Chapter Twenty #3
“We will have to be secretive,” he said.
“De Noble mentioned something about an evening meal tonight, which you and I will undoubtedly attend. When we see one another, we must be polite but nothing more. I have a feeling if he believes we are attracted to each other, he will watch you far more closely than he already does.”
Emllyn agreed. “Usually he tries to have me sit on his right hand,” she said with some disgust. “I have refused so far. I sit on Elyse’s right hand, well away from her father.”
Devlin’s gaze lingered on her a moment. “Has he been bold with you?”
She could hear hazard in the question but she was honest. “It started out quite sweetly, in truth,” she said.
“He sent me notes, anonymously. But then it escalated to inviting me to walks or sitting next to him at sup. Earlier today, he tried to kiss me. I slapped him so hard I believe I left a mark.”
Devlin was fully prepared to rage at the attempted kiss until she mentioned the slap. That had him grinning. He sighed heavily, fighting down his natural jealousy. He’d never experienced the emotion in his life so it was something new, and uneasy, to deal with.
“Better you to slap him than me,” he mumbled. “I would most definitely leave a mark.”
Emllyn grinned at him. “And so you would protect me, my beauteous lad?”
“Upon my honor, I would do all that and more.”
She reached a hand up, rubbing his bearded cheek. He kissed the palm of her hand sweetly but as he did so, he caught sight of something over by the door. He paused in his kisses, his gaze glued to whatever had his attention.
“God’s Blood,” he finally hissed.
Emllyn could see that something had his focus.
Lifting her head so she could see over his big arm, she could see that Eefha was seated over in the corner by the door, in the shadows.
She had something in her finger she seemed to be toying with, the unlit shite pipe between her lips.
She was so quiet that she had blended in with the shadows, and the two lovers had utterly neglected to remember her.
“Oh… goodness,” Emllyn muttered, looking at Devlin, horrified. “I completely forgotten she was here.”
Devlin looked at her, giving her a resigned expression. “Hopefully she will not talk and spread rumors about what she saw.”
The humor in that statement was obvious and Emllyn giggled.
“She will sing out the praises of Black Sword’s prowess as he bedded the English maiden,” she said.
Then her giggling increased. “She was here one day when de Noble came to call. Like a wraith, she came out of the shadows and snuck up behind him with a dirk in her hand and surely would have stabbed him had I not called her off. Truthfully, Dev, I’ve heard of protectors and guards, but I have never heard of an old woman who goes around protecting young women as Eefha does. ”
He grinned, glancing affectionately over at the old woman who acted as if she had no idea that anyone else was in the room. She was truly in her own world.
“She is the best protection there is,” he said. “I am not surprised she chose to follow you here. When I returned to Black Castle and she was nowhere to be found, I suppose I always knew that she had come to Glenteige to be with you. It brought me some comfort to hope for that.”
“She has been my protector since the beginning.”
“So she has. Mayhap… mayhap she sees a bit of herself in you as she was when she was young. She was quite beautiful, I was told. Mayhap she simply wants to take care of you.”
“And so she has,” Emllyn said softly, arching her head up to kiss Devlin’s cheek. “But so have you. Now, about tomorrow; we should make our plans now because we may not have the opportunity later.”
Devlin nodded, thinking on the course that the morrow would take. “It should be simple enough,” he said. “Does this complex have a postern gate? I am not yet familiar with it enough to know.”
Emllyn thought on the layout of the inner wall and the keep. After a moment, she nodded “There is a small man gate near the kitchen,” she said. “I have seen servants passing between it.”
“It would more than likely be locked in the morning.”
She shook her head. “That may be, but I know the cook,” she insisted. “I am sure she will open it for me.”
“Good,” Devlin said, relieved that he had one less detail to worry over. “I will leave through the main gate and meet you somewhere outside. There is a well towards the center of town.”
“I know it.”
“You will meet me there just before sunrise.”
Emllyn grinned. “I will be there.”
“Swear it?”
“Of course. But if I am not, know that somehow I was detained. Wait for me, however; I may have to climb the inner walls to get out of this place, but know I will be there.”
“I will wait as long as it takes for you to join me.”
Emllyn knew he would. But as she thought on that, another idea struck her. “What about Eefha?” she wanted to know. “Should I bring her with me?”
He shook his head. “Do not worry over her,” he said, glancing over at the old woman. “Eefha does as Eefha wants. If she wants to come with us back to Black Castle, she will.”
Emllyn smiled in agreement. She’d heard that from him many times before. Yet there was one more thing on her mind, something she was hesitant to bring up but something that had to be spoken of. It was important to them both.
“And… Victor,” she finally said. “If we are to marry, then…”
“He has already given his consent.”
Her eyes widened. “He has?”
“Aye.”
“Even though he knows who you are?”
“Even though.”
Emllyn was surprised. Pleased, but surprised. As she mulled over what surely must have been Victor’s reaction to Black Sword’s proposal of marriage, Devlin interrupted her thoughts.
“There is something more you should know,” he said quietly. “Trevor le Mon is among the prisoners. I am sure he will be at the feast tonight. I did not want you to be surprised.”
Emllyn’s eyes widened. “Trevor?” she gasped. “He… he survived after all?”
Devlin nodded, watching her reaction. She was surprised but that was all. He saw no longing nor pleasure in her expression. Simply surprise. “Well and good for him,” she said. She meant it. “But I suppose I should thank him.”
“For what?”
She grinned. “For rejecting me,” she said, rather exaggeratedly. “If he had not rejected me, I would have never followed him aboard ship. Had I not followed him, I would have never had the joy of knowing you. We both owe him our thanks.”
Devlin grinned, thinking of the last thing le Mon said to him – you are the bravest man I know! He shook his head and kissed the tip of her nose.
“Indeed we do,” he said. “But I will do whatever thanking needs to be done. If I see you anywhere near him, I will kill him. Remember that. You belong to me now and I will not tolerate competition of any kind.”
Emllyn snorted; she wasn’t entirely sure he wasn’t serious so she thought it would be the safe thing to obey him. Even though her feelings for Trevor were long gone, still, she didn’t want to cause the death of the man. So she giggled and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.
Devlin squeezed in return. She felt so soft and warm against him that he could feel his loins grow hard almost instantly. As he began to nibble her silky white shoulder, there was a loud knock at the door.
Emllyn and Devlin froze, staring at the panel with apprehension. Emllyn called out.
“Who comes?” she asked, hoping she didn’t sound breathless.
“Sir Raymond, my lady,” de Noble said, his voice muffled through the door. “May I have a word?”
Emllyn looked at Devlin with complete, utter fear. He was quite calm and nodded at her, encouraging her to respond. As he bolted off the bed in silence and went for his clothing, Emllyn sat up.