did not prove how little he knew of courtesy.
How could he claim that she inspired Roger to treason? If anyone had betrayed her husband, it was Sir Haven de Sessions, Roger’s supposed best friend. de Sessions, and none other, had brought Roger to the king and certain death. If she had any alternative, she would be damned before she trusted herself and her family to his protection. Hah! Roger’s good friend indeed.
Yet the men seemed to respect de Sessions, and some had been with the knight for years. Behind her, she heard the sounds of men dismantling the shelter. Soames’s orders rose above the general noise. It might be worth her while to know what de Sessions’s own man thought of him. She turned to Soames, determined to discover all that she could about Haven de Sessions.
“Sir Haven is a man of strong opinions.”
“Aye.” Soames eyed her suspiciously but did not move away.
“I am surprised a man with such strong opinions remains in favor with the king.”
“Mayhap you are, milady.”
Soames’s reticence was less than encouraging. Nonetheless, Gennie pressed on. “I gather the knight is a man of some repute.”
“Aye, true and perfect is what many say of him.”
“My experience of him would not lead me to say so.”
“Begging your pardon, milady, but I will risk saying that your experience of Sir Haven is limited.”
“True,” Gennie conceded to the gentle censure. “Still, ’tis my belief the man is misnamed.”
“How so, milady?”
“Sir Haven is not my idea of any sort of haven.”
“Is he not?” Soames chuckled.
“ Non. ”
“Maybe you would prefer to be scrabbling and starving in the rain as you were yesterday instead of warm and safe, with a full belly, as you are today.”
“I would have managed.” Gennie sniffed, unprepared to admit that she hadn’t known how to feed or care for herself and her family.
“As you say, milady. But is that what you want for your son?”
Gennie looked up at the older man’s face and saw the understanding there. “ Non ,” she said quietly and looked away.
When she looked at Soames again, she found his kind gaze still on her. “You give me much to think on, Soames.”
“You don’t seem to me to be an unreasonable woman, milady, so here’s somewhat more to think on. Sir Haven suffered greatly because of Roger Dreyford’s death.”
Gennie’s brows rose. “Really?” She shifted to watch the men disassembling the tent.
Soames moved with her.
“Indeed, milady. Sir Haven and your husband were squires on Edward’s journey to Acre. They were blooded in battle together and became fast friends. When the king ordered Sir Haven to bring Dreyford to court, my master struggled mightily with his conscience.”
“He seems lacking in conscience to me.”
“That comment is unworthy, milady. You do not know Sir Haven as I do.”
She flushed. “You are right. I do not know de Sessions as well as you. Please tell me more of this struggle.”
“As I said, he and Dreyford were fast friends. They would joke about the marriage of their children, when neither had a child. Often they spoke of Sir Haven acquiring lands near the Dreyford holdings, when Sir Haven’s service to the king was done. There was troth between them, as only could be for men who saved each other’s lives. So much so that they felt no need for the vows that usually bind men in friendship.”
“Given such a friendship, Sir Haven’s course should have been clear when the king gave his orders about Roger.”
“Sir Haven’s course was clear. That was the problem.”
“Soames, you speak in riddles.”
“It is no riddle to honor a vow of fealty, even at the cost of friendship. You know as well as I, milady, that to break a vow is to risk the loss of one’s soul to eternal damnation.”
“I also know that one may be released from any vow by the church.”
“Perhaps, but breaking one’s oath to a king, especially a king like Longshanks, warrants the axman’s
How could he claim that she inspired Roger to treason? If anyone had betrayed her husband, it was Sir Haven de Sessions, Roger’s supposed best friend. de Sessions, and none other, had brought Roger to the king and certain death. If she had any alternative, she would be damned before she trusted herself and her family to his protection. Hah! Roger’s good friend indeed.
Yet the men seemed to respect de Sessions, and some had been with the knight for years. Behind her, she heard the sounds of men dismantling the shelter. Soames’s orders rose above the general noise. It might be worth her while to know what de Sessions’s own man thought of him. She turned to Soames, determined to discover all that she could about Haven de Sessions.
“Sir Haven is a man of strong opinions.”
“Aye.” Soames eyed her suspiciously but did not move away.
“I am surprised a man with such strong opinions remains in favor with the king.”
“Mayhap you are, milady.”
Soames’s reticence was less than encouraging. Nonetheless, Gennie pressed on. “I gather the knight is a man of some repute.”
“Aye, true and perfect is what many say of him.”
“My experience of him would not lead me to say so.”
“Begging your pardon, milady, but I will risk saying that your experience of Sir Haven is limited.”
“True,” Gennie conceded to the gentle censure. “Still, ’tis my belief the man is misnamed.”
“How so, milady?”
“Sir Haven is not my idea of any sort of haven.”
“Is he not?” Soames chuckled.
“ Non. ”
“Maybe you would prefer to be scrabbling and starving in the rain as you were yesterday instead of warm and safe, with a full belly, as you are today.”
“I would have managed.” Gennie sniffed, unprepared to admit that she hadn’t known how to feed or care for herself and her family.
“As you say, milady. But is that what you want for your son?”
Gennie looked up at the older man’s face and saw the understanding there. “ Non ,” she said quietly and looked away.
When she looked at Soames again, she found his kind gaze still on her. “You give me much to think on, Soames.”
“You don’t seem to me to be an unreasonable woman, milady, so here’s somewhat more to think on. Sir Haven suffered greatly because of Roger Dreyford’s death.”
Gennie’s brows rose. “Really?” She shifted to watch the men disassembling the tent.
Soames moved with her.
“Indeed, milady. Sir Haven and your husband were squires on Edward’s journey to Acre. They were blooded in battle together and became fast friends. When the king ordered Sir Haven to bring Dreyford to court, my master struggled mightily with his conscience.”
“He seems lacking in conscience to me.”
“That comment is unworthy, milady. You do not know Sir Haven as I do.”
She flushed. “You are right. I do not know de Sessions as well as you. Please tell me more of this struggle.”
“As I said, he and Dreyford were fast friends. They would joke about the marriage of their children, when neither had a child. Often they spoke of Sir Haven acquiring lands near the Dreyford holdings, when Sir Haven’s service to the king was done. There was troth between them, as only could be for men who saved each other’s lives. So much so that they felt no need for the vows that usually bind men in friendship.”
“Given such a friendship, Sir Haven’s course should have been clear when the king gave his orders about Roger.”
“Sir Haven’s course was clear. That was the problem.”
“Soames, you speak in riddles.”
“It is no riddle to honor a vow of fealty, even at the cost of friendship. You know as well as I, milady, that to break a vow is to risk the loss of one’s soul to eternal damnation.”
“I also know that one may be released from any vow by the church.”
“Perhaps, but breaking one’s oath to a king, especially a king like Longshanks, warrants the axman’s
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