The Everlasting Covenant (12 page)

“
Do you know her?
”

“
I did once, before she wed Lord deFrayne. Although she was bidden to support her husband
’
s decisions, whether or not she approved, unless she has greatly changed, she would not sanc
tion an act such as this.
”
He turned and looked at Anne.
“
Your courage and wisdom will be tested as never before. Do not doubt me when I tell you that no other member of this family will take pity on you as I do. Do not let them know your heart.
It will go worse for Dylan ..
. and you.
”

“
Papa ..
. Papa,
I
almost told you. When you sent me to mass after m
y introduction to Lord Forbes ..
. and again, w
hen Minerva died. Would you ..
. would you have ...
”

“
Ah, Anne,
”
he sighed.
“
Even knowing something of what you felt,
I
am not sure I would have tried to help you.
”

“
Will you try to help me now?
”

“
You have but one road to travel, lass. But I will do what I can to save Dylan
’
s life.
”

“
But Papa
--
”

“
Someday you will understand. Someday.
”

***

It was an odd twist of events that Anne stood in the tower on blistering afternoons to watch, this time, for Brennan. Sir Wayland had not lived long enough to be a good waste for rope
in the cask room. Somehow Lord Gifford had managed to con
vince his sons to do nothing dishonorable to his body. Anne thought she saw disappointment glittering in her mother
’
s eyes.

For two days Dylan had been tied below them. She could feel his presence flowing upward. She knew his health to be good, for Ferris had tricked them into washing and feeding him.
“
Had I known you were simply going to starve him to death, as he lay in his own filth, we could have as easily tied him to a tree and let him rot,
”
he had said.

“
Your father is right,
”
Marcella said.
“
Keep him well. Perhaps we will do better by having him.
”

And so her plan began. There was only one other deFrayne son yet alive. Sir Cameron had managed to ride away from the battle. Marcella resumed her letter writing. She carefully con
sidered every detail, from time for travel to the effects of battle on Sir Cameron, the only deFrayne to escape. She discussed the details with her sons. Anne wished she could hide in her room and remain invisible, yet she feared to miss any mention of Dylan and his proposed fate. She lingered on the fringes of her family
’
s conversations while
they plotted; she watched long
ingly as the door to the cask room was opened and food was taken past the lounging guard to feed Dylan.

“
The letter will be addressed to Madam deFrayne,
”
Marcella said, refusing to title Dylan
’
s mother.
“
We will call for a ransom to be paid for Dylan
’
s safe return, accepted only from Sir Cam
eron. That should do.
”

“
I doubt you will receive much. Lord deFrayne is dead and all their money gone to battle. If attainder is not placed on them now, it will be soon
--
the moment Edward is crowned.
”

“
All the better,
”
Marcella said.
“
Let her trade family lands for her son. We will have to hurry, for Edward will shortly take his crown and the attainder will be his. If we take possession first, there will be no attainder on their possessions, for they will al
r
eady belong to us.
”

“
And you will then let him go?
”
Ferris asked.

Marcella laughed.
“
Let him go? Nay, my lord husband, but we will have them both. The only living deFraynes other than
Daphne. Neither son has sired an heir and I think perhaps Daphne is finally too old.
”
She lifted a thin blond eyebrow as she regarded her husband. When she smiled her cheeks puffed out.
“
What do you think, my lord?
”

“
I do not understand why you wish to slay these youths. They could be our own sons, and I doubt Lady Daphne would do the same.
”

“
Do not defend her to me,
”
Marcella snapped.
“
When the deFraynes are all dead, our family can live in peace.
”
She calmed her voice, but it seemed to take effort. Anne suspected that peace was the least of what Marcella wanted. And since Giffords had not been assaulted by deFraynes for so many years, she could not understand this lust for deFrayne blood. She knew the old tale that deFraynes had killed Marcella
’
s father, but that had been so many years ago.
“
And do not delude yourself, my lord. The deFraynes would have sent our sons
’
heads by now.
”

“
I would not rest easy in their chains,
”
Quentin said.

“
Nor I,
”
said Bart.
“
Madam is correct. They should be exe
cuted. But I am for trying to get Heathwick in the bargain. Let us offer to ransom them before we kill them.
”

Marcella smiled at he
r second son. He had no estate –
she could count on his support.

“
I am for sparing their bodies, whole,
”
Trenton said, looking shyly between his older brothers. He gulped as if the sight of the battlefiel
d was still fresh in his mind. “
Too much is too much.
”

“
What matter? So long as they are finished. Edward will thank
us.
”

“
I doubt that, madam,
”
Ferris said.
“
As a matter of fact, Edward forbade such as criminal action. He instructed that only the lords be executed. And I remind you all
--
Lord Forbes did not approve of this, and may yet put a stop to it.
”

“
Do you think we have common soldiers?
”
she chided him.

Anne glanced toward the cookrooms. The cask room was just around the corner. The maid returned from the cell with an empty tray. The guard did not look up. The maid walked into the common hall and handed the key to Marcella. She attached
it to her belt as she continued.
“
If Lord deFrayne fell in battle, it is first to Cameron, then to this lastborn son that the demesne will pass. These are noble heirs
--
for Lancaster.
”

“
Sir Cameron will not be tricked.
”

“
Oh? I think you are wrong.
”

Anne glanced at her mother
’
s belt of keys, shears, prayer beads, pouch of medicines and herbs. She wondered how she might get that key. But even so, there were now guards posted though the night at every entrance to the keep, as if the one by the cask room door was not enough.

“
We will give Sir Cameron plenty of time
.
Almost a fortnight should do nicely. If he does not come with the ransom for his brother by the twentieth day of February, the youngest deFrayne will die. By h
anging. And then dispatched ..
. slowly ... to his mother.
”

Anne gulped. To be hanged and then cut into pieces.

“
Who is it you wish to hurt by this action, madam?
”
Ferris asked. Anne had heard her mother and father argue before, but the tone of Lord Gifford
’
s voice was never more fierce.
“
Surely it is not the deFrayne men. If they are already dead, your grue
some acts will cause them no pain. Do you feel that Lady deFrayne has not yet suffered enough? Her husband and eldest son are both dead. One would think you desired to meet Lady deFrayne in battle. Perhaps this has nothing to do with the rest of us. Perhaps this is a personal battle.
”

Marcella glared at her husband.
“
Do you beg me to spare the deFrayne men, milord, or do you plead for their mother?
”

“
Madam, does your cruelty know no bounds?
”
Ferris asked, shocked.
“
I have seen heads roll on the turf of a battlefield, a sight that I am somewhat accustomed to, and still it sickens me. Young heads,
”
he said, rising to his feet and grasping a handful of Trenton
’
s hair, jerking his head straight.
“
Boys, about to become men, die. Is there not enough blood to satisfy you? Is it not enough just to kill them?
”
He released his son
’
s hair.
“
And though I doubt Lord Forbes has any love for deFraynes, you risk his anger by this thing you want to do. You had better think again.
”

Marcella seemed unimpressed.
“
‘
Tis often done, as Lord Forbes knows. Execution is not
a pretty sight.
I could not see my children thus, but the enemy? His blood is foul. Therefore, it spills.
”

Ferris looked at her long and hard.
“
Send your letters, then, but without me. I will have none of this. I will go where all the men of this house should be, all the men who are so eager to be jewels in Edward
’
s crown. I will find Edward
’
s army and you can be sure that I will not return in time to see you perform this terrible, terrible deed. If I return at all.
”

“
Do you abandon your sons, my lord, in their moment of triumph?
”
she asked.

“
Humph, what need have they for a father? They have you
--
clearly you are their lord and master!
”

That said, Ferris turned on his heel and stormed out of the hall, out into the cold air. Anne longed to go with him, to talk to him and seek his advice.

“
Madam, my lord makes sense,
”
Trenton said. He seemed to shiver slightly, as if he imagined himself h
eld in the deFrayne cask room. “
There need be no unnecessary brutality. It should be enough to return their bodies. I would expect as much.
”

“
Then if it suits you all, we shall only hang them.
”

Trenton shifted uncomfortably.
“
I have no ob
jection to the ransom you plan –
Bart has need of an est
ate. But my father speaks true –
killing both deFraynes could anger Lord Forbes. He was opposed to our taking prisoners out of
Edward
’
s camp. And if I do not die
myself back to Edward
’
s army, my fortune is dust. My inheritance does not compare to Quentin
’
s or even Bart
’
s. I should go with Father.
”

“
You worry needlessly. Lord Forbes will see you fixed,
”
she said, glancing at Anne. Anne hung her head quickly. She could not meet her mother
’
s eyes.

“
Not if he is angry,
”
Trenton said.
“
Not even for Anne.
”

She looked at her brother. She would have smiled at him, but did not dare.

“
Trenton met his match on the field, madam. We went search
ing for him and found him leaning his head over the stream.
”

Bart chuckled.
“
He will overcome it, given time. Watching the deFraynes die will hearten his appetite for blood. If ... he is to do a man
’
s work. But if he wishes to mak
e his fortune singing poems ..
.
”