He thundered inat dusk of the second day. Even from a distance away, Garren could see that the ambiance of Chepstow had changed. A heavy blanket of smoke hung over the castle and he knew that could only mean one thing; either Chepstow was under siege or there was an army in residence.
Fortunately for him, it was the lesser of the possibilities. Many of the men at arms recognized him as he pounded into the bailey, as they were loyal to the Marshal and had fought under Garren’s command many a time. Somewhat perplexed as to the purpose of the amassing army, he tried to appear as if their presence was nothing new to him as he stowed his horse and made his way, somewhat wearily, into the keep. He was increasingly apprehensive of what he would find.
It was busier than usual inside. Commanders and noblemen that he recognized greeted him. Garren had to admit it was good to see the familiar faces. The Marshal was found in a sea of officers, clustered two deep around his table in the solar. There were plans on the table, and a map. When the old blue eyes lifted at the movement in the doorway, Garren saw the wave of surprise, then a flash of anger, then massive relief.
“Garren,” William pushed his way between armored men in his haste to get to him. “Thank God, you have come.”
Garren accepted the outstretched hand, unusual for the old man. He wasn’t the warm kind. It was a gesture that put him on his guard.
“My lord,” he was suddenly torn between the guilt of what he’d done and the gladness of seeing him again. “I came as soon as I was able.”
The Marshal’s pale eyes glittered at him, reprovingly, suspiciously. “Of course,” he took Garren by the elbow. “Come with me. I would speak with you privately a moment.”
That was not an unusual occurrence, and the men in the solar let them go without a thought. William pulled Garren into the adjoining room, a small chamber used by the servants, and closed the door. When he faced Garren again, the warmth was gone from his face and Garren felt the chill.
“Now,” William grumbled. “I give you two minutes to satisfactorily explain to me what has happened over the past few weeks.”
“My lord?”
“If you play me for a fool, so help me, I shall run you through myself. You know exactly what I mean, le Mon.”
“I married Derica de Rosa.”
“You eloped with her!”
“I did.”
“To what purpose?”
“Because you ordered me to.”
The Marshal was losing his patience. “Aye, I did. But under specific conditions and damn you for ignoring them. You, my friend, have violated my commands and have created a shambles out of your mission.”
Garren wouldn’t back down. “You ordered me to marry Derica de Rosa, my lord. I have done that. The circumstances on how it was done are not of issue.”
The old man lost his patience then. “It is the issue. Are you living at Framlingham with your wife and her family?”
“No.”
“Do you have any contact with Bertram de Rosa and his horde?”
“No.”
“Then how can you possibly tell me that you are still within the guidelines of your mission? Your mission was to spy on them, Garren, nothing more or less. What information can you give me? Has all of my careful planning for you been in vain?”
“There are two thousand Teutonic mercenaries amassing north of Nottingham as we speak. The next few days with see two thousand more French. It is my guess that they plan to stranglehold England about the middle of the country and cut off the north from the south.”
The Marshal stared at him. “Why do you think there is an army amassed in the bailey, Garren? I already know this.”
Garren didn’t flinch, though he felt as if he’d been struck. He felt like a fool. “Chateroy is under siege by the de Rosas because of what I have done.”
That news gave the Marshal pause. “How do you know this?”
“I have my trusted sources. I must go and help my father.”
William stared at Garren a moment longer before letting out a long, heavy sigh. Scratching his white head, he leaned back against a small table, pondering his course of action from this point. His anger had abated for the most part, though he was still rightfully upset. Mostly, he was disappointed.
“You realize that I have been quite angry with you.”
