Chapter Twenty-Three
Alexander was out of bed in a flash.
“Who comes?” he demanded.
“Open the door, Sherry.”
It was Sean, muffled on the other side of the door. Alexander glanced at Christin, who was sitting up in bed, wide-eyed at being caught with Alexander in her bed. It didn’t even occur to her that Sean wouldn’t care because he was the one who told Alexander where to find her.
“A moment,” Alexander said through the door. Quickly, he pulled his breeches on from the pile on the floor, tossing Christin the shift he’d snatched off her. “Quickly, sweetheart. Put it on.”
She did, yanking it over her head as Alexander went to the door. He made sure she was properly covered up before unbolting it.
Sean appeared. He was dressed in full armor, as if he were going to battle, and he didn’t even look at Christin. He was singularly focused on Alexander.
“De Lohr’s army has been sighted,” he murmured. “They are just coming into the edge of town, so get her dressed and to the livery immediately. We must leave.”
“My father is here?” Christin blurted.
Sean looked at her, nodding his head. “They marched through the night to reach the king’s soldiers and engage them,” he said. “Very smart, actually. There was no way he could catch up with us if he rested the men for the night, so he didn’t. He pushed them straight through.”
Alexander nodded with approval. “Good man,” he said. “He will keep the soldiers busy while we ride on.”
“Exactly,” Sean said. Then, he looked at the two of them. “Even though he will more than likely not make it to the inn, I would get dressed and get down to the livery. We must leave immediately while the king’s army is occupied.”
Alexander began grabbing his clothing and mail, putting it on the bed as Christin leapt out of it. Sean closed the door, heading down into the pre-dawn street, as Christin and Alexander quickly dressed.
In fact, there was a bit of a frenzy to Christin’s movements.
As Alexander put on his own clothing and mail, he could see that she was close to hysteria.
It was rather comical the way she was tossing on clothing and frantically running a comb through her hair, but when she tried to put her shoes on and nearly fell in her haste, he put out a hand to steady her.
“Dressing should not be a hazardous sport,” he said. “Slow down, sweetheart. We’ll make it to the livery in plenty of time.”
Christin looked at him, her eyes wide. “Did you not hear him?” she said. “My father is entering the town. Do you know what will happen if he sees us leaving the inn together? Or, worse, comes looking for me and finds us leaving the chamber together? My God, Sherry, he’ll cut your head off!”
Alexander bit his lip to keep from smiling. “That is not what he would cut off,” he muttered, watching her flush violently. Then, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Not to worry. If I thought that might happen, I would climb back out the window and he would be none the wiser.”
“Maybe you should,” she said.
“Should what?”
“Climb out the window. There may be people in the common room who would tell him they saw us leaving the chamber together.”
She had a point, much as he hated to admit it. He grunted, thinking her paranoia was rather ridiculous, but he was prepared to err on the side of caution.
“Very well,” he said. “I’ll climb out and you can throw my bags to me.”
Christin nodded eagerly. She was dressed in a dark blue wool traveling dress, heavy, with long sleeves and a cloak that was part of the garment itself. She’d braided her hair, making her look rather sweet and lovely, and as he moved in for a kiss, she ducked him and pushed him towards the window.
“Go,” she demanded. “Out the window before my father sees you.”
He grinned, letting her push him to the window. “I told you not to worry,” he said. “He will not see me. But I will go out the window and circle around to the front of the inn and meet you there. Do not dally.”
He spoke the last few words as he climbed onto the windowsill, but he wasn’t moving fast enough for Christin.
The fear of her father finding them together was overwhelming, so just as he spoke the last word, she shoved him and he fell out of the window, grabbing a branch on his way down to break his fall.
But the branch snapped and down he went, landing heavily as tree branches and twigs fell on top of him.
“Here are your bags!” she said.
His saddlebags came sailing at him, one of them clipping him in the head before they landed beside him. Rubbing his head, he scowled as he looked up at her.
“God’s Bones, woman,” he said unhappily. “You did not have to throw me from the window, you know.”
Christin looked at him, very contritely, before blowing him a kiss. “I am sorry,” she said. “Did you hurt yourself?”
“Now you ask.”
He climbed to his feet, rubbing his left thigh and bum where he’d landed, grumbling as he made his way around the side of the inn. Meanwhile, Christin splashed some cold water on her face, drying it with the sleeve of her dress as she grabbed her satchel and fled the chamber.
Alexander was waiting for her as she bolted from the inn. Grasping her by the elbow, he quickly escorted her across the alleyway to the livery where men were gathering. Kevin was there, having recently come from Christopher’s army, and Christin went to him.
“How is my father?” she asked. “Is he very worried over me?”
Kevin nodded. “He was,” he said. “But when we told him of our plan, he calmed admirably. You needn’t worry.”
Christin didn’t. She was grateful that her father wasn’t hysterical about the situation, instead, moving his army to intercept John’s soldiers.
She stood there as the knights prepared their horses – Caius, Sean, Kevin, Bric, Maxton, Kress, and Alexander.
It was quite a collection of seasoned knights and although she was still somewhat apprehensive about the situation, she knew these men would do everything in their power to keep her safe.
As she watched them, it occurred to her just how fortunate she was.
These were men who had been serving England longer than she’d been alive in some cases, and their skills were uncontested.
They had accepted her into their network because of her name, but she’d proven beyond the de Lohr name that she was talented enough to be one of them.
And then, there was Alexander.
He was the greatest one of all as far as she was concerned. What she felt for him went beyond adoration. She’d known the man for less than a month and, already, she couldn’t live without him.
Perhaps she wasn’t meant to.
Perhaps their relationship was simply meant to be.
Christin was staring at him, daydreaming, as he finished with his horse. Glancing up, he saw that she was looking at him and he winked at her. Her heart fluttered as if it had wings. But they were prevented from conversation when the distant sounds of swords could be heard.
Sean dashed to the livery entry, peering down the road in the darkness.
“The battle has begun,” he said. “Quickly, mount your horses. We ride.”
The knights did, all of them swinging up into their saddles. Christin realized her horse wasn’t anywhere to be found and thought, with horror, that she had been expected to prepare it. Just as she began to recall that she had ridden the day before with Sean, he grabbed her by the arm.
“Come with me,” Sean said.
She did. He took her satchel, tying it off on his saddle, before lifting her up onto the horse. Alexander directed his horse next to Sean as the man mounted up, pulling Christin’s hands in front of him. When Sean saw Alexander’s questioning expression, he simply shook his head.
“She must ride with me, Sherry,” he said quietly. “That is what everyone expects. She is still my prisoner as far as anyone knows. It makes sense that FitzRoy, when we arrive, should see her with me.”
Alexander understood. He smiled at Christin, who smiled in return.
He was near her and that was all she cared about.
As the horses thundered out of the livery and traveled northwest beneath skies that were beginning to lighten, she fought off the apprehension of what the day would bring.
She hadn’t allowed herself to entertain her fears, but as the group thundered down the road, she found that she couldn’t think of anything else.
She had a man to kill.