Her Christmas Knight. Nicole Locke

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СКАЧАТЬ there was nothing at ease about his friend now—and he guessed it wasn’t only the cold that caused the certain tenseness to his friend’s shoulders and expression.

      ‘What are you doing here, Eldric?’

      Eldric pointed to the flagon still on the table. ‘Is there any left?’

      Hugh knew better than to turn his back to fetch another cup. ‘Not much.’

      Eldric’s gaze took in Hugh’s dust-covered boots, his travel-worn breeches and wrinkled tunic. ‘I can tell that.’

      Hugh knew he was hardly in courtly dress and had drunk deep. But that was his own business, not this town’s nor his childhood friend’s. Years had passed since he’d seen him, and yet even though Eldric had scarcely been in his presence, he knew exactly how to challenge him.

      In these small confines, there was only one way to accept such a challenge.

      Turning his back, Hugh fetched another cup and flipped it over in front of Eldric, so that dust, plaster and insect remains fell to the ground.

      Without so much as a telling tic, Eldric accepted the cup and poured the rest of the flagon’s ale into it.

      Hugh’s humour lifted. Regardless of the unanswered question of why Eldric was in Swaffham, there was some of the same man he had known. Eldric was indeed still at ease with his world.

      ‘As to why I am here...’ Eldric shrugged. ‘You have to know news of your presence in this town has spread.’

      Gossip. He might have underestimated the power of the small town. ‘I arrived today. I thought myself alone for tonight, but that’s not what I meant.’

      ‘Ah, you mean why am I in Swaffham?’

      Hugh gave a curt nod. ‘Not exactly your home town.’

      ‘I’ve got cousins here now. And, though it is yours, I never thought you’d return.’ Eldric took a sip and eyed the empty flagon. ‘How can you be still standing?’

      ‘I am my father’s son.’

      Eldric scanned the room’s sparse furnishings. ‘You weren’t exaggerating about your past.’

      ‘And were you about yours?’

      Eldric sighed, his expression resigned. ‘Come, this is a gloomy conversation.’

      ‘Without any answers being revealed. It’s late, and I’m tired.’

      ‘Well, then, I’ll get to the point. I am like you...as you most likely would have guessed by now...if not for the strength of that ale.’

      To cover his surprise, Hugh turned to sit. There was only one other chair in the room—his father’s chair, but Hugh had broken that long ago though the remains stayed in the corner.

      Hugh didn’t know if he was more surprised that jovial Eldric was a spy or that he had disclosed it. He had heard that Eldric was commissioned, but had thought it only a rumour.

      ‘Edward sent you here?’

      ‘No, I’m on a...detour.’

      ‘Personal?’ Hugh asked.

      Eldric gave a small smile.

      Hugh didn’t expect an answer, but sometimes the most obvious questions slipped into answers.

      ‘Are we friends?’ Eldric said.

      ‘Yes,’ Hugh replied, surprised that the answer came easily despite himself knowing better. Maybe there was still some of that sheltered and naive boy in him yet.

      Eldric nodded, as if Hugh had answered some other question not asked. ‘Good to know.’

      Hugh sensed that there was more to say, and he intended to wait. After all, he knew about keeping secrets. If he pried too deeply Eldric would do the same. With his silence, it appeared Eldric knew a score of secrets—as did Hugh. Could it be possible that Eldric was a friend in truth? There was only one way to find out.

      Shifting in his seat, he said, ‘I would think Edward would know better than to employ you to carry and catch secrets. It’s not as if you can hide.’

      Eldric let out a startled laugh. ‘You’d be surprised how easy it is to hide in plain sight. People don’t equate my handsome stature with intelligence.’

      ‘Your intelligence must be all you’re relying on!’

      Eldric did laugh then. ‘I may not have bested you, but my sword arm is still longer than yours.’

      Hugh drained his cup. ‘Longer, but not sharper.’

      ‘Sharp enough. And in these quarters you couldn’t escape even with that footwork you learned from...’ Eldric’s voice faded and he shook his head. ‘Sorry, I heard the news.’

      The unsaid name hung between them. ‘Black Robert’ of Dent—Edward’s favoured knight and Hugh’s mentor.

      Hugh had been just as surprised as Eldric when Robert, who had been older and already making a name for himself, had taken him under his wing to train him.

      Hugh had readily accepted, even knowing that Robert trained hard, and he had been pushed to do the same. Through that time Hugh had tormented himself, wondering if Robert knew of his shame because of his father’s drunkenness and lost honour.

      But Robert surely had to have done, because nothing was truly a secret at Court—which had made Robert’s sullying himself with Hugh’s family reputation all the more startling.

      Of course Hugh had heard of Robert’s own rumoured history. How he might not be legitimately-born, which shouldn’t be possible given his knighthood. Still, the vague rumour had persisted and surrounded Robert, despite Edward’s affection for him and his alliance with a Welsh Marcher Lord.

      Hugh hadn’t cared. He was grateful for any kinship with the formidable knight, and had continued to follow Robert’s prescribed training even when he left Court.

      When he had seen his friend again Robert had been a changed man, but they’d stayed close.

      ‘I heard you were the last who saw him.’ Eldric shook his head. ‘Still can’t comprehend how the bastards got him.’

      ‘He went off alone,’ Hugh supplied. ‘And he was just a man.’

      ‘A legend.’

      Even more so now in death.

      A death that the English mourned, but that Hugh knew was a lie.

      Secrets and more secrets.

      Robert was still alive, and married into a Scottish family. And if he was found he would be formally executed.

      Hugh, who held his secret, would most likely be murdered on some abandoned road, his body left to rot in a forgotten wood.

      He had made СКАЧАТЬ