Chapter Thirteen
London
Bellham Place was a stone and mortar fortified manse approximately two miles from the heart of London situated along the River Thames.
It had been in the de Lohr family for almost a century as a place of residence when the de Lohrs visited London.
Surrounded by a well-designed garden that included every thorny bush or vine in existence, the prickly foliage was more of a deterrent to invasion or thieves than the enormous walls themselves.
Huge strains of bougainvillea, blooming in brilliant colors of pink and purple, grew all over the house.
The thorns on the plants were more than an inch long, sharp like a dagger.
All of the de Lohr offspring had met with a run-in on those plants at one time or another.
They all had war wounds from having done battle with Bellham’s plants.
In spite of the prickly exterior, the interior was lush and comfortable.
David had been in a sunny, upstairs study, reading a missive from his brother, when he heard the sounds of a charger in the yard.
Rising from the desk, he peered outside into the courtyard to see Kevin de Lara on the approach.
The missive ended up tossed back onto the desk as David made haste from the study.
He was descending the stairs when a sweet female voice stopped him.
“David?” she called. “Sweetheart, where are you going?”
David paused on the bottom step as his wife, the Lady Emilie Hampton de Lohr, emerged from one of the upstairs bedrooms where she had been attempting to lull their two-year-old daughter, Christina, to sleep.
Blond and beautiful, with big, brown eyes, Emilie smiled at her husband. David returned the gesture.
“I am stepping outside, love,” he told her. “Not to worry. I am not going anywhere.”
“I heard a horse,” Emilie was coming towards the stairs. “Who has arrived?”
David could see Kevin dismounting his steed through the window. “De Lara,” he told her. “I shall be outside if you need me.”
Emilie descended the stairs, coming upon her husband and winding her soft hand into his. David kissed her on the cheek.
“May I come with you?” she asked softly. “It is such a lovely day outside.”
David sighed agreeably. Emilie was the sweetest, most genuinely kind person he had ever met.
She had such a soft manner about her, gentle and compassionate, without an ounce of disobedience or rancor in her personality.
She was the most perfect person he knew and, consequently, he could never deny her anything, not even the slightest little question.
He was a weakling and he knew it, but he didn’t much care. He adored her.
“Very well,” he kissed her hand, pulling her off the stairs with him. “I am anxious to hear what de Lara has to say.”
Emilie followed him to the enormous front door. “Why?”
David shrugged. “To see if he was able to locate Gart, first and foremost. My men are due to sail for France in ten days and I want Gart at the head of the command.”
Emilie shaded her eyes from the sun when David opened the door. “Gart would never disappoint you,” she said. “He is your best knight. You have said so yourself.”
David had no reason to dispute her statement, nor did he have any reason to be on his guard as de Lara approached him.
He was looking forward to positive news in spite of the fact that he had sent Kevin to find Gart specifically to warn him of Buckland’s return to Dunster.
He assumed all had happened as it should because his knights had never failed him. Kevin saluted David sharply.
“My lord,” he greeted, looking to Emilie and smiling at her. “Lady de Lohr, it is a pleasure to see you again.”
David looked the man over. He looked particularly exhausted, having been gone from London almost a month. He appeared as if he had been riding every day of his travels. It was a disheveled state that forged the first blooms of concern in David’s chest.
“You look weary and haggard, de Lara,” he commented. “Were you able to find Forbes?”
Kevin took a deep breath, nodding. “He was at Dunster Castle as you had suspected, my lord.”
The knight began to look uncomfortable, glancing at Emilie as if afraid to say anything more in her presence. David didn’t like the hesitation at all and his concern mounted.
“And?” he pushed de Lara. “What happened? Did you warn him of Buckland’s escort?”
Kevin took another deep breath, reasoning that he might as well tell his liege all of it. There was no point in holding back, for it would only enrage de Lohr. It wasn’t as if he had a choice in the face of a direct question.
“I arrived less than an hour before Buckland’s escort for Lady Emberley,” he told him. “Gart was there, as you had suspected, and I relayed your messages. But… well, there is a problem, my lord.”
David’s eyebrows lifted. “What problem?”
Kevin hesitated. “It would seem that Gart… there is no simple way to tell you this so I will come out with it. Gart and the Lady Emberley de Moyon are in love. Gart would not permit Buckland’s escort to take Lady Emberley and her children to London so I helped them to escape.”
David stared at him. The shock in his expression was evident.
“But…,” he faltered and started again. “Gart swore to me that there was nothing more than casual concern towards the lady, as the sister of his best friend. He looked me in the eye and swore to me that he was not attempting to come between Buckland and his wife.”
Kevin sighed in frustration. Having spent the past few weeks with Gart and Emberley, he had come to see the love between them and was naturally defensive of the pair, right or wrong.
“All I can tell you is this,” he said quietly.
“I have spent the better part of three weeks with Gart, the lady and her children. It is vastly apparent that Gart and the lady love each other a great deal and from what I have been told, Buckland is abusive and horrible to the woman. Moreover, Buckland has announced to all of England that he and the queen are lovers. Lady Emberley does not deserve such shame, my lord.”
David’s shock was turning to anger. “It is not your right or duty to decide such matters, Kevin,” he said. “Gart is in a world of trouble and you along with him. How on earth could you assist him in this… this madness?”
Kevin wouldn’t back down. “Because, quite simply, Buckland will kill him if he finds out. Gart is my friend. I cannot let that happen.”
David was normally quick to temper, a reputation that was not in danger of dying this day. With a growl, he smacked his fist against his open palm, pacing away from his wife and Kevin to blow off the building steam. He whirled on Kevin, jabbing a finger at the man.
“Gart knows what trouble this will bring him,” he hissed. “He swore to me that there was nothing between him and the lady. And now I find out he lied.”
Kevin shook his head. “From what I was told, he did not lie to you. What he felt for the lady came well after you had left.”
“He told you this?”
“He did. We discussed it.”
“It does not matter,” David threw up his hands.
“He lied to me and now he is on the run with Baron Buckland’s wife and children.
Gart Forbes has never been a fool, not in the entire time I have known him, so for him to commit something so utterly stupid and deadly is beyond my comprehension. What in the hell is the man thinking?”
Kevin remained calm. “He had to take her into hiding, my lord,” he said quietly. “She carries his child. If Buckland discovers this, he will kill her as well.”
David’s ranting came to an abrupt halt and he stared at Kevin, wide-eyed. “Sweet Jesus,” he breathed. “Is this true?”
Kevin nodded, reaching up to remove his helm. His dark blond hair was matted with sweat and filth, and he ran a gloved hand across it to scratch at his scalp.
“While we traveled to Wales, Gart told me the entire story of his acquaintance with Lady Emberley. I was told that you were there on the last occasion that Buckland beat her,” he said softly. “Gart said you tried to help but Buckland threatened you.”
Some of David’s anger left him. He sighed heavily. “I was there,” he admitted sourly. “It is cruel and brutal, and something I would never engage in, but a husband has every right to beat his wife so long as he does not kill her.”
This time, Emilie gasped. She had been listening to the entire story, wide-eyed and silent, but her husband’s comments compelled her to speak.
“David,” she said reproachfully. “That is a terrible thing to say.”
David looked at his wife and lifted his shoulders.
“It is true,” he said. “As weak and foolish as it sounds, it is true. I should have known Gart was feeling more for Lady Emberley than he let on simply by the way he was acting towards her. He almost killed Buckland the night we arrived because Buckland struck his wife in Gart’s presence. I should have… known.”
He shook his head and averted his gaze, truly at a loss with the situation. With his fury abating, now he was feeling despondent and apprehensive. Sensing this, Emilie turned to Kevin.
“Where did Gart go?” she asked gently. “You said that you helped him to escape. Where is he?”
Kevin passed a glance at David before speaking, hesitantly, but knowing he had to answer her question. “To the Welsh Marches. He is with my father.”
David looked sharply at him. “Viscount Trelystan?”
Kevin nodded. “My father was more than happy to house a fugitive of the king’s ally.”
David looked sick, making a face and rolling his eyes miserably.
“This is my fault,” he grunted. “I should not have allowed Gart to remain behind with Lady Emberley. He said he simply wanted to get reacquainted with his dead friend’s sister but I should have known there was more to it.
Buckland is going to come down around me now, for everything. ”