Chapter 30
Kallen studied the men gathering in the secluded room near the great hall. She sat in a chair off to the side, in the shadows. Her father greeted each man that came in by name. He expected her to remember each nobleman by name.
And by his aura.
He hadn’t given her details of his planned coup, but she knew he would eventually. He liked to boast, and he would want to brag about each move he made. The information she shared with him would be crucial in his scheme to oust his half-brother from the throne.
That was her dilemma. Should she be truthful with him in whom he could trust and which men should be excluded?
Or should she deliberately stack his group with the very men who might seek to betray him to the crown?
She hadn’t decided what to do yet. She leaned toward the truth.
She thought he might test her some in the beginning.
Because of that, total honesty would be necessary to convince him of her loyalty toward him.
Only later would she have the knowledge it would take to destroy him.
He slipped over to her. “Many of these men have done business with me over the years. They were used to my mother’s presence and should not object to yours.”
He took her hand in his. She noticed the dampness of his palm. Interesting that he was so nervous.
“Your hand is cold, my dear,” he said as she stood.
“’Tis cold in here, Father, and I am far from the fire.”
He frowned. “Does that affect your ability in any way?”
“No. I shall be fine where you have placed me.”
Barley entered the room and hurried toward them.
“My lord, there’s a new arrival.” The look on the servant’s face betrayed his worry.
Her father tightened his grip on her hand. “’Tis an uninvited visitor, Barley?” he asked quietly.
“’Tis... ’tis Sir Griffith,” the servant sputtered.
Griffith? Here?
Her father remained outwardly cool. “Did he say why he is here?” he asked as his eyes scanned his assembled guests, who enjoyed a fine wine as they spoke to one another.
“He says he’s reconsidered your offer.”
The nobleman smiled in amusement. “Show him in.”
As Barley scurried from the room, she withdrew her hand from her father’s. “What offer? What have you done?” she hissed.
He shrugged nonchalantly. “As I had him escorted off the estate, I merely told him he was forbidden to return—unless he ever changed his mind and wanted to join my forces.”
“And you believe he’s changed? ‘Tis but a trick of Griffith’s to draw near to me.” Kallen crossed her arms. “I don’t want him here. I think he would betray us to the king. Get rid of him. I want nothing more to do with him.”
She hoped her firm stance would force him to evaluate Griffith’s presence at Nowland. Kallen quelled her rising panic. She did not want Griffith tangled in this rebel plot.
Her father cocked his head to one side. “So you say. I’ll hear him out first. You will not speak to him or acknowledge his presence in any way.
But if I think he might be valuable to me, he’ll stay.
” He took her hand and linked it through his elbow.
“Besides, if I doubt him, I’ll simply return him to my chamber below stairs. ”
Kallen’s heart beat rapidly as Barley brought in Griffith. Her heart ached at the bruises and swelling that marred his handsome face, all suffered in her behalf. Yet Griffith stood as tall as any man in the room. His aura shimmered with a confidence unlike any she’d ever seen present.
But wait. What was this? Kallen saw a thin band of color closely hugging his body. It was so close to him and so overwhelmed by the others that she had almost missed it. The hue was a shade she’d never seen surround a person before, a rich magenta. Kallen could not say what it meant.
Then she realized it could only mean Griffith was up to something. She wished she knew what he planned.
He came straight to them and bowed. “My lady. My lord.” He fixed his attention upon her father. “I see I arrive at the right time. ‘Tis a meeting I would most like to participate in,” he said smoothly.
The earl chuckled. “Your timing is impeccable. Why are you here? Seek you Kallen of Nowland?”
Griffith focused on the nobleman alone. “Nay. I gave thought to what you said. I know England will be driven into the ground if Edward continues upon the present course. I’m not willing to lose my estates to an invading French force taking advantage of the poor leadership we now suffer.
I seek to join you in whatever plans you make.
I bring a goodly sum to support your cause and my leadership and men against the king’s soldiers. ”
He stared hard at the older man. “You know my capabilities as a soldier, my lord, for you yourself trained me.”
“Aye, indeed. But there’s no love lost between us, is there, Sommersby?”
Griffith shrugged. “We have had many differences, but now we work toward a common cause. I know of Kallen’s talents, and she can only help speed the way.”
She swallowed. He spoke of her so impersonally, as if they’d never shared anything special together. His words, seeking to brush her aside, only confirmed to her that Griffith had some plan up his sleeve.
“Where does your brother-in-law stand?”
“We have parted ways over the matter, my lord. I am no longer a welcomed presence at Mangeron. Unless you give me a task and place to be, I shall return to Sommerset immediately following tonight’s meeting.”
“You still might have some convincing to do, but I shall welcome you at my table. For now.” Quentin indicated the gathering behind Griffith. He turned and went to join the others without a backward glance.
“What does his aura say?” her father hissed.
“That he is indeed a leader among men. Confident. Intelligent. If he is telling the truth, he would be an asset to your campaign.”
“If.”
Kallen stroked his sleeve. “I can only share what I see and feel, Father. I’m not a mind reader. Hopefully, you can help me learn more about my abilities. Then,” she said, “I may know whether or not Sir Griffith is honest in his intentions.”
He stared out across the room. “Do you see anyone you like?”
Kallen indicated several men, stating both their names and the qualities she thought they possessed. Her father nodded in agreement with her words. She realized she’d passed his first test.
“Come, let me introduce you. I shall call for you in a moment.” He stepped forward from the shadows. “Greetings to all,” he called out.
“Greetings,” echoed throughout the room in return.
“We gather tonight to plant the seeds that shall grow to fruition very soon. Every man in this room shall have a role in this endeavor, and every man shall be rewarded accordingly once I reign as monarch over all of England.”
“Hear, hear!”
Goblets were raised, and several toasts were made. Quentin allowed this to go on for a short time before he cut off the well wishes.
“Before we take a seat, I would like to introduce those gathered to my daughter, Lady Kallen.”
Kallen stepped forward on shaky legs and prayed that she would not falter. She held her head high and tried to project an air of confidence and indifference as she took Quentin’s hand.
“Lady Kallen is very dear to me. She would like to speak to each of you individually tonight to thank you for your participation.” He beamed at her, and she returned a ghost of a smile in his direction.
Griffith’s stomach turned as he watched the treacherous Nowland parade Kallen before the assembled group. He heard the murmurs of approval around him, as well. The nobleman on his left turned and said, “What a beauty. I would not mind dipping my wick into that flower.”
He seethed at the man’s words but merely nodded. “She is quite lovely,” he murmured.
Nowland dismissed her, and Kallen returned to a seat away from the group. Griffith guessed she was there to watch each man as he spoke and report to her father what she discovered as they interacted together.
He remained quiet for much of the proceedings.
His greatest shock was at how well-formed Nowland’s plot was.
He’d always known the man to be intelligent, but the depth of the plan surprised him.
Quentin must have spent the last several years devising this rebellion.
And with Kallen’s help, he could see Edward toppled within the year.
“Sir Griffith,” Quentin called out.
So much for his anonymity. He only knew a handful of those gathered, mostly by name and reputation. He’d hoped to keep it that way.
“Yes, my lord?”
“What say you of the king’s guard in London?” the earl asked. “Though not a regular at court, you must have an opinion.”
Griffith launched into an explanation of how they might possibly foil the troops that protected the city of London.
He knew he danced along a fine line. He’d anticipated that the earl would want some contribution from him, and he hoped he spoke with reasonable intelligence.
At the same time, he did not want to journey into treasonous behavior.
The entire time he spoke, he felt Kallen’s eyes upon him, and he had to fight to concentrate on his words.
“Yes, that could be done,” agreed Lord Westerbrook. “But what if…?” The nobleman added several ideas to those Griffith had espoused, elaborating as only a court regular could.
Others murmured their assent as Westerbrook spoke, and after a few minutes, Nowland returned to different matters. After several hours, he ended the session.
“Much was accomplished here tonight, my friends. We shall start the wheels in motion and meet here again in two fortnights. All should be in place at that time.”
The earl pushed away from the table and stood, and those gathered did likewise.
“‘Tis late, but there’s food and drink in the great hall. My servants will vacate it tonight, and you shall all bed down there in the comfort of new rushes.” He smiled, his hands held wide. “Please, let us adjourn there now.”
The noblemen’s chairs scraped loudly as they pushed from the table and began to file from the room in small clusters.
Griffith passed Kallen but did not glance in her direction.
He followed the mass of men down the corridor into the great hall, where the trestle tables were laid out.
Though the hour grew late, the tables were burdened with enough food for a feast.
The wine flowed freely in the next hour. He noticed that Nowland called each man forward and let him speak with Kallen for a few moments. Gradually, all six-and-ten men had spoken directly with her.
Except for him.
Griffith drifted over to stand near the fire. Nowland joined him.
“What do you make of my plans, Sommersby? Are they solid?”
“More so than I would have imagined, my lord. You have taken even the smallest details into account. I am impressed by the group you have gathered and their commitment to your cause.”
The fire’s shadows played against the earl’s face, making it hard for Griffith to read him.
“I see you’ve had all those present meet with Kallen for her approval,” he continued.
“You are observant indeed.”
“A good knight always knows what goes on about him.”
Nowland nodded in agreement. “I shall meet with Kallen tonight for her impressions of each participant, while they are still fresh.”
“You have thought of everything.” Griffith stared out over the room. “If I am welcome to stay the night with the others, then I shall leave in the morning for home. I have been absent for nigh close to two months and have much to do.”
“Then I bid you a good night.”
Nowland left Griffith and went to Kallen, escorting her from the hall.
The waiting game had begun. If all went as expected, Kallen would be safely away from the earl’s clutches by dawn.