“Lady Grey is in France, my lord, onmybusiness,” the king told the earl. “That knowledge, of course, I must beg you to keep secret. I but tell you that you do not attempt to commit some foolish act based upon your passion for her.”
“And Greyfaire?” the earl asked, knowing that somehow it was involved in this affair, else Arabella would have never left England.
“Do I have your word as a gentleman, my lord, that our conversation today will go no further than this room?” the king demanded.
The earl nodded reluctantly, for he needed to know Arabella’s fate.
“The lady agreed to render England service in France in exchange for her keep’s return,” the king said coldly. “She must serve me a year, and then,only then,will I restore her rights to Greyfaire Keep. She is believed to be an exile, and it is thought that I have confiscated her property for myself because of her connection with my late predecessor.”
“In other words,” Tavis Stewart said evenly, keeping his rising anger under strong control, “ye hae asked my wife to spy for ye?”
Henry Tudor’s cold eyes met those of the earl’s. “Aye,” he said shortly.
“Is my daughter wi’ her mother?”
“Your daughter is safe in my nurseries, my lord, where she will remain, a bond for her mother’s good behavior and usefulness to the crown. When my lady Grey returns home to England,” the king replied, “I will release Lady Margaret Stewart into her custody.”
The earl nodded slowly. The English king had thought of everything. “Yer a ruthless bastard,” he said frankly to Henry Tudor.
“No more than your own king, my lord, but then we are both Celts, are we not? I am a Welshman, for all I wear England’s crown. Your king oversaw the patricide of his own father in order to rule, and I—well, there is much I have done to gain my throne that I should as lief forget.”
“Jamie did nae kill his father!” Tavis Stewart defended his nephew. “His sorrow over Jemmie’s death was so great that he hae a belt of iron links made to wear about his waist that he nae ere forget the incident.”
Henry Tudor laughed sharply.”My lord,” he said, “it makes no difference whether your king intended his father’s death or not. The man was murdered as a direct result of his son’s rebellion,andKing James knows it. His is the responsibility, and that is why he wears a belt of iron about his middle. He has accepted that responsibility as a good king would. Now, you must emulate your own lord and accept the path Lady Grey has taken.”
“It would seem, your majesty, that I hae no choice in the matter, but I would hae my bairn to carry home.”
“You are correct, my lord. You have no choice in the matter at all. As for your child, as I have told you, she is safe and well cared for in my own nurseries. My son Arthur tags after her like a small puppy. He would be devastated to lose her company at this time. Your little one has her mother’s charm.” He smiled a brief, cold smile.
“Ye hae nae right to keep Margaret,” the earl said, desperately attempting to keep a rein on his temper.
“I have every right, my lord. If I allowed you to take her back to Scotland with you, you would then, I suspect, hurry off to France to fetch your wife back. Not that she would come, for she is most determined to regain her properties. You would, however, distress her needlessly and distract her from her goals. So, my lord, I shall keep your child safe. Lady Grey will remain in France, content in the knowledge that a good performance upon her part will bring her Greyfaire Keep and a reunion with her child in a year’s time. You are not a stupid man, and so I am content that you fully understand me and will argue no further with me on this matter,” the king concluded.
Never had Tavis Stewart felt so close to violence in his entire life. His jaw ached with gritting his teeth, but with superb control he bowed to Henry Tudor, accepting the dismissal with as good a grace as he could. “I thank ye, yer majesty, for yer courtesy in seeing me,” he said.
The king inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment. “Do not go quite yet, my lord. I have several questions I would ask of you. You have, I assume, been to Greyfaire recently. In what condition did you find the keep? Is it in good repair?”
“The keep itself, aye. The people, however, hae been much abused by Sir Jasper Keane. He took the able-bodied men, leaving the women, the children, and the aged folk to care for the land. The orchards suffered wi’ blight, and they dinna know what to do until my wife returned. There hae been starvation, and some families hae left. They are more heartened, nonetheless, wi’ my wife’s visit.”
“Who defends the keep?”
“Rowen FitzWalter, the captain’s son, for FitzWalter himself is wi’ Arabella,” the earl said.
“Would you advise that I send someone to oversee Greyfaire?” the king said. Then he chuckled. “But asking you that, my lord, is like asking the wolf to shepherd the lambs, isn’t it?”
“The English and the Scots are nae at war, yer majesty, and ‘tis my nephew’s most earnest wish that ye nae be. Ye hae asked me a fair question, Sire, and ‘twould go against my honor were I to gie ye a less than honest answer,” Tavis Stewart said. “Rowen FitzWalter is as capable as any to defend Greyfaire Keep. He was born and raised there. He takes his responsibilities most seriously, for it is hoped that one day when his father is too old to carry out his duties, Rowan will succeed him. If ye would help, though, the people of Greyfaire could use a donation of grain for both themselves and their livestock to get them safely through the winter months. My wife hae given them her permission to take small game, and in the autumn, one deer per family.”
“She is a good chatelaine,” the king said, his voice brimming with approval. “By addressing what problems she could immediately, she raised their spirits, thereby encouraging them to even greater efforts on her behalf. Greyfaire Keep will soon again be prosperous under her guidance. ‘Tis good.”
“I do not think that Greyfaire hae ever been really prosperous, yer majesty,” the earl told the king. “‘Tis a small estate wi’ a bleak outlook.”
“Then why does she desire it so greatly?” the king wondered aloud.
“‘Tis her home, Sire,” the earl said simply. “Her heart seems to be there.”
“Women are foolish, if necessary, creatures,” Henry Tudor said, “but it is fortunate for us that they are, eh, my lord?” He smiled his brief, wintery smile. “You can do me a small service, Tavis Stewart. I would send a clerk north to Greyfaire Keep to evaluate its condition and its needs. I should appreciate it if you would escort him for me. I shall not keep you. You may leave this afternoon.”
“As yer majesty wishes,” the earl replied. He could hardly refuse England’s king so small a favor, particularly as this same king held Lady Margaret Stewart in his keeping. It was also quite obvious that Henry Tudor did not want Tavis Stewart remaining at his court or in England any longer than necessary. By sending this clerk with the Scots, he guaranteed their swift departure.
