The Silver Falcon (40 page)

Robert had followed Odon to a narrow alleyway, where he had disappeared into a house. For some time, Robert had been waiting, watching the house. A harried-looking woman, round with child, had opened the door and let in Odon. Robert had pressed himself to the wall, so as not to be seen. Had the Almighty led him here so that he could save this poor creature? Was that why he had felt this inner restlessness and known he would not find peace until he rode to Elmswick? Who could the woman be?

Robert knew that Odon had been married to the beautiful Maud de Tracey since the spring. He was obviously not as besotted with her as every other man, including William. It was hard to imagine that he would cheat on her with a woman as ordinary as this one, a woman who was expecting and who was not nearly beautiful enough to rival Maud. But if she was not his lover and the child she carried was not his, what was Odon doing in this house for such a long time?

Robert bit his lip apprehensively. Odon had let the young priest in Thorne drown without the slightest scruple, and he and his friends had probably killed the defenseless Enid for the fun of it. Who knew what he might be doing to the poor woman inside? The familiar feeling of helpless rage at Odon rose up in Robert. “It’s always the ones who can’t defend themselves,” he snarled, making up his mind to intervene.

Just as he was about to make a move, the door opened and Odon stormed out, snorting with fury.

Robert held his breath and looked cautiously around the corner.

Odon did not notice him; he mounted his horse and rode off.

The door had slammed shut behind him. The woman was nowhere to be seen. Robert stood still for a moment, his heart pounding, and then ran across the alley. He knocked on the door and listened anxiously.

It was not long before the young woman opened the door expectantly, as if she had been hoping for Odon to come back. She looked at Robert in surprise and hurriedly wiped the tears from her face.

“May I speak with you for a moment?” he asked politely, relieved that she was alive.

The woman looked at him suspiciously.

“Please, I
must
speak with you.” He looked around, then whispered, “It’s about Lord Elmswick.”

“You’ve just missed him,” she replied coldly and went to shut the door in his face. But he had already placed his foot in the doorway.

“I know. I deliberately waited until he was gone.”

“Tell me what you want,” she ordered.

“Is everything all right, Carla?” a neighbor asked, casting a threatening glance at Robert. “Or is this fellow bothering you?”

“No, no, it’s all right, thanks.”

“Will you let me come inside?” asked Robert.

“Very well,” she conceded, showing him in.

“I’ve known Odon a long time,” he began. “My father was…” Robert took a deep breath. It was unwise to talk about Logan. He had to win the woman’s trust in order to warn her, but he must not give too much away or he would put himself and William in danger.

The young woman looked at him impatiently. Her left cheek was red and swollen. Odon must have struck her.

“He hit you,” said Robert sympathetically, pointing at her face.

She raised her hand involuntarily and touched her cheek. “He’s never done it before.”

“In Thorne, he used to be fond of beating up the weak. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about. I fear you may be in great danger,” he said, taking a step toward her. His hands touched her shoulders and she flinched, as if she was afraid of being struck again. Robert’s gaze fell upon an overturned chair in the middle of the room. Had there been more than a blow to the side of her head? He picked up the chair and set it down again. “What I have to tell you about Odon is far from pretty. Perhaps you should sit down.”

The woman started trembling, and, before taking a seat, she rubbed her thigh as if it hurt. Had she tripped over the chair? Robert moved it toward her.

Carla nodded gratefully and sat down.

Quietly but urgently, Robert told the story of Enid and her child. He weighed his words carefully so as to spare the young woman. At the same time, though, he wanted her to understand very clearly what it was he was warning her against.

“How do you know that Odon had anything to do with it?” she cried in horror.

Robert told her about David, who had been beaten within an inch of his life that day and had recognized Odon a short while ago. He also told her about the knight, one of Odon’s men, who had boasted about the death of the forest woman.

“If you want to avoid any further wrong, you mustn’t tell Odon about my visit or about David,” he warned her when he had finished.

The young woman nodded, closed her eyes, and swayed. Robert suddenly feared she might collapse to the floor. He took the water pouch from his belt and held it to Carla’s mouth. “Have a drink.”

“He’s always taken good care of me,” she said pensively after taking some water. “It was the lullaby I was humming that made him so angry.” She sobbed and looked at Robert, disbelief in her eyes. “He had never been so beside himself with rage before, not even when I told him I was with child against his wishes.”

“I beg you, you must beware of him. Stay away from him if you can.” Robert thought of Bevis’s tale. “The lullaby—that must be the song Odon’s companion claimed Enid was using to bewitch them.”

“Perhaps I should give the pigsticker a chance,” Carla murmured quietly. It sounded as if she was talking to herself, not Robert. “He has a big purple birthmark on his left cheek. Most people find it repulsive. I don’t. I’ve seen much worse.” She stood up with a deep sigh and led Robert to the door. “Thank you for coming.”

There was nothing further to add, so Robert bowed in farewell. “May the Lord protect you, you and the child.”

W
illiam played with the dog in the yard, enjoying the autumn sun. He was the smithy’s second dog since Graybeard’s death, and he was still young. The other end of the stick William held was firmly clenched between the playful puppy’s teeth. William pulled hard. Wagging his tail and growling at the same time, the puppy tugged at the stick, fighting as if he was defending a delicious prey. William thought fondly of Graybeard. The dog had been by his side throughout his childhood. No other dog had ever won his heart so. He knew from Isaac that one morning they had found Graybeard dead in his corner. It comforted him somewhat to know that the old dog had not suffered in his last days. Sighing, he let his four-legged opponent have the stick and was just about to turn away when a man rode into the yard.

“Robert. At last.” Overjoyed, William greeted him, holding back the excited dog. “It’s about time.”

“You were right. Every child does know the way to the swordsmith woman’s workshop,” exclaimed Robert, impressed, as he got down off his horse.

The dog took advantage of William’s looser grip and ran over to Robert, wagging his tail happily.

“Well, aren’t you a friendly chap,” Robert greeted him, stroking his untidy pelt and slapping his haunch.

“When I arrived he came close to eating me alive, but you’re his best friend straightaway. Who says dogs are loyal?” he grumbled
with a smile and embraced Robert. “I’m glad you’re here at last, you old heartbreaker. Come, let me introduce you to my family. Give me the reins. We can have one of the apprentices, or my brother, take care of your horse.”

“You look in fine form,” said Robert.

“That’s what my mother says,” laughed William. “But it’s no wonder I feel good here. I wouldn’t have thought it myself. And you should see David. He’s really blossomed. Everyone’s kind to him. He’s allowed to help Rose in the garden and in the kitchen, and he really appreciates it. By the way, she’s the best cook I know. Have a sniff. That smell is coming from the bake house.”

Robert was accepted like an old friend. Everyone had heard a lot about him, and they were curious. William had told them stories about Thorne, about Logan, Odon, Nesta, and Sibylle, but above all he had talked about Robert and how happy he was to be able to work with him again.

“What Jean and Rose are to you, that’s what Robert and David mean to me,” he had explained to his mother.

What Jean liked about Robert was that the dog had accepted him immediately; Rose treasured his compliments about her cooking. When Robert started questioning Ellenweore about smithing, and listening to her with growing enthusiasm, he won her over completely, too.

Only Isaac, surprisingly, was more guarded. “Robert is…” he began, when he was alone with William. “He’s unusually devoted to you, have you never noticed? I don’t like the way he looks at you.”

“He’s a good person, Isaac, the best and truest friend a man could ask for,” William insisted.

“And I’m sure he wants only the best for you, but—” Isaac stopped.

“What do you mean, ‘but’? What do you have against him?”

“I wonder if his motives are pure.” As he said this, Isaac did not look at William.

“Oh, Father.
He
was the one who helped me get the position with the de Ferrerses, not the other way around. Robert would never cheat me or use me. You’re doing him an injustice.”

“He’s hiding something from you, I’m sure of it,” Isaac insisted grimly.

“Then he must have his reasons. I trust him completely,” declared William confidently.

“Even if it’s something unrighteous?”

“You’ve never doubted me, Father, so trust me now, too, please. Robert would never do anything to harm me, believe me.”

Isaac nodded, though he did not look convinced. “Be that as it may. There’s always a place for you here. You are always welcome, whatever happens. But I insist you bring a good woman with you soon, and a couple of well-behaved children.”

“As soon as I can, Father, I promise.” William laughed. “As if you didn’t have enough grandchildren from your daughters already.” Then he started telling Isaac in detail about his work as a falconer. “Being head falconer is quite an honor, you know. The falconer is a real confidant to his master, and he has a certain amount of influence. But like the cupbearer he also has great responsibility, for hawks are valuable property. In many families, the men have been falconers for generations—they marry across falconer families only and pass their knowledge down from father to son. But it’s a good way for a bastard son to rise, too. I don’t know my father, but I’m the bastard son of a knight, and I can dare to hope, even if I can’t rely on my father’s help, but only on my feeling for animals. Standing at my master’s side, I meet the mightiest barons in the land, and I can earn their respect. In this way, I hope, I will win the recognition of the king one day. But I want all the other barons to see what a good falconer I am. Everywhere in England, I want
people to marvel at my falcons and to talk about their courage and prowess as hunters.”

“You’re quite your mother’s son, ambitious and full of passion.” Isaac clapped his stepson on the shoulder with a laugh. “You’ll succeed in everything you undertake, just like her, I’m sure of it.”

The time to say farewell came far too soon. The eight days he would spend with his family had seemed long when he arrived, but now they had passed much too quickly. He had not been able to see Agnes and her family, but Marie and her children had looked in at the smithy. Her two oldest daughters, five and four years old, had hardly left William’s side. And for the first time since Enid’s death, when he held Marie’s youngest boy in his arms, something like fatherly love rose up in him without causing pain.

Raymond and Alan, Rose’s two older sons, worked with their father in the smithy, while Jeanne, her youngest daughter, had inherited her mother’s talents and helped her with the housekeeping. Her bilberry muffins were without equal.

“You’re a lucky devil, William. If I had a family like yours…” Robert said quietly when they all gathered in the yard to see them off.

“So you would have stayed here and become a smith, is that right?” William snapped, so harshly that Robert looked at him in surprise.

“For God’s sake, no. That’s not what I meant. But I would visit them as often as I could, even though it’s a long way from Oakham. I wish my father and Nesta were still alive,” he murmured sadly.

William cleared his throat with embarrassment and cursed his thoughtless tongue.

Rose hugged them both tearfully, pressing William to her breast for a particularly long time. “Don’t worry about David, we’ll take care of him. He’s a lovely boy. He reminds Jean of Madeleine, who suffered with him when he was a boy—may God rest her soul.”

“I’ve already said good-bye to him. He seems happy to be staying here,” William said, smiling sadly. “I’m truly grateful that you’re prepared to take him in, just like that, but I feel like a traitor because I’m letting him down.”

“But that’s nonsense, William! You’re not letting him down. You’re leaving him in our care, with your mother and me,” Rose rebuked him, looking almost offended.

“Forgive me. You’re right,” murmured William apologetically. He kissed her on the cheek. “He couldn’t be better off anywhere else than he will be here, I know that.” He smiled at her, then turned to Jean and Isaac, who shook his hand and wished him luck on his journey.