The Poisoned Serpent (30 page)

“Come with me back to Hugh’s house, Father. He will return there once he has finished with the king.”

Bernard joined them, and she invited him to accompany them.

They were met at home by the children, Thomas, Mabel, and Alan. Cristen told them her good news and then they all settled down to wait for Hugh.

He did not come for another hour.

“Can he be talking to the king all this time?” Thomas was wondering aloud for the fourth time when the front door opened and Hugh came in.

His eyes went immediately to Cristen and he grinned.

She smiled back.

“So it seems I am to have you for a son-in-law after all,” Nigel said, coming forward to embrace Hugh.

Hugh laughed. “You found me, sir. Now you’re stuck with me, I’m afraid.”

Bernard was next, enveloping Hugh in a bear hug and saying over and over, “Masterly, lad. You were masterly.”

Hugh’s eyes were brilliant as he returned a joking reply to the compliment. Bernard’s heart swelled with joy at the sight of that look on Hugh’s face.

He’s going to be just fine, Ralf
, he thought.
Your boy is going to be just fine
.

“Were you talking to the king for all this time?” Thomas asked.

Hugh shook his head. “I spent about half an hour
with the king. It took me another half hour to get away from the barrage of questions I was hit with from the castle knights.”

“You were with Stephen for half an hour?” Nigel said. “What did you talk about?”

“We talked about a number of things,” Hugh said.

“Are you going to tell us, or are you going to be mysterious?” Cristen inquired pleasantly.

He looked at her. “I am going to tell you.”

“How nice. Why don’t we sit down and have some wine?”

“I’ll get it, my lady,” Alan said, and as the rest of the household took up positions on chairs and benches in the solar, Alan went around handing out wine cups and filling them.

Hugh waited for Alan himself to take a seat before he began.

“I talked to the king about the situation of Nicholas and Iseult,” he said.

The two children, who were sitting on a stool in front of Cristen’s chair, went stiff with nervousness.

Hugh regarded the two young faces. “I asked the king if Lady Cristen and I could become your guardians, and he agreed.”

Two pairs of blue eyes widened.

“Wh–what does that mean?” Nicholas asked.

“It means that you and Iseult will live with Lady Cristen and me,” Hugh replied matter-of-factly. “It means that we will be your foster parents.”

Iseult screamed and ran to throw herself at Hugh. He winced a little as she cannoned into his bandaged arm.

Nicholas remained where he was, but his eyes were very bright. “Thank you, Hugh,” he said. “We will be good, I promise.”

Iseult, who had established herself in a proprietary position on Hugh’s lap, said generously, “
I
was going to marry Hugh, Lady Cristen, but I don’t mind if you marry him instead.”

“Thank you, Iseult,” Cristen said solemnly. “You do me great honor.”

Iseult smiled radiantly.

“Is that all you talked to the king about?” Bernard demanded. “The disposition of two children?”

“We discussed a few other things,” Hugh returned.

“Did he ask you to become the next Sheriff of Lincoln?” Alan asked with suppressed excitement. It was clear that this was what he had been hoping for.

Thomas gave Alan a look of pity.

Hugh shook his head and said gently, “He needs me in Wiltshire, Alan, to keep Guy in check.”

“Oh,” Alan said in disappointment.

“I did recommend someone to him for the post of sheriff, however,” Hugh said.

“Who did you recommend?” Bernard demanded.

“I recommended that he consider Cedric Harding of Deerhurst.”

“What?!” Bernard was incredulous.

Iseult was busy tying and untying the cord that closed Hugh’s shirt at the neck, sublimely disinterested in any conversation that did not pertain to her. Hugh spoke over her head, “The sheriff must be a man who has sufficient lands to make him a power in the shire, and Deerhurst is a formidable holding. Cedric is much smarter than his father. I think he would make an excellent sheriff.”

“You once told me that he hates all Normans,” Bernard protested.

Hugh shrugged. “He thinks Saxons are treated un
fairly by the Norman system of justice. However, if the chief law officer of the shire is a Saxon, then that perceived bias doesn’t exist anymore.”

“Cedric will never accept,” Bernard predicted.

“You may be surprised,” Hugh returned. “The fact is, whoever is appointed sheriff is going to need your help, Bernard. I believe the king is going to name William of Roumare as earl.”

“No surprise there,” Bernard said grimly.

Nigel said, “That will give Chester and Roumare together a dangerous amount of power.”

A little silence fell as they all contemplated this menacing prospect.

Hugh looked at Cristen. “The king and I also discussed our marriage.”

“And what did you and the king decide?” she returned politely.

At the mention of the word
marriage
, Iseult dropped Hugh’s shirt tie and became attentive.

“It’s to be tomorrow, in the Minster,” Hugh said, then grinned at the expression on Cristen’s face.

“Tomorrow?” she said in astonishment, and Iseult bounced with excitement on Hugh’s lap.

“Apparently,” he said, “the king is determined to honor us with his presence, and he must be in London the following day.”

Cristen’s elusive dimple flickered. “He is determined to outrage Guy, isn’t he?”

“I believe Stephen has decided that I would make a more trustworthy ally than Guy,” Hugh returned imperturbably.

“Good heavens, my lady,” Mabel exclaimed in horror. “What will you wear?”

“Clothes?” Hugh said helpfully.

“Ignore him, Mabel,” Cristen advised. “We had better go and find out what I have that might be suitable for a wedding.”

She stood up, then invited the little girl who was perched on Hugh’s lap, “Would you like to help me, Iseult?”

“Aye, my lady!” Iseult replied with alacrity. She scrambled off Hugh’s lap, in the process once more knocking against his arm, and the three females departed to look over Cristen’s wardrobe.

After they had gone, Hugh said to Nigel, “Will you mind if we continue to reside at Somerford, sir? I am afraid that Chippenham would be a trifle uncomfortable for Cristen.”

“I would be delighted,” Nigel replied emphatically.

Hugh refastened his shirt tie, which Iseult had left open, and rose from his chair. “I suppose I had better go to see the bishop about this wedding.”

Thomas laughed. “That sounds a good idea, particularly if you expect him to perform it.”

Hugh’s gaze fell on Alan, sitting forlornly on a low stool, ready to leap up and refill wine cups as needed. “Now that I am to be a married man, I will have need of a squire,” he said to the boy. “Do you think you might be interested in the position?”

Alan’s face was transformed from disconsolate to radiant. “I should like very much to be your squire, Lord Hugh,” he returned a little breathlessly.

“Well then, how about fetching the rest of my clothes from the sheriff’s house,” Hugh said. “I can’t let Lady Cristen outshine me tomorrow.”

“Aye, my lord,” Alan replied eagerly. He catapulted off his stool and was out the door in a flash.

Nigel laughed. “He seems to be a nice lad.”

“He is,” Hugh replied briefly.

His future father-in-law regarded him with amusement. “You and Cristen appear to have saddled yourselves with a ready-made family, my boy.”

“And you haven’t even counted the dogs,” Hugh said.

Nigel laughed, but he turned quickly sober. “I don’t think you will regret your oath to the king, Hugh. Stephen may have his flaws, but he is a good man.”

“Gloucester is a good man, too,” Hugh said grimly. “I’m afraid that it will take more than a good man to save England from the horrors of this war, however. It will take a miracle.”

“There have been precedents,” Nigel reminded him.

Hugh smiled, suddenly looking almost as young as Alan. “True. And I will be getting my miracle tomorrow, sir,” he said. “Her name is Cristen.”