Chapter Eighteen #5
That had a ring to it. Somehow, it meant something to Cleodora and she held him tightly for a moment longer before releasing him.
“Then I had better leave,” she said. “I am going to have to do enough explaining without staying out all night.”
“I will escort you back.”
“Nay,” she said, stopping him as he moved for his tunic. “You will not. I left with Filly and I shall return with Filly. If I am seen with you, that will bring up more questions that I do not wish to answer.”
He understood. He didn’t like it, but he understood. “At least let me follow you until you are close to Thornhill,” he said. “I do not like the idea of you and your maid wandering the streets of London alone this night.”
She was hesitant, but agreed. “As long as you stay out of sight and leave when we have sight of the manor,” she said. “You must not been seen with me.”
“I will be a shadow, I promise.”
That was the only way she would agree. They both finished dressing and he took her down to the common room, which was full at this time of night.
There was singing going on in one corner and near the hearth, a group of men were telling stories loudly.
Cleodora found Filly in the rear of the establishment where the servants congregated and they went, along with Aidric, to the livery behind the business.
Aidric’s horse was across the road at another livery, so he helped the ladies gather their horses and walked out with them to the street.
Across the road, he could see his colleagues at the other livery, gathering their mounts, so he let the ladies begin their journey back to Thornhill while he went to collect his horse.
He told Britt and Gerard that he was simply going to follow the women to ensure they didn’t get into any trouble and Gerard joined him.
Together, the two of them hung back, in the shadows, watching the women as they made their way back to the magnificent structure of Thornhill Manor.
Once they could see it in the distance, and observe the women all the way to the gate, they ducked into an alley to watch until the women were safely inside.
Once the gates were closed, Aidric and Gerard turned for Westminster.
“You did not have to come,” Aidric said. “I could have done this alone.”
“You do not want the company?”
“It is simply that you have a good deal to do,” Aidric said. “You must prepare Stefan and Orion for their mission.”
Gerard shrugged. “Both of them have done this before,” he said. “You do realize that they have both served with the Executioner Knights before, don’t you?”
Aidric nodded. “I think I heard that, once,” he said. “I can believe that Orion did. A more reckless, courageous idiot does not exist. Why did he not remain with the Executioner Knights?”
Gerard grinned. “Because he is a courageous, reckless idiot,” he said, listening to Aidric snort.
“In seriousness, it was a long time ago, back in the days when Orion had a difficult time following orders. It was deemed by those in command that, although he was capable, he simply was not ready. But he had quite an adventure of experiences after that. Going with Princess Margaret, Henry’s eldest daughter, to Scotland. ”
Aidric knew Orion’s history. “And then causing a scandal because Margaret was infatuated with him, so Henry sent him to his sister, Eleanor, to get him out of Scotland.”
“True,” Gerard said. “Only Eleanor was married to Simon de Montfort, so Orion ended up serving on the wrong side of the battle between Henry and Simon de Montfort.”
“He is very ashamed of that, you know,” Aidric said. “If it ever comes up, it is a difficult subject for him.”
“We all have our difficult subjects,” Gerard said. “Mine is my past with Hogsthorpe’s daughter. Aidric, I wanted to apologize for the angry words we had when we met with Henry. I should not have said what I did. I want you to know that I regret it.”
Aidric looked at him. “There is no need,” he said.
“You were right, about all of it. And I understand you were trying to keep me from falling into the same trap. But you have probably deduced that I bedded Lady Cleodora. If there is a trap—and I am not saying there is one, but if there is—I am walking into it with my eyes wide open.”
Gerard knew that but he wasn’t going to say it. “But you have something I did not have,” he said. “Someone to pull you out of the trap. I will not let you sink yourself, St. John. We may come to blows, but I will do my best to pull you out.”
Aidric laughed softly. “We almost did come to blows, didn’t we?”
“We did.”
“Let us hope it does not happen again.”
“I will try to be more sympathetic to your situation.”
Aidric thought about that for a moment. “I do intend to do what you could not do,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“Marry her.”
Gerard sighed faintly. “Then I wish you well,” he said. “I am sincere in that. I could not have the woman I fell for, but let us see if we cannot make it so that you can have what I did not.”
Aidric watched him in the darkness. “De Velt, you’re not such a terrible man after all.”
“I will put that on my crypt.”
They chuckled all the way back to Westminster.