Great Protector (40 page)

Gavan
nodded, watching a vicious streak of lightning carve a path through the black
clouds. "Agreed. In fact, I shall send a couple of soldiers ahead to
secure a room at a local inn. She should not be exposed to this weather any
longer than necessary."

"Absolutely
not," Richmond agreed. "In fact, have the soldiers secure two
rooms."

Gavan
cast him a glance. "One for you? Since when do you sleep in a warm bed
while I suffer in the rain?"

Richmond's
gaze was steady. "Where I sleep, my second sleeps. The second room is for
you."

Gavan,
however, still was not grasping his meaning. "Me? I am to sleep in a warm
bed while you...." suddenly, he comprehended exactly what he had been told
and a shadow of a grin crossed his lips. "Thank you, my lord. You are most
generous."

Arissa,
however, had yet to comprehend the gist of it. Her lovely brow furrowed and she
sniffled into her damp handkerchief. "If Gavan has one room and I have the
other, where are you going to sleep?"

Richmond
cocked an eyebrow, lowering his visor as he gazed at the road beyond. "Not
with Gavan."

***

Oxford
was a bustling city situated fifteen miles north and east of Lambourn. The rain
continued to pour mercilessly as the column closed in on the outskirts; fifty
men, horses, a wagon, two armored knights and one drenched lady. Richmond and Gavan
were met by the two soldiers they had sent ahead to procure accommodations.

"We
had our pick of inns, my lord," one man saluted Richmond sharply. "We
selected The Willow and secured two rooms and a meal."

"Excellent,"
Richmond glanced over his shoulder at his men, standing in ranks under the
driving rain. Beyond them, less than a quarter of a mile away, was a thick
cluster of trees. Richmond gestured to the foliage. "Grimsby, have the men
set up camp in those trees. The Willow is on Longwall Street, is it not?"

"Aye,
my lord."

"Then
you will know where to find me. Make sure the men eat before they retire; they
shall need their strength."

As
the two soldiers went to do their liege's bidding, Richmond spurred his charger
forward and sent Gavan for Arissa's trunk.

Oxford
was quiet but for the occasional shouts of distant laughter emitting from one
of her numerous inns. Arissa watched the small buildings and shops pass by,
scrutinizing each one curiously. Except for the village of Lambourn, she'd
never strayed beyond the limits of the earldom and felt a certain amount of
enthusiasm as Richmond's massive charger plodded past the bakery, a jeweler's
shop, and a silversmith. It was all new and wonderful, and her mood began to
lighten with the excitement.

The
Willow was the largest hostel in town, well-lit and moderately crowded.
Richmond dismounted his steed, gently setting Arissa to her feet in the sticky
mud. Taking her hand, he led her into the warm, hazy structure.

The
smell of smoke and vomit hit Arissa like a sharp slap as she entered the
establishment, causing her to catch her breath and wrinkle her nose. Richmond
slanted her a gaze, his eyes twinkling with mirth. He was relatively immune to
the repulsive scents of humankind, but Arissa's delicate balance was immediately
offended.

"Richmond,
if our room smells like this...."

He
put his arm around her protectively, his eyes searching for the innkeeper.
"It will not, I promise. If it does, I shall demand that they scrub it
clean until it meets with your approval."

The
proprietor of the tavern was already moving toward them, a small man with
little hair. He knew a well-paying customer when he saw one.

"Welcome,
my lord," the man bowed at the waist. "A room for you and your
daughter this night?"

Arissa
felt as if she had been struck, a physical blow that took her breath away.
Richmond did not react outwardly, but his eyes took on a most peculiar gleam.
"My
wife
and I have already secured two rooms in your
stench-cloaked establishment. The name is le Bec."

The
innkeeper's eyes widened and he stumbled back a step as if to escape the huge
man's fury. "I.... I apologize, my lord, I meant no offense," he
stammered quickly. "You are wife is so tiny, such a perfect little female,
I assumed.... pray forgive, my lord."

Richmond's
gaze was deadly, but he allowed the infraction to pass. It would only upset
Arissa if he were to punish the man for his ignorance. "Where are our
rooms?"

"Up
the stairs, sire, the last two doors to the right."

Richmond,
clutching Arissa against him, moved to mount the steps. "My officer will
be here shortly, a massive man bearing a trunk. You will direct him to
me."

The
landlord nodded eagerly. "Of course, sire. I shall send your meal to your
rooms immediately."

Richmond
did not reply as he took the stairs. As they entered the dim corridor of the
second floor, the acrid smells and noise seemed to fade rapidly. By the time
they reached their designated rooms, the clutter from the common room was a
muffled roar.

Arissa
moved to open one of the doors, peering inside. Richmond opened the second
door, scrutinizing the room. "Too small," he commented, moving to the
door Arissa had opened. "Ah, this will do nicely. Let Gavan struggle in
the small bed. This one is more my size."

Arissa
giggled as he escorted her into the room, glancing about the small chamber with
indifference. "It smells in here, too."

He
pulled the oiled cloth off her shoulders. "Would you rather sleep in the
rain?"

She
smiled, a devilish gesture. "Of course not. But you promised me that if
our room smelled, you would order the innkeeper to scrub it until it met with
my approval. Well?"

He
tossed her protective cloak onto the chair. "I lied. If you do not like it
here, you can sleep out in the rain with my horse. As for me, I am going to
enjoy a warm bed and a hot meal."

She
tried not to grin. "Richmond le Bec, do you mean to say that you
deliberately deceived me? I shall.... I shall go sleep with Gavan. His room
smelled better."

"How
do you know? You did not smell it."

"Anything
is better than this."

Richmond
removed his helm, running his fingers through his damp hair. "Go then, you
ungrateful wench. I shall not listen to you complain all night."

Her
grin broke through and she went to work on her cloak, removing the thick
garment with the rabbit lining.  Underneath, she wore a surcoat of burgundy
wool, a magnificent shade against her striking coloring. Richmond cast her an
appreciative glance as he removed his gauntlets. "Well? I thought you were
going to go and sleep with Gavan."

She
turned to him, her glorious breasts emphasized to the extreme in the clinging
wool. A gold belt graced her slender hips, accentuating her bosom further. With
the high neckline and long sleeves, the picture was consuming.

She
cocked an eyebrow, noting his lustful gaze. "Are you sure that is where
you want me to sleep?"

"Hell,
no. Come here."

She
giggled, gliding across the floor and into his arms. He kissed her deeply,
fully, smiling as he listened to her whimpers and gasps of delight. But as her
fingers raked through his dark hair, he pulled his lips away.

"God's
Teeth, woman, let me remove this armor before I explode," he grunted,
unfastening pieces of plate and allowing them to fall to the floor.

Arissa
stood back, watching him undress with great deal of anticipation. Down to a
damp tunic, thick hose and boots, he smiled seductively at her.

"There,"
he said softly. "Now, as I said. Come here."

She
cocked her head. "Aren't you going to take all of your clothes off?"

He
laughed, deep and hearty. "God's Teeth, Riss, control your lust. I do
believe I have created a wanton."

Her
cheeks mottled with a faint flush and she smiled shyly.  "Not at all. 'Tis
just.... well, I thought....."

"I
know what you thought, my shameless little tart, as my thoughts are exactly the
same. But we must wait for two reasons; one, Gavan will be here shortly with
your trunk and, two, our meal will arrive at any moment."

She
averted her gaze, clasping her hands behind her back and turning away from him.
"Of course. I have forgotten already."

He
continued to grin, watching her pace across the floor toward the hearth.
"I promise you, kitten, the wait shall be worth it."

She
cast him a sheepish gaze, still smiling. He chuckled softly at her
embarrassment as a sharp knock rattled the door. Gavan was in the doorway,
Arissa's trunk slung across his massive shoulders. He moved into the chamber,
dumping the wet case onto the floor.

"God's
Blood, Richmond, what in the world did we pack that would make that thing so
heavy?"

"Nothing
but the necessities, as I recall," Richmond said, shoving the trunk
against the wall. Suddenly, he paused, passing the trunk a curious gaze. After
a moment, he kicked it into the wall again. This time, they all heard the
muffled grunt.

Gavan
unsheathed his broadsword before Arissa could draw another breath, moving to
take a protective stance in front of her. As Richmond unlatched the case, she
strained to peer around Gavan's massive body; she did not see anything at
first, but Richmond's stern gaze told her that he was not pleased in the least.
He continued to stare into the trunk, his expression severe.

"How,
may I ask, did you get in there?" he finally asked, struggling to maintain
his calm.

Emma's
blond head appeared, her pale blue eyes wide at Richmond. "I.... I slipped
in when you put Arissa's trunk out in the corridor before transporting it to
the wagon."

Richmond
pursed his lips, scratching his head with a great deal of irritation.
"Where are her clothes?"

Emma,
flushing red about the ears, shifted in the trunk as if to look underneath her.
"A few items are still here, but I took the majority out and put them in
the servant's alcove."

Richmond's
stern gaze lingered on her a moment before turning to Gavan. "I thought
you secured this trunk yourself before putting it into the hall."

"I
did," Gavan lifted a disapproving eyebrow at Emma. "She must have
slipped in the very moment we left it unattended."

"And
then the soldiers who were ordered to store the trunk on the wagon re-secured
the latches, thinking we had failed to do so," he shook his head with
wonder, moving away from Emma. "Thank God she’s not a Welsh assassin. We
should have never left the trunk unattended."

"Welsh
assassin?" Emma repeated, confused. "I.... I simply want to go with
Riss."

Richmond
returned his grim attention to her. "You have put me in a very awkward
position, Lady Emma. Did you actually believe I would allow you to accompany
Arissa to the abbey?"

Emma
nodded unsteadily, moving to unseat herself from the trunk. Her joints were
stiff and her head hurt from all of the movement, but she was not nearly as
concerned for her own discomfort as she was apprehensive of the look on
Richmond's face. "What are you going to do with me?"

He
put his hands on his hips. "Send you back to Lambourn. What did you expect
I would do with you?"

Emma's
cheeks flushed bright red and she lowered her gaze, moving away from the
massive knight. But somewhere within the fear and respect for the man came a
seed of defiance. She did not want to return to Lambourn; Arissa was her very
best friend and she was terrified to be without her. Penelope had Daniel, her
mother was busy with Lady Maude, while she herself had no one. When Arissa
left, she would be all alone and she hated the very idea.

Which
was why she had stolen away in Arissa's trunk. After Richmond had chased her
and Regine off and slammed the door, it had not been difficult to slip into
Arissa's baggage unnoticed. A quickly-formulated plan that had been just as
quickly executed. She was going, too.

"I
am.... I am going with her, no matter what you say," she stood her ground
against Richmond, albeit weakly. "I am sixteen years old and if I want to
pledge my life to Whitby, I can do so without my mother's approval."

Richmond
cocked an eyebrow at her insolent tone. "Very well. Take your vows if it
pleases you. But do not expect me to escort you; you must find your own way.
Until then, you will return to Lambourn."

Emma's
flush grew brilliant. Her breathing was coming in heavy gasps, indicative of
her emotion and rising anger. She licked her lips, swallowed hard, struggling
with the words she was attempting to bring forth. "If you take me back to
Lambourn, I shall.... I shall tell the earl about you and Arissa, I swear
it."

Arissa
gasped, standing next to Gavan. "You.... who told you, Emma? I demand to
know!"

Emma
turned to Arissa, regret suddenly visible in her blue eyes. "Regine. She
told Penelope, too. She said she watched as Richmond took your
maidenhood."