Chapter Two
Dressed in a soft blue surcoat that, even with its simplicity, was just about the nicest surcoat she owned, Dustin scurried back down to her mother’s drawing room.
The full blue skirt was fitted around her slim waist with a black girdle and a snug-fitting white blouse, much more flattering to her figure than the usual sloppy dresses she bound about in.
Her cascading hair was pulled back to the nape of her neck and secured, revealing the sweetness of her face.
But Dustin truly didn’t care how she looked; she’d only cleaned herself up and changed clothes to please her mother.
Eager to get back to the center of action, she took the great stone stairs two at a time and nearly ran across the foyer and into the solar.
What she saw upon her arrival shocked her. Her mother, face in her white hand, was obviously crying. Jeffrey, pale and drawn, stood next to her. Anger flared in her chest and she turned accusingly to the strange knight.
But what confronted her unbalanced her completely.
The knight had taken off his helmet, revealing a great crown of dark blond hair slicked back against his skull.
His features were rugged and masculine, and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache embraced his square jaw.
He was indeed handsome, in her opinion, but she angrily chased those thoughts away.
The fact remained that this man had said something terrible to upset her mother.
“What goes on here?” she demanded.
Jeffrey attempted to answer but Mary cut him off. “Come in here, Dustin. Please sit.”
Increasingly off balance, Dustin took the indicated chair, which happened to be close to the knight. Mary sniffed daintily and dabbed at her eyes before speaking to her daughter.
“Dustin, I believe you have met Sir Christopher de Lohr. He served with your father and our king, Richard, in the Holy Land,” she said softly. “As you suspected, my dear girl, the message he bore concerned your father’s demise this past summer.”
Dustin’s eyes welled but she fought it. She did not want to cry with this knight staring at her.
“Oh, Mother,” she sighed. “I am so very sorry.”
Mary nodded, wiping her eyes again. “As am I,” she replied quietly. “ ’Twill not be the same, knowing he will never return.”
Christopher watched the two women in their grief.
He was sorry for his friend’s death, too, but it had been a long time ago.
Furthermore, he had only delivered half of his message and he wasn’t sure it would be such a good idea for Dustin to be in the room when he delivered the remainder.
Yet it was of no consequence what the girl felt; she would do as she was ordered, just as he was.
He revealed the second missive and approached Lady Mary. “My lady, there is more from our king,” he said as gently as he could. As shocking as the first missive would be, this one would be explosive. “This message is also from Richard.”
Trying to maintain her composure, Mary graciously took the parchment and broke the seal. Christopher stood back, discreetly looking away as she read the contents. From what he had seen of Lady Mary, she was far more in control of her emotions than her daughter and he honestly expected no outbursts.
When Lady Mary finished, she calmly lay the vellum in her lap and stared at it for several long moments. Dustin watched her mother curiously until she could stand the silence no longer.
“What does the king say, Mother?” she asked.
Lady Mary lifted her eyes to her daughter. Christopher did turn and looked at the older woman, then, to see how she was about to handle this delicate subject with her unruly child. Mayhap it would give him insight as to how to handle her once she became his wife.
Mary was surprisingly firm. “It seems your father had a final wish upon his deathbed, Dustin, and that was that you would be married to a man of his choosing.”
Dustin stood up, her face suspicious. “Who?” she demanded. “We have been through this subject before. I do not wish to be married at all.”
Lady Mary nodded patiently. “I know, dear, but what you want is of no concern to your father or the king,” she said frankly. “Your father must do as he sees fit for you and for the future of Lioncross. You will, therefore, be married and your husband will become lord of Lioncross.”
Dustin’s lovely face darkened. She glared back at her mother a moment before finally averting her gaze.
“Has he selected someone?” she asked reluctantly, hoping beyond hope he had died before it was possible, failing to take into account that the king would have therefore made the choice in his stead.
“He has,” Mary replied steadily.
Dustin’s head snapped up, her jaw ticking. Hopefully the man was in the Holy Land with the king and it would be years before he returned. Mayhap by then she would be ready for marriage and duty.
Yet she also knew that it was useless to protest anything, her mother had been preparing her for this eventuality ever since her father left. She knew this time would eventually come, as distasteful as the idea was to her.
That was why her mother allowed young men to call on her, young men who came and were as quickly chased off by her quick temper and hard right-cross. Mary hoped that at least one young man would catch Dustin’s eye, but alas, that had not happened.
“Who? Do I know him?” she asked after a moment.
Lady Mary turned to look at Christopher. Feeling himself the focus of attention, he straightened, looking from Lady Mary to her daughter as Dustin’s gaze fixed on him. It was clear they were all expecting an answer. He actually felt a little nervous.
“You have met him, my lady,” he cleared his throat.
She frowned at him. “Then who is it? And why am I asking you this question? Did Richard ask you to inform me?”
“Indirectly,” Christopher admitted.
“Then who?” Dustin demanded in frustration.
Christopher slowly cocked a blond eyebrow. “Me.”
It took a moment for the revelation to dawn on Dustin. At first she wasn’t sure she heard correctly, mulling his words over and over. Then, as realization set in and she understood that her father, as well as the king, expected her to marry this massive, cold man, her mouth fell open.
“You?” she repeated. “I am to marry you?”
“Aye,” he nodded.
She clamped her pretty mouth shut into a hard line. Lord only knew, she knew her duty well. It had been drilled into her ever since she had been old enough to understand that it was her duty to carry on the Barringdon line. And she was now looking at the man she would marry and breed with.
Dustin’s first reaction was to scream and rant, but she knew it would be a waste of energy.
Mayhap it would simply be easier all the way around if she gave in to the idea and came to grips with it.
The best she could hope for was a quick marriage and then he would go and leave her in peace.
Did he really plan to live here, with her?
Lord, she knew nothing about the man. What if he intended to force her into a real marriage?
“We will be married immediately,” he said decisively. “Today, if possible. Lady Mary, do you have a priest?”
Both Lady Mary and Dustin looked surprised. Jeffrey was positively red. Christopher ignored the soldier, focusing on the older woman and expecting an answer.
“Yes, my lord, we do,” Lady Mary replied softly. “Father Jonah.”
Christopher looked at Jeffrey then. “Fetch him. Now.”
Jeffrey nearly burst a vein but obeyed silently. Christopher watched the man’s stiff back, wondering if he were going to have to watch his own until he could kick the man out of the keep. Jeffrey did not like him; that was apparent.
Dustin stared at the knight. Her initial impressions of him had been those of indifferent arrogance. When he looked at her, she saw nothing but ice in those blue eyes and it frightened and angered her at the same time. Yet she knew one thing, she didn’t want him and he didn’t want her.
Christopher gathered his helmet and gauntlets. “If you ladies will excuse me, I have duties to attend to,” he said politely. “I shall return shortly.”
Dustin looked away from him as he strode past her and quit the room. As soon as he was clear of the door she whirled to her mother.
“I do not want to marry him,” she snapped.
Mary knew this exchange was coming and was prepared. “I know, dear, but as I said, you have no choice. Your father selected the man he felt most capable to provide you your future.”
“He is a stranger,” Dustin said, snappish and frightened. “You have seen him look at me; he does not want me, either. I do not want anything to do with him!”
Mary opened her mouth when there was a sudden shadow cast into the room from the open doorway. Dustin turned to see Christopher looming in the arch.
His sky-blue eyes were riveted to her and she could feel the coldness. She stared back, wondering why he was looking at her like that.
“You may say whatever you wish about me, Lady Dustin,” he said calmly. “But you will not speak to your mother in that manner ever again in my presence.”
She stiffened. “It wasn’t in your presence. You were out of the room,” she pointed out. “And I will speak to my mother however I wish.”
He stepped into the room and she fought the urge to step away from him. She wondered crazily if he were going to strike her. But, amazingly, he looked entirely calm.
“Before this day is finished, you will be my wife in the eyes of God and country,” he said.
“Even as we stand now, you are for all intent and purposes my wife. Therefore, you will obey me, as it is a wife’s duty to obey her husband.
I say you will speak to your mother respectfully at all times and you will comply. Am I making myself clear?”
Dustin was so angry she was shaking. But she met his gaze, clenching her fists until her nails bit into her palms.
“Perfectly, my lord,” was all she could manage to squeeze out.
He nodded shortly, moving once again for the door and leaving the room without another word.