle looked deeply fearful, but there was also a glimmer of hope in her eyes. “Richard is coming for you? And your husband? Dustin, how marvelous!”
Dustin nodded swiftly. “I must get Christin to Darren. I told him to meet me by the cobbler’s shed and he should be there now. I must go.”
Gabrielle shook her head. “ ’Tis dangerous, Dustin. John usually takes his walk about this time and if he were to see you….”
Dustin swallowed hard and squeezed Gabrielle’s hand. “I shall just have to take that chance. Nothing is more important than Christin’s life.”
As she rose to gather Christin’s things, Gabrielle grasped her arm gently. “Dustin, will you…will you take me with you? I have nowhere else to go and….”
Dustin did not even let her finish her sentence. “Of course you are coming with me. You do not think for one moment that I would leave you here?”
Gabrielle smiled weakly. “Nay, I suppose not. But I had to ask.”
Dustin flashed her a quick smile and gathered Christin. “Now, I must make my little trip,” she said, her gaze going to her innocent daughter’s face. “Say goodbye to Lady Gabrielle, Christin. Tell her that you will see her later, at Lioncross.”
Gabrielle kissed the baby several times. “I miss her already, Dustin. But you are correct; she is not safe here.”
Suddenly the door swung open and Ralph was in the doorway, his beady black eyes focusing on Dustin immediately. Dustin’s heart went into her throat; she was terrified that Ralph had heard everything as he wandered slowly toward them.
“My ladies,” he greeted, eyeing Christin as if she were a lower life form. “The prelude to the evening meal is being served in the main hall. Lady Dustin, I have been asked to accompany you.”
Dustin blanched; her plans and her daughter. She began to shake, praying Ralph could not see her despair and fought the urge to tell him to go to hell. She must remain polite and neutral if she were going to get through this.
“I see,” she said hoarsely, clutching Christin. “May I at least change clothing?”
Ralph’s eyes raked over her pregnant form in the soft linen surcoat. “No need, I’d say. You look ravishing.”
With one attempt to stall foiled, Dustin cleared her throat and glanced at Gabrielle, a plan formulating quickly in her mind. “Is Lady Gabrielle to attend, also?”
Ralph looked at Gabrielle disinterestedly. “Not that I know of. The whores do not usually eat with the privileged.”
Dustin was stung on behalf of Gabrielle, who met the statement unflinchingly. Suddenly, she saw the way clear and felt a gush of relief as she handed Christin into Gabrielle’s arms.
“Very well, Ralph,” she said briskly. “Gabrielle, be sure and take Christin for her walk in the bailey or she will never get to sleep. And be sure to stop by the cobbler’s shed as I was planning to and see if he has made those shoes in my size.”
Gabrielle’s stunned face suddenly registered realization, and she nodded. “As you say, my lady. ’Twill be my pleasure.”
Dustin smiled at her, her body quivering with anxiety and relief. Ralph didn’t notice, however; he reached out, taking her elbow.
“Come then, Lady Dustin,” he said. “Your admiring throng awaits.”
She avoided his gaze, wondering who composed this “admiring throng” and allowed him to lead her from the room.
When the door closed, Gabrielle let out a loud exhale and looked at Christin.
“Come now, little one,” she kissed her shakily on the forehead. “Your escort awaits.”
Darren was indeed waiting. Even though he did not know who the strange woman was who was holding Christin, she seemed to focus on him immediately and walked directly toward him. She was a beautiful, refined woman and he found himself speechless as she reached him.
“You must take Christin,” she whispered, handing the babe to him. “There is no time to waste.”
He took the child, open-mouthed, a hundred questions bubbling forth in his mind.
“Who are you? How do you know me?” he stammered, all the while glancing about to make sure none of John’s soldiers were watching.
“I am a friend of Lady Dustin’s,” Gabrielle explained quickly. “Hurry. You must leave.”
“Wait!” Darren insisted. “Where is Lady Dustin? And how do you know me?”
Gabrielle looked over her shoulder nervously. “Lady Dustin is with John and Ralph at the moment. I knew you were Lord Christopher’s squire because you have that look about you. Now go.”
“What look?” Darren demanded.
Gabrielle gave him a small smile. “The look of goodness and purity. You are soon to be a knight, are you not? Now, please hurry before you are discovered. They would not take kindly to you, young squire.”
Darren tore his eyes off her lovely face and looked about, not wanting to be found out, especially with little Christin in his arms. Everything was happening so fast and nothing was as he and Lord Christopher had intended.
He had barely been in Nottingham half a day and already, he was leaving.
But he was leaving with a most precious cargo, and he knew that his liege would not fault him for straying from the objective.
He glanced down at Christin’s wide gray eyes, looking up at him with interest. He felt his heart soften, the unmistakable swell of protectiveness filling him.
She was so young, so trusting, and he would not fail her.
He could not. This was his liege’s child, his flesh and blood, and he would protect her with his life.
He was still torn for the fact that he would not be remaining behind to shadow Lady Dustin, but he saw that this little life was more important, as her mother had insisted.
“Thank you, then, my lady,” he whispered, covering Christin’s head with his heavy black cloak. “I shall do as ordered.”
Gabrielle turned her back on him, not so much as acknowledging his reply.
She was shaking with fear, afraid that someone had seen her pass the baby off.
John’s men were everywhere and she was constantly watched, but she was as sure as she could be that this time, no one had followed her.
They were beginning to trust her more and, therefore, hound her less.
With a straight back and the confidence of knowing that her plight would soon be ended with the approach of Richard, she made her way back into the castle.
*
Dustin was in a living nightmare. With John on one side of her and Ralph on the other, she fought off wave after wave of nausea.
Sir Dennis and her grandfather, Lord Bruce, rounded out the lovely little group and she knew she had a permanently sour expression, but it did not matter. She did not care what they thought.
“You are not wearing the jewels I sent to you,” Lord Bruce said firstly, forgoing any greeting.
Dustin was tired of being nice, tired of being respectful to the point of servitude.
Her husband and the bloody king of England were coming for her and with that knowledge, she felt confident.
With men so potent on her side, how could the likes of John and Ralph and her grandsire harm her? She fixed Lord Bruce right in the eye.
“Obviously, you do not know me well, sire,” she said coldly. “I hate jewels and frivolous clothes. I will wear what I deem comfortable.”
She had John and Ralph’s attention with that statement. They looked to Lord Bruce to see how he would react. Lord Bruce did not disappoint; his eyes narrowed the same way his granddaughter’s did when she was displeased.
“You will wear what I request, Lady Dustin,” he countered. “And furthermore, you will not take such a tone with me lest you find your backside blistered.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” she shot back, tired and irritated and full of pregnant hormones.
His eyebrows shot up. “Do you test me, then? I shall put you over my knee as I did your mother when she was disrespectful.”
Dustin raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him, glancing at John and feeling the need to play one man against the other.
She had created dissension within Christopher’s ranks unknowingly; she wondered what she could do to John’s men should she set her mind to it.
She could confuse and anger them so greatly that mayhap they would be glad to hand her over to Richard and Christopher without much of a protest. For whatever the reason, she would give them the respect they were giving her.
“My mother is dead, Lord Bruce, and unable to verify your story,” she said, giving John her full attention. “What would you recommend to eat, sire? This dish looks interesting.”
John was amused to see her ignoring Bruce plainly.
The man had boasted endlessly about his family ties when he had discovered his granddaughter was a woman of importance, but she clearly wanted nothing to do with him.
John himself actually spooned her a helping of the capon in fruit sauce and sat back while she delved into it.