The Dark One: Dark Knight (120 page)

     Gaston did not react but Remington's hand
flew to her mouth. “By whom?” he asked.

     “Botmore,” the soldier said. “The messenger
is outside with Sir Hugh. He shall be....”

     At that moment, Hubert and a disheveled
soldier marched into the hall. All attention riveted to the warrior in Mt.
Holyoak's colors, especially Gaston. “Who attacks my keep?” he demanded of the
soldier.

     The soldier was one of Gaston's elite
guards, seasoned and intelligent. He was bloodied and dirty, but saluted his
liege sharply. “Botmore, my lord. And we were told that Stoneley rides with
him.”

     Remington couldn't help herself; she
shrieked and closed her eyes, feeling the ground sway beneath her. Gaston did
not look at her, but he put out a hand to comfort her. “You know for sure that
Stoneley is with him?”

     “His own men identified him, my lord,” the
soldier said firmly. “Sir Roald ordered me to ride forth to find you, and then
I was to take a message to Lord Brimley and seek reinforcements, with your
approval.”

     Remington was shaking heavily with shock
and fright. “Gaston, Dane and Trenton are inside the keep. Guy mustn't....”

     He looked to her, then, seeing the terror
in her eyes. He gathered her against him as he took the steps down to Hubert
and his soldier. “You will continue on to Brimley and seek his support,” his
eyes flicked up to see Alex moving into the foyer and their gazes locked. “I
shall solicit Lord Ingilsby’s assistance.”

     “No need to request, my lord,” Alex said.
“Consider my force your very own to do with as you please. I can have all three
hundred mounted within the hour.”

     “Thank you,” Gaston's gaze fell back on his
soldier. “You may tell Brimley that I rode forth with Ingilsby.”

     “Aye, my lord,” the soldier saluted again,
assuming he was dismissed until Gaston stopped him.

     “What was the status of Mt. Holyoak when
you left?”

     “We received word from a perimeter patrol
that an army was approaching from the southwest, armed to the hilt, and Sir
Roald put the fortress on alert,” the soldier said. “Sir Roald sent one of
Stoneley's men back with the patrol to see if the man could determine who was
approaching. Word came back that it was Botmore, riding with Stoneley at his
side. At that point, two messengers were sent to seek you. Unfortunately, we
ran into an advance party and there was a brief skirmish. I managed to get
away, but my colleague was dispatched.”

     “Then the army was just upon the keep when
you left,” Gaston clarified.

     “Aye, my lord. The battle was just
engaging.”

     Which was four hours ago. Quite a bit could
happen within four hours, but he was positive the keep had not been breached
within that amount of time. Yet the one seed of knowledge that blossomed in his
mind was the fact that Stoneley had built the keep and, therefore, would know
all of her weaknesses. If there were a fault to be exploited, then Guy would
know it. He began to feel the distinctly uneasy with that thought.

     Dismissing the soldier, he turned to
Remington. “You shall stay here and keep Lady Anne entertained.”

     She blinked, dashing her tears away as they
fell. “My sons are within the walls. What will happen if Guy...?”

     “He won't,” Gaston insisted firmly,
grasping her by the shoulders. “You know the keep, too, Remi. Are there any
tunnels or passages I should know about? Any secret caves?”

     She shook her head. “There is no way in or
out except the drawbridge,” she paused thoughtfully. “Except... except there is
a seldom used servants entrance in the wall next to the kitchens. A postern
gate. But the servants rarely use it because it is so dangerous.”

     “I know of the door, I have seen it,”
Gaston nodded. He'd made note of it on his security sweeps of the kitchen
storage areas. “As I recall, it was blocked off by heavy barrels of wheat and
had not been used in some time.”

     She was trying to compose herself, her eyes
focused on him as he thought. After a moment of pondering the unlikely
possibility that Guy could capitalize on the entrance, he gathered her quaking
form against him tightly.

     “Do not worry, angel. At least we know where
Guy is now and I can do what I should have done a year ago.”

     “Off to war again. I hate it when you go
off to fight,” she sniffed.

     “I know,” he smiled gently and kissed her
nose. “I get the same speech from you every time. Have I ever gone back on my
word and not returned to you whole? You worry overly.”

     She threw her arms around his neck and he
pulled her off the floor, embracing her sweet body reverently. Actually, he was
relieved that Stoneley was attacking Mt. Holyoak. Gaston would be in his glory in
the middle of a battle, striking Stoneley down as he would any other enemy
soldier. Then it would not matter if the church intended on granting
Remington's annulment petition or not; Guy would be dead and there would be
nothing to prevent Gaston and Remington from marrying.

     The thought brought a smile to his lips and
she caught it. “Why are you smiling?”

He kissed her, smiling
broadly now. “Because I am happy.”

     She looked shocked. “Happy. How can you say
that? Guy is attacking Mt. Holyoak, our sons are inside, and you are
happy
?”

     He laughed and lowered her to the ground.
“Aye, I am. Don’t you see, Remi? Guy has lured me into a situation where I am
more at home than anywhere else. I shall find Guy, strike him down in a fair
fight, and we shall be rid of him. I should thank him for making it so easy for
me to dispose of him.”

     She looked at him dubiously. “You are mad.
The smell of battle is making you insane.”

     “Mayhap,” he kissed her loudly. “But I am
always right. I shall make short work of Lord Stoneley and we shall bury him
next to Mari-Elle so that they may rot in hell together.”

     She shook her head, still upset but growing
more relaxed with his easy manner. If he wasn't truly concerned about the
battle, then why should she be? He was the authority on warfare, was he not?

     “You are sure there is nothing to be
concerned over?” she asked insistently.

     He shook his head. “Roald is a fine warrior
and will hold the keep strongly. With Ingilsby and Brimley attacking from
Botmore's rear, he will be fighting on two fronts and it should be a decisive
victory. Even so, Nicolas and Antonius are riding north at this very minute
with five hundred more troops. Guy and Botmore do not stand a chance in hell,
Remi.”

     She still looked doubtful, but the tears
were gone. Frowning, she crossed her arms and eyed him. “I want the battle done
by the second morning. And do not linger any longer than you must; I want you
to bring me home when the fight is concluded.”

     He raised an eyebrow. “Aye, general. Any
other orders?”

     “Yes. I do not want you to bury Guy. I want
you to burn his corpse and spread his ashes to the wind. I want nothing left of
his evil.”

     His expression softened hearing the
frightened woman speak. He touched her cheek gently. “Anything for you, angel.
Anything at all.”

     A smile creased her lips and he smiled in
return. He knew the men were beginning to mobilize in the bailey; Alex and his
soldiers had long since vacated the foyer and he and Remington had been alone
for quite some time. He took Remington's arm, intent on settling her for the
night before retreating to the bailey to join Ingilsby.

     “Gaston, I have decided something,” she
said decisively as he led her up the stairs.

     “What's that, love?”

     “That I am going to take a switch to both
Dane and Trenton for getting themselves into such a predicament,” they topped
the flight of stairs and headed down the corridor. “I know you said that a
reprimand oft works better than a welted backside, but in this case, I'd feel
better if I spanked them myself.”

     “Is that so?” he raised an eyebrow at her
as they approached the door to their room. “If you feel it necessary, then I
will hold them for you myself.”

     “You do not need to. I shall do it.”

     He opened the door, fighting off a grin.
“Remi, Dane can outrun a horse and Trenton is bigger than you are. Now, do you
truly think they'll not protest whilst you take a switch to them?”

     “Of course they will.” she insisted.
“They'd not dare run from me.”

     He laughed low in his throat as she kicked
off her slippers, laughing again when he thought of Remington chasing the boys
up and down the corridors of Mt. Holyoak with a willow branch in her hand. “On
behalf of the offenders, my lady, I beg you to reconsider. ‘Tis only their
first offense, after all, and they were only thinking of you.”

     “And it will be their last offense if they
remember the sting of the switch.”

     He shook his head, still chuckling. “Pray
show mercy, madam. I believe I can vouch that the punishment de Vere plans for
them will be quite sufficient to deter any future infractions. They are, after
all, his pledges and we must leave the discipline to the earl.”

     She looked at him, uncertainly, and
released the last few stays of her surcoat. The scarlet silk coursed to the
floor and she threw the garment on a chair. Clad in the corset and shift, she
shrugged. “If you say so.”

     “I do,” he wanted to help her undress but
he knew he would never make it downstairs if he were to lay the slightest hand
on her. It was going to be hard enough to kiss her good-bye. “Now undo that
torturous contraption you wear and get into bed. It has been a particularly
fatiguing day.”

     She agreed silently, unfastening the corset
that Anne had loaned her. It was the only way she could fit into the borrowed
dress for Anne was considerably thinner and less busty. The corset minimized
her magnificent assets just enough to make the dress fit. The corset landed
next to the scarlet dress and Remington climbed into the feathered bed as
Gaston pulled up the coverlets.

     “Lay down, angel,” he tucked the covers in
about her as she sank into the bed and sighed with contentment. “That's a good
girl. Now dream sweetly, love. I shall return as soon as I can.”

     Her eyelids were already heavy as she gazed
up at him. “A pity you cannot join me.” He gave her a half-smile. “Pity
indeed,” when he leaned over to kiss her, she brought her arms up and wrapped
them around his neck. Losing his balance, he tumbled onto the bed and ended in
a most provocative position, his massive body completely covering her.
Remington giggled, holding him tightly and suckling his lips as he tried to
protest. But in a split second, he gave up the fight and fully delved into her
delicious mouth. Moments later, he regretted his lack of control for he was
dangerously close to bedding her again.

     “Nay, angel, let go of me,” he whispered
against her chin. “I must go.”

     “I shall let you go after you have
comforted me,” she hissed back seductively.

     He had to be firm or he was lost.
Deliberately, he pulled away from her and vaulted off the bed as if she
terrified him. They grinned at each other a moment and he adjusted his tunic
where his arousal strained against the material.

     “Go then, my love,” she whispered,
snuggling against the pillow. “I may be your wife soon, but I suspect war will
always be your mistress.”

     His smile faded. “War is my vocation, my
constant companion, but never my mistress,” he moved for the door, drinking in
her face one last time. “When I return, you shall be a widow. I swear it on my
oath as a knight.”

     Her smile faded, too. “I know. In my
wildest dreams I never dared to hope, Gaston.”

     His face was cold, unreadable, as
indicative of the Dark One. The warm expression from not a moment before was
vanished. “This is vengeance, Remi. Guy will pay for everything he's ever done
to you and to your sisters and I promise you it will be excruciating. He shall
suffer as you have, as you all have. This I do for you, love.”

     Tears sprang to her eyes.” I know.”

     He saw the tears and felt her years of pain
coming to a conclusion. The thickness of the emotions was palpable, tearing at
his heart, and he felt the familiar rage building once again.

     “Anything for you,” he whispered, and shut
the door.

     Remington lay awake for a long, long time.

***

     Three hours before dawn, Alex and Gaston
left Ripley at the head of a column of three hundred men. Alex's eight knights
rode behind their liege and the duke, and Alex actually rode beside Gaston.
Gaston allowed this because of his obvious debt to the man, even though he was
decidedly uncomfortable not riding alone as usual. Alex, thankfully, kept his
mouth shut and they rode in silence.

     It was strange for Gaston not riding with
his own men. He almost felt like an outsider, although Alex had readily placed
him in charge of the men. Still, it was strange not seeing familiar faces,
being able to anticipate these soldiers like he could read his own. But he was
extremely grateful for the support and made note to tell Henry of Alex's
unselfish assistance. There could quite possibly be an earldom in it for Ingilsby,
incorporating even more lands into his baronetcy. With Botmore's defeat
imminent, Alex could rule the surrounding towns of Knaresborough, Harrogate and
Ripon. It would be a most impressive earldom, in Gaston's opinion, and he fully
intended to press Henry.