Chapter 24 #2
“Edward, my lord,” Stephen said. “The twenty-fourth Earl of Artane.”
Robin rubbed his finger over his mouth, as if he strove not to smile. “Interesting. I assume you have a particular reason for presenting yourself at my hearth at such an early hour.”
“For aid.”
“Did your sire tear my poor hall to ruins?”
“Nay, some fool somewhere along the way gambled it away to the bastards from Kenneworth and the current duke has decided he’ll call in the marker.”
Or words to that effect.
Robin shook his head. “That Hubert of Kenneworth is a terrible pain in the arse. He’s never been fond of us, but recently his ire has become unreasonable. Do you know he claims that one of my, ah … er—”
“Natural sons?” Stephen supplied gingerly.
Robin looked at him darkly. “Aye, one of those—the number of which is ridiculously inflated, I’ll have you know. He claims that one of those lads gave him a right proper thrashing. He’s vowed retribution.”
Stephen cleared his throat. “I believe, my lord, that I might need to assume responsibility for that brief encounter.”
Robin pursed his lips, but his eyes were twinkling. “I’m unsurprised. And not unhappy to know that one of my lads was behind the fray.” He waved Stephen down into a seat. “Tell me of these troubles you’re having.”
Stephen sat, accepted a wonderful rich ale that he hoped would leave him sober, then told in as few words as possible what had happened with David.
“And have you seen proof of this … marker?” Robin asked.
“Yes,” Stephen said, “a copy of it. My attorney agrees it is binding.” He paused. “My lawyer, I mean.”
“We have them, too,” Robin said in disgust, “and I’m certain they cost just as much gold now as they do in your day.” He studied Stephen. “You look like you haven’t slept.”
“I haven’t,” Stephen said. “I’ve been in a fair bit of haste.”
“I’ll find you a bed in a minute, but first satisfy my curiosity. Who do you know there in that Future of yours?”
Stephen sipped. “Zachary Smith and his wife, your daughter, who is expecting a child.”
Robin almost dropped his ale. “Damnation, but I’ll never accustom myself to this. Who else?”
“Your son Kendrick, his wife, and their six children.” He looked at Robin. “Five are lads, just like him.”
“And Nick’s wife, Jennifer, is your brother Gideon’s wife’s sister,” Robin said easily. “Is that right?”
Stephen blinked, then laughed a little. “Aye, my lord, that is right.”
“You’ll have to tell me the names of my grandsons,” Robin said, “and the wee granddaughter. But later. Let’s find you food first. I’ll join you, for I have a full day’s work still before me and need something strengthening.”
Stephen followed Robin out of his solar, then happily helped himself to a substantial breakfast in Artane’s kitchens, accompanied by Artane’s lord who apparently wasn’t above eating at the worktable whilst his staff went about the work of the day.
Stephen did his best to ignore the surreptitious looks he got.
“Are my clothes so poorly chosen?” Stephen asked finally.
“I daresay they think you’re a relation,” Robin said, looking amused. “And no doubt admiring your cheek to show yourself at my hall. I’ll leave it to you to speculate on just who they think you might be.”
Stephen felt his mouth fall open. “How awkward.”
Robin snorted. “Not for you, I’d imagine, but ’tis damned awkward for me. Let’s go find Anne and get introductions out of the way. I’ll find you a bed and let you sleep for a pair of hours whilst I give your tangle a bit of thought.” He slid Stephen a look. “Unless you had a solution already.”
“I was thinking a hefty bag of gold stuffed behind a rock in a fireplace.”
“Stephen, my lad, it would take more than one, I imagine.” He rose with the ease of a man in his prime and picked up his sword. “We’ll speak on it later, perhaps in the lists. You do know how to wield that sword, don’t you?”
“Barely.”
“Well, that’s something we’ll work on right away,” Robin said with a grin that sent chills down Stephen’s spine. “No sense in coming all this way and just putting your feet up, is there?”
“Nay, my lord,” Stephen said. “There isn’t.”
The rest of the early morning was something of a blur. He met the lady of the house, slurred out a few details for her about her children who were living in a time not their own, then cast himself down on a bed before his eyes closed of their own accord.
It would take more than one, I imagine.
Robin had said those words and Stephen had to admit he agreed.
He wasn’t one to act precipitously, but he had perhaps been a bit hasty in his research the night before.
He had looked through a list of heirs of Artane to see which one might have been stupid enough to put up the place as collateral for a game of chance.
Finding none, he had fallen back on his original idea, which had been to seek out one of the first lords of Artane and convince them to set aside even a small bit of gold that Stephen might sell in the future and pay David Preston off.
It was obvious he was going to have to think of something else, though he honestly had no idea what that something might be.