Guardian of Darkness (26 page)

Carington gazed back at Ryton, her expression open with astonishment.  “The queen tried to seduce him?”

“Aye.”

“But… but why?”

Ryton smiled wryly. “She saw something she wanted.  When she could not have him, she made sure to ruin him.”

Carington savored the information, digested it, before allowing herself to form a reply.  As she spoke, her head wagged back and forth, slowly. “I’ve heard tale of Sassenach women of royal blood, how they lack of scruples and morals.  I thought it was talk.  Most of my countrymen hate the English and the French as well.  Can it be that they were right?”

Ryton nodded faintly. “With rare exception.”

She was reluctant to give in so easily, still. “Do ye swear what ye have told me is the truth about yer brother?”

“I swear on my mother’s grave, my lady. I would not lie to you about something like this, not even to save my brother.”

A dark eyebrow lifted. “Then Julia lied to me.”

“She was repeating what she had heard. She did not make it up if that is what you mean.”

“But why would she do this?”

Ryton looked moderately uneasy; his gaze shifted from Carington to the chapel door behind her to finally his feet.

 “Because she is fond of Creed,” he said quietly. “She is, in fact, in love with him. He does not return her adoration and for the same reason Isabella slandered him, Julia is also vengeful.  Perhaps she is threatened by your beauty and by the fact that Creed has been assigned to act as your protector.  In any case, ask me no more.”

Carington understood a great deal in that grunted reply, her emerald eyes moving past Ryton and to the ward below.  She could see a few servants and soldiers milling about.  It suddenly occurred to her that she had believed that slanderous talk before asking Creed his side of the story.  He had been honest, protective and forthright since she had met him.  She had been difficult, angry and combative. Julia was a snake; she had sensed it from the first.  Why she had believed the woman’s tale was a mystery.  Now she felt like a fool.

 With a heavy sigh, she wiped a stray bit of hair from her face and gathered her skirt to take the steps.

“Then it would seem I have some apologies to make to yer brother,” she said softly, taking the stairs.

Ryton took her by the elbow, chivalrously, simply to make sure she kept her footing on the narrow stairs.

“I am sure no apologies are necessary, my lady,” he said. “But to ensure your comfort, I shall assign you another escort while you are here at Prudhoe.”

She stopped half way down, her emerald eyes snapping to him. “Another es…?” she stopped herself before she sounded too outraged, struggling to remain collected. “That will be unnecessary, Sir Ryton. Sir Creed and I have gotten used to one another. I dunna want to break in another shadow.”

He heard that tone again. The same wistfulness he had heard before no matter how hard she tried to conceal it. Now he was sure he was not imagining things but, for lack of a better response at the moment, he simply nodded his head.

“Very well, my lady,” he replied.

They reached the bottom of the steps and headed into the bailey.   The moment they turned for the keep, they could see Creed in conversation with Stanton over by the gatehouse.  Stanton was still mounted on his impatient charger and Creed kept side-stepping the animal. Ryton came to a stop.

“Wait here, my lady,” he bade her.

Carington watched him walk towards his brother, watching further as Creed and Stanton turned to him.  Ryton spoke a few words to Creed, who nodded his head and headed towards Carington, alone. 

As Carington watched him cross the dusty ward in her direction, she was aware of the butterflies in her stomach.  Her breathing was coming in strange little gasps the closer he came.  All she could focus on was his eyes; he had the most amazing eyes. The lightning bolts were flaring again, shooting giddy warmth deep into her heart. Before she realized it, Creed was standing in front of her.

“Is everything well now, my lady?” he asked softly.

She tried to remain dignified but the moment she heard his voice, she crumbled. “I am so sorry,” she whispered miserably. “I shouldna… Julia told me things and I… well, I shouldna have listened to her and I am sorry.  Can ye ever forgive me for being so foolish?”

Creed just looked at her. After a moment, he extended his elbow to her.  Carington looked at it, then back to him, watching a beautiful smile spread across his lips.  It was enough to undo her and she clutched his arm tightly. 

“There is nothing to forgive, my lady,” he murmured.  “Are you ready to go to town now?”

She had almost forgotten about their trip.  “Do ye still want to take me?” she asked, surprised.

He slanted her a glance. “Of course. Why not?”

Her lovely brows drew together. “Why not? Because I have been such an imbecile. Why would ye want to have anything to do with me now?”

He paused and turned to her, a smile playing on his lips. “Because I rather like imbeciles; especially beautiful ones.” When she blushed madly, his smile broadened and his voice lowered. “Come along, Cari. We have many wonderful things to purchase for you.”

She was having a difficult time looking at him; his smile made her go weak in the knees. “Oh, Creed,” she sighed. “Ye are too good to me.”

“I know.”

Stanton, Burle and Ryton could hear her hissing insults at him.  They could also hear Creed’s low laughter, even when she pinched him.

***

It was a big escort for a little lady; three massive knights and twenty men at arms swooped into the town named after the castle.  The berg of Prudhoe was a fairly large metropolis that was populated with almost as many Scots as English.  It was a true border town that had persevered through generations of conflict.         

Creed knew that there was a seamstress located on the second avenue of merchants, next to the main thoroughfare.  It was a woman from the Teutonic region who did a good deal of sewing for Lady Anne. He took the entire party to the woman’s shop, clogging up the avenue with men and horses.  As the dust kicked up with their cluttered presence, Creed dismounted his charger and moved to the small carriage that contained Carington.

She was practically hanging out of the window, inspecting her surroundings with some fear but mostly awe.  Creed opened the cab door and held out a hand to her.  He did not have a chance to say a word before she was bubbling over with excitement.

“’Tis such a big town,” she exclaimed softly as she put her hand in his. “I dinna know it would be so big. I saw a few Scots when we entered; did ye see them, English? They wore Douglas tartan.  My da has been allied with the Douglas clan for many years.  They married one of his sisters.”

She was prattling.  Creed fought off a smile as he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and took her to the seamstress’ shop. Even then, she continued to chatter like a magpie.

“Do ye suppose they know of my da’s alliance with Lord Richard?” she suddenly noticed the shop before he could answer. “Look at all of the fabric; I have never seen fabric like this before.”

He directed her into the crowded, dark hut.  It was made from stone with only a couple of very small windows for light and ventilation.  And it was stuffed to the rafters with fabrics and notions.  Carington looked around in awe, tripping on her own feet because she was not paying attention to where she was going.  Creed steadied her as a small, round woman approached from the rear of the shop.

The woman snapped herself in half in a brusque bow.  Carington instinctively recoiled with equal swiftness because the gesture had been so abrupt.  The corner of Creed’s mouth twitched as Carington scowled at the woman as if the salute had been something challenging.

“My lord,” the woman said in a heavy Teutonic accent. “To what do I owe the honor?”

Creed knew the woman vaguely; they recognized each other from the times he had escorted Anne and Richard into town.  The woman was Anne’s favorite seamstress.  He indicated Carington.

“Lady Anne would like to commission several gowns for her honored guest, the Lady Carington,” he replied.  “I have been asked to engage your services.”

The woman turned her pale blue eyes to Carington appraisingly.  Her gaze moved to the old garment she wore, perhaps noting the deteriorated condition.  There was distain in her expression, quickly gone. Carington felt self-conscious as the woman mentally dissected her. 

“Such a lovely lady,” the woman said after a moment. “I could make garments for her that would outshine the sun. She would look magnificent.”

“Which is why Lady Anne would entrust this task to you,” Creed replied. “Do what you must in order to accomplish it. Meanwhile, Lady Anne was hoping you would have a few garments that were already made that we could take with us until the commissioned garments were completed.”

The woman reached out and took Carington gently by the arm.  She continued to scrutinize her, turning her around so she could see the width of her buttocks and the breadth of her torso. Carington’s emerald eyes fixed on Creed as the woman very nearly manhandled her.  Creed gazed back steadily, reassuringly. When the woman put her hands on Carington’s waist to measure it, Carington tensed and balled up a fist. She felt the woman was becoming a bit too familiar with her. But Creed shook his head at her and she reluctantly relaxed.  She relaxed further when he winked at her.

Finished with her measurements, the woman spoke. “I have three or four garments that I will prepare for you to take with you today,” she said. “How many gowns did Lady Anne wish to commission?”

Creed crossed his massive arms and braced his legs apart thoughtfully. “At least five.  You will include undergarments and accessories, of course.”

“Or course,” the woman agreed. “Any preference in color or fabric?”

Creed’s eyes found Carington’s; he gazed into the emerald depths, feeling an odd liquid warmth spread across his chest.  It was a delightful, unfamiliar sensation. The longer he gazed at her, the stronger the feeling became.

“Rich colors,” he told the woman, realizing he sounded gentle as he said it.  He could not help it. “As you said, she is a beautiful woman.  I will trust you to enhance that beauty.”

Carington smiled at him, her eyes riveted to his dusky blue orbs.  She could feel her cheeks flushing as the intensity of his eyes reached out to grab her. There was an incredibly strong pull between then, something that she had noticed from the beginning of their association but had fought desperately to suppress. Within the past couple of days, her resistance to it had fled entirely. The sweet looks, the stolen kisses, his kindness to her even when she had been horrid had worked their magic. And whatever misunderstanding had occurred back at Prudhoe Castle had somehow strengthened what she was feeling for the man; she knew that she indeed felt something.  She just was not sure what it was yet.

As the two of them gazed steadily at each other, the woman ran her hands across Carington’s shoulders one last time before finally releasing her.

“Give me an hour and I shall have something prepared for her,” she said.

Creed nodded his thanks and took Carington by the arm, gently escorting her to the door. Once outside in the cool sunshine, she turned to him.