The Forsaken (Echoes from the Past Book 4)

by Irina Shapiro

  “Guy, I wager Stanwyck’s celebration will be nothing compared to the festivities you attended at court,” Hugh said, pouring Guy more wine. “Tell us about Westminster, brother. What’s the mood like at the palace this Christmas season?”

  Guy forced a smile and went on to describe the entertainments planned by the king and his new queen, making the ladies gasp with delight. “But that’s nothing compared to what the king has planned for his lady’s coronation, which is to take place in May,” Guy continued. “The preparations have already begun, and it will be the most splendid celebration London has ever seen. The king will see to that.”

  Hugh nodded. “He would, given the manner of his marriage.”

  “What do you mean, Hugh?” Eleanor asked. She was always a little slow on the uptake, and needed things explained to her.

  “Well, His Royal Highness married in secret,” Hugh replied patiently. “Not only did he take a bride who’s beneath him, but he denied his subjects a royal wedding. You can’t imagine the pageantry and expense that goes into celebrating a union between two royal houses, Eleanor. And had the king married a princess, the wedding would have been a sight to behold.”

  “Oh, I see,” Eleanor replied, nodding vigorously. “I would so love to see the coronation,” she went on, directing a pleading look at Hugh.

  Hugh looked momentarily taken aback, but then smiled at Eleanor, his eyes twinkling with the kind of excitement Kate hadn’t seen since they were newly married. “Well, why not? Perhaps we can undertake a trip to London for the festivities. What say you, Adam? It will be an education for you, boy, if my lord Stanwyck can spare you from his service for a fortnight.”

  “Oh, yes, please,” Adam begged, so excited at the prospect that he actually ran toward Hugh and threw his arms around his uncle’s neck.

  Hugh, who was always reserved with his affection in company, seemed gratified by the attention and hugged his nephew back, then winked at him. “I’ll give you something to tell the other boys about,” he promised, smiling broadly.

  “I think the Earl of Stanwyck will be attending the coronation, as will most nobles in the land. He might take Adam along as part of his own retinue,” Guy pointed out.

  “Even better,” Hugh replied with a chuckle. “Less expense for me. Ordering new gowns and suits of clothes for us will come dear enough, not to mention accommodation in the capital. Every innkeeper will hike up the rate, keen to make a profit off the occasion. Perhaps I overestimated my willingness to undertake this journey,” he mused.

  “Hugh, please,” Eleanor breathed, her eyes pleading with him to reconsider. “It’ll be such fun.”

  “I’ll have a think on it, my dear,” Hugh promised, blessing her with an indulgent smile. “Perhaps we don’t all need to attend.” He hadn’t singled anyone out, but Kate thought he might be referring to her. He meant to punish her, and this would be one way to do it.

  “We’ll all go,” Guy said, his narrowed gaze daring Hugh to contradict him. “I’ll shoulder part of the expense if you find it too crippling, Hugh.”

  “I was only joking,” Hugh replied with forced joviality. “We’ll all go. Ah, let’s eat,” he said, rubbing his hands as Joan brought out a platter of sliced beef accompanied by buttered peas prepared with bits of salted pork, and mashed turnips. Alf came tottering behind her with two fresh loaves of manchet bread and another flagon of wine.

  The rest of the meal passed in pleasant discussion of their possible trip to London. Kate didn’t say much, but the idea of going to London for the coronation appealed to her. It would be nice to see the capital, and perhaps she’d even get a glimpse of her father and his new wife. She knew that was unlikely, given the number of people that would be thronging the streets on Coronation Day, but perhaps Guy would know where her father would be and direct her there.

  The thought of seeing her father soured Kate’s stomach. Deep down, she knew if he saw her, he’d either ignore her or curse her outright. She was dead to him, but unlike his sons, who had died an honorable death, she was a traitor and a disappointment.

  Kate sighed and accepted more wine. She didn’t much like the taste, but at least it might help her fall asleep. She feared being alone with Hugh after the way he’d treated her that morning, and hoped he’d be inebriated enough to pass out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

  Supper lasted several hours, but finally, the last spoon of syllabub was consumed and the final drop of wine had been drunk. Everyone rose from the table, eager for their beds. Hugh had been in good spirits all day, but that didn’t mean his mood wouldn’t sour as soon as the door to their chamber closed behind him. Kate waited for him to join her, but Hugh turned to Guy instead.

  “I’d like to speak to you alone for a few minutes,” he said. “Alf, bring us more wine.”

  Guy didn’t look eager to talk, but he inclined his head in agreement and bid the ladies and Adam goodnight. Kate trudged up the stairs after Eleanor, glad to have been spared an awkward interlude with Hugh as they prepared for bed. At least she’d get to go to bed in peace, something that didn’t happen often.

  Chapter 58

  Guy was tired after several days spent in the saddle and would have liked nothing more than to retire, but Hugh was starved for news and eager to hear all the details Guy had left out for the benefit of the ladies. He added two thick logs to the fire and offered Guy more wine.

  “Not for me,” Guy replied, and watched as Hugh drank a cup of wine in one long swallow. His brother was imbibing a lot more than he used to, whether due to boredom or unhappiness he couldn’t quite tell.

  “How are things at court?” Hugh demanded as he poured himself more wine. “The truth now, and not the pretty, glossy picture of life at the palace you painted for the women.”

  “Tense. Warwick is furious about the king’s marriage and doesn’t care who knows it. Words like ‘witchcraft’ and ‘sorcery’ are being bandied about,” Guy added.

  “In relation to whom?”

  “Queen Elizabeth and her mother, Jacquetta of Luxembourg, the newly minted Countess Rivers.”

  “Is there anything in it?” Hugh asked.

  “Who knows? I wouldn’t want to get on their bad side, I’ll readily admit that. I’d be hard pressed to believe the rumors of our queen, but her mother is a different matter. That woman is either as clever as Warwick or has the ear of the devil himself. Ever since she came to court the king has been handing out titles and lands to the Woodvilles like sweets to children at a fair. Jacquetta’s husband has been created Earl Rivers, and she’s using their newly acquired status to marry off her children, of whom there are many, into the greatest noble houses loyal to York. The king is supporting these unions, and in doing so is creating a solid base of support among the queen’s family, ousting Warwick and diminishing his power.”

  “I can’t imagine that my lord Warwick is taking that lightly.”

  “He isn’t. He made the king, and he can unmake him, at least in his own estimation.” Guy had heard Warwick express that particular sentiment several times before leaving his service, and hoped the words were more bluster than threat. After a period of uprisings and rebellions, the country was finally settling into Edward’s reign, and deposing him would destabilize the fragile peace so recently achieved.

  “So, what do you think is the price of his loyalty to the king?” Hugh asked. He seemed remarkably sober, given how much wine he’d consumed throughout supper and afterward.

  “He’s set on having his daughters marry the king’s brothers and become royal duchesses,” Guy explained. “That would bring them one step closer to the throne, and should Edward fall…”

  “The throne would pass to George Plantagenet, the Duke of Clarence, and his wife Isabel Neville would become queen,” Hugh finished for him. “How likely is that to happen?”

  “Edward is not Henry. He leads his army in battle, and is as likely to die on the battlefield as any man.”

  Hugh shook his head in disgust. “Th
e Duke of Clarence has no business being king. He’s ruthless, conniving, and utterly devoid of compassion.”

  Guy tried to mask his chuckle behind a well-timed cough. Hugh had just described himself, but clearly, he didn’t think a man with those qualities should ever be in power. Guy happened to agree. Seeing Kate and Eleanor after his prolonged absence had proved a shock. Kate looked worn and frightened, and Eleanor, although lovely as ever, drooped like a wilted flower, desperate for attention and affection. The only woman who appeared to be thriving at Castle de Rosel was Nurse, who was as autocratic as ever, ordering Kate and Eleanor about as if she were the lady of the house. Guy was in no doubt that Nurse wielded more power over Hugh than either his wife or his sister-in-law and did much to influence his decisions, particularly when it came to Eleanor.

  Preventing Eleanor from remarrying kept Hugh firmly in control of family finances and allegiances, and he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his position. Adam was only eight, which left Hugh in charge of the estate until Adam was knighted at twenty-two. Much could happen over the course of fourteen years, and if anything happened to Adam during that time, Hugh would inherit the title and estate he so coveted.

  “I agree with you there, Hugh, but if His Majesty continues to antagonize Warwick there’s a very good chance Warwick will take matters into his own hands and commit treason.”

  Hugh leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowed and his head tilted to the side as he considered the implications of Warwick’s possible rebellion. No doubt he was trying to assess how such a turn of events would affect the country and his own personal situation. If Warwick managed to depose the king and take the throne for himself, Hugh would find himself distant kin to the king of England, an enviable position even for someone who stood to gain little by the association. “It’s only treason if you lose,” he mused, watching Guy to gauge his stance. “Should such a thing come to pass, our loyalties would come into question. Whose standard would you ride out under?”

  “Warwick’s been good to me, but if he took up arms against the king he’d be condemning all those who answered his call to death. My loyalty is to the House of York,” Guy said. “I’ll not be switching allegiances every time the wind blows in a different direction.”

  “You’ve changed, brother,” Hugh said with an indulgent smile. “I’d not have thought it of you to become so politically savvy. Or maybe I’ve just grown more complacent, cooling my heels here in the frozen north and keeping my nose clean.”

  “We live in dangerous times, Hugh, and any misstep, no matter how innocent, can cost you not only your life, but everything you hold dear. Just look at what happened to the Duke of Somerset.”

  Hugh laughed uproariously. “Somerset hardly made an innocent misstep. The man was as wily as a fox and changed allegiances as often as he changed his hose.”

  “Nevertheless, his lands and titles are forfeit, and his head is no longer attached to his body. He’d made one misstep too many.”

  “Good thing we’re not in line for the throne then,” Hugh joked and slapped Guy on the shoulder. “Our beautiful new queen had better produce a son, and soon, or Edward’s reign won’t be secure.”

  “I heard she’s already with child, if court gossip can be relied upon,” Guy replied.

  “Unlike my dear wife, who’s as barren as winter rain,” Hugh spat out bitterly.

  “I’m sorry your hopes haven’t been realized, Hugh, but surely there’s still time,” Guy replied carefully.

  “She’s not getting any younger, Guy, and if she hasn’t conceived by now, chances are she won’t in the future. I had such hopes for this marriage, but none of them came to fruition.”

  “Through no fault of Kate’s,” Guy argued.

  “Well, it’s certainly through no fault of my own,” Hugh replied belligerently. “I’ve worked every angle, pursued every opportunity, and plowed that furrow often enough to plant at least one stalk of wheat, but nothing. I’ve no fortune, no title, and no son. My life has been an utter failure.”

  “Yes, I believe it has,” Guy replied. He smiled to let Hugh know that he was agreeing with him in jest. “Go to bed, Hugh. You’ve grown too maudlin to tolerate any longer. I’m for my bed.”

  “Goodnight, Guy. I always feel better after talking to you,” Hugh said, wrapping his arm about Guy’s shoulder in a gesture of affection.

  “Glad I could help. Now, off with you.”

  Hugh stumbled off to bed, leaving Guy to ponder his brother’s assessment of his situation. Guy supposed Hugh wasn’t all wrong, but in his eyes, Hugh was the luckiest man alive, just by virtue of having Kate.

  Chapter 59

  August 2014

  London, England

  Gabe held the sword reverently before stowing it in its lockable case. He could see the faraway look in Quinn’s eyes and envied her ability to see into the past. He would have liked to see what she’d seen with her previous cases, but this one was special. The people whose lives Quinn could step into at will were his ancestors, his family.

  She had been keeping him up to date on what she saw, from the point of view of both Kate and Guy, but if Gabe were to be honest, it was Guy he was most interested in, as well as Adam. He wished Quinn had something of Adam’s, especially something that might have belonged to him once he reached adulthood. She hadn’t asked to see Gabe’s family tree, preferring to witness events as they played out, and he respected her wishes but drove her to distraction with questions, desperate to be a part of this foray into the past.

  “Tell me about Guy,” Gabe pleaded as he settled in next to Quinn on the bed. “Did his return from London upset the household?”

  “Not greatly, no. Hugh was very happy to see his brother, and Nurse practically swooned with joy. Guy had changed, though,” Quinn mused, her mind still in the fifteenth century and her gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the window.

  “In what way?”

  “When I first saw him, he was more innocent, more trusting. He followed the lead of his brothers, taking it as gospel that they knew best. William was something of a hero to him, but he also looked up to and trusted Hugh. Being away from Hugh, and from home, had matured him, and opened his eyes to the hidden motives of powerful men. He’d become disillusioned with Warwick, and with the whole struggle to win and keep the throne. He saw these men for who they were: selfish, power-hungry, and unapologetic. They’d sacrifice anything and everyone to attain their heart’s desires, and Guy was beginning to understand that Warwick would not rest until one of his daughters attained the throne,” Quinn explained.

  “And Kate? How was he toward Kate?” Gabe asked. “Was he still in love with her, or had his youthful passion burned out?”

  “I think Guy was a one-woman man,” Quinn replied. “He loved Kate, and whereas before he’d never entertained the thought of pursuing her, that resolve crumbled as his loyalty to Hugh waned. Guy was angry with his brother, and wished to punish him for being unkind to Kate. I believe a confrontation is in the making, and it might turn ugly.”

  “You think Hugh murdered Kate?” Gabe asked. “Colin said he discovered no signs of violence.”

  “It’s quite possible that Kate died of natural causes. Many people did. She might have fallen ill, but I can’t imagine the relationship between Hugh and Guy didn’t undergo some kind of major transformation around the time of her death.”

  “How I wish I could see them for myself,” Gabe said wistfully. “Tell me about Adam.”

  “Adam was a clever boy, and more ambitious than anyone gave him credit for. He was tired of being coddled by his mother and ordered about by Nurse and was anxious to join the earl’s household and be treated as a person in his own right.”

  “It must have been quite an education to go from such a claustrophobic environment to living in a castle that housed dozens of people.”

  “Hundreds,” Quinn corrected him. “The Earl of Stanwyck was a powerful man and retained dozens of servants and grooms along with pages
, squires, and hangers-on.”

  “Hangers-on?”

  “Distant kin who hoped to benefit by their association with the earl. There were several teenage girls who’d been sent to the earl’s household by their parents in the hopes of contracting beneficial marriages. A few of them were married off to Stanwyck’s knights. Do you know anything about Adam as an adult?”

  “He was a shrewd man, by all accounts, and only political when it suited his interests.”

  “Adam would have been a young man at the time of the Battle of Bosworth. Whom did he support?” Quinn asked.

  “He was Richard’s man, through and through. The de Rosels switched allegiances only once, when they believed the Lancastrian cause was lost. They remained loyal to the House of York until the bitter end.”

  “Can’t say I blame them. I never did care much for the way Henry Tudor seized the crown, or the way he treated Richard’s body after the battle. Richard was an anointed king, after all, and deserved some measure of respect. Tossing him naked over a horse and hacking at him as if he were a side of beef was unbecoming of a man who wished to be king,” Quinn said scornfully.

  Gabe laughed at her expression of displeasure. “You said it yourself; they were all selfish, power-hungry, and unapologetic. Henry Tudor wanted to humiliate Richard and discredit the House of York, and he’d accomplished that, although I don’t think he ever felt safe on his throne. He was keenly aware of how fragile his reign was, at least in its infancy.”

  “I never did like that period in history, or the Civil War,” Quinn said. “I always wanted to believe the British are more civilized than that, but in the end, they just slaughtered each other en masse to satisfy the ambitions of a few bloodthirsty men.”