WhenSir Guy rode up beside the cart, Eada gave him a sweet smile of greeting. Theman looked so startled and suspicious she almost laughed. He cast a quick lookat Ivo, who kept looking his way and scowling, then fixed his cold gaze uponEada. She wondered what game he planned to play now.
"Isthere something you want, Sir Guy?" she asked him, amazed at how sweet andcourteous she sounded even as her stomach churned with fear and dislike.
"Ibut wished to get a closer look at the Saxon whore who has stolen Sir Drogo'smanhood," he drawled.
Itwas hard not to respond to that insult with the fury he so clearly tried toarouse in her. If that were the kind of remark he whispered in people's ears,Eada was astounded that anyone would even listen. Drogo de Toulon's manhood,strength, and bravery should be clear to anyone who looked at him. It did notreally surprise her, however, that a man like Sir Guy would see kindness as aweakness.
"Isthere another Sir Drogo riding with William, for I know you cannot mean the manwho leaves me so exhausted after a night in his arms that I must sleep the dayaway in this cart?" She was startled when her words made Sir Guy flushwith rage.
"Enjoyyour little jests, woman, for your good humor will not have a long, prosperouslife. Once Sir Drogo is gone, you will be taken up by another who knows wellthe dangers of coddling a woman."
"Andwhere might Sir Drogo be going, sir?"
"Tothat place all men who have allowed a woman to steal their strength must go—acold grave. You have changed him into nothing more than a nursemaid to a packof Saxon whelps. He is becoming the source of many jests. A man whose namecauses only laughter does not live long."
"ThenI should watch my back very closely if I were you, Sir Guy."
Heraised his hand to strike her, but one long, hard look from Ivo halted hisblow. After one cold, enraged glance at her, Sir Guy rode away. Eada slumpedagainst the side of the cart and took several deep breaths to try to slow therapid beat of her heart.
"Hejust said that he is going to kill Sir Drogo." May whispered in horror,speaking in French to hide her words from the frightened children.
"No,I am afraid that he did not say that. Oh, I know that is what he meant, but hedid not say it clearly enough. If we repeated his words, others would surelyhear the insults flung at Drogo, but they would not see the threat. We couldcertainly anger Drogo, and all who stand with him, by repeating Sir Guy's slursupon his manhood, but no more."
"Areyou going to tell Sir Drogo what was said?"
"Yes.Drogo is not a fool. He may even wish to challenge Sir Guy, but he will know hecannot safely do so on no more than the word of his Saxon lover or even Ivo. Itwill show him how dangerous Sir Guy has become, however, and that can only befor the good."
"Hewants to kill Sir Drogo," said Ivo.
"Verybadly, but he will not do so fairly. He will either strike from the shadows ortry to get William to believe that poison he has been spitting out, thusturning Drogo's liege lord into the sword that cuts Drogo down."
"ThenI must kill Sir Guy."
Maycried out in fear and Eada quickly patted her cold, trembling hand. "Ifear you cannot do that, Ivo."
"Heis a danger to Sir Drogo."
"Yes,a very big danger; but if you kill the man, you could cause Drogo a trouble ofa different kind. You would also pay for it with your life, and that wouldgreatly sadden Drogo. I do not believe Sir Guy will strike at Drogo until he issure that his lies have failed to get him what he wants. London draws near andmy voices say that so does the end of Sir Guy. No, what we must look for now issome plot against Tancred and Unwin."
"Hedid not speak of them."
"No,but my dream did." She related her dream to May and Ivo. "I waslooking for them when I saw Sir Guy slither over here."
"Theyride with Drogo, who rides ahead with William."
Eadawhispered a curse. "As do Serle and Garnier, so there is no way for me towarn them."
"Theywill return when we stop to make camp in a few hours."
"Ifthey do not, then I will have to go in search of them. The attack I saw in mydream came in the dark of night, and I must warn them of the danger they facebefore the sun sets."
Tancredlaughed and Unwin hesitantly joined him as they rose from their places aroundthe fire, where they had enjoyed another of Ivo's hearty meals. Eada put herhands on her hips and glared at both the men. They were treating her warning asno more than a woman's baseless fear and she could not fight such disbelief.Drogo believed her when she spoke of such things, but he and Serle were diningwith William and could not make the two younger men listen to her.
Thetwo men were young and strong and emboldened by a sense of victory. Even thoughthey knew that Sir Guy was a treacherous adder, they were too cocksure tobelieve that he could kill them. At least Tancred was, and that insured thatUnwin would never admit to the concern she had briefly glimpsed upon his face.She wondered if her dream had been warning her of this problem when it hadshown her the two young men laughing.
"Whywill you not heed me?" she snapped.
"Youwish us to tell William that we cannot ride out to forage as we have beencommanded to because Eada of Pevensey has had a bad dream?" Tancred askedas he shook his head. "He will think that we are mad or, worse, that weare cowards."
