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Lawrence and Williaht the torches The second their backs were turned, both Christen and Gillian ran to their father as down on his knees leaning over another chest at the foot of the bed and sorting through his belongings They flanked his sides and stretched up on tiptoes, their hands on the rim of the chest so they too could peer inside
“What are you looking for, Papa?” Christen asked
“This,” he answered as he lifted the sparkling jeweled box
“It’s awful pretty, Papa,” Christen said “Can I have it?”
“Can I have it too?” Gillian chimed in
“No,” he answered “The box belongs to Prince John, and I ets it back”
Still down on his knees, their father turned toward Christen and grabbed her arle away
“You’re hurting me, Papa”
“I’rip “I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I do need you to pay attention to what I’ to tell you Can you do that, Christen?”
“Yes, Papa, I can pay attention”
“That’s good,” he praised “I want you to take this box with you when you leave Lawrence will protect you from harm and take you to a safe place far away from here, and he’ll help you hide this evil treasure until the tiht and I can come for you and take the box to Prince John You mustn’t tell anyone about this treasure, Christen”
Gillian ran around her father to stand next to Christen “Can she tell me, Papa?”
Her father ignored her question and waited for Christen to answer
“I won’t tell,” she promised
“I won’t tell no one neither” Gillian vehemently nodded to prove she meant what she said
Their father continued to ignore his younger daughter for theChristen understand the i her “No one must ever know you have the box, child Noatch what I’ to wrap the box in this tunic”
“So no one will see it?” Christen asked
“That’s right,” he whispered “So no one will see it”
“But I already seen it, Papa,” Gillian blurted out
“I know you did,” he agreed He looked up at Lawrence then “She’s too youngI’o?”
Lawrence stepped forward “I’ to protect Christen with my life, and I’ll make certain no one sees the box”
Williae “No harive you my word, Baron Ranulf My life to keep her safe”
The vehemence in his voice was a comfort to the baron and he nodded to let both soldiers know that his trust in them was absolute
Gillian tugged on her father’s elbow to get his attention She wasn’t about to be left out When her papa wrapped the pretty box in one of his tunics and gave it to Christen, Gillian clasped her hands together in anticipation, for she assuiven a present, she would be getting one too Even though Christen was the firstborn and three years older than Gillian, their father had never shown favoritism for one over the other
It was difficult for her to be patient, but Gillian tried She watched as her father pulled Christen into his aret your papa,” he whispered “Don’t forget me”
He reached for Gillian next She threw herself into his arms and kissed him soundly on his whiskered cheek
“Papa, don’t you have a pretty box for me?”
“No, o with William now Take hold of his hand—”
“But Papa, I got to have a box too Don’t you have one for me to carry?”
“The box isn’t a present, Gillian”
“But, Papa—”
“I love you,” he said, blinking back the tears as he fiercely clasped her against the cold chain mail of his hauberk “God keep you safe”
“You’re squishingthe box? Please, Papa?”
Ector, her father’s chief reeve, barged into the room His shout so startled Christen she dropped the treasure The box rolled out of the tunic onto the floor and clattered across the stones In the firelight fro torches, the rubies and sapphires and e and twinkling brightly like sparkling stars that had fallen from the sky
Ector stopped short, startled by the dazzling beauty that tumbled before him
“What is it, Ector?” her father said
Intent on giving his baron the urgent e from Bryant, the baron’s co attention to what he was doing as he scooped up the box and handed it to Lawrence His focus returned to his leader “Milord, Bryant badeAlford the Red and his soldiers have breached the inner bailey”