Page 196 of Historical Hotties
She trailed off into heart wrenching sobs. Creed sighed heavily, rocking her gently and trying to soothe her. His dark, anguished gaze found the priest.
“How far behind you would you estimate the king’s men are?” he asked quietly.
Massimo wriggled his eyebrows in resignation. “Darlington, perhaps,” he lifted his shoulders. “If they are riding harder than I am, then they will be closer.”
Carington pulled her face from the crook of his neck, her emerald eyes filled with terror. “Please,” she put her small hands on his face urgently. “Please go. The king’s men will lay siege to Prudhoe if ye stay and ye will risk much. Yer desire to stay with me is not worth so many lives. And what of Lord Richard? Will ye bring hell upon him because of yer selfishness?”
He gazed deeply into her beautiful eyes. “I do not consider wanting to stay with my wife selfish. Moreover, there will be no siege.”
She blinked, looking surprised. “No siege? What do ye mean?”
He leaned down and kissed her wet cheek. “Because I intend to turn myself over to them.”
Carington flew into a frenzy. “Nay!” she screamed. “Ye cannot do this, not when…oh!”
She suddenly doubled over and clutched her belly. Creed went from calm to horrified in a split second.
“What is wrong?” he had his arms on her, supporting her. “Cari, what is happening?”
She was panting, holding her rounded belly. “A… pain,” she gasped. “’Tis nothing… I will be all right.”
Creed was seized with terror. “What is wrong?”
She shook her head; mostly to ease his mind but also because she did not really know. “A pain,” she said bravely. “It will pass. I’ve had a few lately but they go away.”
“A few?” he repeated, aghast. “And you did not tell me?”
“There wasna much to tell.”
He swept her into his arms, torn between fury and terror. “I am taking you to bed,” he told her. “The strain has been too much for you.”
Carington was in a good deal of agony as bolts of pain shot through her belly and groin. “Creed,” she was struggling to calm herself, realizing that it was now her husband who was on the edge of panic. “I will be all right but I must know that ye are safe. Ye must leave; please. I am begging ye.”
He did not reply. A couple of servants were hovering hear the entry door and he sent one of them running for the physic tending Lady Vivian while the other tossed Carington’s cloak over her to shield her from the snow outside. Creed was in such a state of horror that he did not realize that it was Massimo who opened the entry door for him and helped them out into the snow. The priest kept Carington’s cloak from blowing off as they trudged through the fresh powder snow and into the cottage. Once inside, Massimo removed the cloak as Creed took Carington on into the bedroom.
He laid her gently on their massive bed, gazing into her face with a stricken look. “The physic is coming, honey,” he murmured. “What more can I do for you?”
She lay back on the pillows, her hands pressed to her swollen belly. “Ye can go,” she whispered. “Please, Creed; I cannotstomach the thought of ye at the mercy of the king. If ye have ever loved me, if ye have ever truly wanted to please me, then ye will flee to Wether Fair and remain there until I send for ye.”
He tossed off his frozen helm and removed his gloves, kneeling beside the bed. “I am not leaving you.”
She groaned as another pain struck and turned her head away from him so he could not see her fear and anguish. When she spoke again, she was weeping.
“Please,” she whispered, extending a hand to him. “Oh, please do as I ask.”
Creed realized that tears were very close to the surface for him as well. He took her hand, kissing it reverently, never more terrified in his life. He squeezed his eyes shut, his mouth against her hand.
“My selfishness has brought you to this,” he hissed. “I have caused your pain with all of this strife and worry that seems to follow me about like a plague.”
“Nay, love, ye have not,” she assured him. “But the most important thing right now to me is yer safety. Can ye not understand? Ye are the most important thing in the world to me. I love ye more than my own life. I want ye to save yerself so that ye can see yer son grow up. That is not cowardly.”
There were tears on his cheeks as he continued to hold her hand against his face. The dusky blue eyes were in turmoil.
“All right,” he murmured. “If that is your wish, then I will do it. But I cannot leave you at this moment.”
She nodded firmly. “Aye, ye can and ye will. What becomes of me and the babe will not change if you are here or not and I will feel much more at peace knowing ye are safe.”
He gazed at her, his lips trembling. “Please do not make me go.”
