cold.”
“Thank you, Sir Nigel, Lady Cristen.” The knight bowed and turned gratefully to take an empty place at one of the trestle tables set up in the hall.
Cristen turned grave eyes upon her father. “What does this mean? What will the king do now?”
Nigel gestured to the parchment, which lay on the table next to his trencher. “Stephen is gathering a force to take against Reginald, who has apparently fortified all of fitzWilliam’s castles against the king.”
Cristen continued to gaze steadily at her father.
Nigel sighed. “Stephen has called upon Lord Guy for his feudal levy and Guy wants me to lead it.”
Cristen blinked as if she had taken a blow. “You? Why you?” she demanded. “Why does not Guy lead his men himself?”
“I imagine that Guy does not want to bury himself in Cornwall at this particular moment,” Nigel said wryly. “I heard yesterday that the Earl of Chester has gone into Lincolnshire to meet with his half brother. Now that the earldom of Lincoln is empty, the two of them will be plotting ways to earn it for William of Roumare. And, as we both know, Guy has his eye upon that particular earldom for Hugh.”
Cristen’s small, capable hands were clenched in her lap. “But why ask you to lead his feudal force? You and Guy are certainly not the best of friends.”
Nigel looked as if he were debating what his answer should be.
Cristen swept on. “Is it because of Hugh? Guy wants you out of the way so that if he puts pressure on Hugh, you will not be at Somerford to offer him refuge?”
“I don’t know why you ask me questions when you have worked the answers out perfectly well for yourself,” Nigel said a little grumpily.
Cristen, who was usually so quick to smooth over her father’s ruffled feelings, did not appear even to notice that he was put out. Instead, she said decisively, “This is not the time for Stephen to be depleting Wiltshire of its fighting men. Once the king has taken our men into Cornwall, what is to stop the Earl of Gloucester from coming against us with his own forces?”
“Guy is only calling up a portion of the muster owed to him from each of his vassals,” Nigel replied. “He is not depleting his forces. We, for example, areonly being asked for six men and forty men at arms. I can assure you, my dear, you will be well supplied with defenders here should Gloucester come calling in my absence.”
“You are leaving me in charge then, Father?” Cristen asked in a faintly troubled voice.
Nigel looked at her in surprise. “Who else would I leave in charge?”
It was a common custom to leave the lady of the castle in command when the lord was called away.
Cristen was frowning thoughtfully. “Who will command the knights?”
“I will leave you Lionel,” Nigel said.
The worried look cleared a little from Cristen’s face. Lionel was about forty years of age and had been at Somerford since Cristen was a child. He was very competent and very well respected by the other knights.
“Guy’s force is to meet at Chippenham in three days’ time,” Nigel said. “He wants me there earlier, however, in case some of the men arrive early.”
Cristen raised her delicate brows. “Guy can’t even be bothered to greet his own feudal levy himself?”
“Guy is not going to be at Chippenham, Cristen,” Nigel said soberly. “He writes that he is leaving tomorrow for Lincoln.”
After the table had been cleared, Nigel wrote a return message to Lord Guy, then sent Guy’s knight back to Chippenham to deliver it. Once the messenger had left the hall, Nigel turned to Cristen, who had kept her seat at his side, and said cheerfully, “Well, if you will excuse me, my dear, I must send for the knights who are to accompany me to Cornwall. We have a great deal to do before we set out.”
“Who are you planning to take with you, Father?”
Nigel listed six names, and Cristen immediately objected to one of them.
“I wish you would leave Thomas here with
“Thank you, Sir Nigel, Lady Cristen.” The knight bowed and turned gratefully to take an empty place at one of the trestle tables set up in the hall.
Cristen turned grave eyes upon her father. “What does this mean? What will the king do now?”
Nigel gestured to the parchment, which lay on the table next to his trencher. “Stephen is gathering a force to take against Reginald, who has apparently fortified all of fitzWilliam’s castles against the king.”
Cristen continued to gaze steadily at her father.
Nigel sighed. “Stephen has called upon Lord Guy for his feudal levy and Guy wants me to lead it.”
Cristen blinked as if she had taken a blow. “You? Why you?” she demanded. “Why does not Guy lead his men himself?”
“I imagine that Guy does not want to bury himself in Cornwall at this particular moment,” Nigel said wryly. “I heard yesterday that the Earl of Chester has gone into Lincolnshire to meet with his half brother. Now that the earldom of Lincoln is empty, the two of them will be plotting ways to earn it for William of Roumare. And, as we both know, Guy has his eye upon that particular earldom for Hugh.”
Cristen’s small, capable hands were clenched in her lap. “But why ask you to lead his feudal force? You and Guy are certainly not the best of friends.”
Nigel looked as if he were debating what his answer should be.
Cristen swept on. “Is it because of Hugh? Guy wants you out of the way so that if he puts pressure on Hugh, you will not be at Somerford to offer him refuge?”
“I don’t know why you ask me questions when you have worked the answers out perfectly well for yourself,” Nigel said a little grumpily.
Cristen, who was usually so quick to smooth over her father’s ruffled feelings, did not appear even to notice that he was put out. Instead, she said decisively, “This is not the time for Stephen to be depleting Wiltshire of its fighting men. Once the king has taken our men into Cornwall, what is to stop the Earl of Gloucester from coming against us with his own forces?”
“Guy is only calling up a portion of the muster owed to him from each of his vassals,” Nigel replied. “He is not depleting his forces. We, for example, areonly being asked for six men and forty men at arms. I can assure you, my dear, you will be well supplied with defenders here should Gloucester come calling in my absence.”
“You are leaving me in charge then, Father?” Cristen asked in a faintly troubled voice.
Nigel looked at her in surprise. “Who else would I leave in charge?”
It was a common custom to leave the lady of the castle in command when the lord was called away.
Cristen was frowning thoughtfully. “Who will command the knights?”
“I will leave you Lionel,” Nigel said.
The worried look cleared a little from Cristen’s face. Lionel was about forty years of age and had been at Somerford since Cristen was a child. He was very competent and very well respected by the other knights.
“Guy’s force is to meet at Chippenham in three days’ time,” Nigel said. “He wants me there earlier, however, in case some of the men arrive early.”
Cristen raised her delicate brows. “Guy can’t even be bothered to greet his own feudal levy himself?”
“Guy is not going to be at Chippenham, Cristen,” Nigel said soberly. “He writes that he is leaving tomorrow for Lincoln.”
After the table had been cleared, Nigel wrote a return message to Lord Guy, then sent Guy’s knight back to Chippenham to deliver it. Once the messenger had left the hall, Nigel turned to Cristen, who had kept her seat at his side, and said cheerfully, “Well, if you will excuse me, my dear, I must send for the knights who are to accompany me to Cornwall. We have a great deal to do before we set out.”
“Who are you planning to take with you, Father?”
Nigel listed six names, and Cristen immediately objected to one of them.
“I wish you would leave Thomas here with
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