The Crimson Castle (22 page)

Upon recovery, and now knowing of the man behind the murderous plot, he
had travelled with a selection of his men, intending to have
Tibald
arrested. His shock upon discovering his sister
married was palpable but quickly forgotten upon
Tibald’s
order to attack. Thankfully William’s riders had the advantage and the skirmish
was short lived.

Although the two men had struck up a comradeship, William’s initial
reaction to Gabriel was not one of friendship, having heard of the man that
took his beloved sister into the clutches of
Tibald
.
However, upon seeing the man’s heartbreak, he had relented and together they
aided one another through this grievous time.

Gabriel jumped up as the physician entered. He didn’t say anything,
almost unable to ask the question for fear of the answer.

“Lady Evelyn is stable.”

Gabriel slumped back down in his chair, feeling as though he had aged a
hundred years, and placed his head to the table. William patted him on the back
and looked to the physician questioningly as he wrung his hands awkwardly

“But…?”

“She is still in danger. ‘
Twas a heavy blow.
If there is internal bleeding then there is little to be done. There is also
risk of infection but I have treated it as best I can.”

Gabriel’s head remained motionless as he listened to this and a cold
hand clenched at his heart. He was being punished for his sins, he was sure of
it. Why should this happen to his
Evie
? There was
no-one as kind hearted or as virtuous as she. He wished with all his might that
he had received the blow instead.

The physician continued, “I suggest you settle any business now, in
case she worsens.”

Gabriel motioned for William to go. He was desperate to see her but he
needed a moment to compose himself. He felt bitterly his failure to protect her
from harm yet again and his demons spurned on his belief that this was his
fault and it would not have happened had he been a better, stronger man.

He knew he was selfish and weak when he traipsed upstairs to see her.
She would be better off without him but God help him, he could not continue
without her.

They had placed her in
Tibald’s
solar,
knowing she would get the most comfort there but he shuddered at the thought of
having her in the room of the man that may well have killed her. It took all
his strength to step over the threshold, barely able to look toward the bed for
fear of what he would see.

William watched him enter and placed a kiss to Evelyn’s head before
exiting the room, putting a reassuring hand upon Gabriel’s shoulder as he moved
past him.

Trembling legs carried him to her bedside and he knelt beside her,
observing her ashen face. For a moment he thought he had waited too long until
he saw the flicker of a pulse in the arch of her neck. He grabbed at her hand,
placing fevered kisses to the back of it.

Stroking a finger across her pale cheek, he was rewarded with a flutter
of lashes and she opened her eyes to him. Her unfocused gaze finally secured on
his face and she gave him a weak smile, love still able to shine through her
pallid face. Gabriel’s heart clenched and he moved forward to place a kiss on
her forehead.

“Forgive me,
Evie
.”

She looked at him drowsily and would have scowled if her head hadn’t
ached
like the devil. Her voice came out a mere whisper,
“There is naught to forgive.”

She saw the pain and guilt written all over his features and she wished
she could offer him more comfort but her injury had drained her to the point of
barely being able to lift a limb. Her heart ached for the man who believed he
had no soul yet took the blame of her injury upon himself. If only he could see
himself as she saw him, a damaged soul indeed, but not irreparable.

Her last thought as she drifted into a blissful oblivion, free from
pain, was of hope. Hope that she would get the chance to show him.

***

“
Evie
, you look a little pale. Are you well?”
He touched a hand to her cheek.

She smiled up at him, radiant and heartbreakingly beautiful. “I am very
well, my love.”

His heart jumped at her words, still unable to quite believe that she
was his. He still felt unworthy, but with every kiss, every touch, his heart
began to heal and the voices of the demons that drove him began to quieten. He
was now determined to make amends, to become a better man.

“One might say blossoming…” She gave him a secretive little smile as he
frowned at her in puzzlement, and kissed him tenderly.

He looked at her in admiration, her figure neatly displayed in a simple
but elegant cream gown, trimmed in blue with a gold circlet adorning her head
and a matching girdle. He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed his
favourite part of the outfit – a delicate gold ring. Their wedding had been one
of pure unadulterated joy, the events of the previous months well and truly
forgotten along with the tyrannical lord.

He had been full of nerves, utterly convinced she would change her mind
and he managed to greet her with such a scowl that she had burst out laughing
at him. Filled with pride as she walked beside him to the church, he could not
help but wonder what he had done to deserve such a woman.

As they had exchanged vows in front of the people of
Beldersert
, a feeling of utter contentment settled over him
and he thanked God for letting his Evelyn live. It had taken many days of worry
before they knew if she would live and Gabriel knew without hesitation that if
she survived he would marry her. 

After many anxious days the physician finally pronounced her well and
Gabriel, who had spent almost every hour keeping vigil by her bedside, grabbed
the man and almost kissed him. William laughed hysterically at the poor man’s
bewildered face and Evelyn was roused from her slumber. They were betrothed
immediately, Gabriel unwilling to wait any longer to ask and Evelyn saying yes
without hesitation. William had looked on with interest at the couple, having
already given his consent.

Lord
Tibald’s
land had fallen to the crown
and in return for his service to the King, it was bestowed to William. In his
time spent with Gabriel, he had recognised the same qualities that his sister
had, so when he became aware of Gabriel’s plans to marry he offered him
Beldersert
as her dowry. Gabriel had hesitated initially,
insisting he needed no financial incentive and was no longer driven by a need
for power or land, but he knew Evelyn loved
Beldersert
and, with some persuasion from William, he relented.

There had also been talk of restoring his family land and, in spite of
it being something he had yearned after for so long, the memories that lay
behind them prevented him from claiming them. His future lay with Evelyn now.

He was snapped from his reverie by a scolding look from his wife. “I
hope you have good reason for that scowl, husband.”

Smiling at her words and relishing the sound of them, his scowl
vanished.

“Sorry,” he muttered. She still looked a little wan to him and he said
as much.

Her eyes glinted as she trailed kisses up his neck towards his mouth
and he shuddered under her ministrations.

“I am with child,” she whispered against his lips.

Gabriel jumped back in shock and Evelyn looked at him with slightly
less confidence than before.

“You are sure?”

His heart jumped with joy as she nodded and relaxed as his face broke
into a smile.

“May I?” He looked at her belly and, although her body was yet
unchanged, she moved towards him and allowed him to place his hand tentatively
on her stomach as he looked at her in awe.

“My babe,” he whispered.

He leant down and rested his forehead on hers, knowing she had given
him his chance to atone for his mistakes.  Gazing down at his wife and
imagining the new life growing inside her body he uttered a prayer of thanks
before she pulled him down for a searing kiss.

“Demanding wench,” he muttered as
she laughed and he swept her up in his arms, carrying her over the threshold.

It would take him many years to ever believe he was truly worthy of her
and many more to overcome his demons, but together with their growing family,
they worked to repair the damage of his actions throughout the years and
gradually he became whole.

Their dramatic tale of love nearly lost became a favourite bedtime
story for their children and Evelyn loved to watch Gabriel’s face as he told
them of their adventures. They knew the story by heart and never failed to nag
their father to get to the part where he had saved their mother’s life from the
outlaws. At which point Gabriel would turn to her with a smile filled with
gratitude and love and every night, as they settled in each other’s arms,
Gabriel would insist that indeed Evelyn was the one who had saved him.

Author’s
note

The Crimson Castle is set in my home county of Warwickshire. The town
of
Etone
and the village of
Beldersert
were settlements that existed in the 12
^th
century and are now known
as Nuneaton and
Beaudesert
.
Etone
Castle is based loosely on Kenilworth Castle, in Warwickshire, which was made
out of local red stone. The great lake was artificially created and was a
kilometre long and half a kilometre wide. Unfortunately, during the Civil War,
Cromwell ordered the lake drained and the Norman Keep destroyed to ensure it
could not be used as a defensive fortress again. The ruins are best known for
once being the home of Robert Dudley and the recently restored Elizabethan
gardens are well worth a visit.

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Also available on Kindle:

A
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One
Knight