“Aye.”
“You have offered him the fortress to exchange for the woman’s life?”
“I have.”
“But why?”
She shrugged. “I will tell you what I told St. John,” she said. “Babylon holds only bitter memories for me. It was Gaylord’s fortress, never mine. It does not pain me to be rid of it.”
“But it is your sons’ legacy, is it not?”
She drew in a deep, pensive breath. There was something in her manner that suggested some regret at that point. “Aye,” she said. “But I do not want them there. Mayhap I will find a better legacy for them elsewhere, away from a place of such terrible memories.”
Now, Conor wriggled his eyebrows, a bit stumped at all of the happenings going on, happenings he found himself involved in. “God’s Bones,” he muttered. “A good deal has happened this morning already, hasn’t it?”
“Aye.”
“When are they moving Kenton?”
Nicola’s expression washed with uncertainty. “They could only tell me within the next few days,” she said. “They could move him tomorrow or move him next week. Regardless, you must go to Warwick immediately and tell him to ride for Doncaster. He must be there when St. John tries to deliver Kenton to Edward.”
Conor knew that. He drained the watered wine left in his cup and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, flicking bits of bread off his auburn beard.
“It will be done, Lady Thorne,” he said. “I will go and prepare my things.”
Nicola nodded shortly. “Do,” she said. “And hurry. As soon as St. John is finished with this missive, you must leave.”
Conor stood up, politely helping her to stand as well. Odd how they were allies now when, only days before, he had learned of her betrayal and had been most mistrustful of her motives. Conor had come to see that Lady Thorne was an intelligent, determined woman who, so far, had kept her word. She wanted to free Kenton from Edward’s grasp and it would seem that she was making plans to do exactly that. At this point, Conor had no reason not to trust her. It was clear she had been trying to earn his trust back, just a bit, and so far she was succeeding.
“So I will ride to Warwick,” he said quietly as they headed for the exit to the great hall. “The last we knew, he was outside of Wakefield, or at least that was where he told Kenton he was going. I will look for him there.”
Nicola nodded, looking around to make sure, once again, that no one was listening. “Very well,” she said. “But you must hurry, Conor. We do not know when they are moving Kenton and if Edward gets to him before Warwick has a chance to free him, I am afraid we may never see him again.”
Conor paused in the hall entry, his gaze lingering on her. “And that would upset you.”
“It would destroy me.”
There was great finality and emotion in her words. He could see that she meant what she said. “You never told me what was said when you saw him yesterday upon our arrival,” he said. “We have not had a chance to discuss it.”
She smirked. “And you shall never know what was said,” she said. “That is between me and Kenton. Go, now. Prepare to depart.”
With a grin, Conor started to move but soon came to a halt. “That reminds me,” he said. “Where will you be? Surely you do not plan to remain here at Conisbrough.”
Nicola shook her head. “Nay,” she said, thinking of St. John and how he would like nothing better than for her to remain. “Iwill return to Babylon. When you free Kenton, bring him back to Babylon. I will wait for him there.”
Conor cocked an eyebrow dubiously. “Edward’s men are still at Babylon,” he pointed out. “They will find it odd when Kenton and I return, don’t you think?”
Nicola shook her head. “It will not matter,” she said. “We will leave shortly thereafter and leave Babylon to Edward. You are simply returning Kenton to Babylon so he can collect me and my children. Where we go after that, I do not care.”
“So you intend to leave Babylon?”
“Forever.”
“Does Kenton know any of this?”
She shook her head. “He knows nothing and I am not sure when I will have the chance to tell him, so hurry and go about your business. St. John will be finished with the missive soon and you will have to leave.”
Conor didn’t say any more. He had his orders and he was determined to fulfil them. Lady Thorne had made it possible to free Kenton and Conor was determined to find Warwick and enlist the man’s help.
