Chapter Thirteen #2
Kevin shook his head. “Buckland’s escort never, at any point, saw Gart,” he told him. “I made sure of that. For all they know, the lady and her children simply fled the castle during the night. Gart’s name was never mentioned nor was he sighted.”
David waved him off irritably. “It does not matter,” he said.
“Buckland will remember what happened when Gart was at Dunster and will assume, correctly, that the man is somehow involved in his wife’s disappearance.
Do you know why de Moyon sent for his wife and children to join him in London?
Did you hear the foulest of reasons before you left? ”
Kevin shook his head and David continued, disgust in his tone.
“He sent for them because, as rumor has it, the queen has set her sights on another lover and Buckland hopes to make her jealous. He assumes having his wife at his side will accomplish that. But now she is missing and Buckland will remember how Forbes acted towards the woman. He will presume the man is responsible for her disappearance and that presumption will bring him to me.”
Emilie could see how torn her husband was and she went to him, putting a soft hand on his arm.
“I have heard the same thing,” she said gently.
“Isabella has made it clear that her interest is in a French mercenary, a friend of her father’s.
It is all the gossip mills can speak of. Buckland is falling out of favor.”
David sighed heavily. “It will only make de Moyon bent on blood,” he said quietly. “He will be shamed by his wife’s disappearance and his vengeance will know no limits.”
Emilie stroked his blond head. “When he comes to you, you will tell him that you do not know where Gart is,” she said firmly. “You were not involved in this and it is not your fault.”
Kevin interrupted. “My lord, if I may,” he said, watching David and Emilie look at him. “Gart is coming to London as we speak. He wanted to settle Emberley and the children first before leaving them, but he is coming to see you. He is coming to tell you everything himself.”
David rolled his eyes again. “Dear God,” he muttered. “He is going to get himself killed. Buckland will have him arrested the moment he sets foot in the city.”
“Buckland will not know he has anything to do with his wife’s disappearance.”
De Lohr looked at the man as if he were an idiot. “Are you serious? After everything I just told you, you do not believe that de Moyon will be intelligent enough to figure out what has happened? Either you are a massive fool or I am.”
Kevin didn’t take offense. He propped his helm up on the saddle as a groom approached to take his charger away, feeling increasingly weary. The entire venture had him physically as well as emotionally drained.
“I will not tell you any more than I already have, my lord,” he said quietly.
“That way, when Buckland asks you what you know of the situation, you can be truthful and tell him that you do not know where Gart has gone. But I will tell you this, Lady Emberley is a sweet and wonderful woman, and the stories I have heard about Buckland’s treatment of her makes me want to kill him myself.
I will die before I tell Buckland anything about Gart or the lady. ”
David knew he would, too. De Lara was a man of great honor, honesty and strength. He waved the man off.
“It will not come to that,” he said, all of the fire and agitation gone out of him. Then he looked at Kevin. “Did you tell Gart that he is due to leave for France next week?”
“I did, my lord. That is why he is coming to see you.”
David thought on the great implications of that visit, none of which he was particularly thrilled to entertain.
He couldn’t see Gart wanting to leave the lady and her children, especially to fight for the lady’s husband’s lover.
He shook his head in resignation. The situation grew more complicated by the minute.
Emilie, seeing that her husband was mentally spent after such devastating news and that de Lara was so exhausted that he was about to collapse, intervened.
“Kevin, go and gain some respite,” she told him. “You look as if you are utterly spent. We will speak more of this later.”
Kevin nodded gratefully and turned for the rear of the manse, the back entrance used by servants and soldiers. There was a kitchen back there and cool, comfortable rooms with fluffy beds. He was dreaming of one now. As the knight wandered away, Emilie turned to her husband.
“I will say this to you, husband,” she murmured, moving to the man and winding her hands around his arm.
“You and I know what it is like to truly love someone. If Gart has found true love in the arms of an abused woman, then we cannot fault him. Look at the situation in his terms – what if I was married to another who beat me terribly? How would you feel? Would you walk away or would you do something about it? Gart apparently has the courage to do something about it and I find that sweet and admirable.”
David looked at her a moment before kissing her soft cheek.
“I do not fault the man true love,” he responded.
“But facts are facts – Lady Emberley is married to Baron Buckland. Gart, at the very least, could be tried for thievery if this situation gets out of control. But I suppose we shall hear the whole story when he arrives so there is nothing to do but wait.”
Emilie knew he was right, but she was more than curious to hear the tale.
She had known Gart Forbes for four years and the man was the consummate knight, always in control and always professional.
He was big, strong and frightening. To hear that he fell in love with a married woman was something of a shock.
She would have never guessed the man capable of such emotion.
For Gart’s sake, as well as her husband’s, she truly hoped Buckland never discovered the truth of it.