“What did you tell Lady Gunnora that made her send a messenger to your brother,” he finally asked, his voice quiet and raspy. “Explain this to me so there is no misunderstanding in my mind as to what you have or have not done.”
Ghislaine was trembling with fear, with emotion. “I certainly did not tell her to send a missive to Alary if that is what you are thinking,” she said, her voice quivering. “She asked many questions about your army and she wanted to know if I was your prisoner. I told her that I was your guide and that we were heading north. She told me that Alary had stopped at Westerham the night before and she said he was returning home. I said that we were also heading home as well because she asked and I did not want to tell her the truth. She wondered why Alary did not wait for us but she said no more than that. I can only surmise she believed she was helping when she sent the rider northward to tell Alary that I was behind him. The messenger said that she told him to tell Alary to wait for us to catch up.”
Her words were quiet and she looked him in the eye with every one spoken, which told him that she wasn’t lying. He’d seen his share of liars and they did not stand against him, strongly, as she was doing. In truth, her explanation made a good deal of sense and his gut reaction told him that there was no mal intent involved on the part of either Ghislaine or Gunnora. It was just a miscommunication and a woman who took initiative when she should not have. He looked at Jathan.
“You were sitting with the women last night,” he said. “Did you hear this conversation she speaks of?”
Jathan nodded. “I heard it all,” he said. “Lady Ghislaine never told Lady Gunnora to send for Alary. In fact, she did her best to avoid the subject. Whatever Lady Gunnora did was completely on her own.”
Gaetan had no reason to disbelief his priest. Much like the rest of his knights, he trusted the man implicitly but it was a good thing the man had heard the conversation. Otherwise, Ghislaine would be cast into the shadows of mistrust quite easily. Gaetan had to admit that he was relieved, at least for Ghislaine’s role in all of this. But Lady Gunnora’s role was something else altogether.
The woman acted when she should not have and she had cost Kristoph.
Swiftly, Gaetan turned away from Ghislaine and made his way back to Aramis and Téo, who were standing on the road with the others. His jaw was ticking furiously as he faced them.
“It was Lady Gunnora who betrayed us,” he muttered. “Aramis, you will return to Westerham with five hundred men. Take Wellesbourne and St. Hèver with you.”
Aramis nodded grimly. “What would you have me do?”
Gaetan had no mercy in his eyes. “Burn Westerham and the surrounding village to the ground,” he muttered. “Have half the soldiers confiscate anything of value, including livestock and stores, but the rest of it… burn it. And you make sure Lady Gunnora understands that sending that message to Alary last night was the catalyst. I will tolerate no traitors towards me or my men. She will understand that. What she did cost Kristoph a finger.”
Aramis didn’t flinch at the harsh order. “And the lady? What will you have me do with her?”
Gaetan sighed sharply, turning to look at Ghislaine, who was still standing where he had left her. He could have quite easily have given a harsh order for Lady Gunnora but because Ghislaine had spoken kindly of her, and because she was a friend of Ghislaine, he backed off his usual command of execution.
“Leave her alive to watch what her foolish mouth has brought upon her people,” he said. “She can see the results of her loose tongue.”
Aramis nodded, whistling over Wellesbourne and St. Hèver so he could relay their orders. The other knights were gravitating in their direction also. Before Aramis could move away to complete fulfill his orders, Téo stopped him.
“Wait,” he said, looking to Gaetan. “Before they go, there is much to discuss, Gate, not the least of which is the fact that Alary of Mercia now knows we are following him. He told Lady Ghislaine through the messenger that he would send a bigger piece of Kristoph back to us if we continue to follow.”
Gaetan had to pull his thoughts away from vengeance against Lady Gunnora and focus on the situation at hand. He depended on Téo to be his rational self sometimes because the man was inherently wise in all situations. He mulled over the man’s words but in the same breath, he realized his men didn’t know the entire story as to why Alary of Mercia had sent back a piece of their colleague and a threat. Taking a deep breath, he struggled for calm.
“You are right, as usual,” he said to Téo, but his focus moved to his men, all of them now huddled in a circle around him. “You should know why this has happened. Last night, as we feasted at Westerham, Lady Gunnora told Lady Ghislaine that her brother, Alary, had stopped at Westerham the night before. It was Lady Gunnora who sent word to Alary that we were following him and that is why he sent back a piece of Kristoph. I have ordered Aramis and Bartholomew and Kye back to Westerham to burn it to the ground. Treachery will not go unpunished, especially now as we embark in a strange new country. We must be seen as the law and the lords of this country now, and that means we punish those who act against us. If we are perceived as weak, we may as well return home. We cannot hold a country with weakness.”
By the time he was finished, the rest of the knights were nodding in serious understanding. The situation now made more sense to them than simply a random act of brutality.
“What of Ghislaine of Mercia?” de Moray wanted to know. “Surely she knew what Gunnora was doing. They sat together during the meal, whispering between them. Surely Ghislaine has something to do with this.”
It was an accusation, but not an unexpected one. Gaetan fixed on de Moray, who could be a malcontent at times.
“Jathan was with them the entire time, as you all saw,” he said for the benefit of all of his men so there would be no doubt. “He heard their entire conversation and said that there was never, at any time, any hint of subversion or treason on the part of Lady Ghislaine. I want to make that clear. If I thought there was, I would be the first person to punish her and I think you know that.”
De Moray’s jaw ticked faintly as he simply lifted an eyebrow and looked away. That wasn’t good enough for Gaetan.
“Marc,” he said to the man. “Is this in any way unclear?”
“It is clear.”