Page 17 of Silent Knight: Alexander

“Alex, watch out!” cried Charlotte.

Alex spun around, drawing his sword with one hand and his dagger in the other just as Dreyfis lunged at him meaning to stab him through the back. Alex’s blades both sank into the man’s chest, and he dropped dead to the floor.

The crowd became silent, watching in curiosity and fear. Alex felt horrible for what had happened. He retrieved his blades and headed for the door.

“Alex, where are you going?” Charlotte ran after him, catching up quickly in the corridor since Alex couldn’t run.

“Go back,” he said, not looking at her. “I have ruined everything, not to mention I have killed a man on one of the holiest days of the year. I can’t stay here any longer.” He pushed his blades into the sheaths as he walked, heading for the courtyard.

“Stop right there, Alexander Masterson!” she shouted.

Alex stopped in his tracks and turned around slowly, not used to be yelled at by a woman.

“That’s better,” said Charlotte in a soft voice. “Alex, I don’t want you to leave. I love you and want to marry you.”

Alex’s head spun so much that he became dizzy. He went from being made a fool of one minute, to killing a man on Christmas the next. And now, Lady Charlotte was saying she loved him and wanted to marry him. He didn’t deserve this. It frightened him to hear her say this. Never had a woman loved him for who he was.

“You want to marry a cripple and a commoner, not to mention an assassin?”

“Alex, you are a good man. You are kind and loyal and courteous. I know you didn’t mean to kill Dreyfis. It was done in self-defense.”

“Lately, I have felt as if I am starting to have feelings for you, too, Charlotte. But it can’t be right since we just met and don’t even know each other.”

“I know all I need to know. I love you for who you are, not who you were or who you might become.”

“Alex, please stay,” called out Lady Summer, rushing through the crowd to get to him. “You are welcome here, and no one blames you for what happened to Sir Dreyfis. You were only protecting yourself as well as Lady Charlotte.”

“I – I don’t know,” said Alex, looking at Summer and then back to Charlotte. Everything was happening so fast. He needed time to think things over. “I’ll stay in the stable tonight, and I will decide in the morning.”

He left the ladies standing there, feeling as if he couldn’t make any kind of decisions until he knew for sure if he was Alexander Masterson or Peter Mowbray.