Chapter Five #4
After a brief wash and shave to trim up his beard, he dressed in most of his armor and gave a quick glance at his bed before quitting the room. Caesar was still fast asleep on his pillows. Christopher shook his head at the beast, he hoped this was not to be a nightly occurrence.
The house was coming alive as he descended the stairs, servants bustling about and the smells of the morning meal floating through the dim great room. David and Edward greeted him as they came indoors from the bailey.
“You overslept,” David commented.
“It would seem so,” Christopher answered, turning to Edward. “How goes the repair on the north corner of the keep?”
“Done, my lord,” Edward replied. “Finished yesterday while you were tending your wife. She looks well enough.”
Christopher’s brow furrowed. “Is she up already?”
“Aye, up and gone,” David said. “She seemed quite distracted, too. Did you two have words again?”
“Gone where?” Christopher demanded, ignoring the other questions.
David shrugged. “I do not know, but I sent Leeton to follow her,” he said. “Do not worry about her.”
Christopher passed a glance at the open front door, noticing the pink hue cast over the stone. He wondered why Dustin was up so early. Where could she possibly go? His inclination was to go after her but he refrained. Leeton would watch over her.
“Well, Edward,” he said after a moment, “Let us see what kind of repair job has been done to my wall.”
“You will approve, my lord,” Edward replied arrogantly. “I, myself, do.”
Christopher raised an eyebrow. “Then let us hope that your standards are as high as mine,” he said, just to poke at the man’s pride.
The repair was indeed well done and Christopher was pleased. There were so many other repair jobs that Edward and David had already put men on them. Even as the sun rose the keep was busy with activity. Christopher would inspect every job, every bit of material, personally.
“Where is Sir Jeffrey?” he finally asked after inspecting the second such repair job.
“On the wall,” David replied, glancing up to the ramparts. “He was up there all day yesterday, and was on the parapet before the sun rose. I have yet to say two words to that man.”
Christopher stopped and looked up to the top of the wall, his eyes scanning for the big German. It did not take long for him to find the man, standing with his arms crossed near the guard tower, gazing across the distant moor.
Christopher stared at the man for a few long seconds, his face unreadable.
“Send him to me,” he said finally. “We would be through with this now.”
“You are going to dismiss him?” David asked.
“Hell yes.” Christopher turned and went into the castle.
Jeffrey did not keep him waiting this time.
Christopher received him in the small solar where he had delivered his missives to Lady Mary, standing by the long, thin windows that opened out onto the bailey.
He, however, kept Jeffrey standing in silence for nearly 10 minutes before he acknowledged him.
“How long have you served here at Lioncross?” Christopher asked coolly.
“Six years,” Jeffrey answered, then almost as an afterthought, “my lord.”
Christopher ignored the potential insult. “Then you served Sir Arthur.”
“Yah, my lord,” he replied. “I am his captain.”
“Was,” Christopher corrected him as he turned around. “Since the man is dead and the fortress is mine, your position is dissolved.”
Jeffrey stiffened slightly. “Lioncross is my home, my lord. I have defended her well, as I have defended Lady Mary and Lady Dustin.”
Christopher looked at him then, when he mentioned Dustin, just to see what sort of expression the man held. There was none.
“Then you know of my wife’s habits,” he said, deliberately using the term ‘wife.’ “Then, pray, do you know where she went this morning? You seem to keep an eye out for her, as you pointed out to me yesterday.”
“I do not know.” Jeffrey’s voice was colder. “I saw her leave, that is true, but I do not know where she went. Mayhap her watchdog can inform you of her actions upon their return.”
“Sir Leeton is an extremely capable knight, far more than a mere watchdog, I assure you.” Christopher did not like the man. “In fact, I have so many capable knights here at Lioncross that your services are no longer required. You may gather your personal possessions and be gone by the nooning meal.
He had, in effect, kicked him right out on his arse. Jeffrey, however, was expecting it and did not flinch. Instead, very strangely, he smiled and Christopher went immediately on his guard.
“As you wish, my lord,” he said. “In fact, I appreciate the orders. It will allow me the freedom and adventure I have been waiting for.”
Christopher didn’t answer, still eyeing the man warily. Jeffrey gave a little chuckle and moved for the door, stopping in the archway.
“There is one more thing, baron,” he said.
“Since I am no longer under your command, then I feel no need to hold my tongue. I know your knights have been pressing the soldiers for information about me, and I can suspect what you have been told, so I will clarify the rumors for you. It is true that I feel more for Lady Dustin than simply friendship and duty. I know that you married her simply to gain the keep and for that, I cannot fault you.” His voice suddenly lowered and his smile faded.
“Even though I am no longer her protector, have no doubt that I will still be watching over Lady Dustin. If I hear that you have so much as touched a hair on her lovely head in anger or violence, then I will come and I will kill you. Remember that.”
Christopher’s eyes were glittering at the statement.
He had no idea why the words had riled him so, for he had been issued hundreds of challenges and had not so much as batted an eyelash in return.
He had no doubt that the man was sincere, and he had no doubt that it would be a hell of a fight from the size of the man.
But a peculiar gripping warmth was spreading through him at the confession the man had made for Dustin and he was at a loss as to why, but he knew that the emotion was most overwhelming.
“I will remember if you will also remember one thing. Lady Dustin is now my wife and I do not want you anywhere near her,” he said, his voice like cold steel.
“If I ever hear that you have so much as speak her name, then I will find you and cut your heart out. Forget what you feel for her, for your emotions will surely be your death.”
The two men stared at each other viciously, each trying to read the other, trying to discern any emotion other than hate.
“She is nothing but chattel to you,” Jeffrey hissed after a moment. “You would kill me over a piece of property? Are you that possessive?”
“She is my wife,” Christopher answered, evading his questions. “That is reason enough to kill for her.”
Jeffrey’s jaw ticked and his fists clenched. “You are dooming her to a life of unhappiness, you know that,” he said. “At least with me, there would have been a chance for joy.”
“Then I am curious,” Christopher said. “Why did you not marry her before I got here? Surely you could have spoken to Lady Mary.”
“I did,” he shot back, then quickly regained his control. “She would not consent to anything without Sir Arthur’s permission. She said that I would have to wait until he returned from the Holy Land.” His gaze turned bitter. “As we know now, he did not return.”
Christopher suddenly saw quite a few things clearly and his anger, though not lessened, went no further.
The man was in love with his wife and bitterly disappointed that the situation was out of his control.
With Arthur’s death and the king’s decree, there was nothing he could do and he was understandably disappointed.
“Does Dustin know any of this?” Christopher asked after a moment.
“Nay,” Jeffrey met his look. “Lady Mary never told her. She knew, as I did, that Lady Dustin had no interest in marriage.”
Christopher dropped his gaze thoughtfully. Jeffrey slowly moved toward him, the anger and hatred between them somewhat lessened over the last few moments. After several moments of reflection, Christopher snickered.
“She certainly did not want to marry me,” he said ironically. “Nor I, her, for that matter.”
“She did not want to marry anyone,” Jeffrey said.
“The number of suitors Lady Dustin has had over the past three years is staggering. The list of prospects fill an entire drawer in Lady Mary’s desk.
Knights, barons, a few earls, and even a duke.
There was nothing to do but wait until Arthur’s return to plead for Lady Dustin’s hand. ”
So Dustin was much pursued? Certainly she was beautiful enough and he was not surprised.
He wondered what would happen now when the word got out that Lady Dustin had taken a husband.
He wondered if he would be fighting off armies of scorned suitors.
Ah, well, let them come. He was up to it. He glanced up at Jeffrey.
“Tell me, then,” he said. “With all of the suitors, she was not interested in any of them? I find that hard to believe.”
Jeffrey smiled, a real one. “You do not know your wife very well,” he said.
“She would rather tend a garden than recite poetry, or ride a horse rather than sit quietly and embroider. Men are of no interest to her, and I cannot count the times when I have had to pull her off of some hapless fool because he tried to hold her hand or steal a kiss. She is completely unaware of her beauty and her femininity, my lord, I assure you.”
Christopher listened to him, absorbing his words. Jeffrey was right; he did not know his wife at all. The big German knight could see the uncertainty in Christopher’s eyes.
“Tell me,” Jeffrey said softly. “What do you intend to do with her? What I mean is that if you do not want her, and you obviously do not, would you deny her happiness?”