Chapter 24
It didn’t take long to summon Alric. The man had once been a simple knight like Rafe, but he was now married to Cecily de Vere, an heiress and the daughter of a proud family. The changes in his appearance were subtle, but evident to Rafe, who once knew him very well. His clothing was finer quality, and that belt and the leather shoes cost more than Alric ever would have spent when he was a knight. Still, he was Alric. The brown hair held a little grey now, and he probably slacked off his military training since becoming lord-in-waiting here at Cleobury. But he was just as tall, and just as insufferably straight-laced in outlook.
When Alric entered the room, he immediately crossed the floor to join Cecily, putting one arm around her shoulders in a gesture that said louder than words that he’d protect her against any threat…and that the presence of Rafe implied considerable threat.
The couple spoke to each other, just a few low-voiced words Rafe couldn’t hear. Next to him, Angelet gripped his hand.
“Do you know him?” she murmured.
“Like a brother,” Rafe said wryly.
Then Alric faced Rafe. He’d been forewarned, of course, but even so his expression was admirably steady. “I knew I’d see you again someday, but I didn’t picture it like this.”
Rafe actually laughed. “You mean where I come to you on my own two feet, unbound and unshackled? You have sent people after me to drag me back. Admit it.”
Alric and Cecily exchanged glances, and she said, “I think you should tell him.”
“Tell me what?” Rafe asked.
“Come with me,” Alric said. It wasn’t a request.
Rafe gave Angelet a careless smile. “Back in a moment.”
“Make me no promises,” she said, looking doubtful.
Rafe had his own doubts, but he followed Alric until they reached another room on the same floor, this one much smaller than the room Angelet was using.
Alric closed the door, then looked Rafe over for a long time. At the end of the inspection, he just shook his head. “I will admit, I did not foresee this.” His tone was resigned, amused…and deeply, painfully familiar. Rafe never felt more homesick than right at that moment. But Cleobury was not his home anymore.
“Believe me,” he said, “it wasn’t by design. I tried to avoid this whole shire. But you guessed that, since your people tracked me elsewhere.”
“No. Not my people,” Alric said instantly. “True, I wasn’t happy that you ran away. But your life is your own.”
“Don’t play me for a fool. There have been men following me for years. I noticed the first signs only a few months after I left.”
“I didn’t say that you weren’t being followed,” Alric said, “just that it wasn’t me who sent them.”
“Who, then?”
“Lord Rainald is keen to speak to you.”
Rafe closed his eyes. Even if Alric forgave Rafe for his transgressions, it sounded as though Rainald de Vere had not. “What’s his plan for me? Why haven’t you dragged me to his feet already?”
“Because he’s not here,” Alric said. “He’s gone to a meeting the Lord Halbeck called. Many of the lords in this part of the country went to discuss the progress of the war. It might be many weeks before he returns.”
“Good. We’ll be gone by then.”
Alric snorted. “You’ll go when I let you go. And it won’t be for a while.”
“You don’t understand. It’s the lady who needs to hurry.”
“Ah, yes. Tell me, who is the lady?”
“Exactly who she says she is. Angelet d’Hiver. Yarborough. She’s the widow of one Hubert Yarborough. He was the son of a Lord Otto, who holds Dryton Manor. Stephen’s man.”
“I don’t know the name, but that means little, since I’m so bound here. What happened?”
“She must have told the story, more or less.”
“I’d like the more. The version she related to Cecily was rather light on detail.”
“I was hired to escort her on a journey,” Rafe said, “along with several other men-at-arms—some locals, and some who served Lord Otto. We were attacked on the road, taken by surprise. I had the opportunity to get her out of the fray and I took it. If we’d stayed, we all would have been slaughtered.”
“Surely she’d be ransomed,” Alric objected.
“I doubt it,” Rafe said. “They meant to kill her that day, and that was confirmed when someone attacked her again several days later. Same weapon, same method. But they hit the second time, and forced me to bring her here.”
Alric was following the story, watching Rafe with narrowed eyes. “Where were you going?”
Rafe paused. He wasn’t sure if Angelet had explained she had a child, and intended to retrieve him. He’d better stick to the more obvious story. “We’d been heading south. She wants me to take her to Wareham, in hopes of getting passage to the Continent. Her own family hails from Anjou.”
“So all this was just professional pride on your part?”
“What else would it be?”
“You rode halfway through the shire to get her to a healer you trusted.”
“Well, I didn’t want her to die.” Rafe swallowed, suddenly very uncomfortable with how Alric was prodding at his motivations. “I’d get a bad reputation if a client died before she got to her destination.”
“That’s the part of your reputation you think will suffer?”
“What’s your point?”
“My point is that you are not treating this woman as an obligation.”
“I am. I was paid to take her to Anjou, and that’s what I’m going to do. She’s offered more money when she gets home. So you can understand my haste to resume the journey.”
“Don’t be too eager. The lady seems to have cheated death this time, but her recovery will take a while, according to Cecily. And then there’s Lord Rainald.”
“What’s he intend to do with me?”
Alric shrugged. “He’s been very secretive about his reasons, and it’s not for me to question him. But he’s not been at all secretive about his eagerness to find you.”
“He blames me for working for Theobald,” Rafe said, referring to one of his many past mistakes. “Serves me right for getting involved in a family matter. Rainald will punish me for that.”
“That’s up to him,” Alric said. “My duty is to keep you here until he returns.”
“So you don’t intend to punish me in the meantime?” Rafe asked.
“No. You showed remorse for what you did in the end, and I don’t think you knew the extent of Theobald’s plans.”
“That’s all too true,” Rafe muttered. No one knew just how far Theobald de Vere had gone to take power from his brother, or just how far he was willing to go to keep that power. However, Theobald’s plans didn’t go as he intended, and now Rainald was once again the head of the de Vere family.
Unfortunately, Rafe had been a willing pawn in Theobald’s game for too long, and the price of losing was steep. Steeper than he’d anticipated. Rafe hadn’t considered how valuable his friendships were until he destroyed them.
“Any word from Luc?” he asked, remembering their other close friend from the early training days.
“He’s well,” Alric said, his expression changing to one of genuine happiness. “I saw him just before Christmastide, in fact.”
“I expect he’s at court. He was always eager to play politics.”
“Less eager than he used to be. His interests are now more domestic.”
“Domestic? Luc? What happened?”
“He married, and is now a father.”
Rafe blinked. “I’d have heard! If Luc of Braecon married, it would have been into one of the great families—the news of that alliance would have been talked of everywhere. Who’d the king pick for him?” Rafe couldn’t believe he missed that news. He made a point of checking for such tidbits whenever he could.
“It’s a long story, in fact. His wife isn’t from one of the families you would guess, but he’s well content. And not too far away, since his new lands are only a few days ride south of Cleobury.”
“Don’t tell him I’m here,” Rafe said. It was bad enough to face Alric. He couldn’t face Luc too.
“No promises.”
Rafe accepted that. Alric didn’t owe him anything.
“You can sleep in the southeast room,” Alric went on. “No more lurking in the woods outside.”
“Well, at least it will be a comfortable imprisonment. Do you want me to surrender my weapons?”
“No,” Alric said. “You’re too intelligent to do something stupid when your client is forced to remain here at Cleobury for her own health.”
“Speaking of which, are we done? I’d like to talk with her.” Rafe began to walk to the door.
Alric stepped into his path. “I don’t think that’s necessary. After all, she doesn’t mean anything to you. And now that she is at Cleobury, we’re all responsible for protecting her, not just physically, but her reputation as well. Wouldn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea, would we?”
Rafe rolled his eyes. He’d be damned before he admitted the truth of what happened between him and Angelet. Let Alric guess if he wanted to. Rafe didn’t have to make it easy for him. He said, “I don’t need to see her. It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other.” The words came out easily enough, but for some reason Alric just looked more annoyed than before.
“Maybe you haven’t changed at all,” he said.
“Don’t tell me about myself,” Rafe warned. “You don’t know me.”
“Of course I do,” Alric retorted. “We grew up together, we fought together, and we fought against each other. And when you had the whole country to choose from, you came here for shelter. Goodnight, Rafe. Welcome back to Cleobury.”
* * * *
Rafe spent his night dead asleep. He expected to be restless, disturbed by the return to his old home and anxious for the health of Angelet. But after days of sleeping outside and the whole time running from whoever was after him and Angelet on the road, Rafe couldn’t resist the appeal of a clean mattress and the soft linens of a real house. Everything about the manor spoke of comfort, and Rafe woke up feeling amazingly refreshed and even somewhat optimistic.
The good feelings didn’t last long, of course. Everywhere he went, he felt the eyes of the residents on him, and knew they were talking about him. Exchanging old gossip and new guesses about his plans. He could sense their interest, much as he could sense when someone on a battlefield was getting ready to go for him in particular.
His reaction, predictably, was to tense up, to prepare to fight, even though there was no actual attack coming. Still, it reminded him of what he should be doing.
As he left the manor house with his weapons and gear, he encountered Alric.
“Not running away, I hope,” Alric said by way of a greeting.
Rafe said, “I’m going to the practice fields.”
“Why?”
“Because I need to practice.” Not everyone married the heiress of a manor. Alric might be able to forget about his training, but Rafe still had to make a living.
“Want company?” Alric asked.
Rafe stared at him, incredulous. How the hell did Alric expect him to respond to that? Finally, he said, “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
Alric gave a shrug. “Another time, then. Good luck.”
So Rafe practiced. Alone. Goswin did show up later in the morning, and Rafe was able to show the boy some of the rudiments of what a page or a squire did before and after a fight. Perhaps Rafe could persuade Alric to keep the boy at Cleobury. Goswin showed no inclination to return to Ashthorpe, despite Rafe’s prodding.
“Why should I?” Goswin had said. “One town is the same as another. By the time I got back there, everyone will have forgot who I am.”
“You need a trade,” Rafe told him. “Something to keep you fed.”
“Then I’ll be a soldier, like you. When did you start your training?”
“Eleven or twelve, I think. But it took years. The war will be over when you’re old enough to join an army.”
“The war will never be over,” Goswin grumbled. “The king and empress will fight until they’ve got no soldiers left. Is that why you left your lord’s service?” he asked.
“No. I had other reasons, none of which matter to you.” He then changed the subject, keeping Goswin busy answering detailed questions about the care of arms and armor.
Afterward, he tried to visit Angelet. At the door of her chamber, he saw a woman he knew.
“Agnes!” Rafe gave the older woman a smile. She’d been Lady Cecily’s nurse for years. “Did you miss me?”
“Not a whit,” the woman replied, though she still accepted a peck on the cheek. “I’ve got my hands full with all the young people running about this place. No sense, some of these maids. What’s the world coming to?”
“You’ll keep order as you always have,” Rafe assured her. “May I see Angelet?”
“She’s sleeping. My lady has given very strict orders that she’s not to be disturbed. By anyone,” she added before Rafe could wheedle an exception from her.
“Just a peek? To see that she’s well.”
“No. The woman needs rest, not to be leered at.”
“I don’t leer,” he objected.
“Ha! As if I’d forget the sort of rogue you are. Get on your way, sir knight, or face my wrath.” The old nurse crossed her arms.
“I’m going, I’m going,” he promised. “You will tell her I tried, won’t you?”
Agnes chortled. “No promises. I’m not your messenger. Now get on with you.” He left, wondering if Cecily gave orders regarding him specifically. Very probably. How irritating, to be so close to Angelet and still not be able to even speak to her.
The next few days passed in the same way. Angelet slept—he was told—and he could do nothing but wait. He practiced every day, always alone, though often some of the servants would come to watch him for a while. Perhaps Alric told them to, because Rafe had the sense he was never unobserved. Alric took his role seriously, and Rafe sneaking away would be difficult, though certainly not impossible…if he went alone. He’d never be able to spirit Angelet away, which meant he had to either brazen this whole situation out, or cut and run as he did before.
Before he made any decision, Alric summoned him one day. He wore what Rafe thought of as his “serious” expression.
“What’s the matter?” Rafe asked.
“I spoke to someone this morning, and heard an interesting tale. I want to believe what you told me, Rafe…”
“But you don’t,” Rafe interrupted, “because of who I am.”
Alric frowned. “Regarding your earlier, ah, error in judgment—”
A kind way to describe attempted murder, Rafe thought.
“—I have forgiven that. Truly,” he added, on seeing Rafe’s skepticism.
“So?” Rafe asked. “What is my new crime?”
“You told me your account of what happened when Lady Angelet’s cortège was attacked.”
“Yes,” Rafe said impatiently.
“But you didn’t tell me that there was a large quantity of gold in a chest. And now I’ve heard that there is speculation that you were the very person who stole it.”
That annoyed Rafe. “What?”
“There are rumors among travelers. You stole the gold, allowed the others to be killed, and made off with the woman as a hostage.”
“Does she look like a hostage?” Rafe sputtered. “I did everything I could to save her life. I even came back here! A mistake, I now know.”
“So you deny the theft?”
“Yes, I deny it! I’ll march into the chapel over there and deny it again, if that would help.”
“It wouldn’t,” Alric said flatly.
“Then what would convince you?”
“The whole truth?”
Rafe sighed, then proceeded to tell Alric the few details he’d withheld from the original account. At the end, Alric shook his head.
“Why keep this a secret?”
“Perhaps because of the accusation you just leveled at me? I know I’m not the trustworthy, upstanding knight you are. But I’m no thief, and I didn’t have anything to do with the disappearance of that gold. Angelet will confirm it. I couldn't have brought along so much treasure, even if I did steal it. Which I didn’t.”
“You might have hid it somewhere.”
“There were nearly a dozen other people with the cortège. Someone was always awake—because I set watches. There’s no way I could have spirited the chest away, snuck the key from Angelet to unlock it, unchained the whole mess, removed the money, refilled it with rocks, rebound it, relocked, and hauled it back alone, without someone seeing. And who in the world would be dumb enough to hide a cache of treasure in a countryside he barely knows? I’d be better off tossing it into the sea.”
“All right, I believe you.”
“You do?”
“You’re not the type of man to leave something that valuable behind.”
Rafe sighed. Even when he was exonerated of something, his worst traits got brought up. “Ask the lady. She’ll tell the same story.”
“Cecily insists that we don’t distress her while she recovers, so I haven’t brought it up.”
“Speaking of her recovery, can I see her at some point? She always seems to be asleep when I try.”
“Well, a crossbow bolt to the chest is no small matter. It’s amazing the bolt didn’t pierce a lung, or her heart. She’d be long buried by now. So don’t begrudge her a nap.”
“I don’t begrudge her anything. I just want to see for myself.”
“Speak to Cecily,” Alric said. “One thing I’ve learned is that it’s unwise to ignore my wife when she’s made her wishes clear.”
As it happened, Cecily found him first. Rafe had gone to the top of the outer wall, the one facing the eastern woods. He was enjoying a moment of peace, simply looking out over the greening woods, when the lady of the manor joined him.
“Did you miss Cleobury?” she asked, surveying him rather than the scene.
“Occasionally.” Every day, but he wouldn’t tell Cecily that. “Thank you for letting me stay. And for caring for Angelet.”
“Did you think I’d turn the poor woman away?”
“I knew you couldn’t. That’s why I risked the ride here.”
“You did risk quite a lot for the lady Angelet,” Cecily noted. “I want to discuss that.”
“You do?”
“You’ve seduced her, haven’t you?”
Rafe glanced at her. “You’ve grown blunt.”
“I’m not the innocent girl I once was. I know much more of the world, and I know what you’re like…what you’ve always been like when it comes to women. You see one you enjoy and then charm her to you, with no thought of what comes after. So you’ve done to Angelet.”
“No,” he snapped. Then, before he could stop himself, he hedged, “Not exactly.”
“How do you not exactly seduce a woman?”
“It was…are we really going to talk about this, you and me?”
“You’re in my home, Rafe. You once served my father. You once betrayed my husband and my family. And now you quail at a little crude talk? What did you do to her?”
“Nothing she didn’t ask for.”
“That’s no defense, if you persuaded her to ask.”
“It wasn’t like that,” he said. “Not at all.”
“Then what was it? If you played with her heart simply to tumble her into a bed once or twice, it proves you’ve not changed and you’ll never change. You’ll be the same selfish knave you showed yourself to be years—”
“I’d die for her,” he said, louder than he intended.
Cecily’s eyes widened as the words fell between them.
“I’d die for her,” Rafe repeated, more calmly. “In fact, I was attacked multiple times on her account. If things had gone a bit differently, it might have been me with a wound in my chest. Sorry to disappoint. Again.”
“You love her?” Cecily asked softly.
“I’ve never been in love,” he said, shrugging off the suggestion. “I protected her because that’s what I was hired to do. That’s all I meant. Anything more would complicate things, and they’re complicated enough as it is.”
“You’ve slept with her, though,” Cecily guessed.
“Dear God, what’s it to you if we have? She’s a widow. She was no innocent for me to ruin. We both wanted something. If there was a seduction, it was entirely mutual.”
“So it might have been, but the consequences are not equal! What if she bears your child?”
“No.”
“That’s your defense? A simple denial? That’s—”
“She had one son, and that is all she will ever have. She told me she can no longer bear children.”
Cecily suddenly put a hand to her mouth, her cheeks reddening. It wasn’t hard to guess why. Cecily’s rounding belly made her current state obvious. She must have chattered away of her hopes to Angelet, who naturally would have said nothing to destroy the happy mood.
“Whatever is between Angelet and me is our problem,” Rafe said.
“But now you’re both here,” Cecily countered. “And I insist that until you both leave, you treat her as a lady, not one of your conquests. Your reputation at Cleobury is damaged enough. Don’t make it worse.”
“Thank you for reminding me,” he muttered.
“Was there a chance you’d forget?”
No, not till he died. One more reason to get out of Cleobury as soon as humanly possible.