Colin’s brows lowered and he frowned in a dangerous way.
“But first, I should have asked you about Toby. I wondered and wondered what happened to you and to him.” She drew close to Colin again. “Is he still in Marienberg?”
“Yes. The housekeeper there is a motherly woman. She says she will take care of him and will send him to us when all is safe here. I do believe she intends to fatten him up. She kept talking about the things she would bake for him — pastries and sweet breads and pies.”
“That sounds marvelous.” Margaretha couldn’t help gazing up into Colin’s blue eyes. The dark of night must have been fading, because she could see that they were so blue they were like a stormy evening sky. And the expression on his face . . . it reminded her of the way Valten looked at Gisela. She seemed to lose her breath.
“You didn’t tell me how you escaped from Claybrook,” he prompted.
“Oh yes. After the wedding ceremony last night, I — ”
“Wedding?”
“Oh. Yes. Well, Claybrook forced the priest to perform the ceremony, marrying me to Claybrook.”
“What?” Colin stopped walking and gripped her hand tighter.
“It is true that the priest pronounced us man and wife, but the only witnesses were Mother, Gisela, Kirstyn, Adela, Steffan, and Wolfgang. And Claybrook’s knights. But I refused to give my consent and plainly said so. And afterward, after the feast, when we were going upstairs, Claybrook got violently sick and ordered me to go to my chamber, and the two guards who were with me helped me escape — oh my! There they are! Thomas and Thaddeus!” She waved at the two men, who had obviously joined forces with her father’s men. “And Valten! Gisela will be overjoyed to see you.”
Valten pushed through the crowd of men and stood before her. She had forgotten how ferocious he could look. He looked ready to bite the heads off of anything that got in his way. “How is Gisela?” But when he said his wife’s name, his expression softened. “Is she well?”
“She was well last night. Mother says she is near her time, and the baby could come any day. But she is well, don’t worry.”
Valten reassumed his usual scowl.
“Did you say you are married to Claybrook?” Colin asked, recapturing her attention, his throat bobbing as he swallowed.
“I suppose, in the eyes of some, I am married to him. But I am sure Father will be able to get the marriage annulled.” She bit her lip at the anxiety in his eyes.
Colin took hold of her arm, drawing her close and looking into her eyes. “He did not hurt you, did he? Because if he did, I’ll tear his . . .” He stopped and took a deep breath.
“No, he did not hurt me. He barely touched me. I mean, he and his guards forced me to stand in front of the priest, but he did not hurt me. I was too afraid he would hurt my family to fight him. And then there was a feast, he got sick, and I escaped.” He put his arms around her, pulling her against him — or against the hauberk, with its hundreds of tiny metal rings. Not nearly as comfortable as she remembered his chest being. Still, it felt good to see how much he cared. It was written on his face and in the way he held her in his arms. “I wanted so much for you to come.” She drew in a halting breath, tears pricking her eyelids. “And now you’re here.”
“Let us go.” Valten’s strident voice cut into her joyous thoughts. “Let’s kill this spawn of the devil, Claybrook, and get back our women and our castle.” He drew his sword from his scabbard, making the polished blade ring in the still morning air.
Colin let go of her with a long look, and she stepped back. He and the rest of the men drew their swords. They all filed into the opening of the tunnel, with Valten leading the way.
Her father turned and looked at Colin. “Stay with my daughter. Don’t let anything happen to her.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Colin took hold of her hand, an intense look in the set of his jaw and the glint in his eye. They stood in the line of men, near the back, who were entering the tunnel.
As they made their way down the steps and into the earthy-smelling tunnel, the only light came from the open door behind them. After they had walked around the first bend, she could no longer see anything. She held on to Colin’s hand and clutched his arm, and she felt safe. Though she couldn’t see him, she remembered how he had looked a few moments ago, with his sword in his right hand and wearing his mail armor. Colin looked brave and strong. He had come a long way since he lay near death on Frau Lena’s sick bed. He was well and whole and . . . beautiful.