Corisande knew more than she wanted to let on. She was afraid of what would happen if she did.
“He does not confide in me, your grace,” she said. “Why would he? I am only his daughter, not his wife.”
“Then ye dinna know about the alliance proposal?”
She caught sight of movement in her periphery, turning to look at MacDuff, who was watching her very carefully. She sensed hostility from him where she did not sense it from William. Or perhaps he was simply better at hiding it.
“I only found out about your proposal when the Scots attacked our village last month,” she said. “I was told they came to The Keld to force my father into joining the Scots rebellion but when he declined, they tried to burn our village.”
“That’s no’ true!” MacDuff spat, realizing he had just been caught in a lie. “They attackedus.”
Corisande turned to him angrily. “The Scots burned our village,” she countered. “My father and his men rode from the castle to defend the village and for no other reason. They did not attack anyone.”
MacDuff was turning red in the cheeks but William held up a hand to him. “Enough,” he said. “It is over with. M’lady, how many men did yer father bring with him?”
Corisande was ready to go to fisticuffs with MacDuff when she suddenly realized that William was asking her pointed questions about the English strength. They were at war and she was a possible source of information, as he saw it.
Her apprehension grew.
“I do not know and that is the truth,” she said. “I am the surgeon. I am not consulted on military issues. I do know that my father has almost fifteen hundred men and he brought most of them north.”
“Who else came with him?”
She thought on that question. It wasn’t like it was a secret with the way the English armies flew their standards high. “De Lohr, de Winter, Savernake, de Velt,” she said. “William Marshal, too, but I do not know how many men have come. Thousands, at least.”
“Anyone else?
“I remember hearing there were more to come, but they are far away.”
William sat back in his chair, mulling that over. After a moment, he collected his steaming cup again.
“Tomorrow morning, I am expecting a dozen Northmen longships,” he said. “Thousands of Northmen will be here and will more than likely destroy yer father. I’m told that the English have managed tae capture the city of Berwick, but that willna last. We have the castle and ’tis all we need, truthfully. Withthe Northmen, we can take back the north of England. Had yer father joined us, he could have kept his lands.”
Corisande didn’t sense gloating from him, merely the truth as he saw it. She looked down at Gaia, who was gazing up at her fearfully. She put her arm around her sister again as she faced William.
“If anyone understands loyalty to one’s country, it is you,” she said. “You understand why men feel compelled to be loyal to the home of their birth. My father is simply loyal to the home of his birth, come what may.”
William nodded faintly. “Ye’re a reasonable young lass,” he said. “Alastor did well with ye.”
“Thank you, your grace.”
“Will ye join me for a meal?”
Corisande shook her head. “You are kind, but I must decline,” she said. “Please, your grace… may we return? We cannot possibly be of any value to you.”
William’s gaze rested on her for a moment before setting his cup down yet again and rising wearily. He moved away from the women, pulling MacDuff with him, until they were over by his traveling bed. When he was certain they were out of earshot, he faced MacDuff.
“What were the men able tae get when they raided the provisions wagons?” William asked quietly.
MacDuff was reluctant to tell him, but he had little choice. “Seven wagons of provisions and two surgeon’s wagons,” he said. “The men grabbed what they could.”
“Were the provisions plentiful?”
“Nay, because the armies took what they needed as they advanced on Berwick.”
“So ye took empty wagons?”
“No’ empty, but no’ as full as we had hoped.”
