She, too, was in the chamber, along with Emelisse, Hallam, Maxton, Kevin, Peter, and Edward, who had trekked to London with Caius and the others when they stopped at Warstone Castle to inform him of everything that had happened after he had departed, including the fact that Winterhold was now without a lord because Lady de Wrenville refused to live there. Edward had immediately sent two of his most trusted knights and about five hundred men to secure Winterhold until a decision could be made as to who, exactly, would assume control of the property.
Even Edward was astonished by the mess that had occurred after he’d gone back to Warstone. It wasn’t a simple matter. In fact, it had never been a simple matter. What had started out as something that had been a seemingly straightforward dispute between neighbors had turned into bloody chaos.
“I should have known when I arrived just how volatile the situation was, William,” Edward said wearily as he poured himself more warmed wine. “Covington was bordering on madness from the moment we arrived. He truly felt there was nothing to stop him from using your army to destroy what was left of Hawkstone. The moment he was denied your army was the moment the situation started to turn. I could see it. We could all see it. But I had no idea just how entangled it would become after I left.”
William looked at the powerful Earl of Wolverhampton. “I did not expect you to personally become involved, you know.”
Edward nodded. “I know,” he said. “But I could not help but see the situation for myself when Caius came to collect the de Lohr and Pembroke troops. De Wrenville was my vassal, after all.”
William didn’t blame the man for personally seeing to the situation. He returned his attention to Caius, focusing on theman who had been sent to assist what they all thought was an ally, but who ended up having to go to extreme lengths to settle a situation that had grown into a monster of a mess.
“I suppose I am still trying to grasp all of this,” he said. “Of course, my only concern is for Alice and now that she is safe, I am satisfied, but what you have told me is quite astonishing. And there is nothing more you can tell me about Marius’ death? The king is going to know that my army was at Winterhold. You were seen by a great many Winterhold men, so someone is going to talk. I want to know what to tell John when he demands to know what happened to one of his courtiers.”
It was a dark secret the Executioner Knights shared, something they would never tell William. Not that the man would fault them, or even mind, but it was better for his sake if he did not know the truth. It was possible that John might become irate about the death of Marius and William could deny any knowledge of it.
What they did, they did for The Marshal’s protection.
“We were at Hawkstone when we received word of Marius’ death,” Caius said. “We can only assume it was outlaws. He was riding alone, on the road between Winterhold and Hawkstone.”
“What did you do with the body?”
Caius looked to Hallam, who had taken care of that particular issue.
He had insisted on it.
“Buried him with his father, my lord,” Hallam answered the question. “Lord de Wrenville and his son are together. That is the way they would have wanted it.”
It was the truth, though Caius found himself fighting off a grin at the perfectly appropriate and nasty ending for the pair. But William didn’t see his expression. He was fixed on Hallam, a man he’d never met before now.
“I do not know you other than what Caius and Maxton have told me,” he said. “You were Covey’s knight.”
“Aye, my lord.”
“Caius says that you served flawlessly through this situation and were of great help to him.”
“It was my pleasure, my lord.”
“He also said that in the event of Marius’ death, you have agreed to serve him at Richmond.”
“I have, my lord.”
“You must be a good man. Caius is very discerning about those who serve him.”
Hallam wasn’t sure what to say to that, so he simply nodded his head. Frankly, he was a little intimidated being in the solar of the great William Marshal, mostly because he felt guilty about being in on the plot to keep the total truth from William Marshal, but on the other hand, he was grateful for it. He wasn’t sure The Marshal would appreciate the fact that he’d dumped Covington and Marius into Winterhold’s moat.
“Hallam is an excellent man, Uncle William,” Alice spoke up in support of Hallam. “He gave me a great deal of comfort during my marriage to Covington. He was a horrible husband and the marriage was simply a sham. No woman should have to tolerate what I was forced to tolerate. It was most distressing.”
William genuinely liked his niece, who seemed more attractive to him since the last time he had seen her. She had a glow about her that was charming.
“You can take comfort in the fact that it is over now,” he said with surprising sympathy. “Do your parents know?”
Alice shook her head. “I have not yet had the opportunity to send them word, but I will before we leave London.”
“Why not simply tell them when you return to Winterhold? You are a dowager baroness now, Alice. You can take your time selecting a husband that suits you.”
“I already have.”
William’s bushy eyebrows lifted. “Who?”
