Going to the big windows that overlooked the garden and the kitchens beyond, the Mother Abbess could see a figure in palerobes moving around in the moonlight over near the laundry area.
“Sister,” she said to Sister Petronilla. “Is Andressa still in the yard?”
Sister Petronilla wandered over to the window, watching the ghostly figure across the yard as it moved around. “Aye,” she said. “I gave her foxglove leaves and instructions on how to crush them. I believe she is putting the leaves away until she can accomplish this.”
The Mother Abbess’ gaze lingered on Andressa as the woman continued to move around in the dark. Finally, she turned to Douglas, sitting over on one of her fine chairs with his dirty boot on another.
“Douglas,” she said. “Come here.”
Unhappily, Alasdair did as he was told. He limped his way over to the window, watching the Mother Abbess. His eyes moved to something in the yard beyond. In the moonlight, he could barely see it.
“See the woman over towards the postern gate?” the Mother Abbess asked.
Alasdair nodded. “Aye.”
“Follow her,” she said. “I cannot be sure that she is not our traitor. She will be leaving shortly; make sure you discover where she is going.”
Alasdair lifted a dark eyebrow. “Doessheknow of the plot, too?”
“She will be the one putting the plan into action.”
“And if she’s the traitor?”
“Kill her.”
It was a simple, unemotional command, one that peeled back the bones and revealed the true darkness of the Mother Abbess’ soul. Violated trust was a killing offense.
“But my leg,” he complained. “Can’t someone else follow the lass?”
“You are the only one capable of killing her with force should it come to that.”
There was no arguing with her; Alasdair could see that. With a growl, he limped from the room, heading out of the front door to hide in the shadows until the woman in question emerged from the yard.
It didn’t take long. In little time, a tall, slender woman in pale robes rushed along the road, looking over her shoulder constantly as she made her way to Bishopsgate and beyond. In fact, Alasdair realized that this was the same woman he’d seen come back to the abbey about the time he’d arrived himself. He could tell by the shape of her. Therefore, he waited until she was through before following her, like a hunter tracking prey.
If she was the traitor, he would discover it for himself.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The King’s Gout Tavern
Kress, Achilles, Gart,Alexander, and Cullen were seated around a leaning, warped table at the tavern that was favored by most fighting men on the north side of London. It was the biggest one and had the best wenches. They had invited Sean and Kevin, and the de Lohr brothers to join them but, so far, they had yet to make an appearance.
It was well after the supper at Farringdon House, the one that had been so tense because of the friction between William and Maxton. It had been obvious when Maxton had joined their table later in the meal, informing them of his extended conversation with the St. Blitha pledge.
It had been rough from the start because William had asked, straight away, if Maxton had sent the girl back to St. Blitha yet. The entire conversation prior to Maxton’s arrival had been about the pledge and what a valuable spy she would make inside of St. Blitha and when Maxton appeared, William went for the throat. When Maxton had explained that not only had henotsent the girl back, but that she was pregnant, it seemed to throw the entire situation into question.
To everyone but William Marshal, that was.
He saw no difference in the girl being pregnant. It wasn’t his concern that a pledge had conceived a child. His only concern was in keeping the nuns from accomplishing their task of killing the king, a hard attitude that seemed to turn Maxton into stone. He sat silently for the most part while William discussed their loyalty to the king and listed the reasons as to why that was all they should be concerned with.
Maxton had listened to William pound home his loyalty to king and country before replying to the man’s prattle by telling him that he would send her home as soon as she was rested. That evidently wasn’t good enough for William, who pressed him further only for Maxton to tell him that any man who would save a monarchy by sacrificing the blood of an innocent woman was not a man he had much respect for.
At that point, Kress and Gart ushered Maxton out of the hall and sent him back up to his chamber to avoid any further confrontations with William, who was clearly annoyed with Maxton’s behavior. It was concerning enough that Gart had sent word to Cullen, Sean, and Kevin, and the de Lohr brothers to meet them at The King’s Gout because they had to discuss the situation before it got out of hand. Concerns were running high that Maxton was deviating from the course set for them and the circumstances needed to be clarified, because it was increasingly clear that Maxton, the man who had changed since leaving Les Baux-de-Provence, had changed even more than they had realized.
He was a different man.
Which was why they all found themselves here, inhaling the smoke of the common room, ignoring the tables that were screaming with laughter, drunk as the minutes of the night ticked away. Cullen de Nerra seemed to be more distressed bythe situation than the rest of them as he hovered over his half-empty cup.
