Rise of the Defender (77 page)

     Up until this point Marcus had always held
out some sort of belief that, given the correct circumstances, he could
convince Dustin to go away with him. But with the child on the way, the chance
was gone and he felt betrayed somehow. It was strange to put his feelings into
words, for he knew of none strong enough, but betrayed was an apt term.
Miserable, he returned to his drink.

     Meanwhile, Christopher had retrieved a
goblet of mulled wine for Dustin and was looking over the table of confections
when he felt a gentle tug on his arm. Off-guard, he turned to find himself
staring into soft brown eyes he knew very well.

     “Hello, Chris,” Amanda said softly. “I had
heard you were here.”

     “Amanda,” he knew he appeared startled.
“I…how have you been? It's been a long time.”

     “Almost four years,” she supplied. “I heard
that you got married. Congratulations.”

     Thank you,” he replied, fumbling for words.
“And you? Surely by now some man has stolen you for his own.”

     “Two years ago,” she said. “I married the
Earl of Reivne. A likable man, Chris. He reminds me a lot of you in some ways.”

     “I am pleased,” he replied, feeling a bit
more comfortable knowing she was handling the news of his marriage well. “Is he
here?”

     “Nay,” she shook her head and her earbobs
jingled. “He is too old to travel, truly. He prefers our chateau near Brittany
and allows me all of the freedom I wish. Unlike you.”

     He cocked an eyebrow. “I was only thinking
of your safety, Amanda, and you know it.”

     She smiled. “I do, and I miss your
protectiveness. Surely you are as protective with your wife?”

     “Absolutely,” he said firmly. “Sometimes I
wonder how Dustin ever got along before I married her.”

     “Dustin?” Amanda repeated. “What a lovely
name. Which one is she?”

     Christopher turned to look at his party and
was not surprised to see Dustin gazing back at him questioningly. “In the red
surcoat,” he said.

     Amanda squinted to get a better look. “Oh,
Chris, she is exquisite. I saw her during the dance earlier and she has a lot
of spirit. No wonder you married her.”

     He let the statement go, not wanting to
delve any further into the subject. In fact, his nervousness was returning.
“Honestly, Amanda, it has been damn good to see you,” he held up the goblet.
“My wife is waiting for this.”

     Amanda nodded understandingly. “Of course,”
she said, but then she suddenly put her hand on his arm. “Chris, I must speak
with you later. 'Tis most important that I see you alone. Would you oblige me?”

     He certainly didn't want to, but he nodded
faintly. “If it is that important, I will. Where would you have me meet you?”

     Amanda's eyes flicked to Dustin and back
again. “Before you leave the hall tonight? Mayhap outside in the corridor?
There is a small alcove at the base of the stairs.”

     “I know the place,” he said, wary of her
true intentions. The woman was a firebrand of passion. The room she was
suggesting was very secluded. “Why do not you go there now and I shall try to
get away for a few minutes.”

     “Good,” Amanda said, turning away with a
final glance at Dustin.

     Christopher took a deep breath, wondering
what sort of fresh hell he was getting himself into. He hoped she would not try
and rekindle the old flame of passion. He returned to Dustin and handed her the
refreshments. She drank down the wine as he sat.

     “Who was that woman you were talking to?”
she asked.

     “A woman I knew once,” he said.

     “What's her name?” she set the goblet down
and looked at him.

     “Lady Amanda de Fortlage,” he replied,
hoping she wouldn't press anymore. “Do you feel all right? Mayhap we should
retire.”

     “I am fine,” she said, starting in on the
pastry. “Did you know Lady Amanda well?”

     “Fairly well,” he replied. “But that was a
long time ago. Where did Lady Emilie go?”

     “She's dancing with David.” Thankfully, her
attention turned to the dance floor and she was smiling. “They make a handsome
couple, don’t you think? I would certainly love to have her as a
sister-in-law.”

     He snorted. “David? Marry? I think not.”

     “Why not?” she demanded “You did.”

     “But I was forced...I mean, I had no
choice, but I do not regret it,” he said, grinning smugly at her. “In fact, I
cannot imagine my life without you.”

     She raised a reproving eyebrow. “You say
that now, husband,” she said, watching him snort. ““Tell me; if you saw me here
tonight and you did not know me, would you want to meet me?”

     He rubbed his jaw. “Mayhap. I would
certainly think you were the most beautiful woman in the room.”

     “Mayhap?” she repeated his word
deliberately. “You are unsure if you would want to know me?”

     “I did not say that,” he said, his lip
twitching with a smile. “You asked if I would want to meet you, and I said
mayhap. I do not demand introductions to women, Dustin. Usually, they introduce
themselves to me.”

     Her eyebrows shot up in outrage. “I
certainly would not have introduced myself, so I guess we would never have
known one another.”

     “Why wouldn't you have introduced yourself
to the Lion's Claw?” he asked earnestly, baiting her.

     She raised her chin, looking away from him.
“Because I wouldn't give a lick about you or your lofty title.”

     He was trying not to laugh. “I can hardly
believe that I would fall in that category,” he said. Then he leaned forward,
his chin on her shoulder. “You would not have introduced yourself? Truly?”

     “Nay,” she said, crossing her arms.

     He gave a soft chuckle. “Oh, sweetheart, of
course I would have asked to meet you. In fact, I would have wooed you
endlessly.”

     She eyed him, still miffed. “Would you have
married me?”

     “Probably not. But we would have had a
grand time of it,” he said, laughing.

     “Oh!” She jerked away from him, facing him
indignantly. “What do you mean by that?”

     He giggling uncontrollably. “Nothing,
sweet, nothing. Suffice it to say that we are married and I am glad of it.”

     “You do not get off that easily,” she said,
grabbing his tunic. “What do you mean we would have had a grand time? Do you
mean to say you would have taken advantage of me, used me like a whore, and
then moved on? I would not have been worth marrying?”

     He tried to kiss her but she dodged him.
“You are the only woman in the realm worth marrying,” he said softly, catching
her face in his hands. “But whether or not I would have been wise enough to
realize it is another matter.”

     She softened considerably at his words,
trying to remain wounded but not succeeding. When he kissed her sweetly, she
relented fully.

     “Now,'' he said, “I have some business to
attend to for a moment.”

     He called to Marcus and the man looked over
at him from where he was talking to two young ladies.  When Christopher
beckoned, he excused himself politely and approached.

     “I have something to do that shan't take me
but a few minutes.” Christopher stood up and offered Marcus his chair.
“Entertain Lady de Lohr while I am away, please.”

     Marcus sat down and Christopher winked at
his wife before he quit the hall. Dustin watched his massive frame leave
through the ornate doorway, focusing reluctantly on Marcus.  The man merely
smiled at her, pleasantly, before finding interest elsewhere. He never left her
side but he didn’t pay much attention to her, either. Such was the situation
between him and Dustin these days; she accepted it, but she was sorry. 
Whatever was troubling him, she hoped he would soon be over it.

     She missed the old Marcus.

***

     Amanda was waiting in the alcove.
Christopher slipped into the small room, pulling the heavy silk portiere closed
behind him. Impatiently, he faced his old flame and crossed his arms.

     “What is so important, Amanda?” he demanded
in a low voice.

     Her smile vanished. She had expected more
than this surly attitude from a man she had devoted her life to for a year and
a half. Rebuffed by the demeanor, the old, familiar hurt began to creep into
her veins.

     “Not only to me, but to you, Chris,” she
said softly. “I haven't seen you since we last parted ways, you were preparing
to leave with Richard, I believe, when I last saw you. I am glad to see you
returned home whole and safe, a legend, no less I was very proud to hear...”

     He cut her off irritably. “My wife is
waiting for me. What is it that you wanted to say?”

     Amanda was not an aggressive, overbearing
noblewoman, as so many of them were. She had a genuinely sweet character and
Christopher's brusque manner was upsetting her greatly.

     “Why are you acting like this?” she
whispered. “I have done nothing to warrant this treatment.”

     His stiff stance softened, nay, she had
not. But he was terrified to be alone with her, not because she was a weakness
for him, but afraid someone would see them.

     “I am sorry,” he said. “It's just that I
have had a busy day and I am fatigued. Please tell me what was so important
that I must meet with you privately.”

     She gazed back at him a moment, the man she
had loved so dearly. He was even more handsome and powerful than she had ever
remembered; her life that could have been. But in the same thought she knew in
her heart that he had never truly wanted her.

     “Your wife is very lucky, Chris,” she said
softly. “And very young. Where did you find her?”

     He sighed. “Richard betrothed us and we
have been married less than a month.”

     “She's a beautiful girl,” Amanda observed.
“Is she kind, too?”

     He almost smiled. “When she wants to be.
But more often than not, she's a stubborn, spirited wench who always gets her
way.”

     Amanda smiled. “Most women do. Pray be good
to her; I know how you hate disobedience in a woman.”

     He nodded, avoiding her knowing gaze. “May
we come to the point, Amanda? Or did you simply wish to get me alone and talk
about my wife.”

     Amanda shook her head. “Nay, I can find out
all I want about her from the gossips. Your wife is a favorite subject right
now. And what's this I hear about Marcus Burton?”

     Christopher blinked slowly, rolling his
eyes up to her. “Lies, all of it. Marcus is a good and loyal vassal, as you
well know.”

     She could sense his impatience with her and
knew she had better come to the point of their clandestine meeting or there
would be hard feelings between them. She was hurt to realize he did not want to
be around her in the least, whether it was because of her personally or because
he was truthful when he said he wanted to return to his wife, she wasn't sure.
But to avoid a most uncomfortable situation, she decided to come to the point.

     “I asked to meet you here for a valid
reason, Chris,” she began softly. “There is something you should know. When we
last met, before you left for the crusades, I had come to tell you of
something. Do you remember? I sent you a missive saying that I was coming
specifically to see you?”

     He nodded slowly. “I do. You told me you
were returning to France.”

     “True, but I didn’t tell you everything I
had intended to,” she said softly, lowering her gaze for the first time. She
suddenly seemed ill at ease and he saw her take a deep breath. “I had gone to
London to tell you…to tell you that I was pregnant with your child.”

     His eyes widened. “What?”

     She nodded shortly and stood up from the
chair. “'Tis true. I had gone to London to tell you I was pregnant, but when I
saw how consumed you were with Richard and the quest, I knew that it would be
futile to divulge the information,” she looked at him and her brown eyes were
filled with sorrow. “You would have gone, anyway. I know you too well,
Christopher. And if you hadn't, staying simply to marry me so that our child would
not have been a bastard, you would not have achieved your auspicious
reputation. So, you see, ‘tis a good thing you went after all.”

     He looked stunned. His hand went to his
head and he sagged against the wall, mulling over the revelation. “So you didn’t
tell me? Amanda, I find this difficult to grasp.”

     “I know,” she said softly. “But I did what
I thought was best. Father was returning to France and I with him. Should
anyone ask about my pregnancy, I simply told them that my husband had been
killed in the crusades. An excellent lie, if I do say so.”

     He stared at her, slowly shaking his head.
“Good Christ, Amanda...where is the child?”