They do not know my identity. But no, I can never show my face there again. You cannot be seen to travel with me. When you return.”
“What?” William said, still confused. He felt a confused rage at Christian for doing this, for taking William’s revenge into his own hands, for risking his own neck so baldly. And he felt an overwhelming fear for what might have happened. It was the worst, most sickening feeling he’d ever known.
“You could have been killed,” he said in a dead voice. “You should by all rights have been killed, Christian. I can’t—”
Christian grabbed William’s arms and shook him hard. “William, breathe . Listen to me. I was not caught and I was not killed. Think on it! You know the only way to free Elaine from Somerfield was his death, and you were unlikely to be able to achieve that, being known, being her brother. There is nothing holding her now. In a few weeks’ time you can go to the castle and tell them you want to take Elaine and the children home to visit your father, and there will be none to oppose it. Elaine’s children are both girls, not Somerfield’s heirs. His family will not try overly hard to keep her. It is done. ”
William pulled away from Christian stiffly. “You had this planned when you went in. You swore false to me.”
Christian shook his head helplessly. “I thought that if I got the chance I would take it, but I did not truly expect to get the chance. And once I was inside I could see that any other option was hopeless. Elaine was well-guarded. We would never have been able to steal her away. And Somerfield— he would never have fought you in single combat, William. He was too old and too debauched. He would have had you killed if you’d challenged him.”
William looked up at the moon, frowning. He didn’t know what to believe. But he couldn’t shake his anger or that blood-curdling, belated terror.
“Let’s keep moving,” he said gruffly, untying Tristan and Sir Swiftfoot.
“Tristan needs rest.”
“The horses and I have done naught but rest for nearly a week,” William said bitterly. “We should travel at night and hole up during the day to avoid being seen. We’ll ride till morning.”
He mounted his horse and turned back towards the mountain path, not waiting to see if Christian would follow. After all, Christian could take care of himself, could he not? Christian, the Crow, who had gone into the castle and killed Somerfield in his rooms with a lethal sting— all by himself.
“William….” Christian began as William rode away.
William didn’t stop. Behind him, he heard Christian mount and follow.
****
CHAPTER 16
They travelled to St. Bees, which lay south of Somerfield’s castle on the coastline. They travelled at night and hid during the day, camping in the woods.
When they neared the town, they circled around to the south and rode in boldly, looking every inch the noble knights. Christian brought out a blue velvet tunic he’d packed in his saddle bags, his gold spurs, and his half armor. He helped William put on his full tournament dress. They were differentiating themselves from the travelers who had gone through Kendal a few weeks before. They were laying down the approach of Lady Elaine’s brother-knight Sir William. They said they’d come from Lancaster, to the south, and were headed to Somerfield’s castle.
In St. Bees, the rumors about Lord Somerfield’s murder had just arrived and were spreading rampantly. It was said the lord’s perversions had claimed him in the end. Apparently, he’d gone too far with a serving wench, and she’d snapped and killed him with a kitchen knife. The rumors varied greatly as to what lascivious acts Somerfield had been trying to commit at the time, and as to where he’d been stuck with the blade. One story said his most personal bits had been carved off and fed to his horse.
The wench had never been caught.
If William wondered at the rumors, why it was said to have
“What?” William said, still confused. He felt a confused rage at Christian for doing this, for taking William’s revenge into his own hands, for risking his own neck so baldly. And he felt an overwhelming fear for what might have happened. It was the worst, most sickening feeling he’d ever known.
“You could have been killed,” he said in a dead voice. “You should by all rights have been killed, Christian. I can’t—”
Christian grabbed William’s arms and shook him hard. “William, breathe . Listen to me. I was not caught and I was not killed. Think on it! You know the only way to free Elaine from Somerfield was his death, and you were unlikely to be able to achieve that, being known, being her brother. There is nothing holding her now. In a few weeks’ time you can go to the castle and tell them you want to take Elaine and the children home to visit your father, and there will be none to oppose it. Elaine’s children are both girls, not Somerfield’s heirs. His family will not try overly hard to keep her. It is done. ”
William pulled away from Christian stiffly. “You had this planned when you went in. You swore false to me.”
Christian shook his head helplessly. “I thought that if I got the chance I would take it, but I did not truly expect to get the chance. And once I was inside I could see that any other option was hopeless. Elaine was well-guarded. We would never have been able to steal her away. And Somerfield— he would never have fought you in single combat, William. He was too old and too debauched. He would have had you killed if you’d challenged him.”
William looked up at the moon, frowning. He didn’t know what to believe. But he couldn’t shake his anger or that blood-curdling, belated terror.
“Let’s keep moving,” he said gruffly, untying Tristan and Sir Swiftfoot.
“Tristan needs rest.”
“The horses and I have done naught but rest for nearly a week,” William said bitterly. “We should travel at night and hole up during the day to avoid being seen. We’ll ride till morning.”
He mounted his horse and turned back towards the mountain path, not waiting to see if Christian would follow. After all, Christian could take care of himself, could he not? Christian, the Crow, who had gone into the castle and killed Somerfield in his rooms with a lethal sting— all by himself.
“William….” Christian began as William rode away.
William didn’t stop. Behind him, he heard Christian mount and follow.
****
CHAPTER 16
They travelled to St. Bees, which lay south of Somerfield’s castle on the coastline. They travelled at night and hid during the day, camping in the woods.
When they neared the town, they circled around to the south and rode in boldly, looking every inch the noble knights. Christian brought out a blue velvet tunic he’d packed in his saddle bags, his gold spurs, and his half armor. He helped William put on his full tournament dress. They were differentiating themselves from the travelers who had gone through Kendal a few weeks before. They were laying down the approach of Lady Elaine’s brother-knight Sir William. They said they’d come from Lancaster, to the south, and were headed to Somerfield’s castle.
In St. Bees, the rumors about Lord Somerfield’s murder had just arrived and were spreading rampantly. It was said the lord’s perversions had claimed him in the end. Apparently, he’d gone too far with a serving wench, and she’d snapped and killed him with a kitchen knife. The rumors varied greatly as to what lascivious acts Somerfield had been trying to commit at the time, and as to where he’d been stuck with the blade. One story said his most personal bits had been carved off and fed to his horse.
The wench had never been caught.
If William wondered at the rumors, why it was said to have
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