Page 28 of The Sword and the Damsel (The De Veres #2)
I t took two weeks of planning and another five days of travel to reach Canterbury, but they were there at last. Victor was relieved to pass through the tall, crenelated towers of the archbishop’s palace.
Daniel sent messengers ahead informing Archbishop Richard of their visit, so they were expected. Sir Elias came striding out in a velvet and fur cloak to greet them in the courtyard as servants led away their horses and guided their knights away to living quarters. He gave Victor a long, piercing look, then turned to Daniel.
“My Lord, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” he said with a bow. “The archbishop asked me to welcome you to Canterbury and bring you to join him for dinner as soon as you are settled in. Follow me.”
He led them into an entrance hall with an impossibly high ceiling and a grand staircase leading up to four stories of gallery landings. Banners hung from the galleries with the archbishop’s symbol, a white Y filled with black crosses on a field of blue with yellow accents. Servants were dressed in the same light blue shade as the banners. It was a forbidding space, lit by torches that failed to spread their light to the far reaches of the hall. Sir Elias led them up two flights of stairs to rooms on the third floor, inviting them to join him in the entrance hall as soon as they were ready.
Victor and Alais had a room that overlooked the front courtyard. The narrow, arched window allowed them to watch as people came and went through the enormous palace gates. The room itself was comfortable with a roaring fire in the hearth and luxurious, carved wood furnishings. The bed was covered in a rich blue brocade coverlet with matching curtains and canopy.
Once they were settled in, Sir Elias led them down to a vast dining hall filled with courtiers and holy men. Archbishop Richard was at the head table and stood when Sir Elias led the three of them to their seats by his side.
Sir Elias introduced them. “My lord, I am pleased to present the Earl Daniel Rossignol, Countess Carenza Rossignol, Sir Victor de Guestling, and Lady Alais de Guestling.”
Daniel and Victor bowed deeply, and Carenza and Alais followed suit with low curtsies.
“Welcome to Canterbury,” Archbishop Richard intoned in a deep voice with a slight nod of acknowledgment, gesturing for them to be seated. His dark hair was streaked with gray and cut into a chin-length bob. His salt and pepper beard was trimmed into a neat point. He wore white vestments that were richly embroidered and draped to the floor. “I was sorry to hear about the death of your uncle. Lord Raymond de Broase was a troublesome man but a good friend to the Church.” The archbishop gave a brief smile, but it didn’t reach his sharp, calculating eyes.
Victor held his breath. A year and a half ago, Lord Raymond de Broase had tried to invade Winchelsea and kill Daniel. Fortunately, Daniel had defeated his uncle. It didn’t bode well that the archbishop chose to start the conversation with condolences.
“My lord,” said Daniel, “you honor us with your hospitality. I am grateful for your warm welcome, and I look forward to discussing a number of matters of mutual interest. I hope that in time you will consider me a good friend to the Church as well.”
“Daniel,” the count said, inviting them with a gesture to be seated. “I have been impressed with your handling of relations with Lady Helisende and your cousin in Hawkhurst. You seem to have negotiated favorable agreements for yourself, taking land away from both without provoking them to fight back. It was clever of you to give Hawkhurst back to your cousin. Some saw it as a sign of weakness, but I think it shows foresight. You gained an ally in young Raymond where you might have had an enemy. The de Broase territories were hard enough to hold together without adding Winchelsea to the mix. If you had taken Hawkhurst, you wouldn’t have lasted long. As it is, you are in a strong position.”
Daniel smiled and nodded his head, accepting the compliment without commenting on it. Wise decision , Victor thought.
“Tell me, Victor,” the count said loudly, giving him an irritated look. “How is your aunt getting along with the other Cinque Ports?”
Thank heavens he and Daniel had prepared for this question. “My aunt has always had friendly relations with the other Cinque Ports. Her daughter just married the Baron of Hythe. But my aunt has always maintained her independence. She is a friend to all, but bows to none. She has always respected the power of Canterbury. I know that she wishes nothing more than peace and friendship with all her neighbors.”
“And what do you think of Helisende, Daniel? Does she offer you friendship?”
“My lord,” Daniel said with a placid smile, “the countess has shown herself to be an intelligent and canny leader, and we have allied our families through marriage as well as by agreement. Our mutual respect has allowed us to keep peace in the region, and we stand united with Hastings as well as my cousins in Hawkhurst and Pevensey when it comes to mutual defense and trade. It is a most fruitful relationship.”
Victor watched Carenza exhale in relief. A small, amused smirk crossed the count’s face as he noticed Carenza squeezing Daniel’s hand.
“Tell me, Lady Alais,” the count said, turning and smiling like a cat pouncing on a mouse. Victor went rigid and squeezed Alais’s hand harder than he ought. “What do you think of Helisende? I understand you were her…guest…around the time Lord Raymond de Broase died.”
Alais smiled and took the question in stride. “The countess has long been an ally of Winchelsea. Now that I am married to Sir Victor, she is family. I am honored to play a part in strengthening such a longstanding alliance.”
The archbishop pursed his lips in disappointment. He certainly wasn’t expecting her poise and diplomacy. What an amazing woman I’ve married!
“If I may, my lord,” Daniel interjected. “There was a small matter I wanted to bring to your attention—a bit of business we must take care of in Canterbury. Sir Victor’s cousin Sir Robert committed a crime and must be brought to justice. We have reason to believe he is here.”
“He is, and he’s become quite a nuisance.” Victor shouldn’t have been surprised, but he never ceased to be amazed by the archbishop’s attention to detail. “I would be delighted if you could rid me of him. The wives of several of my vassals have complained of his unwanted attentions, and he owes money to nearly every lord in town. I believe he is entangled with a money lender I am trying to apprehend named Matthew.”
Matthew? Of course, Robert would be involved with a lowlife like Matthew. Perhaps there would be an opportunity to take care of both at the same time.
“Rid me of Sir Robert,” the count continued, “and I will consider it a favor. Rid me of Matthew as well, and I will be most grateful indeed.”
“Sir Victor has a plan,” said Daniel, “and we’d like permission to coordinate with your men.”
“I grant you permission to do so,” the archbishop said with a wave of his hand. “Sir Elias, make the necessary arrangements.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Thank you, my lord,” said Daniel. “Now, I understand you were negotiating with Hawkhurst about grain shipments.”
From that point forward, Archbishop Richard’s focus was entirely on Daniel, and Victor could relax and eat at last.
He looked down at his plate. There was some lumpy pink stuff and some charred brown stuff and a bright yellow something. The expensive spices and sauces made the food all but unrecognizable, and his appetite suddenly left him. What he wouldn’t give for a bit of Marie’s cooking! He managed to move some of it around on his plate but didn’t take a bite.
“Eat,” said Alais under her breath. “Even if you don’t want to, you need something in your stomach, and we have to play our part as gracious guests.”
Victor forced himself to pick at the food while Alais made polite small talk with a priest from London. It was a relief when the meal finally ended, and Sir Elias led him off to coordinate the capture of Robert, and possibly Matthew. Not that Victor had any intent of capturing Robert alive after all he’d done, but there was no need to announce that to the archbishop’s men.
After dinner, Alais and Carenza retired with the countess. The archbishop and Daniel were still engaged in deep conversation. Sir Elias tapped Victor’s shoulder and beckoned for him to come.
“I believe you wished to speak with the head of the Watch. Come. I will show you to him.”
“Thank you.” Victor followed, anxious to develop a plan for Robert’s baiting and capture.
Sir Elias led him down labyrinthian hallways until they exited the palace. They crossed a wide cobblestone street to enter a low, stone building. The walls were lined with hooks from which hung weapons of every description from clubs to broadswords. A roughhewn table and benches sat in the middle of the room.
“This is Dagobert,” said Sir Elias, gesturing toward a burly, black-bearded man in a simple, rough, woolen cotte. “He leads the Watch. Dagobert, this is Sir Victor de Guestling, a guest of the archbishop. He needs your assistance apprehending someone.”
“It is good to meet you, Dagobert,” Victor said with a nod.
“And you, my lord,” Dagobert answered with a bow. “How can I be of assistance?”
“My cousin, Sir Robert, made an attempt on my life and kidnapped my wife. I have reason to believe he’s here in Canterbury, possibly at an inn called the Black Rooster.”
Dagobert looked to Sir Elias. “The archbishop is aware of Sir Robert,” said Sir Elias. “He has caused some difficulties here in Canterbury. The archbishop wishes to aid Sir Victor’s efforts to seek him out and bring him to justice.”
Nodding, Dagobert said, “As you wish, my lord. Sir Victor, how did you propose to apprehend this Sir Robert? Should we go to the Black Rooster and arrest him?”
“No, he has armed men in his pay. If we are forced to go to the Black Rooster, this will end in unnecessary bloodshed. Better if we could lure him out. I propose taking my wife shopping in the neighborhood of the inn. Sir Robert hates me and wants her. I suspect he won’t be able to resist the bait of both of us walking about unguarded and will attempt to attack us as we shop. I would like to agree with you on a route to take, and I would like your men, as well as those that I’ve brought, to wait out of sight and apprehend him when he comes out. If all else fails, we storm the Black Rooster.”
Victor wanted to avoid the Black Rooster at all costs. Robert would have the advantage there. He could hold out with a small number of men against a much bigger force, and the risk to life and limb of taking him on in his chosen warren was so much greater. And then there was Alais. Victor didn’t want her to join him in the inn. She wouldn’t like it, but he would have to insist. If it came to that, she would stay with guards well away from the action.
“Let me get a map of the city,” said Sir Elias, leaving and returning several minutes later with scrolls in hand.
For the next two hours, they sat together and laid out their plan.