Page 24 of Retribution

Langford wasn’t stupid. He was starting to put the pieces together, at least as much as he could assume. “And you think she can use that acquaintance for your own purposes?”

Cambridge looked rather pleased with himself. “The man saved her life,” he said. “Even Neville said that he ensured my Pearl was taken to safety, so surely he would not refuse a friendship with her. Or more.”

Langford paused a moment, thinking on the implication of what he’d just heard. “A romance, my lord?”

Cambridge shrugged, turning back to his wine. “I have had her for three years,” he said. “She is my possession, my prize, my Pearl. Most of all, she is mine to do as I please, though at my age, I do not do anything. That time has long passed. Though it pains me to suggest she find comfort with another, if it is a means to an end, then I will permit it.”

“What if she will not do it?”

Cambridge snorted softly as he picked up another piece of beef with his fingers. “Let us see if her father cannot convince her to befriend this knight of Edward’s,” he said, putting the food in his mouth. “If they become lovers, all the better. With her beauty and training in the bedchamber, she can convince the man to do anything she wants.”

Langford’s eyebrows lifted. “You think she could have a knight loyal to the king turn on the man?”

“Possibly,” Cambridge said as he chewed. “If he will not, then mayhap she can get close enough to Edward to accomplish my wish. There are any number of ways such a thing could be done.”

Langford nodded in agreement. He’d known Cambridge long enough to know the man was deadly serious. The Archbishop of Cambridge was many things, but a man of empty threats wasn’t one of them. Langford had seen evidence of his determination for years. That was why the man was so powerful, why he controlled so much within his realm. He was ambitious and he was determined, a resolute combination, and if he was willing to let his precious Pearl slide into the arms of another man to achieve his wants, then he would have no hesitation in doing such a thing. As long as the action achieved his goals, he could justify it.

“I would suggest we send word to her father, then,” Langford said. “The man is already indebted to you. Were it not for the money you send him so he can feed his sickness, he would probably be living in squalor, or dead. He owes you much. Let him tell her what she must do. Let the man earn that money you pay him.”

Cambridge was licking his fingers of the beef juice. “Then send him word,” he said. “Edward’s feast is tomorrow and I doubt Everald can make it to London in time, so I will be the one to encourage her to befriend the man who saved her life. Once that foundation is set, we can build upon it.”

“Agreed.”

Cambridge sighed, looking out over his lavish hall, with its tapestries on the walls and hide rugs instead of rushes. Everything about it reflected the wealth of the Earls of Gainsborough and the House of de Fulbourne.

But Cambridge wanted more.

He didn’t need a king in the way of his ambition.

“I wasn’t much looking forward to the feast welcoming Edward back to England,” he said after a moment. “Now, strangely, I am.”

Langford fought off a grin as he poured the man more wine. “May you have good fortune, my lord.”

“I intend to.”

And he did.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Westminster Palace

“With every door covered by household soldiers, and several knights dressed as guests prowling the hall, the king should be well protected,” Aidric said. “If anyone can think of any issues or gaps in our plan, now is the time to speak.”

He was standing with the rest of the Guard of Six, with the exception of Stefan, in Westminster Hall, a vast chamber with a high ceiling that tended to be cold and drafty and dirty, but at the moment, it was full of servants and knights preparing for the coming feast.

And that included security.

Even though it was just past dawn, most of the people in the hall had been awake for hours in anticipation of the feast. It would be the biggest, most prestigious event of the year, welcoming a king back to his people, and everything had to be perfect. Aidric knew that, as did the rest of the Guard of Six, so they’d been going over every doorway, every entry point, every stairwell, to ensure the king was safe. Tonight, there would be allies as well as those who could go either way—enemy or ally—and it was the job of the Guard of Six to make sure everything was covered.

“I think we have done everything possible to ensure Edward’s safety,” Britt said, looking around the busy hall. “Edward is going to sit at the dais and that is an area of the hall that is easy to guard. Nothing coming in from behind us except for the one door we can use if Edward needs to make a fast exit.”

“I will cover that,” Gerard said. “While the rest of you are mostly visible, I prefer to remain in the shadows. I can watch the room better that way while the rest of you are watching the dais.”

“Good,” Aidric said. “Orion, you will work with Gerard.”

Orion frowned. “Me?” he said. “Why me? Manny may want to stay in the shadows, but I do not.”

“And you shall not,” Aidric said, cocking an eyebrow at the man. “You will be the liaison between the guards at all of the doorways and report everything back to Gerard. Those doors must be watched. And I also want you to arrange for soldiers to monitor the yard as well. We will have guests all over this place tonight, so we must have eyes and ears everywhere to ensure there are no conflicts, no threats. Understood?”