“Jesu,” muttered Sigimor. “Beginning to think some of these French have families a lot worse than ours.”
Brian ignored the chuckles of the men who had gathered around them. “Your mother sent ye to get the boys?”
A faint smile touched the young man’s bruised mouth. “You have not met my mother. She saw this as a way to make our part of the family more powerful. She believes we are scorned and treated ill by the rest of our family. She wishes to be the one who does the scorning and the ill treating,oui? She believes the children will help her get that power for they are protected. Only some, not much, but ...” He shrugged.
“Did ye ken that Lucette planned to slowly kill off many of the landed and titled people of his clan? That he claimed he had the DeVeaux as allies?” Brian saw his answer in the widening eyes of the young French lord.
“I only knew that I would have to kill him for he intended to kill the children. As for having my family as his allies? I fear I am all he had and I was reluctant. The rest of my family knows nothing about all this or Amiel.”
“What about the land?”
Lord Ignace shrugged again. “It is strategically important but we have lived without it for years. I considered getting that a good thing but not necessary. The woman, the guardian, might have been persuaded to sell it. Mayhap to come home here with the children or to live quietly somewhere with them. That was a thought.”
“And what did ye want from all this?”
“What I wanted matters little. My mother and uncle hold the money until I am thirty or wed. I did suggest to her that sending me here might be the death of me but she was not troubled by that.”
Brian looked at Sigimor, who sheathed his sword, crossed his arms over his chest, and nodded. It was all the agreement he needed. They did not have one of the worst of the DeVeaux here, just a young man with little choice. He doubted anyone would cry for revenge over the loss of some men-at-arms, but killing a young lordling of the clan, even one they did not favor, could renew the feud between the Lucettes and DeVeaux, and the Murrays, with a vengeance. He also thought that sending someone back to tell some truths and a few lies would help keep the boys safe.
“Tell me, if ye had a choice, what would ye have done? What do ye want to do?” he asked DeVeau.
“Go home alive. I would not have done this. What my mother wants does not matter. I think it would just get us killed. I like being of so little importance to the rest of my family that they barely acknowledge me.” The two men with him grunted in agreement. “Why do you think Lucette approached us and no other? Because we are no real threat to any Lucette. We have a small vineyard far away from most of the others and they only notice us when they need a place to rest on some journey. They come, eat our food, drink far too much of our wine, and then forget us as soon as they ride away. I would like it to stay that way.”
“And the sinking of the ship?”
“Stupid,” he spat out, anger bringing a light flush to his cheeks. “Unnecessary. I was asleep and did not know what Lucette was doing. I would never have agreed, which I think is why I was not awakened and told about it. My father was a sailor,oui? What he did for France and the king is why we have our vineyard and the title.”
“Then ye will go home, alive, with your two men. But ye will tell your mother that the boys died, that ye were attacked as ye tried to bring them back to France.”
DeVeau frowned. “That may cause trouble with the grandfather. They are bastards but the grandfather, he is a man who believes in caring for any with the family blood in their veins.”
“Ye will find a way to go and tell him, secretly, that the boys live. They are ours now. Lady Arianna got them a piece of land here from the Lucettes and here they will stay. And, as ye can see, they will be weel protected. That grandfather can deal with the Murrays or us if he e’er has need to speak to the lads.”
“She got the Lucettes to give the lads their Scottish lands?” DeVeau asked in surprise. “Mayhap she was not a madmon’s choice for guardian, eh? Do you think she will be wanting to be rid of their French lands?”
“If and when she and the lads want to, ye will be the first they offer them to. If ye do as I say.”
“And if ye dinnae,” said Sigimor, “then ne’er close your eyes, lad.”
The way DeVeau stared up at Sigimor, slowly blinking and paling a little, revealed his youth as nothing else had. Brian winced and knew he had to end this soon. His wounds had cost him a lot of blood and he was growing light-headed.
“I swear upon my father’s honor that I will do all you have asked,” DeVeau said.
“Go home, DeVeau,” said Brian. “If ye keep your vow, then it all ends here.”
“What of Lucette’s body?”
“We will see that he gets back to his family with a warning,” said Harcourt.
“Oh, and if ye truly were appalled by the sinking of the ship, ye may wish to speak to a Captain Tillet.” Brian gave the man Tillet’s direction. “It would serve ye weel to do so as I dinnae think ye want your name tied to that sinking, nor have it brought to the attention of the rest of your kin.”
DeVeau nodded. He and his men sheathed their swords and moved to gather their horses. Brian knew that would be all they would leave with for his kinsmen were already busy gathering up anything of value left on the battlefield. He frowned when he saw Callum fall into step beside DeVeau for he did not believe the young man would go back on his word.
“Callum?” he called.
Callum looked at him and grinned. “Naught to worry about, Brian. Just talking about wine and ships.”
Brian shook his head and then stumbled. Sigimor moved to steady him. He looked at his cousin and knew he was not going to be able to stay conscious much longer.
