Chapter Twelve
“You summoned me, your grace?”
Sean was standing in the doorway of John’s chamber, the master’s chamber that Old Daveigh and Lady de Winter had surrendered to the king upon his arrival.
The chamber was spacious and comfortable, and afforded John a perfect view of the gatehouses that protected Norwich Castle.
He could see the groups of nobles coming into the castle to attend his celebration.
So many groups, which John thought was rather impressive. He had no idea so many of them would have attended his feast. He wasn’t well liked in Norfolk and was pleased to see he’d been wrong. The castle was filling up quickly and he could see encampments being set up in the baileys below.
But it wasn’t today’s feast on his mind.
It was last night’s.
“Come in,” he said to Sean as he remained by the window, feeling the cool breeze caress his face. “It seems that everyone in Norfolk has decided to come today. Free food and drink will bring them in, you know.”
Sean entered the chamber, shutting the door behind him. “I believe they are coming to pay their respects to you, your grace.”
John snorted as he came away from the window.
Dressed in a silken robe, he was nude beneath it and the robe wasn’t exactly covering him.
He’d had a somewhat fit body in his youth that, in his advancing years, was starting to shift and he was getting a belly on him.
It was his belly poking through the opening of his robe and being that he was well-endowed, his flaccid member could also be seen.
Sean found himself looking the man in the eyes because he didn’t want to see anything else.
It was disturbing enough as it was.
“You are being kind because you know it is not true,” John said. “They are here because Old Daveigh asked it of them. But that does not matter; that is not why I summoned you.”
“How may I be of service, your grace?”
“Christin de Lohr.”
“What about her?”
“You will take her north today.”
Sean was greatly surprised. After the fiasco last night, that was the last thing he expected to hear. “If that is your wish, your grace.”
“It is,” John said. He wagged a finger at Sean as he moved to collect his cup of watered wine.
“Last night was a disgrace. I would have believed the woman to have terrible manners for the fact that everything she did was exaggerated. Her manners were too terrible, if you know what I mean. Clearly, she was trying to dissuade me, but I am not easily deterred. I still want her for Robert and you will take her to him.”
Sean’s heart sank. “As you wish, your grace,” Sean said. “But what about Christopher de Lohr? We have discussed how badly this could go for you if you abduct his daughter. Does this not concern you?”
John nodded. “It should, I know,” he said.
“But I do not believe Christopher will be a problem for one very good reason – he wants his daughter safe and whole. Control the daughter, you control the father. I know you are trying to protect me, Sean, but do not worry so. Christin de Lohr is the key to controlling the entire de Lohr war machine.”
Sean had heard that before. He still couldn’t believe that John was being so reckless, but the man seemed resolute.
He’d already said what he needed to say when the idea was first brought about and he was afraid that any more conjecture on his part would cause John to be suspicious somehow, so he shut his mouth.
He had little choice.
The Lord of the Shadows was obedient in all things.
“As you say, your grace,” he said. “When shall I go?”
“Quickly,” John said, swilling the liquid in the cup.
“Today, if you can. I am not sure who will be in attendance today but it is guaranteed that de Lohr allies will be here. Old Daveigh is a de Lohr ally, so whatever you do must not alert him. In fact… I believe I will send Gerard to take her north. You will remain here with me because I will need you to deter Old Daveigh if he becomes suspicious of what I have done. You are a much better persuader than Gerard is.”
Sean nodded. “As you wish, your grace.”
John stroked his chin. “I was tempted to taste her last night in spite of her behavior, but I decided to leave her a maiden,” he said. “That will be my wedding gift to Robert.”
“Does Robert know of your plans or should we send word ahead?”
“Gerard will tell him when he delivers her.”
“Aye, your grace.”
John turned back towards the window, wine in hand.
“She thought she was quite clever last night,” he said.
“What Lady Christin does not know is that even if she looked like the hind end of a goat, I would still marry her to Robert. Nothing she can do will change my mind. Now, send Gerard to me. There is no time to waste.”
Sean was already heading for the door. He quit the chamber, leaving the king to watch the arrival of the guests and drink his wine, but all the while he was thinking that he needed to find Christin and tell her to get the hell out of Norwich.
Their plan had not succeeded.
Worse still, he needed to find Alexander. The man had to know that Christin was in grave danger. He hadn’t taken ten steps, however, when the chamber door opened again and John was calling for him.
“Sean!” he said. “Return to me. Send a soldier for Gerard. There is something more I need to discuss with you.”
Sean sighed heavily, but he didn’t let John see it.
As one of the royal soldiers ran past him, going to find Gerard, Sean returned to the king’s chamber, wondering when he was going to have the opportunity to tell Christin and Alexander of the king’s directive.
He was in a bind and he knew it, but nothing on earth was going to force him to show any measure of disloyalty to the king and his wants.
He’d worked too hard to get here. For all John knew, Sean was the perfect knight, the perfect bodyguard, and the perfect killing machine.
As the minutes passed and Gerard eventually joined them, Sean could see that this was going to turn out to be a very big problem. He needed to break free of the king and couldn’t seem to do it. When Gerard left with his orders, the king kept Sean with him, discussing a future journey to Nottingham.
But Sean could only think of one thing.
Run, Christin, run!