The other men nodded agreement.
Only Father Tomas appeared uncertain.
“Here is the way of it.” Sir Gowan snatched a tall brass candlestick off a side altar and raised its wax taper before his bearded face. “All we need is one,” he said, glancing at Lachlan. “We’ll loosen the varlet’s tongue with a bit o’ Highland persuasion until he spills who in this household is de la Hogue’s man.”
“Have a care lest you set yourself afire.” Marmaduke took the flaming taper from Gowan and returned it to the side altar. “We’ll need every man we can muster.”
He gave the gruff Highlander a pointed look. “Including you.”
Father Tomas lifted his hands, his nervous gaze flitting from man to man. “You believe Sir Hugh will launch a full-fledged attack?”
“Scarce that,” Marmaduke sought to ease the graybeard’s concern. “Sending a mounted host to fall upon a wedding party is too bold a measure even for a scoundrel of Sir Hugh’s ilk.”
“That’s no’ wha-”
Marmaduke silenced Lachlan with a look.
“I knew de la Hogue passing well at the English court,” he went on, speaking to the priest, but keeping an eye on Lachlan. “He executes his villainy with stealth and intrigue, and shuns the danger and honor of pitched battle.
“He will not change his ways now.” Walking over to the free-standing baptismal basin half-hidden in a murk-filled corner near the chapel door, Marmaduke trailed his fingers over the cold stone of the intricately carved font cover and silently prayed the old priest would swallow the half-truth.
Few knew better than he of the treachery one such as de la Hogue could unleash onto innocents. The dastard’s dark deeds were known the length and breadth of England.
Which was why he wanted the villagers armed.
And why he deemed that particular risk the lesser of two evils.
“You said his spittle could burn holes in the ground, so why –oophf!”
Marmaduke whirled around in time to see Alec jab two fingers into the small of Lachlan’s back. Drawing an exasperated breath of the chapel’s fusty air, Marmaduke clasped his hands behind his own back and returned to the others.
“Sir Priest,” he began, “you claim the villagers are frightened but not disloyal. Will they stand against Sir Hugh if properly armed and guaranteed our protection, even refuge within these walls, if they choose to seek it?”
“Ehhh…” For a long moment, Father Tomas looked as if he expected to be dragged off to his doom, but then he nodded. “Aye, they would,” he said. “I am certain every able-bodied lad and man would fight. They are sore tired of Sir Hugh’s tyranny.”
“Then so be it,” Sir Marmaduke declared.
Alec frowned. “We are to supply villagers with armor and weapons?”
“Nay,” Marmaduke said, “we win their trust and rebuild their confidence. By doing so, we strengthen this holding.”
“And if they turn those weapons on us?” That from a dubious-sounding Gowan.
Marmaduke set his hands on his hips and simply stared back at the bearded Highland knight.
The look on his face said enough.
“We’d still be outnumbered,” Gowan persisted.
Marmaduke just shook his head.
“Aye, well.” Gowan hitched up his sword belt, brushed at his sleeve. “I’ll no’ be arguing with you.”
The others grumbled and exchanged looks, but no one voiced a further complaint.
Not directly, anyway.
And that was enough.
