Page 17 of Lion and the Lamb: Easter

“Will do, my lord,” said the dockmaster with a nod. He turned and headed away to carry out the orders.

“Do you think there is deceit going on here?” Raff asked him.

“I’m sure there is, but I can’t prove it yet. But I will. For now, everything seems to be in order. At first, I thought someone had made a mistake with the books, but now I suspect smuggling. That is why I’m storing some of the shipments in my alehouse where I can keep a better eye on things.”

“How are you going to find the missing shipments and the smugglers?” asked Raff.

“I’m not, for now.” Lionel sighed, looking up at the sky. It looked like rain, and he had wanted to get in a few hours of sword practice today in the tiltyard. “Let’s get back to the castle.”

“Aye, my lord,” said Raff as they both mounted their horses.

“Mountain Magic at half-off today,” called out the proprietor from the Three-Legged Sow. He stood in the doorway to his tavern holding a bottle high above his head. He looked over and saw Lionel and shouted again. “First drink free for nobles and their squires.”

“Free whisky?” Raff’s eyes lit up. “It’s Mountain Magic, my lord. You love that. Can we stop for a quick drink before we return?”

God’s eyes, Lionel was so tempted to say yes, but he shouldn’t. Even though drinking wasn’t prohibited during Lent, he needed to keep a clear head about him with everything going on lately. “Nay,” he said. “The proprietor is just trying to make money during Lent, and I can’t blame him. Actually, with all the fasting, men will be drinking twice as much, and he’ll be making more money than usual in no time. Come, Squire. We need to get back to the castle so I can take my new bride to church.”

“Oh, that’s right,” said Raff, looking sorely disappointed. “Today is the Day of Ashes and also the first day of Lent. I hate this time of year.”

“You and me both.”

“That’s right, you don’t like fish,” said Raff, pointing out the fact that they were about to eat a whole lot of that in the weeks to come. “Mayhap you’ll get used to it, my lord.”

“And mayhap you’ll get used to sleeping in the great hall with the servants, since that is where you’ll be from now on.”

“I have to stay there? For good?” Raff shook his head. “I thought after your wedding night, I’d be invited back in to sleep near the warm fire in your chamber.”

“Well, you thought wrong.” Lionel continued to ride.

“Pardon me for saying this, my lord, but you don’t seem at all happy about being married again.”

“I never said that.”

“You didn’t need to. I heard you arguing with your new wife earlier. Plus, you both seem to hate each other.”

“She doesn’t hate me,” said Lionel, thinking about it for a minute, and not feeling very good about the situation at all. “Does she?”

“Well, I can’t be sure,” said Raff. “I suppose you have that kind of relationship with everyone.”

“What are you saying, Squire? That everyone hates me?”

“Nay, not everyone. Just your daughter . . . and your wife and . . .”

“All right, stop it. I get your message. I suppose I have been a little irritable lately, but it’s only because I have a lot on my mind.”

“I’m sure your mother doesn’t hate you,” said Raff with a smile. “I mean – I don’t think she does.”

“What about you?” asked Lionel, grinning. “Do you hate me, too?”

“Well, you did throw me out of the nice warm bedchamber and made me sleep with the rats and the servants,” he pointed out.

“Enough,” said Lionel, not wanting to hear another word. Surely, there must be someone in the castle besides his mother who liked him. Wasn’t there?