Cast Love Aside

by Speer, Flora

  “Then we enter through the main gate,” she said.

  Magnus was about to voice a loud objection, until Braedon intervened. By that point in their sometimes testy association, Magnus knew Braedon well enough to let him handle the interrogation in his usual pleasant and cheerful manner. After Braedon had elicited the details of Lilianne's mad scheme, Magnus would demolish the plan with firm male logic. Then, despite his previous agreement with Lilianne, he would insist she must remain at Richton and he'd close his ears to her charges of stubbornness.

  “Simply riding through the gate is an interesting notion, though it does raise a few questions.” Braedon loosed an encouraging smile upon Lilianne. “How do you propose to explain your absence from the manor? You will be asked, you know, for you did leave without informing anyone of your plans. You will also have to account for Erland's absence.”

  “That’s easily done,” Lilianne said, her confidence undiminished by Braedon’s remarks. “The men-at-arms know only that Erland and I left the manor while they were sleeping after too much wine. They don’t know exactly why we left, or under what circumstances. When I am asked where Erland is, I'll say he sent me home ahead of him, and that he intends to follow me in another day or two.”

  “Someone is sure to ask where you've been,” Braedon said.

  “In that case, I shall display the same arrogance Erland employs when speaking to his men. I shall demand to know by what right they dare to question me.” She lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes to demonstrate arrogance.

  “What about Alice?” Braedon asked. “She, too, is gone from the manor.”

  “Of course she is.” Lilianne's voice took on a certain sharpness, mimicking a noblewoman whose patience was strained by having to deal with a lowly man-at-arms. “Alice decided she wanted to return to the convent, and she convinced Erland to allow it. He and I escorted her there.”

  “Who are the unknown men who ride with you?” Braedon continued, asking the same questions the men-at-arms guarding the manor gate would surely have.

  “They are knights who have recently joined Erland's service and are under his orders to escort me home and then await his coming.”

  “Very good,” Braedon said, grinning at her.

  Lilianne sent a triumphant glance in Magnus's direction, a look suggesting she had thought her plan out completely before confronting him with it.

  Magnus stopped walking to stare at her in bemusement. Lilianne's plan was bold and daring – rather like Lilianne herself – and it just might succeed. From the way Braedon was still grinning, Magnus knew he approved of the scheme.

  Magnus quickly went over the most important points, testing each in his own mind. If they entered Manoir Sainte Inge openly, as household knights under Erland's sole command, they wouldn't have to skulk around or hide in corners or place themselves under the leadership of whoever was in charge of the men-at-arms during Erland's absence. They could walk right into Erland's private chamber with Lilianne. So long as she was with them no one would question their intentions. They’d be free to search out all of Erland's documents, and once they located Gilbert's body they could carry the boy out of his cell and openly arrange his funeral.

  Magnus could see how much pleasure Lilianne derived from providing prompt responses to Braedon's questions. The shadows were almost gone from her lovely eyes and the corners of her mouth were tilted into a delicious smile of satisfaction. She was looking at him with such lively expectancy of his approval that Magnus hated to quash her pleasure by bringing up one dangerous little detail. But he could not avoid it.

  “What about Norbard?” he asked. “How do you propose to deal with him if he is at Manoir Sainte Inge?”

  “Like everyone else at the manor, Norbard has not been in contact with Erland,” she said. “He can have no idea that Erland has been captured, or that you and the others are not in Erland's service.”

  “Suppose Erland issued orders to Norbard before we took him away,” Magnus said, “orders contradicting your claim. How will you answer him?”

  “We don't even know if Norbard is at the manor,” Lilianne exclaimed impatiently. “If he is, I will treat him with the same distain and arrogance that Erland employs. He has always said Norbard isn't very intelligent.”

  “Or very trustworthy,” Magnus added softly. “Beware of double agents, Lilianne. They have to be more intelligent than they appear. Above all, beware of overconfidence. We cannot know in advance what conditions we will find at the manor.”

  “'We,'“ she repeated, looking pleased. “Does that mean you finally understand how much you need me if you are to get into the manor a second time, and then out of it?”

  “It means I understand how useful you can be to us,” he said.

  “Thank you, Magnus.” She sounded demure, but her sudden, brilliant smile smote his heart. She wasn't going to like the way he intended to alter and enlarge upon her plan.

  “Braedon,” Magnus said, “I assume you want to wash away the dust of your ride before the midday meal. For my part, I need an hour alone in which to think over Lilianne's idea. We will discuss the final arrangements later, in the solar.”

  Before Lilianne could challenge his remarks, he clapped a hand on Braedon's shoulder, lightly pushing him in the direction of the keep. While Braedon bathed Magnus intended to talk with him in private and come to an agreement about their next expedition to France.

  * * * * *

  As Royce so often did when he was present, Magnus waited until the meal was over and the servants were dismissed before he raised the subject he knew was on everyone's mind. From the great hall below came the sounds of men-at-arms enjoying their midday feast, but the solar was a quieter, more private place.

  “This is what I have decided,” Magnus began, fixing Lilianne with a stern look to warn her to keep silent until he was finished speaking. He prayed she wouldn't object to the way in which he proposed to use her personal tragedy to carry out his own plans. “When word comes that the Daisy is in port, we will ride to Hythe and take immediate passage with Captain Piers. We will have him put us ashore near the inn that William told Lilianne about and take horse from there to Manoir Sainte Inge. We’ll ride straight into the place as if Lilianne is returning with a small escort. Once we are inside I’ll gain entrance to Erland's private chamber and locate all of his documents.

  “On that first day of our return, Lilianne will 'discover' Gilbert's body and order it buried with proper respect. If any questions are asked about the boy's demise, we’ll claim we don't know how he got into the tower or what happened to him. While the funeral arrangements are being made, I will work at decoding Erland's writings, seeking information on where my brother is being held.”

  “That may require several days, judging by how long it took you and Royce to decode the material you brought away the first time,” William noted. “I think we ought to move into and out of the manor as quickly as possible. Why not carry the documents out with you and work on them later?”

  “I know the code now,” Magnus said. “Deciphering the new material shouldn't take as long as the first batch did.”

  “There will be no need for haste, because we don't have to worry about Erland returning unexpectedly,” Braedon pointed out.

  “But Norbard may return,” William said. “He may already have returned.”

  “Just so,” Magnus agreed. “That is why, as soon as Gilbert is buried, preferably in early morning of the day after our arrival, Lilianne will suddenly decide she must visit Alice at the convent, so she can tell her friend what has happened to Gilbert. Lilianne and William will depart from the manor in apparent innocence. Of course, they won't be heading for a convent. They will meet a boat from the Daisy that Captain Piers will send ashore to a prearranged spot. We can settle with him the exact location and timing of the meeting. We will also arrange with the innkeeper to retrieve the horses later. There’s sure to be a bush or a tree where they can be tied so they won't wander.”

&nbs
p; “What about you and Braedon?” Lilianne asked. “Where will you be while William and I are making for the rendezvous spot?”

  “If I can learn from Erland's records where Desmond is being held, Braedon and I will ride to the place, to find and release him,” Magnus answered with more assurance than he felt.

  “But, that will leave the two of you alone in French territory,” Lilianne cried.

  “If you are caught, you'll be hanged as spies,” William added. “Not to mention being drawn and quartered before they let you die.”

  “It’s far more likely,” Alice spoke up, “that King Louis will keep the two of you as hostages to force King Henry to turn over someone, or something, important to him. Have you thought of that, Magnus?”

  “I have,” Magnus said quietly, meeting her worried gaze. “Braedon and I are resolved not to provide King Louis with such an opportunity. We won't be taken alive.”

  “Dear God, no!” Lilianne exclaimed.

  “It may not come to that,” Magnus said. “I may not find anything useful in Erland's writings. If I don't, then Braedon and I will join you when you supposedly set out for Alice's convent, and we will return to England with you, to await Royce and learn what he and King Henry have decided we ought to do next to free Desmond.”

  “But, if you do find something, you expect William and me to leave you there?” Lilianne cried. “No, I won't do it!”

  “Every mission requires a leader,” Magnus told her. “I am leader of the attempt to discover where Desmond is being held. You are being allowed to join us for two reasons only: in order to bury your brother, and because you can get us into and out of the manor without a fight. From this moment on, as a member of the mission and my subordinate, you will follow my orders. Do you understand and accept my conditions?”

  “Yes,” she said, somewhat resentfully. “You offer my best chance of seeing Gilbert buried with the respect due to the lord of Sainte Inge. I will do as you require, Magnus.”

  “I’m not happy about this idea of leaving you behind.” William raised his own objection. “Magnus, you know perfectly well that all three of us were assigned to the mission.”

  “To the original mission to abduct Erland, yes,” Magnus said. “We carried out that assignment successfully. This second trip to Manoir Sainte Inge is another matter entirely.”

  “You are acting without Royce's authority,” William protested. “He’ll have my head if I leave you and then something goes wrong and you don't come back.”

  “On the day he recruited me, Royce put me in command of this mission,” Magnus reminded him.

  “You just argued that the mission to which he assigned you is over and that the second trip to France is a different matter,” William declared.

  “Oh, do stop quarreling!” Alice cried. “I wish with all my heart that a return to the manor weren't necessary, but Lilianne and Magnus believe it is. Between them, they have thought of more details than I can imagine. Speaking for myself, I hope Magnus finds no information of value amongst Erland's documents, so all of you can ride away from the manor together, board the Daisy without incident, and return safely to Richton.”

  “That is most likely what will happen,” Magnus said. He was fairly sure Alice wouldn't notice how uncertain he was of so simple an outcome. He wasn’t as sure of Lilianne’s reaction to what he intended. The variation on her plan that he and Braedon had worked out together offered William his best chance of returning to Alice alive and unharmed, to face a secure future that included love and honorable employment at Wortham Castle. Magnus knew that, for Alice’s sake, Lilianne would be pleased by such a resolution, though he realized she didn’t approve of his own intentions.

  “We must set love aside for a time,” Alice said to William.

  And we, Magnus thought, looking at Lilianne, must cast love aside entirely if we are to fulfill our duties to our brothers. Not that I ever held any real hope of a life with you. The world is not kind to people like us, dispossessed and living on the fringes of the nobility. You deserve what Alice will have, what I cannot give you.

  Far more important to Magnus than the fates of William and Alice, even more important than his passionate desire for Lilianne, was her safety and well-being. Though he was presently at odds with Royce over the information Royce had withheld from him, and though he knew Royce would be angry to learn how Magnus had returned to France without authorization, he believed Royce would not hold that decision against Lilianne.

  He had written a letter which he planned to give to Sir John to keep until Royce's return. In the letter he explained what he hoped to accomplish at Manoir Sainte Inge, and asked Royce to take Lilianne into his own household, perhaps as a companion to his teenaged daughter, so she could be near Alice.

  Magnus swore to himself that he would keep Lilianne safe while she was at Manoir Sainte Inge, and he knew he could trust honest William to see her returned to England without harm. He did not doubt that Lilianne would obey him during the new mission. She had promised to do so, and Lilianne would never break a promise.

  Chapter 12

  Magnus and his three companions set out for Hythe two days later, leaving Alice behind to wave a tearful farewell.

  Sir John was greatly annoyed by their decision to go off on their own without Royce’s permission and he did not hesitate to voice his disapproval. He reiterated his objections one last time in the castle bailey, just before Magus mounted his horse.

  “Do not question me,” Magnus said to him. “Simply put my letter into Royce’s hands as soon as you see him. Once he reads it, he will understand.”

  “I hope so,” Sir John responded with a soldier’s bluntness, “for I do not.”

  “What letter?” Lilianne asked Magnus as soon as they were on the road to Hythe.

  “I am not as irresponsible as Sir John seems to think,” Magnus responded with a gravity that alarmed her. “I do understand that Royce needs to be informed about what his men are doing. He will know how to deal with any problems that arise.”

  “What problems? Is there something you aren’t telling me?”

  “There is always the possibility of a problem,” he said. “I have warned you several times about the dangers we face. You know as much as I do about what we will find at Manoir Sainte Inge, possibly more than I know. You are more familiar with the place than I am.”

  His remarks did little to ease Lilianne’s forebodings and when he lapsed into a brooding silence for the rest of the journey her anxiety increased.

  The morning fog began to clear as they came over a ridge from where they could see Hythe and the Narrow Sea beyond. The blue sky and sunshine helped to lift Lilianne’s spirits.

  “I can see the Daisy,” she said, pointing.

  Magnus just nodded and started down the slope toward town. Less than an hour later their horses were stabled in the care of an ostler who responded cheerfully to the mention of Royce’s name and to the promise of extra recompense if he fed them well until the travelers returned.

  The captain of the Daisy was not as agreeable. They found him at the gangplank of his ship, wearing the same clothing as before, including his bright red boots. But when Captain Piers learned what Magnus wanted of him, his smile of greeting vanished, to be replaced by a sour expression.

  “I'm not happy at bein' hired fer sich an undertakin' without Lord Royce's name on a parchment as insurance that I'll be paid,” he told Magnus. “Not happy at all,” he repeated, glancing over his shoulder as if he expected to find Royce standing there.

  “We have learned of a minor problem not disposed of at Manoir Sainte Inge during our first visit,” Magnus said. “Royce has been informed of our activities. You will be paid.”

  Lilianne did not approve of Magnus's description of the death of her brother as a minor problem, but she held her peace. So long as he was helping her to see Gilbert properly buried she would not dispute his methods. After Gilbert's funeral was over she would feel free to protest Magnus's edict that sh
e and William must sail back to England immediately. She had no intention of leaving Magnus – or Braedon – behind.

  “So, me foine lady,” Captain Piers said, turning from Magnus to Lilianne, “don't tell me yer plannin' ta come along wi' these young devils?”

  “The manor is my home,” Lilianne responded, seizing the opportunity to practice on the disgruntled captain the noble arrogance she intended to employ a day or two later on the men-at-arms at Manoir Sainte Inge. “I must return.”

  “Yer daft,” the captain told her. “Ye left in haste and now yer wantin' ta return? Why?”

  “My reasons are not your concern,” Lilianne retorted sharply.

  “Ye were not so haughty on the outward voyage,” Captain Piers said.

  Behind his sturdy back Magnus caught her eye and shook his head. Obeying him as she had promised to do, Lilianne did not respond further to the captain’s questioning.

  “Have you any cabins available?” Magnus asked.

  “Oh, aye,” Captain Piers said, lowering his gaze to his red boots and not looking directly at Magnus. “Ye'll be the only passengers on this trip.”

  “Then, what is the problem, man?” Braedon demanded. “A moment ago you had no passengers; now you have four and you know you will be paid for carrying us. How can you object to the arrangement?”

  “My problem,” Captain Piers answered with a belligerent glare at Braedon, “is that I planned to return directly to Calais. I've a cargo to be unloaded there. The sooner I deliver it, the more I'll be paid. I can't afford to wait off-shore the way I did last time, while ye transact yer latest business.”

  “You won't have to wait,” Magnus said. “You can put us ashore, then sail to Calais, unload your cargo, and pick us up a day or two later.”

  “Oh?” Captain Piers stopped scowling. “In that case, I'll convey ye across the Narrow Sea, for double the usual fare.”

  “That's robbery!” William exclaimed.