Masters of Medieval Romance: Series Starters Volume II

by Kathryn Le Veque

  The spy had been revealed.

  “She must have been doing it all along,” Jamison said. “Four Crosses has been hit hard in the past few months, attacks that have progressively damaged the walls. Lady Havilland mentioned tae me that she thought there was a spy among them, but I’m sure she never thought it was her own sister.”

  Tobias sighed thoughtfully. The news of Madeline had him disenchanted with all three de Llion sisters. “Then you do not believe Lady Havilland is in on this treachery?”

  Jamison shook his head. “I dunna know her as ye do, but in me conversation with her today, I dinna receive the impression that she might be complicit with what her sister is doing. I canna believe she would be.”

  Tobias shook his head. “Nor I,” he replied firmly. “But I would have never believed Madeline capable of such things, either.”

  Jamison sat forward, elbows on his knees, head propped up by his hands. He gazed thoughtfully into the fire as the flames danced hypnotically.

  “I will proceed on the assumption that Lady Havilland doesna know of her sister’s activities,” he said, “which means we must tell her. She must know. We need her knowledge of who ‘Evon’ might be and why Madeline is giving him information. But I’ll tell ye something more, something I dinna tell ye at the beginning – the man seduced Madeline as I watched. He did things most of us keep tae the bedchamber, all the while demanding answers from her. She told him everything she could.”

  The three knights looked a bit startled by the realization. “Madeline?” Tobias repeated, just to be clear they were all speaking about the same woman. “Cold and aggressive Madeline?”

  Jamison nodded. “I wouldna believed it had I not see it with me own eyes.”

  “Then what do we do?” Thad wanted to know, disappointed that one of the three ladies he was lusting after was, in fact, a spy. “I say we throw her in the vault.”

  Jamison shook his head. “Nay, lad,” he said. “I tend tae believe that this is a great opportunity for us, as Tobias has said.”

  The others looked at him curiously. “Use her to bait the Welsh?” Tobias asked. “Do you have plan?”

  Jamison was still looking at the flames. “From what we saw in the days o’ battle, there were no more than two thousand Welsh,” he said. “A big enough force, tae be sure, but de Lohr can raise five times that amount of men. I say we bring this tae yer father, Tobias, and tell him what we know. Tell him we have a spy that doesna know we are on tae her. We could set up such a trap with de Lohr’s numbers that we could seriously damage Madog’s southern rebellion. If we destroy most of his men, he’ll have no choice but tae retreat back north. And we can use Madeline tae help us and she willna realize she’s been used until it ’tis too late.”

  Tobias liked that plan. “My father will want to hear what we know,” he said. “It will make sense to him why there has been so much activity against Four Crosses as of late.”

  Jamison nodded. “That is what I think,” he said. “Meanwhile, I believe we should let Lady Havilland in on what is transpiring. She must know her sister is betraying her so she doesna tell the lass any more than necessary.”

  “You truly believe Lady Havilland is trustworthy?” Brend asked, not entirely convinced.

  But Jamison nodded to the question, without hesitation. “I do,” he said. “Trust that I will be prudent when dealing wit’ her.”

  Tobias’ gaze lingered on him a moment. “I have known her for longer,” he said. “Let me do it.”

  Jamison could sense something more than simply duty or politeness in that request. He has interest in her, he reminded himself. Perhaps he is trying tae establish his claim. If that were the case, Jamison would not allow it. If anyone was going to stake a claim with Havilland, it would be him. Here, in the midst of a serious situation, he was worried about a woman, misplaced as that worry was. Still, he couldn’t help it.

  “Nay,” he said. “I appreciate yer offer, but I am in command. It must come from me. Moreover, the lady and I had a long and pleasant conversation earlier today. I believe we have established some trust. It is time tae test that trust or I would be a poor commander, indeed.”

  Tobias wasn’t happy with that answer. He’d heard from Thad that Jamison had been seen in quiet conversation earlier in the day with Lady Havilland and he didn’t want the big Scotsman to assert himself on her before he could. He’d had his eye on the lady for a while and wasn’t about to lose her to Jamison.

  “Then I will come with you,” he said.

  Again, Jamison shook his head. “It would appear to her as if we were joining ranks against her,” he pointed out. “It will be much easier if I do this alone. If I need yer help, I will ask.”

  Tobias couldn’t argue with him much more than that because then it would look like he was pushing for contact with the lady and not because of the subject at hand. Unhappy, he simply turned away, leaving Brend and Thad and Jamison grouped around the fire.

  Jamison could feel Tobias’ displeasure at the situation but he wouldn’t address it. It would be better if he didn’t because once it was in the open that they were interested in the same woman, it would change the dynamics between them. Many a man, and many a command, had been brought down by men’s passions. Jamison didn’t intend that this should happen to them but if Tobias pushed it, then Jamison would have no choice but to tell him his intentions towards Havilland. Intentions he really didn’t even know himself, but he did know one thing for certain – he couldn’t let Tobias have her.

  Finally, he stood up, loath to move away from the fire but anxious to seek Havilland. “It is very late and Lady Havilland may already be in her bed, but I will seek her out,” he said, looking to Tobias, who still had his back turned to him. “Tobias, ye will find Madeline. I dunna know if she has returned tae the castle yet, but find out. Watch her. Once I speak with Lady Havilland, I will find ye. Brend, Thad, ye seek out Lady Amaline. I dunna know if she is in this with Madeline, but we would be wise tae find out. Discover Amaline’s current activities and then report tae Tobias. I will seek ye once I have spoken wit’ Lady Havilland.”

  The men had their orders. Tobias left the chamber without so much as acknowledging Jamison, followed by Brend and Thad. Jamison brought up the rear, going to find the nearest servant to ask Lady Havilland’s whereabouts.

  The servant, an old Welsh woman who had been at Four Crosses most of her life, pointed up the stairs of the keep, indicating that Havilland was in her chamber on the upper floors. Jamison sent the woman to rouse Havilland and send her to the solar. With the wheels in motion, he retreated back to the warm solar to await her arrival.

  Like an idiot, Jamison’s first thought upon realizing he would be seeing Havilland again soon was of his appearance. He stole Brend’s comb and ran it through his hair, trying to tame his waves, before rubbing a hand over his face and realizing that he probably looked like a grizzled old bear. He had no time for a shave but then he got to smelling himself, and his tunic, and noticed that he smelled like the moldering leaves he had been rolling around in when he had followed Madeline.

  Ripping off the brecan and the two tunics he had beneath it, he went to his saddlebags to see if he had something less smelly, something that wouldn’t drive a woman away, and came across a lightweight tunic that he used when the weather warmed. It wasn’t nearly enough against the cold outside but at least it didn’t smell of compost, so he put it on and hoped he wouldn’t freeze to death. A man with thin blood such as his was a sorry man, indeed.

  Jamison was setting aside his smelly clothing when the old servant knocked softly on the door, entering the chamber to tell him that Lady Havilland was on her way. Jamison thanked the old servant and asked the woman to bring them some warmed wine. When the woman fled, he moved to the fire to make sure it was stoked. He wanted Havilland to be comfortable. He spent a good deal of time worrying about her comfort and his appearance, so much so that he didn’t even notice when Havilland entered the room. She was halfway to h
im before he realized she had come.

  But the sight of her made his frenzied thoughts calm immediately. In fact, the sight of her alone was enough to bring him peace like he’d never known it, joy that he couldn’t describe. It filled him. More than that, it was the first time he’d ever seen her in anything other than tunics and mail; she was wearing a heavy woolen night shift and wore a fur-lined robe over it. Her dark hair was unbound, flowing about her in soft waves down to her buttocks. She looked like an angel.

  With a sigh of appreciation, Jamison set the fire poker aside.

  “M’lady,” he greeted quietly. “I am sorry tae disturb yer sleep, but it seems we have a situation on our hands and I require yer counsel.”

  Havilland had, indeed, been asleep, perhaps the first good sleep she’d had in weeks. But a message from a servant and the mention of Jamison’s name, had her rushing to do his bidding. She didn’t know why she should rush, only that he had summoned her and she was compelled to obey him.

  “My lord?” she asked with concern. “How may I be of service?”

  Jamison indicated one of the two chairs that was situated before the hearth. “Please, sit,” he said, sitting down once she took her seat. “As I said, I am sorry tae disturb ye. But this is important.”

  Havilland was listening with some trepidation. “It must be,” she said. “What is it? What has happened?”

  Jamison reflected on how he would approach the subject for a brief moment before answering her. He didn’t want to be harsh or abrupt, but he couldn’t dally. The woman needed a straight answer.

  So did he.

  “Have ye ever heard the name Evon?” he asked.

  Havilland cocked her head, puzzled. “Evon?” she repeated. “Where did you hear that name?”

  He kept his manner calm. “I will tell ye in a moment,” he said. “Can ye tell me if ye’ve heard it before?

  She nodded without hesitation. “Aye,” she said. “Evon Preece is a neighbor.”

  The name she mentioned caught his attention. “Preece?” he asked. “Lord Preece?”

  Havilland nodded. “Aye,” she said. “Evon is his eldest son.”

  The very neighbor she had mentioned earlier and had sworn the man wasn’t part of the group that had attacked Four Crosses. Jamison was struggling to sort it all out in his mind. “The son of the man ye said wasna part of the force that attacked us?” he clarified. “Ye know of no other Evon?”

  “Nay. Should I?”

  Jamison was putting the pieces of the puzzle together and the resulting picture was something he didn’t like, not in the least. “I dunna know,” he said. “I simply wanted tae know if ye had heard the name.”

  Havilland nodded, but in the process, she also began to look at him strangely. “What has happened that you would ask such a question?” she asked. “What about Evon Preece?”

  Jamison leaned forward in his chair, his elbows resting on his knees. He had eyes only for Havilland. “I will tell ye what I have discovered but first, I must know something more,” he said. “I believe ye said that yer sister, Madeline, still spoke tae Preece’s children. Do ye know that for certain?”

  Havilland was trying to figure out what he might be trying to tell her but it was all still a big mystery. “I do not,” she said. “Madeline and I have not spoken of Lord Preece or his children in years. I do know that as a child, she was quite fond of Evon. She pretended she was going to marry him. Why are you asking, my lord? Will you please tell me what is wrong?”

  Jamison had no choice but to tell her now. He didn’t receive the impression that she was hiding anything or complicit with anything that her sister was doing. Her answers had been open and instantaneous. Therefore, he stuck to his original opinion that she was not in league with Madeline when it came to espionage or betrayal. With that in mind, he knew she was in for a shock and tried to ease the blow.

  “I was on the wall tonight, setting the posts before the night watch came on,” he said quietly. “I was heading towards the kitchen yard when I saw Madeline. She was making her way tae the kitchen yard, also, and she dinna see me. As I watched from the wall, she sent the guards at the postern gate away and when they left, she slipped through the gate. I followed her, mostly because I was going tae berate her for leavin’ the safety o’ the fortress, but she led me down a path along the river. She was moving swiftly, m’lady, as if she was in a rush, so I fell in behind her tae see what had her in such a hurry. She never saw me, mind ye. As I watched from the trees, she met up with a man, tall and slender. I heard her call him Evon.”

  Havilland was listening to him with wide, startled eyes. “Evon Preece!”

  He lifted his big shoulders. “’Tis possible,” he said. “I only heard her call him Evon. But… there is more. M’lady, as I listened, she told him much of what was happening at Four Crosses. She told him about me, about the de Lohr men, and she told him that I suspect Scotsmen among the Welsh rebels. Everything I have told ye and yer sisters, she told this young man. She even told him that I will be resuming the patrols. I would like tae think the young man is an ally, but something tells me he isna.”

  Havilland’s mouth was hanging open by this point, her expression full of outrage and fear and extreme disappointment. “Sweet Jesú,” she finally breathed. “Are you sure you heard correctly?”

  He nodded, sorrow in his features. “I am,” he said gently. “Ye mentioned this morning that ye thought there was a spy in yer midst. I… I think I have found her.”

  Havilland’s hands flew to her mouth, so great her shock. She closed her eyes against the horrible news he was telling her, her heart and mind reeling with disbelief. She was inclined to accuse him of mishearing, of perhaps even lying, but she knew in her heart that he was being truthful. He had no reason to lie about anything. Moreover, everything was coming to make a good deal of sense now – her sister’s behavior, her absences now and again that she refused to explain – things that had become before the de Lohr knights had even come to Four Crosses, but a pattern just the same. She always knew that Madeline wanted to be in charge of the castle and her sister constantly challenged her, but for it to go this far… Havilland was sickened. Tears popped to her eyes.

  She could hardly believe it.

  “Nay, Madeline, nay,” she hissed, struggling not to weep. “How could she do this? How could she betray us?”

  Jamison could see how upset she was. In a gesture of comfort, he put his hand on her arm. It was a gentle touch, but one that set his heart to racing. It was a struggle to stay on task.

  “I dunna know,” he said softly. “But now isna the time tae ask why. Now is the time tae stop the bleeding she has created before it destroys Four Crosses. The young man she was with pressed her for information repeatedly so I can only assume he is with the Welsh rebels. There would be no other reason for him tae demand information from her. Now, this is where I need yer counsel, m’lady – I need tae know what yer wish is as far as yer sister. We can put her in the vault and stop the leak or we can use her tae our advantage.”

  Havilland was overcome with everything, wiping at her eyes, trying to follow what he was saying. All she could think of was her sister and how the woman was trying to destroy them all. Damn her!

  “To… to our advantage?” she repeated. “How?”

  Jamison kept his hand on her arm, a comforting gesture. The truth was that he simply wanted to touch her. “By feeding her false information,” he said. “It is me intention tae go tae Lioncross and inform the earl what we have discovered. I am going tae suggest that we use yer sister tae feed the rebels false information and set a trap for them. This may work out tae our advantage, m’lady, if we can end these attacks once and for all.”

  Havilland understood what he was saying and she couldn’t disagree. “But my sister?” she wanted to know, anxious. “What becomes of her when this is over? The earl will know she is a spy. Will he execute her?”

  Jamison couldn’t answer for the earl but the truth was that
execution was always the end for a spy. He patted her arm. “I dunna know,” he said. “She is a female and ’tis usual tae execute female spies, so I dunna know what will become of her. All I know is that she is risking everyone’s life at Four Crosses, including yers and mine, and she must be stopped. Ye must understand that.”

  Havilland was heartsick. She gazed at the man, watching the fire glisten off of his red hair and she was very much aware that his hand was still on her arm. The simple human touch gave her a world of comfort. She was the strong one, always the strong one, but sometimes she just didn’t want to be strong. She wanted someone to hold her and tell her everything would be well, giving her comfort as she so often gave it to others. Looking at Jamison, she wondered what it would be like to be comforted by him, to have his arms around her, to have him tell her that everything would be all right. Her heart, a naïve thing, longed for it.

  She wondered if she would ever find out.

  “I understand,” she said sadly. “But I feel… I feel as if, somehow, this is all my fault.”

  He cocked his head, concerned. “Why?”

  She lifted her shoulders, averting her gaze. “Because I am the eldest,” she said simply. “I command Four Crosses. Madeline does not much like that I do because she wants to be in charge. Since my father… since his illness began, she has challenged me repeatedly. She is always trying to countermand my orders or undermine me so, you see, this news you bring is not entirely surprising. I suppose I have been expecting something like this all along.”

  He squeezed her arm. “Whatever Madeline has done is no reflection on ye,” he said. “Never forget – I have seen ye command and I have seen ye fight. Ye have a good head on yer shoulders, m’lady. And ye canna control the heart that covets.”

  She found some comfort in his words and her eyes came up, fixing on him. He was a very wise man. But in the midst of this serious conversation, of her heartbreak, it seemed strange to her that he continued to address her so formally. She longed to hear her name from his lips.