Chapter Sixteen
The blow from David had broken two teeth off at the gum line and the surgeon had to struggle to get the roots out else they would fester.
Julian screamed throughout the entire procedure, howling threats at Gart and David when his mouth wasn’t full with pliers and other metal implements that were dirty and used.
In the newly built apartments that lined the east wall of the Tower of London, Julian had been issued three luxurious rooms as a guest of the queen.
The king had his own women, in some cases the wives of his allies, and didn’t give much notice to the company his wife kept.
As long as she was available for him when he wanted her, he was mostly unconcerned with her associations.
Therefore, Julian stayed at the castle, living in royal luxury as the lover of the queen.
But she had been disinterested in him as of late, ever since a big French mercenary arrived from Bordeaux and caught her eye.
Julian could see her attraction to the man and he had worked harder than ever to please her, spending lavishly on her and treating her kindly.
He heaped attention on her, telling her how beautiful she was as many times as he could get it out of his mouth.
He had a good thing going and he didn’t want to lose it.
Which was why the situation with his wife had him brittle and edgy.
He had hoped that Emberley’s presence at his side would cause Isabella jealousy.
Now his wife had vanished and his plans were going awry, the loss of control completely infuriating him.
He wasn’t worried for Emberley’s safety – the thought had never crossed his mind, nor did concern for the children.
It was the mere fact she had left him. He knew that Forbes was responsible for Emberley’s disappearance no matter what de Lohr said.
He didn’t trust de Lohr, anyway. Anyone who had been so closely allied with King Richard deserved a measure of distrust.
As the surgeon yanked pieces of broken tooth from his mouth, Julian screamed and slapped at the man.
The big, burly surgeon motioned to a couple of Julian’s men to hold him while he went to dig for a last portion of broken tooth and Julian tried to fight them off but was unsuccessful.
They held him fast as the surgeon probed and Julian yelled.
“Bastards!” Julian yelled, garbled. “I will make them pay, every last one of them. They will all pay!”
The soldier holding Julian’s left arm was the same soldier who had led the contingent to Dunster to escort Lady Emberley to London and the same man who had recognized Kevin de Lara.
His name was Donnell and he had served Baron Buckland for six years.
He was used to the man’s moods and rages but he had no particular feelings about the man one way or the other.
He was paid for his loyalties and nothing more.
Julian grabbed the man’s arm, digging his fingers into his flesh. “We will punish them, will we not?” he asked him. “We will burn Bellham to the ground!”
Donnell was used to his liege’s bouts with madness, as predictable as the rising of the sun. “As you say, m’lord.”
Julian spit blood out onto his lap, the floor. “I want Forbes,” he hissed through swollen lips. “I want you to go and get Forbes.”
“He is well protected behind the gates of Bellham, m’lord,” Donnell said patiently.
“He cannot stay there forever!”
Donnell sighed faintly. “We can lay in wait for him if you wish, m’lord,” he said. “But I am sure he will be on his guard. It could be a long wait.”
“I do not care!” Julian spat, spraying blood onto Donnell. “Wait for him! Kill him!”
“If we kill him, then we will never know where your wife went if our only source of information is dead.”
Julian growled and grumbled, cursing Gart and de Lohr yet again.
The surgeon had him open his mouth one last time to pack in some rags to stop the bleeding but Julian didn’t care.
He yanked himself away from the surgeon and his soldiers, exhausted and bleeding as he paced the wood floor of his lavish apartment.
He was imbalanced even on a good day, now made worse with the beating he had received at the hands of de Lohr. The madness was growing.
“He has her,” he grumbled. “He must. He is the only one who would take her. Emberley would not simply run away and take the children with her.”
“Are you so sure, m’lord?”
Julian took the question as a challenge and puffed himself up. “You were at Dunster,” he hissed. “You saw what Forbes did.”
Donnell thought back to that night when there had been a scuffle on the walls of Dunster between Julian and Gart Forbes.
He had come in on the tail end of it when men were trying to pull Forbes off of Julian.
It had been a chaotic and loud scene with Lady de Moyon weeping in the middle of it.
That was all he had witnessed but he had heard several versions of the story well into the night.
“I did not see it, m’lord,” he said honestly. “I heard tale.”
That didn’t seem to deter Julian. “Then if you heard tale, you know that Gart could be the only one responsible for her disappearance. He seduced her and took her away from me.”
“But I did not see Gart Forbes at Dunster when I arrived, m’lord,” Donnell said. “He was not there but de Lohr’s other knight was. I recognized him.”
Julian was preparing to rant again but he suddenly stopped and an odd gleam came to his eye. He held up a finger as if a brilliant thought had just occurred to him.
“Perhaps…,” he appeared oddly calm, thoughtful. “Perhaps I have accused the wrong knight. You said that you saw my wife at Dunster when you arrived but the next morning, she was missing.”
“Aye, m’lord.”
“And that knight you recognized was missing also.”
“Aye, m’lord. They were all gone, including your children.”
Julian threw up his hands. “Then we have focused on the wrong man. That knight took my wife! We want that man!”
“Want him, m’lord?”
“Aye!” Julian was nodding vehemently. “We must capture him and force him to tell us where my wife is.”
Donnell could see the logic but cornering the knight would not be a simple thing. They had already tried to commandeer Gart Forbes and the situation had gone against them.
“M’lord, if I can make a suggestion,” he said. “We failed to capture Forbes and I do not believe it would be wise to try and capture another of de Lohr’s men. They are already on their guard. It will be another vicious battle and one we very well may lose. You know how powerful de Lohr is.”
Julian was only focused on capturing de Lara. He waved his arms around. “Then what do you suggest? Out with it!”
Donnell put up a hand to ease him so he wouldn’t fly out of control. Julian flew out of control quite easily.
“We should find out about the man,” he recommended. “Ask around to see if anyone knows him. De Lohr has allies, men that we know and men that are also allied with you. Perhaps other knights know of this man and where he is from.”
Julian liked the idea. His dark face lit up. “Of course,” he agreed. “Find out what you can about the man. Perhaps he has a home. Perhaps he has kidnapped my wife and taken her there.”
“It is as good a start as any, my lord.”
Julian was less agitated now that a plan was set, one he considered cunning and true. He would outsmart de Lohr and his arrogant brother. He would win.
“Go, then,” he told Donnell. “I will leave this up to you. Decide whom you wish to speak with and take no chances. They must not know our motives.”
“Aye, m’lord.”
Julian watched Donnell quit the room, feeling a great deal of comfort and happiness at the scheme. Forbes was no longer a suspect but this new knight was. He would track down where this man had taken his wife.
There was no telling what he would do to Emberley once he found her.
*
“Explain what has happened to me so clearly that there will be no doubt in my mind as to what you have done,” David was struggling to keep his patience. “I am waiting, Gart.”
Gart stood just inside the door of the solar of Bellham, a lavish room that generations of de Lohr males had made their own.
Now it belonged to David and his brother the earl, a pair that was deeply entrenched in the security of England.
Gart always thought the room smelled of power, a scent somewhere between leather and smoke and hot steel.
Right now, it was a somewhat intimidating smell considering he was here to ask release from his oath.
So far, things weren’t starting off in his favor.
“With your permission, my lord, I remained at Dunster Castle to become reacquainted with my best friend’s sister,” Gart began.
“I know that,” David snapped softly, leaning against his desk with his arms crossed. His expression was decidedly unfriendly. “Tell me something I do not know.”
Gart braced his legs apart, hands clasped behind his back. His manner was professional and non-emotional.
“I spent several weeks with the Lady Emberley de Moyon, my lord,” he continued. “I came to know her children as well. In spite of the fact that they attempted to rob anyone who entered the keep at Dunster, they are good boys. They will make fine knights.”
“Go on,” David urged impatiently.
Gart complied. “Although it was never my intention at the start, during the time I spent with Lady Emberley, I fell in love with the woman,” he finally met David’s gaze. “She is the most wonderful, kind and beautiful woman in the entire world and I love her with all my heart.”
David looked at him, waiting for more of an explanation. When nothing more was forthcoming, he lifted his eyebrows.
“And?” David demanded. “What else?”
Gart wasn’t sure what he meant but he continued. “And… and I intend to dissolve, break up or otherwise destroy her marriage to Buckland. The baron is a vile, repulsive excuse for a man and….”
David cut him off. “And his wife is pregnant with your child.”
Gart didn’t flinch. “Aye, m’lord.”