Even now, they were following a tip from an informant to the north. They had been gone well over a week and Lady Dustin was growing uneasy not only for her husband’s safety but also for the fact that she was due to give birth soon. She could feel the child growing tight in her belly and she knew her time was near. She wanted her husband to be on hand at the birth, as he had promised.
So she sat down by the fire and waited, as she had waited for over a week. It seemed that she was always waiting for her husband one way or the other. It was simply the way of things. Just as she was dozing off, soldiers on the walls of the castle began to shout. The next thing she realized, chargers were storming into the bailey, nearly obscured by the blanket of snow. Excited, Dustin left the solar and waddled to the front entry of the keep as fast as her swollen legs would carry her.
She didn’t make it to the door in time to open it. As she neared the foyer, the heavy oak panel flew open and men in armor began entering, covered in snow and heading for the great hall where a fire blazed. Her brother-in-law, David, was the first man inside and she caught him before he could move past her.
“Where is Chris?” she demanded.
David removed his snow-covered helm; his face was pinched with cold. “Out there, somewhere. He should be in shortly.”
She kept her hand on David’s arm. “Did you find her?”
David sneezed violently, removing one glove to wipe at his red nose. “We found where they are keeping her, at any rate,” he said. “We practically had to tie du Bois to his saddle to prevent him from storming the castle. Now that he knows she’s there, he’s like a crazy man.”
Dustin’s beautiful face took on a sympathetic expression. “Where is she?”
“Exactly where we had been told; Ludlow Castle.”
“That monstrous place? Isn’t that is one of de Lacy’s holdings?”
“The king confiscated it last summer and holds it still. It’s a massive place and we are going to need a lot of help breaching her.”
David was obviously cold and wished to move to the fire, but Dustin held him still. “And Rhys? Is he at least somewhat better now that he knows where she is?”
David sighed heavily as he faced his sister-in-law. “He borders on madness. I’ve never seen a man so crazed by his love for a woman.”
Dustin lifted a well-shaped eyebrow. “That is because the woman you love has not been kidnapped by an enemy. You would border on madness just as much as Rhys if something was to happen to Emilie.”
David half-nodded, half-shrugged. “Be that as it may, he needs to get a hold of himself. Above all else, he needs to remember that she belongs to Brunswick, not him. When we retrieve her, she will be married to the prince and sent back to Saxony.”
“Is the prince with you?”
David nodded, trying to pull away from her. “May I go now and warm myself? I’ve caught my death of a chill, I’m positive.”
She lifted an impatient eyebrow at him but let him go. David could be a complainer at times. Pulling her shawl about her shoulders again, she watched as more knights trickled in; Edward, Lawrence, and a few other seasoned men that had served King Richard until his death. They were powerful warriors. The prince finally entered, shaking snow off his gloves and body, sneezing loudly and wiping his nose with his hands. His retainers followed. Conrad smiled weakly at Dustin as he passed by en route to the blazing fire. Rod de Titouan, Rhys’ brother, entered alone, his fair face drawn with fatigue and cold. She watched him pass by her but he did not meet her eye. Finally, her husband and the hulking figure of Rhys brought up the rear and shut the door.
Christopher went to her and kissed her, trying not to get snow on her. “Greetings, sweetheart,” he said as he kissed her again. “How are you feeling?”
She rubbed her pregnant belly. “Ready to give birth at any time,” she didn’t want to stray off the subject. “David said you located the lady at Ludlow Castle. Is it true?”
Christopher nodded, eyeing Rhys as the man lumbered past him, heading into the hall. “We have talked to two people who have personally seen her inside the walls,” he said. “I find it hard to believe she was so close to us all this time, but I am relieved to have finally found her. At least now we can make plans on how to retrieve her.”
“What are you going to do?”
He wriggled his eyebrows. “Gather reinforcements and lay siege. Now that we know where she is, we want her back.”
His gaze moved over her head as if he were watching something. Dustin caught his expression and she turned to watch as Rhys headed straight for the big pitchers of ale on the table. He didn’t even take a cup; grabbing a pitcher, he began to gulp the ale.