It was clear from the expression on his face that Simon had already known that.
“I would have returned to Evesham sooner, but with Stephen in the neighborhood, I did not feel it was wise for me to attempt a trip into Gloucester’s territory,” Hugh said.
Simon grunted his agreement. “If you had been caught, he would most probably have arrested you.”
Philip said, with barely concealed hostility, “Did you meet the king while he was at Malmesbury? Somerford is only a few miles away, I believe.”
The light gray eyes lifted to meet his. They wore an ironic look and Philip had the uncomfortable sensation that Hugh knew exactly what he was thinking.
“As a matter of fact, I did meet him,” Hugh replied.
“God’s bones,” said Simon. He blew hard through his nose. “What happened? Did he ask you to swear allegiance to him?”
“Aye, he did.”
Simon looked grim. “And did you so swear?”
Hugh took a sip of wine. “No,” he said. “I did not.”
The men around the fire regarded him with open disbelief.
“Then why aren’t you under arrest?” Philip demanded.
A page came quietly forward with a flagon of wine and refilled one of the knight’s cups.
“I didn’t exactly refuse to swear allegiance to Stephen, either,” Hugh replied mildly. “I…er…avoided the subject.”
He took another swallow of his own wine.
“How did you manage to do that?” Simon asked incredulously.
Hugh rested his wine cup on his knee. “I told him that as Hugh Corbaille I owed him allegiance for my three manors in Lincolnshire, but that as Hugh de Leon I owned nothing and so had nothing to swear allegiance for.”
The stares of the knights slowly turned to grudging admiration.
Philip scowled.
“That was clever,” Simon said.
Hugh did not reply.
“Why do you want to see Father Anselm?” Philip demanded.
Hugh lifted one level brow. “I want to talk to him.”
“About what?”
Now Hugh’s stare was frankly inimical. “I believe that is my affair, not yours.”
Simon waved his hand impatiently. “Enough of this brangling! Did Stephen tell you that he would continue to support Guy as Earl of Wiltshire?”
“He did,” said Hugh.
Simon looked pleased. “Well, then, it must be plain to you that your only chance of winning back your rightful place is to join with us.”
“Perhaps,” Hugh said mildly. “However, I am not ready to think of that yet. First I must speak to Father Anselm.”
Simon’s face was suddenly grave. “Why must you talk to the priest, Hugh?”
His voice sounded strangely heavy.
Hugh kept his level gray gaze trained on his uncle’s face and did not reply.
“Why not just leave it alone?” Simon went on. “Digging up the past never did anyone any good. The present is challenge enough, I should think.”
Hugh shook his head.
After a moment, Simon sighed. “All right.” The heaviness had not left his voice. “If you must talk to the priest, you must talk to the priest.”
“Thank you,” Hugh said.
After another half an hour of general conversation, mostly about Stephen’s prospects of succeeding with his siege of Trowbridge, Simon got to his feet and announced, “I’m for bed.”
The rest of the men stood with him in courtesy.
Simon looked at his nephew. “You had better come upstairs with me and greet the Lady Alyce, Hugh. She will tell you where you are to sleep.”
Hugh looked faintly apprehensive. “Very well, sir.”
Philip was glad to see that something could shake that formidable composure.
“She is not happy with your behavior,” Simon said.
“No, sir,” Hugh said resignedly.
Simon beckoned. “Come along then.”
As the lord of Evesham moved the stairs, two of the squires who had been playing dice leaped to their feet and followed behind him.
Hugh had planned to leave for Winchester the following morning, but when he awoke it was to find that a storm had swept in from the west. Rain was falling in torrents and the wind was whipping it in sheets against the western wall of the castle.
It was not a day to travel.
The following day was still overcast and rainy, but the wind had died down considerably. At midday Hugh decided that it would not be unreasonable of him to ask Nigel’s knights to attempt the weather.
He would have preferred to send them back to Somerford and travel on to Winchester alone, but he had promised Cristen that he wouldn’t do that.
Thomas was sick. He protested that he was perfectly able to ride, but his skin was flushed and hot and he obviously had a fever. Since he absolutely refused to be left behind, Hugh felt he had no option but to remain yet another day at Evesham.
Two days suffering the reproachful looks of Lady Alyce and the unabashed curiosity of his cousin Juliana were a penance he supposed he deserved, but it wasn’t pleasant.
Finally the weather lifted and Thomas’s fever abated. Hugh was actually in the courtyard, preparing to leave, when a messenger from Earl Robert came galloping into the outer bailey with news for Simon.
Hugh went back into the castle to find out what was happening.
“I bring you good news, my lord,” the messenger was saying triumphantly as Hugh entered the hall. “Earl Robert wishes me to tell you that Miles, Constable of Gloucester, has led an army to Wallingford and defeated and captured the garrisons that the king left there to hold Brian fitz Count in check!”
Simon was delighted. “That is great news indeed!”
I knew it, Hugh thought disgustedly. Stephen should never have left Wallingford until he had taken it.
He thought of the ruination of Malmesbury, of the devastation that Stephen’s army was wreaking around Trowbridge, had already wreaked at Wallingford. Now Miles had also laid waste to Wallingford and was marching back west, to destroy as many of Stephen’s strongholds as he could while the king was tied up at Trowbridge.
The empress had only been in England a little over a month, and already the damage was extensive.
“Sit down,” Simon was urging Gloucester’s man. “Have something to eat and tell us everything that you know.” He turned to Hugh and motioned imperatively. “Join us, Hugh. You will be interested to hear this tale.”
Hugh hesitated briefly, then nodded.
He supposed he could leave for Winchester tomorrow.
Hugh actually did manage to ride away from Evesham the following day. The weather was decent, Thomas was well, and no messengers came galloping in with war news.
They had reached Burford when Rufus lost a shoe. By the time Hugh had located a blacksmith and had the stallion reshod to his satisfaction, it was late afternoon. Reluctantly, he decided that they might as well spend the night at the local inn and start off again once more in the morning. If they rode hard all day, they would reach Winchester by evening.
In the morning, as Hugh and his escort of knights were having a morning meal of bread and ale in the taproom of the inn where they had spent the night, they heard the first rumor that Miles of Gloucester was heading for Worcester.
The garrison at Worcester was loyal to Stephen and the rumor was that Miles intended to sack the city and take the castle for the empress.
Hugh froze when he heard those words.
His mother’s convent was in Worcester.
When finally he could get his lips to move, he turned to Thomas and said, “There’s been a change in plans. We’re riding back to Worcester.”
Thomas took one look at Hugh’s face and all of his questions died. “All right, Hugh,” he said.
Hugh stood up. “We’re leaving now.”
The three knights had to run to keep up with him as he strode out of the taproom.
22
Hugh and his escort were yet some ten miles from Worcester when they saw the first signs that the rumors of imminent attack had been true.