Dark Deceptions: A Regency and Medieval Collection of Dark Romances(154)

Chrystobel smiled again, her expression open and friendly. “I will make sure they are comfortable,” she said. “Is there anything else you wish?”

It was such a sweet question. Keller felt like an idiot because everything about her seemed to make him feel weak. The walls of defense he’d kept up, so practiced around him, had fallen and he could feel himself opening up again. It was terrifying and thrilling all at the same time.

“Nay,” he said, shaking his head. “I will be with our visitors, so please send a servant should you need me.”

He turned for the door but Chrystobel put her hand on his arm, stopping him. “Wait, please,” she said, smiling timidly when he turned to look at her. “I was wondering if I might speak with you for a moment. I will be brief, I promise.”

Keller nodded. “Of course,” he said. “What is your wish?”

Chrystobel cleared her throat softly, perhaps a bit nervously, and glanced at her sister before speaking. “My brother,” she said, her tone very soft. “Has he been located? Is he finally locked up?”

Keller realized she didn’t want to upset Izlyn with such talk, so he motioned for her to follow him out onto the landing. Once outside of the chamber on the dark and dank landing, he closed the door behind them quietly.

“Your brother escaped Nether yesterday,” he said, his voice quiet. “I understand that Wellesbourne came to speak to me last night about it but that you sent him away.”

Chrystobel nodded, trying not to appear too contrite. “I did,” she said. “You were sleeping so soundly that I did not want to wake you. Did I do wrong?”

Keller smiled faintly, shaking his head. “You did not,” he said. “Wellesbourne wanted to tell me about your brother escaping Nether. We have sent scouts to follow his trail.”

Chrystobel looked at him, worried. “Will you bring him back?”

Keller shrugged. “William pointed out to me that to have him away from the castle means peace for us all,” he said. “But there is a larger part of me that wants to bring him back to face justice for the murder of your father, among other things.”

Chrystobel thought seriously on both points. In fact, she looked rather bewildered. “Away from Nether?” she murmured, more to herself than to him. “I… I have rarely known him to be away from Nether. He has always been here, lurking about.”

Keller studied her intently, seeing both fear and relief in her expression. It occurred to him that she should have some say in all of this, considering how much of it directly affected her. For so long she’d had no control over her brother. Now, Keller would give her some of that control back.

“What would be your desire?” he asked softly. “Do you want me to bring him back here and punish him or do you want me to let him keep running, so long as he stays far away from here?”

Chrystobel looked at him, surprised he would ask her such a question. She took it very seriously. “I…I do not know,” she said. “I never thought… that is to say, I never believed I would ever know a life without living in fear of my brother. It does not seem real.”

Keller watched her befuddled expression, daring to reach out and brush her fingers with his own. The mere touch between them sent bolts of excitement racing through his big body and when she latched on to his fingers, holding them tightly, he actually thought he might swoon. Everything in his chest welled up so that he could hardly breathe.

“It is real,” he replied. “You will never again have to fear the man so long as I am alive. If you want me to track him down and punish him for killing your father, I will. But if you simply want to let the man run off forever, out of your sight and out of your mind, then I understand. I will leave the choice to you.”

Chrystobel clutched his fingers with both hands, feeling his warmth and strength. It was an overwhelming sensation, one that made her heart race with joy. As she gazed up into the man’s dark blue eyes, all she could feel was pure and blissful attraction. He may not have been the most handsome man she had ever seen, but he had a rugged beauty that was beyond compare. She was so caught up in the soft pout of his smooth lips and the square cut of his jaw that she nearly forgot to reply to his statement.

“Punishing him will not bring my father back,” she whispered. “I simply want him away, Keller. I never thought I would know this opportunity but now that is here, I do not want to see him ever again and I do not want to think of him ever again. I want to erase him from my mind completely. If Gryffyn is running, let him run. Let him run forever as long as it is away from Nether.”

Keller nodded in agreement, lifting her hands to kiss them sweetly. “If that is your wish,” he said softly. “But if I ever see the man again, make no mistake. I will kill him. If he ever returns to Nether, he is a dead man.”

Chrystobel nodded, feeling warm and safe and protected by his declaration. “Of course, Keller,” she said. “I support whatever you will do to that regard.”

“I appreciate that.”

She was gazing up at him still but it was apparent there was much on her mind. “About my father,” she ventured, her expression gradually becoming distressed. “We must bury him. Where is he?”

Keller squeezed her hands gently. “We put took him to the stables yesterday but I do not know if he has been moved,” he said. “I will discover where he is and then we can plan his mass. Where would you bury him?”