“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’squarters, 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 Hotspurbecomesthe 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.
