His jaw ticked. “Terrible to you and I, indeed,” he said. “Arik has informed me that my wife and son arrived here at Mt. Holyoak yesterday while we were at the faire.”
Remington’s jaw dropped. She stared back at him with utter disbelief for a moment before trying to pull away from him. He held her tightly, pulling her into a crushing embrace once more.
“Nay, my angel, do not leave me now,” he whispered urgently. “I need you more than ever. We must be strong together and I will greatly depend upon your strength.”
He felt her relax, her arms going fearfully around his neck. “Oh, Gaston. Why is she here?”
“I do not know,” he kissed her hair and released her, moving away to compose himself. “But I intend to send her home. She is not welcome here. This is your home; and mine.”
Remington was deeply shaken. She watched Gaston tick angrily, running his fingers through his hair to slick it back, his face taut. She could see how terribly upset he was and realized that she did indeed need to be strong through this; he would have enough to deal with without her whining and crying. She knew what she was getting into from the very beginning; he was a married man. But she never imagined she would have to deal with his wife so soon.
“What would you have me do then, my love?” she asked quietly. “How can I help you?”
He looked at her in the midst of his pacing and thinking. “What did you call me?”
She looked puzzled for a moment. “I called you ‘my love.’”
He leaned forward on his arms, bracing his hands on the desk. His eyes were intense. “Am I?”
She smiled at him, shyly, and lowered her gaze. “I suppose you are, Dark One.”
He actually chuckled in the midst of his catastrophe. “You walk a fine line, madam. Granting me with the greatest gifts in one breadth and insulting me the next.”
She raised her glance coyly. “I granted you a gift? I do not understand.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Did you mean what you said? Am I your love?”
She nodded without hesitation. “Aye, Gaston, you are.”
“Then that, madam, is the greatest gift of all the world,” he said softly. “Nothing in my life will ever mean more to me than that.”
She was tremendously touched by his words and felt her cheeks flushing. He watched her through tender eyes, a wonderful moment in the middle of his living hell. He would remember it always. They gazed at each other a moment, absorbing the intensity of their feelings for one another.
“Now,” he continued quietly. “As for what you can do, you will take to your rooms and stay there. Keep Dane with you; I do not want him leaving the family wing. Nor your sisters and cousin, either. They are not to leave that second floor corridor until I say otherwise. Do you understand me?”
“Aye, Gaston,” she nodded, although already she was thinking on disobeying him. She was tremendously curious to see this woman, his wife.
He nodded shortly. “That’s my angel,” he came around the desk and put his hand on her arm. “I shall have Patrick escort you and your sisters upstairs and you will stay there. I shall come and see you later, after I have talked with Mari-Elle.”
She nodded obediently and moved for the door, thinking their talk was over. His hand, however, tightened around her arm and he pulled her back into his consuming embrace.
Remington found herself gazing into his smoke-hazed eyes, devouring her, and she wrapped her arms around his thick neck. His lips nibbled her ear, her cheek, her nose, before finally encompassing her soft lips. His kiss brought back memories from the night to her mind and quickly, her passion was aroused. She opened her mouth wide to him, eagerly plunging her tongue into his mouth as he had done to her, tasting his essence.
He wanted to take her again right then, but he knew he could not. Reluctantly, he pulled back and spanked her affectionately on the behind. She grinned and straightened her surcoat and, without another spoken word between them, they exited the solar. Somehow she knew he would make everything very well again.
Patrick took Remington up to the family wing. The rest of the family, including Dane, was already there and the knight made sure everyone was situated comfortably. His next destination was the tower room where Charles was holed up with his experiments; he wanted to make sure the young boy stayed to his rooms as well. Patrick knew Mari-Elle, and he knew what the witch was capable of. Keeping Remington and her small family away from the woman was of utmost importance.
Gaston, for his part, retreated to the outer bailey to check the progress of his troop house. He knew Mari-Elle was aware he had returned and he furthermore knew she expected him to come calling. As an obvious sign of his displeasure, he would keep her waiting until it was convenient for him to see her. Additionally, the time spent would help to calm his raging anger. He was still quite shocked at her sudden appearance; it was the very last thing he expected; yet he knew precisely how to deal with her.
With his mind focused on his immediate future, he went about his regular duties.
CHAPTER NINE
Remington and hersisters sat in her spacious bedchamber as they began sewing on their new material they had purchased at the faire. Confined to their rooms, it was the perfect time to work on the tedious task.
Skye set out the patterns and did the cutting; she was very precise and careful. Jasmine would do the basic basting while Remington and Rory did the more difficult stitching. In spite of her tomboy nature, Rory was an excellent seamstress. Bored, Dane played by the hearth with his new cart and horse toy.
“Why does not he want his wife here?” Jasmine asked her eldest sister.
