Chapter Ten #2
Rosalind ran to Devlin’s side. “Stop! You can’t kill him! Think about it! He’s sent a message to the king. How will it look if you kill the man who claims to have a marriage contract with me?”
Devlin didn’t seem to hear her. If anything, his grip tightened. Roland looked as though he would pass out, and only a shallow wheeze was heard when he tried to breathe.
Rosalind took a chance. She reached out gingerly and placed her hand on his arm. The hard muscles flexed in his arm. If Devlin became angry with her for interfering…
No! He’s not like Edmond. He won’t hurt me!
“Please think about how his death would look. The king trusts you to be impartial. Killing this pathetic excuse for a man won’t help me, and it might shroud your investigation in doubt. Please stop.”
Devlin turned his head toward Rosalind. His grip remained tight, but he asked her gently, “Are you sure this is what you want? I can kill him. If you want me to, I can snap his neck, and he’ll never be a threat to you again.”
As distasteful as Roland was, she didn’t want him dead so she nodded. With that confirmation, Devlin dropped Roland to the floor. He immediately rolled over, coughed, and gagged as he breathed.
Devlin crouched beside the man and whispered in his ear, “My lady just saved your miserable life. Never forget that! You’re only alive because of her, but make no mistake, I will not heed her request a second time. Do you understand?”
Roland nodded and tried to slip across the floor out of Devlin’s reach, but before he could get too far, Alden grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of the manor. Devlin followed.
When Devlin and Alden returned to the great hall, Rosalind and Benton were the only ones in the room.
He placed his hands on her upper arms and said in a husky voice, “He is not worth your distress or your worry. I won’t have it.” And he gave her a gentle shake. “I should have killed him.”
Once again, Rosalind possessed a feeling of safety that she’d never felt in the presence of men.
Other than her father, Rosalind’s experiences with the masculine sex were less than ideal and often abusive.
But with Devlin, she knew he’d always keep her from harm.
And she promised herself she’d pray about it later, but she knew without a doubt that he would have killed for her, and that her heart skipped a beat.
Feelings of fear and shock when Roland was nearly killed right in the great hall were mixed with feelings of excitement and power!
She took a breath to steady her voice. “I’m glad you didn’t. I think it’s better that he stays alive…for now.”
Devlin dropped his hands from her arms but she wanted him to pull her close and tell her everything would be all right. But she didn’t know that, and he wouldn’t lie to her.
Benton had informed Marta that it was safe to leave the kitchen. She and the children, all happy, sticky, and warm, sat before the fire.
Rosalind had almost forgotten about poor James.
The child knew he was only to deliver a message, but instead, Roland hauled him out to the countryside in the dark, and then he almost witnessed Roland’s demise.
But the child looked no worse for wear. He obviously enjoyed his adventure and sweet cakes with Marta, and currently, he was giving Grim excellent scratches around his ears.
“James, I’m sure your father is expecting you back. Devlin, do you think Alden can deliver him back to town? He’s the innkeeper, right, James?”
“Yes, milady,” James replied.
Alden nodded and left to saddle his horse, and Devlin and Rosalind joined the children near the fire.
“When will we hear about the bear, Mama Rose?” Luella asked.
“I’m sure Mr. Danby will be happy to tell his story tomorrow. The hour has grown too late for scary tales about bears.”
A loud voice boomed from the door to the foyer. “Yes, tomorrow, sweet child! I will regale you with a tale so frightening that you’ll never venture into the woods again!”
Luella giggled, and Kaylyn yelled from her place on the rug, “You better, Mr. Danby!”
Rosalind was happy to see smiles on their faces. “All right, children. James must return home and you must head to your beds. Hop to it. Let’s go.”
The girls didn’t go without protest. Kaylyn stomped upstairs but Luella stood her ground with her arms crossed.
Devlin looked down at the stubborn child and raised an eyebrow at her defiance.
She glared back but then raised her tiny arms up to him.
Devlin scooped her up and marched up the steps, following Kaylyn to the girl’s bedchamber.
“And you too, Ridley. It’s been a trying day. Marta, you see that Ridley gets to his bed. No sneaking out to the stables.”
Marta assured her that Ridley would do as she asked, and she turned to the stairs.
When Rosalind reached the girl’s room, her heart melted, and her eyes welled up with tears.
Kaylyn was already tucked into bed with Grim and the dog waited for his second “pup” to join them.
Luella stood in front of Devlin and he’d just dropped her gown over her shoulders and was guiding one arm through one of the holes.
He looked out of sorts trying to dress one very wiggly four-year-old, but he got the job done.
Once in her gown, Luella climbed into bed with her sister and crawled under the covers. Grim squeezed between each child. Rosalind knew he’d move to the rug in front of the fire once the girls were asleep, but for now, he’d stay by their sides.
Devlin told each girl goodnight and he’d see them in the morning. “Oh, I hope you don’t mind. We got up here and the girls just started getting ready for bed and Luella had her gown on backwards and so…”
“You did a fine job getting them to bed, Sir Devlin. I would have had to threaten extra chores at least five times by now before I got them dressed.”
Devlin smiled almost shyly, then he looked at her closely. “You need rest too. You have shadows under your eyes.”
Rosalind pulled the covers up and kissed each child on her forehead. She walked over to the mirror on the wall, and said agreeably, “I do look ghastly. No, you won’t have any arguments from me about bedtime.”
Devlin followed Rosalind to the door of her chamber. She stopped and looked at Devlin, unsure how she could put what she needed to say into words.
“You continue to surprise me, Sir Devlin.”
Devlin cocked his head to the side slightly, “For what, my lady?”
“In the short time that you have been here, you have made my children feel safe. Maybe for the first time ever. And for the first time in a long time, they see that men, even fierce warriors, can be good. It gives me hope, for even if I cannot keep them as my own for much longer, I know that they have seen that there are men who are strong and honorable. Men who fight for what’s right. ”
Devlin lowered his head and said gruffly, “I don’t deserve your kind words, Lady Rosalind, for I fear I am not the man you think I am. I have done terrible things.”
“I choose not to believe that. I won’t. If you have done terrible things then it was because you had to, by order.
And for that, you cannot hold yourself accountable.
” She paused to catch her breath. “I trust what I see… and what I feel, and the man before me now is honorable. And whatever happens in the future, I know that you will act from a position of truth and justice. This I know, Devlin.”
She took his head in her hands and lifted until she could see into his dark eyes. Rosalind placed a soft, chaste kiss on his full lips. “Good night, Sir Devlin,” she whispered.
Then she entered her room and closed the door behind her.