Val smiled in a gesture of a man who had what he wanted. “I have already asked her and she is agreeable.”
“Then there is nothing more for me to say. I will ride ahead of you two on the way home so that you may speak privately.”
As McCloud went to mount the fat old war horse that the stable master indicated, Val turned to Vesper and victoriously winked at her.
She winked back.
CHAPTER SIX
Saltwood Castle
Kent, England
Quartier de Chevaliers (Knight’s Quarters)
On the crowdedgrounds of Saltwood Castle, what was kindly termed theporcherwas actually the building that housed the knights for the king and traveling soldiers of an upper rank.Porcherloosely meant pig’s sty and the building was just slightly above a mud pit for the livestock to wallow in. The dirt floors could be muddy at times because the drainage was poor and this attracted flies when the weather was warmer and misery when it was colder. Mold grew on the floors and up the walls, a black mold that the servants tried to remove because it had been known to make men sick. In all, it was a nasty and cold place.
But it was the one place where Henry’s knights could come for privacy away from their duties for the king, and Henry carried a large retinue of seasoned knights. While Henry was inside Saltwood’s great stone keep for the night as his court traveled from France to Winchester Castle, his seat in England, the knights who were not on guard retreated to theporcherto drink and sleep until their time to tend the king came once again.
But this night was different.
Six knights had originally been sitting in the common room of theporcheron this dark and clear night, men who had served Henry for many years. These were six of Henry’s most trusted. While the king slept, other knights were on guard and the six retreated for a well-deserved rest.
But sleep was difficult to come by for men who were constantly on duty, constantly on guard, so they sat in the common room before a hearth that belched black smoke into the room and tried to tire themselves with pitchers of sweet red wine. Eventually, towards midnight, two of the knights retired, leaving four still sitting up and talking.
In the weak light of the chamber, lit only by a bank of tapers that dripped tallow all over the dirt floor, those four men had something serious on their minds.
They had for several days.
Now that they were finally alone, it was time to speak of it.
“Thank God François and Etienne have retired,” Hugh de Morville spoke softly. “Good men, we must speak of this and speak quickly. This may be our one and only opportunity.”
The other three knew what he meant. They’d been speaking of the subject on and off for over a week, muttering to each other when others weren’t around but, now, they had some privacy as a group. It was unexpected and welcome. It was time to bring the subject out in the open and do it swiftly.
“Then I shall begin,” a knight with shaggy dark hair and a bushy beard spoke. “We all heard our lord speak at Bures. We all heard him declare his wish for Canterbury’s removal. Will we continue to ignore it?”
The first man looked at his comrade. “Reg, we will not ignore it, which is why we must speak of this now, before too muchtime elapses,” he said. “We have stood by for years while the contention between Canterbury and Henry goes on. Canterbury used to be an ally of the king but he continues to prove that he is a foe. Now, has excommunicated those who crowned Henry the Young King and he continues to wreak havoc for the king. As Henry’s protectors, it is our duty to protect the king and rid him of his enemies. Do you agree with me on this?”
Those around the table nodded. “Hugh, there is no doubt that Canterbury has become a foe,” the third knight, a man with a receding hairline, spoke softly. “But what are you suggesting, exactly? That we actually rid Henry of Canterbury?”
Hugh nodded his head. “That is exactly what I am suggesting, William,” he said quietly. “You heard Henry’s plea; we all heard it. He said ‘who will rid me of this troublesome priest?’ It was a command, I tell you. Certainly, he could not come out and order us to rid England of Canterbury and the cancer he has become. To do so would incur God’s wrath, for certain, and Henry needs God to govern this fractured country.”
“So you are suggesting we carry out this– thiscommand?” The fourth knight spoke, a heavyset man who was older than the rest. “We are to rid Henry of Canterbury? Can we not simply arrest the man and bring him to Henry for punishment?”
Hugh gazed at the man. “Richard, we are sworn to the king,” he emphasized. “Would you agree with that statement?”
Richard le Breton nodded reluctantly. “I would,” he said, sighing heavily. “But by assuming Henry has ordered us to rid him of Canterbury, we are, by nature of that act, assuming responsibility for it. God will punishus,not Henry. Does Henry’s sin become our own?”
Reginald FitzUrse, with the shaggy brown hair, held up a hand. “We have sworn to uphold Henry’s will upon this earth,” he said, siding with Hugh. “We are sworn to the king above all else. We must carry out his wishes.”
William de Tracy sighed heavily, running his fingers through his receding hair. “That is essentially true, but we are also sworn to uphold the church,” he said. “Our oath is to God and the king.”
“It is the king we must face today and God at a later time,” Hugh pointed out. “I, for one, am committed to my king. Henry has been good to me; he has been good to all of us. It is a prestigious post we hold. Is it now a post for cowards who are afraid to do the king’s will?”
Those words echoed in the small room as the hearth crackled and smoked. For several long seconds, the snapping of the flame was the only sound heard as the men pondered the subject at hand.
“To assassinate the archbishop would have far reaching consequences,” Reginald said softly because no one else seemed willing to speak. “Henry would be avenged and, perhaps, he would even be pleased, but the church would be out for blood. Do you think Henry would protect us then?”
