Chapter Seventeen #2
Creston stepped forward. “He’s right,” he said. “A joint operation between Blackchurch and the Executioner Knights to remove the threat against Blackchurch. No one need ever know about it. Covert operations are something we do best.”
St. Denis cocked his head curiously. “Do you have a plan?”
Creston nodded. “Possibly,” he said. “It is one of my skills. Anything underhanded. I remember that you told me when you brought me on at Blackchurch that your recruits needed a trainer like me. To teach them about… questionable tactics.”
“And so you have,” St. Denis said. “But how do you envision punishing Oscar de Bulverton so he will never again be a threat to Blackchurch?”
“I have an idea.”
Myles had spoken, and everyone turned to look at the big de Lohr son. He seemed to radiate the same legendary quality that his father had, so he naturally had their attention. When he saw that all eyes were upon him, he cleared his throat softly.
“I have the advantage of not having any emotional attachments to anyone, or anything, that has been discussed,” he said. “I fear that someone like Creston, who is deeply involved, may not see the situation entirely clearly—and that is no judgment against him. It is simply human nature.”
As Creston stood, stone-faced, and listened, St. Denis encouraged Myles. “Continue, please.”
Myles looked at the group, but he was looking at Creston in particular.
“When we came to Blackchurch, I knew nothing about Sidbury’s relationship to you, or really anything about the situation as a whole, but I’ve learned quickly by listening,” he said.
“It seems that Lord Sidbury came into the possession of a missive from Louis of France thanking Lord Exmoor for men and money in his fight to claim Gascony, only it is obvious that the dispatch is a forgery. Either Sidbury is part of a plot against Blackchurch or he is instigating one. In either case, he is involved and must be stopped. The fact that he may be seeking revenge against a faction of pirates related to Blackchurch for burning his town seems quite logical. It is a reasonable motivation. He is looking to get back at Triton’s Hellions through his damage to Blackchurch. ”
He looked around, seeing that the men were agreeing with him, before carrying on.
“We can see, clearly, that Sidbury must be eliminated,” he said.
“The man is trying to destroy Blackchurch, and Creston is correct—you have every right to defend yourself, but you cannot go storming into Sidmouth with an army. That would damage Blackchurch’s reputation for neutrality.
Therefore, we do what Brenton suggested—we embark on a joint mission to protect Blackchurch and eliminate Sidbury. ”
St. Denis was listening carefully. “You have mentioned eliminating Sidbury more than once,” he said. “I am not opposed to that. In fact, it is necessary. But how do you expect to do it?”
Myles glanced at Creston. “Now I hear that you are to inherit Sidbury through your wife,” he said.
“You must not be part of this. Killing the man you are set to inherit from will only make you the subject of whispers and mistrust from your fellow peers. No one will trust you if they know you killed a man to inherit his title. Do you understand that?”
Creston did. As much as he hated hearing it, he understood all too well. “I do,” he said. “But I will be part of this operation and you cannot stop me.”
“No one is going to stop you,” Myles assured him. “But your role in this is to protect your wife.”
Creston frowned. “Protect her?” he said. “Why do you say that?”
“Because she is going to be the bait.”
*
“Breathe, my friend, breathe.”
Cruz was trying very hard to keep Creston calm, but Creston wasn’t cooperating very well.
Cruz and Tay had been forced to physically remove Creston from St. Denis’ solar after Myles’ declaration, and even now, Myles and St. Denis and the other trainers were going over a plan in St. Denis’ solar as Cruz and Tay kept Creston out in the stairwell.
He’d lunged for Myles, who was more than a match in size and strength, so they thought it best to just remove him from the solar until he could calm down.
But he wasn’t trying very hard.
“That bastard wants to put my wife in danger?” he hissed. “How dare he suggest such a thing? Lia has no business being part of any plan that puts her in harm’s way.”
“If you are calm enough, you can hear his explanation,” Tay said.
“But you lunged at him, and unless we wanted blood on the walls of St. Denis’ solar, we had to remove you so you could calm yourself.
Honestly, Cres, I do not think the man is suggesting we put your wife in mortal danger, but I would like to hear what he has to say. ”
Creston just stood there, leaning against the wall where Cruz had shoved him. Head down, his mind was whirling with the situation, with his reaction, with everything that had come up this night. He was unbalanced, and that was an unusual state for him. He wasn’t sure how to contain or control it.
After a moment, he simply shook his head.
“I do not know what is happening to me,” he said. “I am not one given to fits of rage. I never have been. But mention Lia and I am like a madman. What is wrong with me?”
“Nothing,” Tay said quietly. “You are a man with a wife you love and a child on the way. Remember when I first met Athdara? Remember when she was so badly injured by the bounty hunter sent by her uncle? My God, Cres, you do remember how I behaved. I was out of my mind with grief. Love is the strongest emotion in the world, but it can do strange things to a man’s soul sometimes. ”
Creston sighed heavily. “Like a weakness.”
“Nay,” Tay said firmly. “It is stronger than anything because it feeds something deep inside of us that can make us move mountains. Your love for Lia will get you through this. Do not diminish it by calling it a weakness.”
Creston sighed again, looking up at Tay and Cruz. “She’s pregnant, for God’s sake,” he muttered. “And de Lohr thinks she should be bait to draw out her grandfather?”
Tay smiled faintly. “The only way you will have an answer to that question is if you go back into the solar and listen to what he has to say.”
“I do not know if I can and not want to wrap my hands around his throat.”
The door to St. Denis’ solar creaked open and the three of them looked up to see Ming Tang and Amir coming through.
Ming Tang gestured to Tay and Cruz.
“Leave us for a moment,” he said. “Please. We wish to speak with Cres.”
Tay and Cruz did as they were asked, heading back into the solar and closing the door behind them. When the corridor was dark and still, Creston lifted a hand to Ming Tang and Amir.
“I know,” he said, sounding defeated. “I should not have become so angry, but the idea of putting my wife in danger does not sit well with me.”
“Nor should it,” Ming Tang said. “Cres, we came out to speak to you about de Lohr’s plan. The man is a genius, a spy, but he is not reckless. He did not mean to upset you as much as he did. Will you at least listen to his plan?”
Creston looked at the pair, men who had not been born in England, with ancient blood flowing through their veins.
Much more ancient and rich than any Norman blood that Creston carried.
Looking at them was like looking at time itself, at history itself.
They embodied everything rich and beautiful in the world and he respected them greatly.
But he was still reluctant to hear about a plan that involved his wife.
“I will listen,” he said after a moment. “I cannot say I will be glad to hear it, but I will listen.”
“That is a start,” Amir said quietly. “What de Lohr has proposed is simple, and you will be with your wife the entire time.”
Creston pursed his lips. “That makes me feel better,” he said. “I think. So, what is it all about?”
Amir went to lean on the wall next to Creston.
“St. Denis is sending a missive to St. Abelard as we speak,” he muttered.
“At this time of year, Triton’s Hellions are usually somewhere around Falmouth or Plymouth, waiting to prey upon the ships bringing merchandise from Cherbourg to the west of England and Ireland.
It’s the time of year when harvests are usually shipped in this direction.
St. Denis is informing them of the situation and will ask that they go to Sidmouth and wait. ”
“Wait for what?”
“A captive by the name of Oscar de Bulverton.”
Creston’s eyebrows lifted. “He wants the very pirates that Oscar hates to be his jailors?”
“Fitting, don’t you think?”
“Definitely,” Creston said. “But how does Lia fit into this plan?”
Amir’s dark eyes glimmered. “Think about it,” he said.
“If your wife goes to visit her mother and grandfather, it will not raise any suspicion. You will go with her under the guise of visiting Axen Castle, which will be yours one day. A reasonable pretext, is it not? De Bulverton will not be suspicious in the least.”
Creston could see the logic. “Probably not,” he said. “Then what?”
“We will travel with you,” Ming Tang said.
“All of us, your cousin and de Lohr included. We will not be bringing an army. Nothing that will announce we have come. But we will hide on the outskirts of the village while you and your wife gain access to de Bulverton’s castle.
You will proceed to have a peaceful visit while the rest of us lie in wait for St. Abelard to appear.
When he does, it will be your duty to make sure we gain admission to de Bulverton’s castle.
Once we are in, you will take your wife to safety and we will capture de Bulverton and deliver him to St. Abelard, who will do as he wishes with him.
The man is trying to destroy us to punish the Hellions, after all.
Let de Bulverton face St. Abelard, as a man would. ”
Creston sighed sharply. “He is not a man, he is a viper,” he said. “But now that I hear of the plan, I understand it better. I suppose I owe de Lohr an apology.”