Chapter Nine #2
“And they gave you an excuse that sounded reasonable, for example, his wife was ill or something like that.”
“Then I would probably tell them that he’s at Wrexham Castle.”
William lifted his big shoulders. “If all of that happened as we have speculated, then they would have gone to Pembroke some time ago,” he said. “They would have been to Wrexham already, and they would have asked about Carr mac Murda. No one has.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Carr cannot keep his mouth shut,” William said. “He would have told us. We would have known about their presence because Carr, undoubtedly, would have recognized them as an enemy faction.”
“Possibly,” Tristan said. “Let’s say that’s the case—they’ve come here, looking for Carr but have not contacted him.
If it were me, I would stay locally so that I can watch the castle.
Mayhap they’re in the village, waiting for her to arrive.
Just because she wasn’t at Wrexham six months ago doesn’t mean she isn’t going to show up at some point. ”
William shook his head. “If that is what has happened and they are still here, Carr would quite possibly hand her over to them if he knew of their presence,” he said. “The man does not want her here. It would be his chance to be rid of her for good.”
Tristan waggled his brows. “Let us hope he has more compassion and good sense than that,” he said. “But I would not trust him to make the right and just decision where his daughter is concerned.”
“Nor I.”
That hung in the air between them as they listened to Andromeda firmly but politely direct the servants.
She was a master at managing them and, as Tristan had discovered, managing everything else.
In the few short days she’d been at Wrexham, she had accomplished so much that it was difficult to know where to start when praising her skills as a chatelaine.
Finally, Tristan shook his head.
“Can you imagine,” he muttered. “A woman like that in the hands of Irish rebels?”
“Nay,” William said firmly. “I cannot. It would be a bloody shame. Which is why I think we need more knights who are not part of an Irish brigade. No offense to Carr or Dermot, but I think we need more English here, Pat.”
Tristan had been thinking the same thing, unfortunately.
“Addax and you are formidable,” he said.
“You’re worth five good knights each in my opinion, but you cannot be everywhere all at once.
I fear we may need men who are not emotionally invested in the arrival of an Irish princess.
At the very least, their objectivity would be helpful.
Has Dermot showed any outward reaction to Lady Andromeda’s appearance that you are aware of? ”
William shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “He’s been quiet about it. But, then again, he’s a quiet man.”
“He is,” Tristan agreed. “The man barely says a word, but I’m certain he is sympathetic with Carr. They’re quite close.”
“They are,” William said. “Dermot could very well side with Carr in the matter of Lady Andromeda and we wouldn’t know a thing about it—which brings me back to the fact that you should have more English knights at your disposal if the Welsh are indeed amassing for another round with their English enemies.
Unfortunately, I do not think the Marshal has men to send you. ”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I do not think he can send us a Cole de Velt or a Maxton of Loxbeare,” William said. “Most of the Marshal’s senior knights and agents already have a valuable post where they are needed.”
Tristan conceded the point. “That is true,” he said. “But I know the Marshal has young knights coming up, men he is training. What about Lukas du Reims?”
William nodded. “An excellent sword,” he said. “But the last I heard, he had been sent to the garrison of Richmond Castle. Since Caius d’Avignon moved to Hawkstone Castle, Richmond was without a commander.”
Tristan lifted his eyebrows. “And the French want that place badly.”
“Exactly.”
That brought Tristan back to where they started. “I can always send word to my father to send me a knight or two,” he said. “He usually has an entire stable of young knights.”
“I have a better idea.”
Tristan looked at him. “What?”
William tried to sound relatively neutral. “Send the request to Northwood Castle,” he said. “The Earl of Teviot has several excellent knights. Two of them are my closest friends, in fact. Paris de Norville and Kieran Hage.”
Tristan stared at him a moment before his brow furrowed. “I know those names.”
“Because they are great men.”
“Nay. I know them because Teviot sent you back to your father to get you away from them.”
William fought off a grin. “He overreacted,” he said, trying to downplay the legendary deviltries of William and his two cohorts since their days of being pages at Kenilworth Castle.
“The truth is that they are two of the best knights I have ever seen. Individually, we are magnificent, but together, we are unbeatable. And that is what you need at Wrexham.”
Tristan wasn’t so sure. “I have enough trouble,” he said. “I do not need to worry about you three.”
William stopped grinning and looked at him head-on.
“You will not have to worry about us,” he said.
“But you will need us if the Welsh attack and the Irish use the chaos to get into the castle and take their prize. You will want knights of our caliber to fend off two very strong factions who have been known to get what they want. God only knows if Carr and Dermot will help the Irish. I’d say you have bigger problems than three young and talented knights who have been known to get into trouble on occasion. ”
He was quite serious, which in turn made Tristan quite serious.
He stared down the young knight, a young man who hadn’t even seen his twentieth year, but a young knight who was ageless in his skill and wisdom.
Tristan knew, as everybody did, that William de Wolfe was going to go on in life to do something great.
And he did have a point.
“And you think Hage and de Norville can help?”
“I would stake my life on it.”
Tristan knew he didn’t make that pledge frivolously.
Perhaps the Marshal would think he was a fool for even considering William’s proposal, but the truth was that he did need good swords in light of the fact that he wasn’t sure how Carr and Dermot would react if a gang of Irish showed up, intent to take the lady from him.
That would leave him with Addax and William to fight off the Irish, the Welsh, and anyone else who wanted to take something important from him—a castle, a lady, or both.
Perhaps he really had no choice.
“Very well,” he said, his dark eyes intent. “I will accept your suggestion. But listen to me well, so there is no mistake.”
“I am listening.”
Tristan cocked an eyebrow. “Good,” he said.
“You know me well enough to know that I do not take lightly what I am about to say to you. But the truth is this—I am Plantagenet. I am also descended from the kings of the Capetian dynasty. That makes me the most royal, unique, and potentially powerful man the world has ever seen. Do you understand my lineage?”
William nodded firmly. “I do, my lord.”
“Good,” Tristan said. “Because understand that you serve a man who could easily be King of England or France, or both, if he had the ambition. That makes you the servant of a king. It means that I could have more power than William Marshal if I wanted it. I could call forth nations if I had a mind to do it. It also means I can destroy foolish knights who make empty promises of obedience. If you tell me you and your comrades will behave if I allow the three of you to serve together, then I will believe you. But one instance of violating that oath and I will destroy you. You will never be able to serve a reputable lord in England ever again, nor in France when I get finished with you. I’ve not yet thought of Scotland, but mayhap I will marry a Scottish earl’s daughter and then I can deter the Scots from you as well.
All this I will do if you betray my trust. Is this in any way unclear? ”
William took the threat seriously because he knew the man wasn’t bluffing.
The truth was that neither was he. He and his friends had been together since they were children.
They’d been separated a couple of times during the years because it was a fact that when they got together, things could happen.
Naughty things. William was a master gambler, and although the Executioner Knights knew it and sometimes joked about it, he was better than anyone in England at wresting money away from another man. He’d made a secondary career out of it.
But now, things were different.
William was a fully fledged knight, and he was growing up.
He’d not yet seen his twentieth year, but he was as seasoned as a man who had been fighting twice as long.
Up until this point, the gambling and the punishment that followed had been a game to him because he knew his worth.
He knew William Marshal wouldn’t discard him entirely.
But now… now, as a knight, he had a reputation to establish, and he knew that childhood antics wouldn’t help him.
They wouldn’t help Paris or Kieran, either.
He knew that all men must mature and evolve, and this was his time to do just that.
But he had to prove it.
“It is clear, my lord,” he said after a moment. “Perfectly clear.”
Tristan’s gaze lingered on him a moment before the glimmer of warmth came back to his eyes. “Excellent,” he said. “Because I would hate to do that to you.”
William was impressed by the way Tristan could go from deadly intimidating to warmly humorous all in the blink of an eye. “As would I,” he said. “Although I think some part of you might sickly enjoy it.”
Tristan started laughing. “You’ll never know, hopefully,” he said. “Go now and send word to Teviot and ask permission, on my behalf, for the service of your friends. If he is agreeable, tell them to come swiftly. There is no time to waste.”
“Aye, my lord.”
“And organize the double patrols.”
“Aye, my lord.”
Tristan smirked at him, and William snorted in return, making sure they both understood the situation between them.
Not that William disbelieved that Tristan would do what he said he was going to do.
It really had nothing to do with that. It was more that Tristan was begging him not to violate his trust in this matter.
Tristan was relying on him, and they both knew it. He didn’t want William to fail.
And neither did William.
As de Wolfe quit the solar and ran headlong into the small army of servants scrubbing the entryway, he caught sight of Andromeda on her knees near the door, scrubbing old wood slats furiously.
“You there,” he said with authority, though there was jest in his manner. “I meant you, Lady Andromeda. Do you remember me?”
She looked at him, though there was no humor on her face. She seemed oddly detached. “Of course I remember you,” she said. “Why would I not remember you?”
William wasn’t sure why she was so humorless, but it didn’t stop him from continuing. “I’m the one you stole the clothing from,” he said, jabbing his thumb into his chest. “Remember that? I’ll let you know that I’m hiding all of my clothing from now on. Filthy or not, you shall steal nothing.”
He was referring to the incident in the knights’ quarters two days before, and Andromeda forced a smile.
“Very well,” she said. “But if you bring new dirt into a freshly scrubbed chamber, I’ll take a stick to you.”
“You’ll have to catch me first.”
“Are you willing to take that risk?”
William flashed a toothy smile and was gone, heading out through the entry.
Andromeda watched him go before returning to her task, scrubbing a few more inches before another servant came over and took the duty from her.
Standing up, she brushed her hands off, her gaze moving toward the solar entry. The door was still open.
It had been partially open when she heard everything that Tristan had said.
God, she wished she hadn’t.