Part 33 (1/2)

Prince John leaned closer to him. ”You once told me that you did not want more, that all you wanted was to go home to your manor and raise a family and grow old with your lovely wife.” Aubrey looked from the prince to Crispin with a bright, stunned smile. ”You are exactly the kind of man I will need watching my back.”

The prince smiled and bid Crispin and Aubrey rise. Crispin struggled to his feet, gripping his cane. As overwhelmed with grat.i.tude as he was at his new status he felt the twist of obligation inside of it. The prince went on.

”Jack Tanner, please step forward!”

Again the crowd gasped then fluttered to applause. Jack stood where he was at first, shocked beyond reaction. It was only when one of the n.o.bles nudged him forward that he found his power of motion and walked around the edge of the table and out to the center of the floor. Crispin nodded to him, trying hard to hide a grin. As Jack took his position he motioned for one of the castle guards to come over to him. ”Go and get Ethan and his men out of the dungeon and bring them here.” The guard nodded and rushed off.

”Jack Tanner, you will kneel,” the prince commanded. Jack dropped to his knees, eyes wide with possibility, a grin spreading across his face. He felt for the rosary on his wrist. ”From henceforth you will be Jack Tanner no more. Sir Crispin, I hope you don't mind if I go parceling up your land.”

”Not at all, my liege.” Crispin bowed to the prince. He smiled at Jack as Aubrey took his arm.

”In the name of my brother, King Richard, and England, I hereby grant you the t.i.tle of Lord John of Kedleridge, conferring on you the land and estates of Kedleridge and all of the rights and privileges thereof.” He lay the sword on Jack's right shoulder. ”Rise, Lord John.”

Jack climbed to his feet, stunned. He glanced around at the n.o.bles who now applauded him, although they didn't necessarily look happy that a peasant was now their equal.

He sent the prince a lopsided grin. ”Thanks, my liege.” He turned to Crispin and Aubrey. ”Did'ja hear that? Lord John of Kedleridge!” He joined his friends and Aubrey hugged him firmly. ”Oy, where in h.e.l.l is Kedleridge anyhow, mate?”

Crispin laughed and held out a hand to grasp Jack's. ”Right over the hill from Windale.”

”Oy! We're neighbors then!” Jack patted his friend's arm.

”Looks like it.” Crispin glanced up as Ethan and his men were shuffled into the room by way of the gallery above. He glanced to them with a wicked grin, then smiled mysteriously at Aubrey before stepping forward to the prince. ”My liege, may I make a p.r.o.nouncement?”

The prince saw Ethan and his men enter the room and nodded to Crispin. ”This is your s.h.i.+re, Lord Crispin, administrate it how you will.”

When the a.s.sembly of n.o.bles had settled down Crispin raised his voice. ”As the new Sheriff of Derbys.h.i.+re and Earl of Derby,” he glanced to Ethan as he said the words, getting exactly the kind of ferocious glare from Ethan that he had hoped his words would illicit, ”I would like to appoint Lord John of Kedleridge as my Bailiff.” Again he glanced to Ethan, once more to be rewarded with the kind of shocked and angry stare at the twist of fate events had taken for them all. He turned to Jack, who was grinning smugly up at the gallery, and asked, ”Will you be my right-hand man, Jack?”

Jack shrugged. ”Figured I already was.”

Crispin glanced to Aubrey and then to Jack again. ”What's the point of being Sheriff if you don't have an adversary, eh?”

Jack caught on to what the words implied and a slow, wide grin spread across his face. ”Oy, it's your call, mate,” he shrugged. ”They'll be trouble.”

”I'm counting on it,” Crispin replied. He nodded to Jack, who nodded back. Then he turned to address the prince and the room. ”As my first act as Sheriff, I hereby declare that the outlaw Ethan of Derbywood and his men-” he paused again, glancing to Aubrey. She rolled her eyes. He went on. ”-be released from custody and allowed to return to Derbywood.”

A gasp went up from the n.o.bles. Ethan's jaw had dropped open in surprise and at his sides his men were still trying to grasp what had just happened. Ethan recovered and stared down at Crispin. ”This does not mean I owe you, Huntingdon.”

”Of course not, Derbywood.” Crispin grinned mirthlessly up at him. ”Get them out of here!”

The announcements, surprises, and reversals of fortune were over. Everyone turned to resume their feast and the musicians began to play again. Prince John walked back to the table with a satisfied smile, feeling he had gained two strong allies. Crispin, Aubrey, and Jack took their places more slowly.

”Earl of Derby.” Crispin groaned in disbelief.

”And you thought you owed Buxton!” Aubrey raised her eyebrow and tossed him a look that was both amused and alarmed.

”Let's not think about that yet.”

”No, let's not,” Aubrey agreed.

”This means that you're a countess now,” he beamed at her as she held his arm in support while they walked around the table to resume their seats. ”Lady Aubrey Huntingdon, Countess of Derby.”

”I like just plain Aubrey,” she laughed.

”I'm rather fond of Lady Huntingdon myself,” Crispin grinned, heart full and calm. And even though he knew that they were in view of a room full of people, most of whom either did or would want a piece of him, he leaned over and took Aubrey in his arms, capturing her mouth with his own. He didn't care about the land or the t.i.tles or the honors and responsibilities. All he cared about was her.

The story continues this winter with ...

The Faithful Heart Coventry, 1192 Madeline had never done anything bad in her life. Until now. She yanked the dull gray wimple off of her head and threw it behind a bush, praying that the shadows in the convent gardens would hide her. She crept through the darkness, keeping her hands and body pressed against the wall on her way to the gate. It would be locked this late at night but with the dark to cover her she might be able to climb it and make her escape unnoticed.

An owl hooted nearby and she gasped, eyes flying wide. She held her breath at the flutter of wings that followed and squeezed her eyes shut again, pressing into the wall as if she could become one with the stone. The convent garden was silent but for the rustle of the Spring breeze and the owl. Still she listened, frozen.

Only when she was close to pa.s.sing out did she let out her breath and resume her creeping. Dread over what she was doing, what she had been forced to do, made every step precarious, every pebble a mountain. The gate that separated the prison of the convent from the promise of the outside world loomed like a t.i.tan in the dark. She'd worried so much about reaching it without being seen that she hadn't given much thought to scaling it. Now that she was here its height and the thick iron spikes lining the top gave her second thoughts.

”All problems look bigger in the dark.”