‘These lands are mine now, held in trust with the duke who will be crowned King of England,’ he called out loudly. Then, in a lower voice, he said, ‘And she is mine.’
Her gaze met his in that moment and he did not look away. Something heated and alive passed between them then and his body ached for the moment he would claim her and make her his in truth. She would know his possession of her body soon, but he wanted her and those watching to know that, in fact, she was his even now, regardless of the consummation or not of their vows.
‘She is mine,’ he repeated more forcefully. Giles watched as she shivered at his proclamation, revealing that she was affected even now.
‘The men who tried to keep me from my rightful claim are outlaws now, rebels against the lawful ruler of England, and will suffer if captured.’ He walked closer to them and laid his hand on the sword at his side.
‘Make no mistake, I will not allow these men to take what is mine and I will not allow them to harm anything of mine. I know that many are kinsmen or have lived amongst you here in Taerford and I would rather not put them to the sword.’
Giles looked around at the people and then back at Fayth as he now crossed his arms over his chest.
‘But force my hand and I will.’
He waited as they considered his words and warning. Declaring a man to be an outlaw was a death sentence for they could be killed without hesitation or fear of punishment under the law. Anyone helping an outlaw could be exiled themselves and lose everything they possessed. A man’s family could be thrown out of their home and off any lands they owned or rented if outlawed—a death sentence even if not called such. This was the same in Brittany as here and they knew it. He watched as they accepted his warning of the consequences of helping those outlawed by their own behaviour.
He turned to face the villeins gathered together in one part of the hall. ‘I will honour the agreements for land and rents that you had with Lord Bertram until next year.’
Facing those who served the lord and belonged to the manor, he said, ‘I bind you and your service to me, even as you served Lord Bertram. I offer you my protection within the keep or without, as long as you honour your bond to me.’
The last group of men stood together probably out of long practice. Some of Bertram’s men-at-arms had been injured or had stayed behind protecting the keep or the lady and, when faced with his superior force of mounted soldiers and bowsmen, had surrendered to Giles at the onset of fighting.
‘For now, my men will see to the manor’s defences and you need to continue at your labours until the preparations for winter are complete. Then you may train with my men and learn from them.
‘I would ask those who fought for pay to pledge to me now and I will honour those arrangements. Those who had pledged to Lord Bertram may pledge their fealty to his daughter.’
He heard Roger call out in disagreement and felt Brice’s approach from behind. He stayed them with a hand in the air. ‘As I am also pledged to the lady in honour and in marriage, I have no objections to her father’s men pledging their honour to her as well.’
Fayth could not believe his words. By right, as lord, he could have imprisoned the soldiers for not swearing to him. He could have had them executed. Instead, he asked them to pledge to her? Unable to speak and nearly unable to breathe, she watched as every one of those who fought in her father’s name knelt before them and lowered their heads, a sign of respect and obeisance.
The silence in the hall was profound as he held out his hand to her. Accepting it, she rose to stand at his side, not quite knowing what to expect of him in that moment. He drew her closer to him and then walked forward to stand in front of the kneeling men.
‘Do you give your word to honour your pledge of duty to me as your lord?’ he asked. At their pledge, he moved before those of her father’s men who knelt. ‘Do you give your word to me that you will honour your pledge of duty to the lady, Fayth Fitzhenry, daughter of Bertram of Taerford?’
He was showing a great deal of intelligence for one she’d thought so unpractised in the arts of nobility, for many would think it was his unfamiliarity with her language that caused the slight change in the words he chose for their promise to him. Fayth noted it and suspected the clear purpose behind it. She almost smiled at the way he skilfully worded the question, making the men answerable to him in their duties to her.
The men cheered their pledge, calling out her name and she did smile then, in pride and honoured by their promises to her. Lord Giles continued as she thought he would, calling those who had just pledged forward to hear their name and take their hand. When each had been greeted by name, he spoke again, bringing them to quiet.
‘It will be very hard to carry on our duties while there is unrest and turmoil surrounding us, but we must or we will not survive. There will be disputes between Norman and Saxon, there will be disagreements to settle and many difficulties to face, but we can persevere in this.’
At first no one spoke or made a noise and she could see the disappointment on the lord’s face. He believed he had gained support from her people, and so did she, so this silence was disheartening. Then, one of the men, Norman or Saxon she knew not which, called out his name and it spread through the hall. He accepted their gesture for a few moments and then dismissed them back to their work.
She would have left, but he still held her hand, effectively keeping her at his side. Fayth watched Roger and some of the other knights lead the villeins out. The others who worked with the manor walls went back to their duties, just as she should.
‘My lord,’ she said softly, interrupting his words with Brice. ‘I should return to my duties as well.’
Instead of releasing her, he shook his head and escorted her back to the chair next to the table in the front of the hall, dismissing his friend with but a glance. He pulled a stool over and sat before her.
‘Are you well now, lady?’
‘I am…not.’ There was no way to explain what was in her heart to him—that no matter his rights under the law, she felt as though she was betraying her father when she enjoyed his attentions. And the pleasure he’d shown her in their bed only worsened her feelings of betrayal.
‘I think I have distressed you. Last evening, I had sought to ease your fears by showing you how enjoyable it can be between a man and a woman, but the result has been the opposite of what I had hoped. Now, today, I sought to reassure you that there is a future for our people.’
His words did not calm her but instead she could feel a torrent of emotions and words bursting forward. Her hands shook and she clasped them together in her lap. It was all she could control in that moment of recklessness.
‘Ease my fears, my lord? Was that your goal, then?’ she whispered furiously. She stood then and faced him. ‘You all but admitted your part in my father’s death. You still believe that I gave up my honour. Do you think I would come willingly to you when I believe you would imprison me in the blink of an eye if I do not prove to be innocent? Oh, but wait, I have come to you, haven’t I?’
She drew in a breath then, somehow unable to stop now that this dam of self-control had burst within her.
