Page 23

With a lazy grin on his face, Magnus turned to see Morgen de Lohr, Earl of Hereford and Worcester, standing a few feet away. But he didn’t stop tying up the children that had been trying to rob him.

“You recognized me in my natural state, my lord?” he said. “Torturing de Lohr children?”

Morgen, a large man with a crown of blond hair, laughed softly. “They deserve everything you are doing to them,” he said. “Poor Marcellus must contend with this every time he enters the house, only he serves me and cannot fight back as you do.”

“Why not?”

“Because my wife becomes angry with him.”

Magnus finished off the tie, and the three boys he’d captured began to howl and beg for release. Magnus looked to Morgen for the command to set the boys free, but Morgen shook his head.

“Leave them for the dogs,” he said. “It will teach them a lesson.”

Magnus fought off a grin as the boys started weeping. The other children who had been part of the attack scattered back into the shadows, leaving Marcellus harried but untouched. His features were full of annoyance as he reattached dirks and straightened out his tunic.

“Magnus de Wolfe has arrived, my lord,” he said with great irritation. “I was coming to announce him when we were set upon.”

Morgen chuckled. “Poor Marcellus,” he said. “One of these days, I shall give him permission to do what he must to end these attacks once and for all.”

Magnus was trying very hard not to laugh at Marcellus, but that battle was lost when the man rolled his eyes and turned for the entry. They all knew that would never happen.

Magnus followed Morgen into the great solar that overlooked the Thames, a room full of the resplendence of the House of de Lohr. As soon as he stepped into the chamber, he paused, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply through his nose.

“Ah,” he said with satisfaction. “It smells just as I remember it. Like leather and smoke and greatness.”

Morgen went to the table where he’d been working when he heard the commotion in the entry. “You mean it does not smell like disappointment, irritation, and shame?”

Magnus started laughing. “I have smelled that before, my lord,” he said. “At Westminster, most recently, as I spoke to Hugh Despenser the Elder.”

Morgen rolled his eyes as he sat down. “Christ,” he muttered. “Not him again.”

“Unfortunately, my lord.”

“Something must be done about him.”

“I’ve heard that something is, my lord.”

Magnus meant the rumors surrounding the intended removal of Hugh along with several other advisors to the king that the warlords considered a threat to England.

And there were many. Magnus knew it, as did every man who was loyal to England.

That included Morgen, along with Magnus’ father and uncles.

Morgen’s gaze lingered on him for a moment. “Who did you hear that from?” he finally asked.

“My father, my lord,” Magnus said. “The Earl of Berwick may be in the north, but his interests are everywhere when it comes to England and her safety.”

Morgen grunted. “Atty is a great man,” he said, calling Patrick de Wolfe by his familial nickname. “Wherever he leads, I will follow.”

“He says the same of you, my lord.”

Morgen smiled faintly in thanks before turning to his table. He had been reviewing dispatches when Magnus arrived, but he pushed them aside and indicated the chair across the table from him.

“Sit,” he said. “It has been some time since you and I last spoke. I would assume you were at the feast last night?”

Magnus nodded. “I was, my lord.”

“Anything to report?”

Magnus thought a moment. “There was no violence, fortunately,” he said. “Everyone behaved themselves, though I must say that my men were on heightened alert. One wrong move and the entire hall would go up in blood and flames.”

“True,” Morgen said. “My wife would not let me attend, unfortunately.”

“I heard, but you truthfully did not miss anything of note. It was all quite tame.”

Morgen shrugged. “That is the best we can hope for during these turbulent times,” he said. “What of Edward? Did he enjoy himself?”

Magnus nodded. “As far as I could tell,” he said. “The man did not go to bed until the sun rose, so I suspect he had a pleasant evening.”

Morgen stared at him a moment as if expecting far more, but realized he wasn’t going to get it.

Suspicion took over. “Is that why you’ve come to see me?

To tell me that the king presented a boring feast?

” He shook his head knowingly. “You may dispense with the pretexts, Magnus. Why are you really here?”

Magnus smiled weakly. There was no use in denying that he’d come with a purpose, because he had. He wanted something from Morgen, so he had to be careful about asking, but he couldn’t lie to the man. He needed him.

“I’ve come for your help,” he finally said.

“You have it,” Morgen said without hesitation. “What can I do?”

Magnus sighed, averting his gaze. “I am not entirely sure where to start, so I will simply start from the beginning,” he said. “Have you ever heard of the Seven Jewels of London?”

Again, Morgen nodded without hesitation. “I have,” he said. “Those pretty young women that Longshanks used to gain favors. Courtesans of the highest order.”

“Aye,” Magnus said. “Those are the Jewels I refer to.”

Morgen cocked his head thoughtfully, stroking his chin. “As I recall, they came into Longshanks’ court about ten or twelve years ago,” he said. “I remember that they were all quite young, from good families. Are they still around?”

Magnus nodded. “They are,” he said. “That is why I need your help, with one in particular.”

“Oh?” Morgen said, interested. “What do you need?”

“I want to hide her at Lonsdale.”

Morgen hadn’t expected to hear that. “Why?” he said. “What has happened that you must hide one of them?”

Magnus sighed heavily, raking his fingers through his hair in an unsteady gesture. “I am not explaining myself very well,” he said. “Forgive me. This is awkward, and I am not sure how to tell you what I must. I do not wish for you to think me foolish.”

“I would never think that, Magnus,” Morgen said, leaning forward on the table, his sky-blue eyes full of both concern and interest. “Simply tell me what this is all about. I will not judge you, lad.”

Magnus glanced at him, hoping that was true.

“Very well,” he said. “It all started last night. Lord Daventry arrived at the feast with a Jewel on his arm. It seems that she had been with him for several months, and he wanted her company at the feast. To make a long story short, Lord Daventry died last night. At the feast.”

“He did?” Morgen said, shocked. “What happened?”

“Some kind of hemorrhage. The man bled out, everywhere.”

“Christ,” Morgen hissed. “How ghastly.”

“It was,” Magnus said. “But the Jewel… My lord, I must swear you to secrecy on this matter, because if it were known, if Hugh Despenser were told, there would be… trouble.”

“I will take it to my grave. What has happened?”

Magnus leaned onto the table and lowered his voice.

“When Daventry died, I arranged for his body to be sent back to his home, Haydon Square,” he said.

“But the Jewel… with Daventry dead, she was free. Or, at least, she wanted to be. Normally, I do not interfere in how a man lives his life or the women he lives it with, but in this case, the Jewel had nowhere to go, and she refused to remain at Haydon Square. But it was more than that—when Despenser heard of Daventry’s death, he knew the man had a Jewel and asked me to bring the woman to him. ”

“Did you?”

Magnus shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “I did not. She was taken to a safe place, away from Despenser, and he is angry about it.”

“He knows that you did this?”

“He does not know, my lord,” Magnus said.

“That is the problem—he wants her, and I will not take her to him, nor will I tell her where she is. He does not know that I am aware of her whereabouts, but I fear that will change, because she is in London. Because I refused him, I would be willing to wager that Hugh has men looking for her even as we speak. That is why I want to bring her here for safekeeping.”

Morgen was trying to piece this tale together because Magnus wasn’t doing a very good job. He could see, almost instantly, that there was something more here than met the eye. Magnus was withholding something, and Morgen suspected it centered on the Jewel herself.

“Magnus,” he said after a moment. “I will ask you a question, and you will be perfectly honest with me.”

“Of course I will, my lord.”

“What is this Jewel to you that you should risk your career so?”

A ripple of vulnerability crossed Magnus’ features.

“I do not know,” he said, sounding weakened.

“That is the truth, my lord. I do not know. All I know is that I spent a good deal of time with her, speaking to her, hearing her story, and I realized that she has been grossly mistreated most of her adult life. She is bright, educated, and blindingly beautiful. She does not deserve what has happened to her, and if Despenser gets his hands on her, she will go back to the life she is trying desperately to run away from.”

“And you want to bring her here in the course of her running away from that life?”

Magnus nodded. “You should also be aware that I think I may have feelings for her,” he said, stumbling over the words.

“If that is not clear, I will make it so. I do not want there to be any misunderstandings. I do not know how it happened, only that it has. I have offered to marry her and take her north to live with my family.”

Morgen’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “A courtesan?” he said. “Married to a de Wolfe?”

Magnus knew how it sounded. “I am well aware of the unsuitability, my lord,” he said.

“Believe me, I am. The only way this will work is if we change her name and give her a proper background so that my family is unaware of who she really is. That is why I have sworn you to secrecy. You know what only Delaina and I know. You must not betray me.”

Morgen knew a man in love when he saw one.

Or, at least, a man who thought he was in love.

He could hear it in his voice, see it in his body language.

Magnus de Wolfe was a serious, career-minded knight, a man who had risen to the top of the royal troops to become lord commander of the king’s knights.

He had worked hard for it. He had an impeccable pedigree.

But he also, evidently, had an Achilles’ heel.

“I would never betray you, Magnus,” Morgen said seriously. “But you are certain about this?”

“Without a doubt, my lord.”

Morgen thought on it a moment longer before nodding. “I told you that I would help you, and I will,” he said. “Bring her here, but do not tell anyone who she is when she arrives. You’d better create her new name and background before you come here.”

Magnus was so relieved that he nearly slithered to the floor with it. “Thank you,” he muttered. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

“Where is she in London?”

“The Pox, my lord.”

Morgen scowled. “In that horrible place?”

Magnus grinned weakly. “Hugh, most certainly, will not think to look for her there.”

Morgen grunted in agreement. “That is the truth,” he said. “But remove her from that place and bring her here immediately.”

“I will, my lord.”

“Do you require help? I can send Marcellus with you.”

“The same knight who cannot fend off small children?”

Morgen laughed softly. “He is a de Shera,” he said. “I trust him with my life. You may take him if you wish.”

Magnus hesitated a moment before nodding. “I am grateful,” he said. “The less I involve my own men in this, the better.”

“Who else knows about this?”

“Denys de Winter.”

Morgen nodded in recognition. “You do not want to jeopardize his position,” he said.

“Send Marcellus in here, and I will tell him that he is to go with you to retrieve the lady. I will have to tell him that we are protecting her from an enemy intent on doing her harm so he will not know the truth of who, and what, she is. He does not need to know.”

The warmth in Magnus’ eyes faded. “Nay, he does not.”

Morgen sat back in his chair, mulling over the situation. “What happens if Despenser gets his hands on her?” he asked quietly. “What then?”

“Then I will do what I must to retrieve her,” Magnus said, a deadly gleam in his eye. “Make no mistake, my lord. She will go with me or I will kill whoever tries to stop me.”

Morgen knew he was serious. “I know,” he said. “But before you drag your father and me into a war against Edward and Despenser—because, clearly, we will have to defend you—let us see if we cannot move the lady to Lonsdale without incident, shall we?”

Magnus stood up. “I will not forget this, my lord,” he said. “I will repay this kindness, I swear it.”

Morgen stood up as well. “There are no debts between de Wolfe and de Lohr,” he said. “Families such as ours do not keep track of such things. Your father would do it for my sons, I am certain. And I will do it for his.”

A smile crossed Magnus’ lips, one of gratitude. With a dip of his head, acknowledging the earl’s great generosity toward him in this situation, he quit the solar and went in search of Marcellus. He was not attacked by the de Lohr wolf pack as he left the manse, but he couldn’t even think on that.

All he could think about was getting to Delaina…

Before Hugh does.