“How can you be so sure?”
“For the very reasons I mentioned.”
“Then it will not be easy to get at her.”
“Probably not. But we will take whatever opportunity we can.” Hamlin reclaimed his cup and went for more wine, listening to the thunder outside. “Send out more men to hide in the shadows and watch de Lara. Watch Harbottle closely. I would wager there will be another opportunity, especially if he is bold enough to venture from the safe confines of the castle and into the village. If he does it again, perhaps we can catch them along the open road.”
“He will travel with an army for protection.”
“Or he will only travel with a few in order to not draw attention to himself,” Hamlin shot back. “How many men did he take with him to the village yesterday? Did you ask?”
The general nodded. “Indeed I did. He took two knights and six men at arms.”
Hamlin lifted his eyebrows. “You see? He only took a small contingent. Now he is overconfident. He believes he is not being watched at the moment.”
“Never. De Lara is not that stupid.”
“Nevertheless, you will put your best men on him. If an opportunity presents itself, we will take it. We will takeher.”
The general shook his head. “We cannot even get close to the king. What makes you think we can get close to de Lara’s wife?”
Hamlin paused as he poured his wine. “Your men will have to be clever and swift. I care not how she is taken, but get her. If we hold her, we hold the kingdom.”
The general cast him a long look but did as he was ordered. More men would need to be dispatched, more spies to watch de Lara’s every move and wait for an opportunity. It wasn’t going to be easy, if such a thing was even possible at all.
*
“I do notcare if you and your entire fleet of servants are up all night,” Toby said pointedly. “This keep will be clean by tomorrow morning.”
She was facing off against a huffing, puffing Wallace. It was pouring rain outside, loud thunder and bright lightning. But the thunder in the sky was nothing compared to the storm brewing in the great hall of Harbottle. Lady de Lara was now chatelaine and Wallace was having a difficult time with the transition. It was unexpected; more than that, Wallace was offended. His insult against Toby’s determination was a volatile combination.
“We have more important things to attend to, my lady,” he was trying not to show disrespect to the woman his liege had recently married. “We are still repairing damage from the siege and I hardly think that scrubbing the keep is a priority.”
“I will decide what the priorities are,” she snapped. “I am in charge here. You will do as you are told.”
Wallace’s leathered face tightened with fury. “I take my orders from Lord Tate.”
Toby lifted an eyebrow. “When you are inside this keep, you take them from me. This is now my domain and the sooner you understand that, the better we shall get along. This keep is an embarrassment and I intend to see it cleaned from top to bottom.”
“There is no embarrassment to this place, my lady.”
“Are you going to help me or not?”
“I have more important things to do.”
“Then get out.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Get out. And stay out.”
Wallace opened his mouth in outrage but Toby was already moving towards the hearth. A long iron poker stood propped against the wall and she grabbed it, wielding it like a weapon.
“Did you hear me?” she barked. “If you are not going to do as you are told, then you will get out.”
His brow furrowed and his teeth bared, preparing for a very sharp retort that would perhaps be not so polite. But Toby swung the poker at him and smacked him across the thigh, not hard enough to do damage but hard enough to sting.
“Out!” she yelled.
