Bartholomew did not acknowledge his presence, even when the priest took one of Duncan’s boots and began to clean it with the snow in the same way. The pair of them worked in silence together while Father Ignatius chose his words. Anna remained out of sight and behind them, doubtless both vexed and listening.
“You startle them all,” he finally said, his tone mild.
Bartholomew glanced up. “How so?”
Father Ignatius smiled. “They have not known so many knights of merit in recent years, nor come to expect a man to act upon principle.”
“I know of no other way to be.”
“But you recognize why they have the expectation they do.”
“Of course.” Bartholomew straightened. “But the fact remains that the king must create a baron by his own will. And in order for that to even be a possibility in the case of Haynesdale, Royce Montclair would have to be dead and the man who wished to be baron in his place would need coin to pay the escheat.” He shrugged. “Royce is not dead and I am not going to kill him.”
“Because you do not have the coin for the escheat.”
“Even if I did, it would be wrong to murder the man who held my desire, regardless of what he has done in the past. Surely I do not have to argue that with you.”
Father Ignatius let the silence grow between them before he continued. “Do you remember the events of those days?”
Bartholomew shook his head. “I remember fire. I remember my mother’s voice.” He cast a smile at the dog that had come to sit beside him. “I remember a dog much like this one but named Whitefoot.”
Father Ignatius smiled. “I remember that dog. This one would be his great grandson, at least.”
“Then he is related!”
“Aye. Those of your father’s dogs that survived went to the miller’s abode.” The priest rubbed the dog’s ears. “But you must not have ever reached the king’s court in Anjou.”
Bartholomew shook his head. “Nay. I suppose we were followed and the knights who had me in their care were betrayed and assaulted. I know only that I was awakened one night by one of them and bidden to run. He told me to go to the church where we had prayed that day and that he would meet me there. He never came.” The younger man frowned. “We were in Paris.”
“You must have been frightened.”
“I do not think I fully understood what had transpired. I was hungry, to be sure, and I knew that knights had defended me. My father had been a knight, after all, and my mother had entrusted me to the care of these knights. So, when I saw a knight come to that church to pray, I followed him. He wore the red cross of the Temple and I had never seen a surplice so fine.” Bartholomew smiled. “He could not be rid of me, for I saw him as my sole chance of survival.”
“There must have been other knights in Paris.”
“I had eyes only for him. I followed him. I vowed to be of assistance to him. I swore to do whatever he desired so long as he took me with him.” Bartholomew shrugged. “Who knows how much Gaston saw of the truth? But after I made my case and struggled to prove myself by trying to help him, he surrendered. He lifted me to his saddle and took me with him, calling me his squire, though I was too small to be of much use.”
“You grew.”
Bartholomew smiled. “Aye, I grew. And he was destined for Outremer, I came of age in Jerusalem.”
“You have been there all these years?”
The knight nodded. “Most of them. We only left because Gaston became heir to his family holding and returned to France. He chose to dub me a knight once there, for he is both good and generous.”
“A man of principle,” Father Ignatius said, guessing where Bartholomew had learned his code of honor.
“Indeed.”
“You could have come into the power of another less honorable.”
Bartholomew nodded. “I could have, quite easily.”
“It seems that God has held you in the palm of His hand.”
“Perhaps so. Perhaps it was all Gaston’s doing.” They shared a smile. “I would not disgrace the honor Gaston has shown to me by doing any deed that would cause him displeasure. He used to negotiate for the Templars in Palestine, seeking compromise and balance.”
“A temperate man, too, then,” the priest guessed. “You must have come to Haynesdale apurpose.”
