Chapter Seven #3
But Richmond would. Where she perceived herself as suffering punishment and humiliation at the hands of the massive knight, the reality of the matter was that Richmond was trying to shape her character and instill the morals of right and wrong into her thick skull.
Where she perceived his actions as cruelty, he knew them to be the result of his concern for her.
And like any good father, Richmond knew of her fury and annoyance toward him, but he was impervious to it.
As far as he was concerned, he had dealt with her in an extremely fair manner considering her offense and had no desire to waste another moment on the matter.
His attention moved onward, away from the spoiled child, and focused on the arrival of his second in command less than a half hour earlier.
Leaving Regine a howling mess, he descended the stairs into the gallery. Almost immediately, his gaze fell on Gavan in discussion with the earl. Thoughts of Regine and her deviant behavior faded altogether as he approached the two men.
Gavan Hage was closer to him than a brother, an extremely handsome man of massive build. Eight years younger than Richmond with uncanny wisdom, Richmond was glad to see the man and shook the man’s hand amiably.
“If it isn’t my wandering general,” he said with a grin. “How gracious of you to bless us with your presence.”
Gavan cocked an eyebrow. “I did not come to see you, merely the Lady Arissa. It is her birthday, after all.”
“But you missed the festivities of the day,” Richmond reminded him. “You had better have an excellent excuse if the lady is going to forgive your truancy.”
“Excellent, indeed,” Gavan snorted. “I have spent the better part of yesterday searching for an appropriate gift. She will forgive me when she sees the lovely candle I brought her.”
Richmond scowled. “A mere candle for her birthday?” Laughing softly, he clapped the man on the shoulder. “You and I must have a talk regarding the gifts ladies prefer. I should hardly consider a candle a much-desired item.”
Gavan’s lips pressed into a wry, flat line. “The earl thought it to be most suitable,” he glanced to the rounded man beside him. “I am sorry, my lord. Richmond does not agree with your opinion.”
The earl snorted, reeking of the fine alcohol he had been imbibing in for the better part of an hour. “He rarely does where it pertains to Arissa,” he muttered. “Since he deems your gift inappropriate, I should ask him what he selected for this most auspicious day. Well?”
Richmond’s expression did not waver, thinking on the lovely cross, the stolen kisses, and the amazing process of discovery taking place between them.
“I am sure she will tell you in her own time, announcing my token of esteem to be the finest she’s received this day,” he was half-jesting, half not.
Wanting off the subject, he returned his focus to Gavan.
“Tell me – how goes the situation in London?”
Gavan’s expression changed. It was not so much an obvious transformation as it was in the light in his eyes. Richmond caught the alteration and was needful to get the man alone.
“Busy,” Gavan replied evenly. “I have brought a few items for you, from Henry. In fact, I left them in my saddlebags. I shall go and get them.”
“I shall go with you,” Richmond volunteered in a perfect excuse.
When William dismissed them both and went about his business, Richmond and Gavan strolled casually from the gallery.
Instead of moving for the bailey en route to the knight’s quarters, Gavan headed for a smaller solar off the main corridor, rarely used except by visitors and dallying servants.
There was a small fire in the hearth, casting a warm glow about the dingy room. As the sun set, Gavan went to his satchel already deposited against the wall. Richmond closed the door quietly, making sure to bolt it.
“What is wrong?” he asked, his voice a rumble.
Gavan began to fumble through his bag. “A great deal, unfortunately. You were wise to leave me behind in case any further developments arose along the Welsh border.”
“And?”
Gavan rose on thick legs, a missive in his hand.
“God’s Teeth, Richmond, where to begin?” he said.
“When you left, Hotspur was holding the Welsh rebellion and Owen Glendower as best he could. Even though Owen had captured three garrisons, for the most part the English have the upper hand. Until Henry began expressing his displeasure at Hotspur’s military abilities. ”
Richmond cocked an eyebrow. “Displeasure with Henry Percy? I realize he was unhappy that three bastions had been captured by the Welsh, but he never expressed his dissatisfaction with Hotspur to me. In fact, he’s extremely pleased with the man’s tactics.”
Gavan shook his head. “More than that, he’s simply pleased to have mighty Northumberland fighting his Welsh war.
Just before you left, however, he began to intimate that the loss of the three fortresses to be Hotspur’s fault.
It took a mere day for word of the king’s distrust to reach Henry Percy on the border and, I would imagine, he’s most disturbed with the king’s treachery. ”
Richmond drew in a deep, thoughtful breath. “You have not heard of his reaction?”
Gavan shook his head. “It cannot be favorable. If Northumberland turns against Henry in retaliation for the king’s lack of faith, the results could be devastating.”
“Devastating for Henry indeed. One cannot hold England and not be allied with Northumberland. They rule the north.”
Gavan eased himself onto the corner of a heavy table; the ride from London had been hard and he was beginning to feel his fatigue. Moreover, the weight of the news he bore was exhausting.
“Both Henry and Hotspur are close to you. What will you do, Richmond? You will find yourself in the middle.”
Richmond was gazing off into the flickering hearth, his handsome face expressionless.
After an eternal moment, he sighed. “I do not plan to do anything for the moment. Unless I hear otherwise, I shall continue to wait out the month at Lambourn and escort Lady Arissa to Whitby after the New Year. After that, I shall return to London and, I would suspect, move directly for the Welsh border to assist Hotspur with the rebellion.”
Gavan did not say anything for a moment. “What if Hotspur becomes the rebellion? His alliance with Henry is tenuous at best, and with the added insult of Henry’s faithlessness, we may find ourselves in another civil war.”
Richmond moved away from the hearth, his brow creased with thought. “And we shall deal with it when, and if, it comes. But until such time, nothing changes,” he motioned to the missive in Gavan’s hand. “What is that?”
Gavan rose and handed him the vellum. “From Henry. He would not tell me what it said.”
Richmond broke the red wax seal bearing the leopards and lions of England. Unrolling the missive, he moved to the hearth to read by the light.
Gavan turned away from Richmond as he read the missive, pacing the stone floor and lost to his own thoughts. He continued to pace about, his mind lingering on Hotspur and paying little attention to his comrade reading by the dim flame.
One minute turned into two, turned into five. When Gavan glanced up to see why Richmond was taking so long in digesting the missive, he was struck by the expression on his friend’s face. He’d never seen a look of such…. shock.
“What’s the matter?” he demanded softly.
Richmond was staring at the vellum as if he were looking into the bowels of hell. Gavan’s voice seemed to snap him out of his trance, for the vellum suddenly flew into the flames and ignited in a burst of sparks. The parchment burned brightly.
“Richmond, what does it say?”
Richmond stared into the fluctuating flames. His mouth opened as if to speak, then closed again. Swallowing hard, he turned to Gavan.
“A reward,” he murmured. “Henry is rewarding me for my years of service….”
Gavan peered closely at him, his brow furrowed with puzzlement. “I do not understand. And this displeases you?”
Richmond let out a long sigh, striving to regain control of his reeling senses. He simply couldn’t comprehend what he had read.
“I do not want it,” he said hoarsely, dragging his hands over his face as if he were about to lose his mind.
“You do not want the reward?” Gavan took a step toward him, concerned with the emotion he was witnessing.
Richmond was a man of consummate control and rarely, if ever, did he display his inner feelings.
It was a disturbing sight at the very least, especially when Gavan did not understand the significance.
Obviously, something was terribly wrong.
Richmond stood by the wall, leaning against the cold stone for support as he struggled with his astonishment. Gavan moved towards him, eager to be of assistance if Richmond would allow. Never mind if the missive was not any of his business; he would make it his business.
“What in the hell is going on, Richmond?” he demanded quietly. “Why are you so unbalanced?”
Richmond felt Gavan’s presence, slowly turning to look at him.
A man he had literally trusted with his life for over ten years, and he had known him far longer than he could recall.
He was a man who had no idea of the true situation around him; for all Gavan knew, Richmond and William were old friends, and Richmond was very fond of spending the majority of his time at Lambourn.
Considering the Earl of Berkshire was a strong supporter of Henry, it was not an unusual situation.
Never once had Gavan questioned Richmond’s strong attachment to the earl and his family. Gazing into Gavan’s brown eyes, Richmond realized that the time for truth had come.
He drew in a deep breath, steadying himself. “What I am about to tell you will not leave this room. Do you understand?”
Gavan nodded. “By my oath as a knight, I swear it.”