Great Protector (22 page)

"Excellent,
indeed," Gavan snorted. "I have spent the better part of yesterday
searching for an appropriate gift. She will forgive me when she sees the lovely
candle I brought her."

Richmond
scowled. "A mere candle for her birthday?" Laughing softly, he
clapped the man on the shoulder. "You and I must have a talk regarding the
gifts ladies prefer. I should hardly consider a candle a much-desired
item."

Gavan's
lips pressed into a wry, flat line. "The earl thought it to be most
suitable," he glanced to the rounded man beside him. "I am sorry, my
lord. Richmond does not agree with your opinion."

The
earl snorted, reeking of the fine alcohol he had been imbibing in for the
better part of an hour. "He rarely does where it pertains to Arissa,"
he muttered. "Since he deems your gift inappropriate, I should ask him
what he selected for this most auspicious day. Well?"

Richmond's
expression did not waver, thinking on the lovely cross, the stolen kisses, and
the amazing process of discovery taking place between them. “I am sure she will
tell you in her own time, announcing my token of esteem to be the finest she’s
received this day," he was half-jesting, half not. Wanting off the
subject, he returned his focus to Gavan. "Tell me - how goes the situation
in London?"

Gavan's
expression changed. It was not so much an obvious transformation as it was in
the light in his eyes. Richmond caught the alteration and was needful to get
the man alone.

"Busy,"
Gavan replied evenly. "I have brought a few items for you, from Henry. In
fact, I left them in my saddlebags. I shall go and get them."

"I
shall go with you," Richmond volunteered in a perfect excuse. When William
dismissed them both and went about his business, Richmond and Gavan strolled
casually from the gallery. Instead of moving for the bailey en route to the
knight's quarters, Gavan headed for a smaller solar off the main corridor,
rarely used except by visitors and dallying servants.

There
was a small fire in the hearth, casting a warm glow about the dingy room. As
the sun set, Gavan went to his satchel already deposited against the wall. Richmond
closed the door quietly, making sure to bolt it.

"What
is wrong?" he asked, his voice a rumble.

Gavan
began to fumble through his bag. "A great deal, unfortunately. You were
wise to leave me behind in case any further developments arose along the Welsh
border."

"And?"

Gavan
rose on thick legs, a missive in his hand. "God's Teeth, Richmond, where
to begin?” he said. “When you left, Hotspur was holding the Welsh rebellion and
Owen Glendower as best he could. Even though Owen had captured three garrisons,
for the most part the English have the upper hand. Until Henry began expressing
his displeasure at Hotspur's military abilities."

Richmond
cocked an eyebrow. "Displeasure with Henry Percy? I realize he was unhappy
that three bastions had been captured by the Welsh, but he never expressed his
dissatisfaction with Hotspur to me. In fact, he’s extremely pleased with the
man's tactics."

Gavan
shook his head. "More than that, he’s simply pleased to have mighty
Northumberland fighting his Welsh war. Just before you left, however, he began
to intimate that the loss of the three fortresses to be Hotspur's fault. It
took a mere day for word of the king's distrust to reach Henry Percy on the
border and, I would imagine, he’s most disturbed with the king's
treachery."

Richmond
drew in a deep, thoughtful breath. "You have not heard of his
reaction?"

Gavan
shook his head. "It cannot be favorable. If Northumberland turns against
Henry in retaliation for the king's lack of faith, the results could be
devastating."

"Devastating
for Henry indeed. One cannot hold England and not be allied with
Northumberland. They rule the north."

Gavan
eased himself onto the corner of a heavy table; the ride from London had been
hard and he was beginning to feel his fatigue. Moreover, the weight of the news
he bore was exhausting.

"Both
Henry and Hotspur are close to you. What will you do, Richmond? You will find
yourself in the middle."

Richmond
was gazing off into the flickering hearth, his handsome face expressionless.
After an eternal moment, he sighed. "I do not plan to do anything for the
moment. Unless I hear otherwise, I shall continue to wait out the month at
Lambourn and escort Lady Arissa to Whitby after the New Year. After that, I
shall return to London and, I would suspect, move directly for the Welsh border
to assist Hotspur with the rebellion."

Gavan
did not say anything for a moment. "What if Hotspur
becomes
the
rebellion? His alliance with Henry is tenuous at best, and with the added
insult of Henry's faithlessness, we may find ourselves in another civil
war."

Richmond
moved away from the hearth, his brow creased with thought. "And we shall
deal with it when, and if, it comes. But until such time, nothing
changes," he motioned to the missive in Gavan's hand. "What is
that?"

Gavan
rose and handed him the vellum. "From Henry. He would not tell me what it
said."

Richmond
broke the red wax seal bearing the leopards and lions of England. Unrolling the
missive, he moved to the hearth to read by the light.

Gavan
turned away from Richmond as he read the missive, pacing the stone floor and
lost to his own thoughts. He continued to pace about, his mind lingering on
Hotspur and paying little attention to his comrade reading by the dim flame.

One
minute turned into two, turned into five. When Gavan glanced up to see why
Richmond was taking so long in digesting the missive, he was struck by the
expression on his friend's face. He'd never seen a look of such.... shock.

"What's
the matter?" he demanded softly.

Richmond
was staring at the vellum as if he were looking into the bowels of hell. Gavan's
voice seemed to snap him out of his trance, for the vellum suddenly flew into
the flames and ignited in a burst of sparks. The parchment burned brightly.

"Richmond,
what does it say?"

Richmond
stared into the fluctuating flames. His mouth opened as if to speak, then
closed again. Swallowing hard, he turned to Gavan.

"A
reward," he murmured. "Henry is rewarding me for my years of service...."

Gavan
peered closely at him, his brow furrowed with puzzlement. "I do not
understand. And this displeases you?"

Richmond
let out a long sigh, striving to regain control of his reeling senses. He
simply couldn't comprehend what he had read.

"I
do not want it," he said hoarsely, dragging his hands over his face as if
he were about to lose his mind.

"You
do not want the reward?" Gavan took a step toward him, concerned with the
emotion he was witnessing. Richmond was a man of consummate control and rarely,
if ever, did he display his inner feelings. It was a disturbing sight at the
very least, especially when Gavan did not understand the significance.
Obviously, something was terribly wrong.

Richmond
stood by the wall, leaning against the cold stone for support as he struggled
with his astonishment. Gavan moved towards him, eager to be of assistance if
Richmond would allow. Never mind if the missive was not any of his business; he
would make it his business.

"What
in the hell is going on, Richmond?" he demanded quietly. "Why are you
so unbalanced?"

Richmond
felt Gavan's presence, slowly turning to look at him. A man he had literally
trusted with his life for over ten years, and he known him far longer than he
could recall. He was a man who had no idea of the true situation around him; for
all Gavan knew, Richmond and William were old friends, and Richmond was very
fond of spending the majority of his time at Lambourn. Considering the Earl of
Berkshire was a strong supporter of Henry, it was not an unusual situation.

Never
once had Gavan questioned Richmond's strong attachment to the earl and his
family.  Gazing into Gavan's brown eyes, Richmond realized that the time for
truth had come.

He
drew in a deep breath, steadying himself. "What I am about to tell you
will not leave this room. Do you understand?"

Gavan
nodded. "By my oath as a knight, I swear it."

Richmond's
gaze lingered on him a moment longer before pushing himself off the wall,
pacing across the floor. "All is not what it appears to be, Gavan. I have
been in Henry's service for eighteen years, a very long time. When I have not
been fighting for Henry's throne, I have been here at Lambourn. My routine and
dedication has never varied."

Gavan's
gaze was open, curious. Richmond continued. "I came into his service when
he entrusted me with a special mission, a task of the utmost import. Henry
himself selected me and for eighteen years I have completed this task
flawlessly."

Gavan
was still gazing at him, but a look of puzzlement touched his features.
"What task?"

Richmond
lowered himself onto the same table Gavan had occupied, raking his fingers
through his dark brown hair. "I am the Lady Arissa's guardian. She’s
Henry's daughter, the result of a liaison between himself and another woman.
The woman was married to a knight who threatened to kill the babe, knowing she was
not of his loins. When Arissa was five days old, I brought her here to Lambourn
and have been her protector ever since."

Gavan's
puzzled expression bloomed into a look of complete astonishment. His mouth
popped open as he stared at Richmond; quickly, he clamped his jaw shut and put
a hand to his head as if to stop the spinning. "The Lady Arissa is Henry's
daughter?"

"Aye,"
Richmond's voice was a hoarse whisper. "William knows, of course, as does
Lady Maude and Mossy. Including Henry and myself, there are only five people in
possession of this knowledge. And now you. You understand why this revelation
cannot become public knowledge."

Gavan
took a deep, unsteady breath as he attempted to calm his swirling thoughts.
"It would seem there are several reasons why this cannot become public
information. With the instability of Henry's reign, she would be a perfect
target for blackmail or exploitation. Or her mother's husband may still be
interested in being rid of her. God's Teeth, Richmond, no wonder we have spent
the majority of the past ten years here at Lambourn. You have been watching
over Riss!"

Richmond
nodded slowly, feeling every one of his thirty nine years. "Watching over
her like a hawk. And falling in love with her in the process."

All
of the color drained from Gavan's face. If he had been shocked before, that
particular expression did not begin to encompass the surprise he felt at
Richmond's subsequent admission. He stared at his friend as if he had gone
completely daft.

"You
are in
love
with her?" he repeated in a strangled voice.

Richmond
glanced at his second, noting his disbelief. "Believe me, Gavan, I am
equally stunned by the occurrence. It simply.... happened. More importantly,
she returns my feelings."

Gavan's
mouth was hanging open again. "But she’s pledged to Whitby! What are
you..?"

Richmond
put up a quelling hand. "I am well aware of the overall ramifications. I
have thought of little else. Until this moment, my greatest worry was
confronting Henry with the situation and demanding that he dissolve her
contract to Whitby so that I could marry her, if he would even consider
allowing the union to take place," he glanced at the red embers of the
parchment smoldering in the hearth. "Unfortunately, Henry seems to have
other plans for me."

Gavan
watched the dimming flames. "You mentioned a reward. What reward?"

Richmond
sighed heavily, rising from the table and clenching his huge fists. "For
eighteen years of loyal service, Henry has seen fit to reward me by instigating
a betrothal between myself and a very wealthy widow, a woman of importance and
standing. 'Tis a tremendous honor, promising money and prestige, a distinction
any man would be thrilled to receive," his gaze trailed up to Gavan,
sluggish and somber. When he spoke, his tone was laced with irony. "But
not me. I am acquainted with this woman and want no part of her."

The
anticipation of his answer caused Gavan to lean forward on the table, bracing
himself with his thick arms. His brown eyes glittered. "
Who?
"

"The
Lady Cecily Percy de Clare."

Gavan
simply stared at him as the name sank deep. Each revelation seemed to be
greater than the previous and, suddenly, his eyes widened to the point of
popping from his skull. "Hotspur's sister!"

Richmond
nodded weakly, pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off the impending ache.
"And if I refuse, Hotspur will be insulted, not to mention the fact that
our king will probably string me up by my thumbs," his hand came down,
slapping against his massive thigh. "This is an added element that is not
only unwanted, it is beyond belief. I risk offending both factions by my
refusal."

"And
if you offend our king, he will not be inclined to grant your petition for
Arissa," Gavan supplied softly, his shock numbing him to any further
emotion. "God's Teeth, Richmond, you certainly know how to get yourself
into trouble."