Chapter Fifty-One
David’s handsome face was white as he stood by the ornate glass window, looking over the inner courtyard of Canterbury Castle. Beside him, Philip de Lohr sat motionless.
“He’s alive,” Philip whispered in disbelief.
David was overwhelmed with the contents of the missive, so much so that he did not trust himself to speak immediately after reading it. But now, having had the chance to mull it over in his frazzled mind, he would speak.
“Dustin is with Marcus,” he murmured. “And I let her go. After he kills Marcus, he is going to come and kill me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Philip snapped softly. “You were obeying a direct order from Richard. He ordered you away, and you had to go. If Chris is going to kill anyone, let it be our king. He gave Marcus his blessing.
David turned away from the window, his face sunburned from an entire afternoon of practicing in the late spring sun. The past three days had been the most cataclysmic of his life, getting married and learning that his late brother was not at all dead. It was almost more than he could take.
“How is it that he was mistaken for dead?” David wondered aloud. “I don’t understand how Anthony could have made such a mistake. Even Burwell declared him dead. I don’t understand any of this.”
Philip picked up the missive from Edward; it had come alongside the message from Christopher. “ ’Twould do you well to ride for the north and prevent your brother from tearing Marcus apart. Edward seems to think it will be a full scale war.”
“Edward likes to overreact,” David said flatly. “But he is right in assuming I would want to know of my brother’s plans. If anyone can stop him, I can.”
“He rides with Richard by his side, and you cannot stop our king,” Philip said. “According to Edward, Christopher is riding to Windsor to seek reinforcements and then to Somerhill to retrieve Lady Dustin, who by now is probably Lady Burton.”
David eyed Philip for a moment before turning away.
“This is all madness. Jesus, if Christopher had just killed Marcus the first time he made a move on Dustin, none of this would be happening. Now the whole goddamn country is going to fall apart because my brother and his former best friend cannot keep their hands off the same woman.”
“What are you going to do?” Philip asked softly.
David thought a moment. “Take a couple of hundred men with me and ride for Somerhill, I suppose, but I do not know what good it will do. Lord Hampton may want to go, even though he considers himself retired after turning his troops over to me.” He glanced at Philip.
“What about you? You have a hundred men lodged here in Canterbury. Will you go with me?”
“You forget, I brought Edward here for the wedding, and I shall not allow my twelve-year-old son to ride into battle,” Philip said.
“Nay, when I leave, it will be to return to Lohrham Forest. I shall let you deal with Christopher; I never could. The only man who could remotely handle him was Richard.”
“Christopher respects you, Uncle,” David said. “He always listened when you spoke.”
Philip snorted. “He listened to me and then did exactly as he pleased anyway. Nay, David, whatever happens is between Christopher and Marcus. Richard is likely to be torn in two if he intervenes.”
There was a soft rap on the solar door and the Lady Emilie de Lohr stuck her head in, smiling tenderly at her new husband.
“Mother is serving refreshments in the smaller hall. I promised I’d tell you.”
David smiled back at his new wife, truly fond of the woman to the point of falling in love with her. And why not? She was a soft, gentle beauty and a tremendous flirt. He liked that.
“You did, my sweet,” David replied. “Tell Mother we shall be there in a moment.”
Emilie nodded, then cocked her head quizzically at her husband. “Is something wrong? You do not look well.”
David snickered ironically. “No, sweet, nothing is wrong. We shall be along.”
Emilie took the hint like a good wife and closed the door behind her. David glanced at Philip. “Now, if that were Dustin, she’d be in here beating me to a pulp until I let her read the missive. I was terrified to take a wife because I was afraid they were all like her.”
Philip laughed. “And this is the woman a country is tearing itself apart over? Most confusing.”
David was jesting, of course, trying to alleviate some of the tension. As he turned to his uncle again, the door to the solar flew open and a tall, gangly blond youth appeared.
“Father!” he exclaimed. “The mare is foaling. Lord Hampton promised I could have the foal.”
“So he did,” Philip rose, eyeing his son critically. “Eddie, are you old enough to see an actual birth?”
Edward de Lohr scowled at his father. “I have seen worse. Come quickly. David, you come, too.”
David waved him off, watching his uncle and cousin quit the room.
When they were gone, he sighed heavily and sank into the nearest chair.
He could scarcely believe that Christopher was alive, but all the more thankful that the rumors of his death had been untrue.
He could only imagine the turmoil his brother was going through, knowing his wife was with another man.
There were so many unanswered questions that David was wildly confused.
He knew he had to go north, if nothing more than to show support for his brother.
He would apologize to Christopher for the things he had said about Dustin and prayed his brother would forgive him.
He could only hope that with all of his other troubles, Christopher would be willing to put theirs aside.
Dustin had forgiven him and he hoped his brother was in the same spirit.
Emilie was waiting for him in the hall. He saw her sweet, rounded face and took her into his arms. She blushed as he kissed her, feeling flushed and warm.
“Ah, let me guess,” David said seductively. “You cannot wait for me to bed you again.”
“David,” Emilie gasped in mock outrage. “Do not say such things. My sisters are liable to hear and….”
He frowned. “They hear everything, Emilie, no matter if it is whispered or shouted. Nathalie and Elise have ears all over this damn place. They are probably around the corner right now, giggling their heads off.”
Emilie smiled at the mirth of it. “They are only children, for God’s sake. Don’t get so angry.”
“Children? Ha! You mean the Devil’s own offspring,” he snorted. “At fourteen and sixteen years of age, I would hardly call them children.”
Emilie kissed him softly, making him forget all about her annoying sisters. “No wonder your father was so glad when I came along,” he purred against her cheek. “He has had his fill of women.”
David rolled his eyes as he rubbed his cheek against hers. “The poor man is outnumbered.”
“You have evened out the odds somewhat.”
“Not enough.”
Emilie giggled, letting him hold her and kiss her for a few moments. “What did the missives from Lioncross say?” she asked casually.
He pulled back and cocked an eyebrow. “You little minx, using affection to gain information.”
“I am not,” she replied indignantly. “I simply wanted to know if it said something about Dustin and Christin.”
He looked at her a moment before releasing her from his embrace and taking her hand. “Let’s go find your father, then. I think he would like to hear this, too.”
*
Richard took the news of Christopher’s reappearance with great shock and relief. Such things as a mistaken death were possible, he only knew too well, and he had a mass said immediately in thanks. Two missives had arrived from Lioncross Abbey, one from Christopher and one from Edward de Wolfe.
Christopher’s missive gave a brief explanation and outlined his request and future plans, and Edward’s was far more concerned with Christopher’s march on Somerhill.
The man was extremely concerned that Christopher and Marcus were going to stage an all-out battle for Lady Dustin, and Edward was furthermore concerned with the fact that Christopher had no intention of sending word to Marcus of his impending visit.
Richard sighed after he read the missives; the situation was to take a turn for the worse, he could see, and he rapidly made a few decisions.
He would grant Christopher his request for troops, yet he himself would ride with the Defender to Somerhill in hopes of preventing a bloodbath.
He could, of course, deny Christopher’s request, but with everything the man had done for him, he could not refuse him in good conscience.
Secondly, he personally would send word of their plans to Marcus Burton so the man would be somewhat prepared for their arrival.
If Christopher was to be angry about the leak of information, then let him be angry with the king.
Richard felt it was only right to let Marcus in on what was going on.
The king was torn between his two greatest warriors; who to support, who to defend, and most importantly, what to do about Lady Dustin.
He could hardly believe these two seasoned soldiers were fighting over the same woman, like two dogs over a bone.
It was ridiculous at best, but nonetheless very grave.
Both of them loved her, and matters of the heart were always the most serious.
But she was, after all, Christopher’s wife first and he himself had ordered them wed.
Marcus Burton had no legal claim over her now that Christopher was returned and any marriage was dissolved, but Richard knew the solution would not be as easy as that.
He dreaded the ride north, of what would take place. And he was very, very sorry for he knew that he would lose at least one of the two to death’s vile clutches before all was said and done.