something to do, but there wasn’t anything. The gates had already been opened to permit the sheriff’s entrance before the news of the bribes master’s death had spread. And now the sheriff was inside the castle with a score of armed men.
As Hugo led him past a window overlooking the courtyard, Will spotted Geoff, Osbert, and the rest of the castle guards assembling before the sheriff and his men. Luckily, no swords were drawn. Yet.
Hugo led Will to a door that he recognized. To most of the house staff, it was an old unused storage room, but Will knew the family secret. At the back of the closet was a hidden passage that led down to a tunnel. That tunnel would take you beyond the castle walls to a secluded copse of trees and safety. An escape tunnel for the lord’s family.
“Come,” said Hugo. “I’m to escort you and Lady Katherine to safety. She’s out there already, waiting for you.”
“Leave?” said Will. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Mother wants me to run away?”
“My lord, these are your
uncle’s
orders.”
Geoff. For all his talk of making a man out of him, here he was treating Will like a boy. Hiding him away with his mother until the danger had passed.
But this danger was Will’s fault, and he would face it with the men of his house. He hadn’t run from the wolves; he wouldn’t run from the sheriff.
He would, however, run from Hugo. He knew the family’s steward wasn’t above dragging Will into that passage by the ear if that’s what it took to follow Geoff’s order, and though the man was skinny, he was still a good deal stronger than Will.
Will made a show of peering into the dark storage room.
“How will I see inside that passage?” he asked.
“There’s a lantern on the wall there.”
“Where? I don’t see it.”
“Here,” said Hugo, stepping past Will and into the room.
And that’s when Will slammed the door shut behind him. Then he turned and sprinted back down the hall, even as he heard Hugo shouting and fumbling for the latch in the dark. It wouldn’t keep him long, but it gave Will a head start.
Past the worried servants he bolted, the groups gathered at the windows and near the doors, round to the front doors and straight out into the courtyard.
When Geoff saw him appear, he shot Will a look that promised daggers, but Osbert gave Will an approving nod. Will tried to catch his breath and walk calmly to join his uncle, as a true lord of Shackley would.
The sheriff watched Will approach and smiled. Sir Guy stood off to one side, watching as well. He was unarmed, which Will took for a good sign, at least.
“My lord William,” said the sheriff. “I am glad that you’ve joined us. And I hope that you can talk some sense into your uncle.”
“I am regent here,” said Geoff. “The boy’s protector. And I have said my piece. He isn’t going anywhere.”
The sheriff’s smile faded. “Geoff, be sensible!”
“Yes,
Mark
? Are we dispensing with titles now? You come into my castle with armed men and suddenly I’m your friend again, is that it? And who are these men? They wear your colors, but I don’t recognize their faces.”
“This is no longer about a fight. A man is dead,” said the sheriff. “A trusted servant of Sir Guy’s, but I cannot officiate a murder trial against Lord Rodric’s only heir. I don’t have the authority. Westminster is the only choice.”
“I didn’t kill him,” said Will. “I only wounded him!”
“He bled out in the night,” said Guy, frowning. “Seems your sword arm is stronger than it looks, Wolfslayer.”
“Our physician examined his wound,” said Geoff. “He said it was a flesh wound, nothing more.”
“Then you need a better surgeon!” shouted Guy. “My man’s dead. Shall I fetch his corpse?”
“No, but perhaps you could fetch the blade you used to kill him?”
“How dare …” If Guy had had a sword on him, he would’ve drawn it then and there. And Geoff was ready to match
As Hugo led him past a window overlooking the courtyard, Will spotted Geoff, Osbert, and the rest of the castle guards assembling before the sheriff and his men. Luckily, no swords were drawn. Yet.
Hugo led Will to a door that he recognized. To most of the house staff, it was an old unused storage room, but Will knew the family secret. At the back of the closet was a hidden passage that led down to a tunnel. That tunnel would take you beyond the castle walls to a secluded copse of trees and safety. An escape tunnel for the lord’s family.
“Come,” said Hugo. “I’m to escort you and Lady Katherine to safety. She’s out there already, waiting for you.”
“Leave?” said Will. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Mother wants me to run away?”
“My lord, these are your
uncle’s
orders.”
Geoff. For all his talk of making a man out of him, here he was treating Will like a boy. Hiding him away with his mother until the danger had passed.
But this danger was Will’s fault, and he would face it with the men of his house. He hadn’t run from the wolves; he wouldn’t run from the sheriff.
He would, however, run from Hugo. He knew the family’s steward wasn’t above dragging Will into that passage by the ear if that’s what it took to follow Geoff’s order, and though the man was skinny, he was still a good deal stronger than Will.
Will made a show of peering into the dark storage room.
“How will I see inside that passage?” he asked.
“There’s a lantern on the wall there.”
“Where? I don’t see it.”
“Here,” said Hugo, stepping past Will and into the room.
And that’s when Will slammed the door shut behind him. Then he turned and sprinted back down the hall, even as he heard Hugo shouting and fumbling for the latch in the dark. It wouldn’t keep him long, but it gave Will a head start.
Past the worried servants he bolted, the groups gathered at the windows and near the doors, round to the front doors and straight out into the courtyard.
When Geoff saw him appear, he shot Will a look that promised daggers, but Osbert gave Will an approving nod. Will tried to catch his breath and walk calmly to join his uncle, as a true lord of Shackley would.
The sheriff watched Will approach and smiled. Sir Guy stood off to one side, watching as well. He was unarmed, which Will took for a good sign, at least.
“My lord William,” said the sheriff. “I am glad that you’ve joined us. And I hope that you can talk some sense into your uncle.”
“I am regent here,” said Geoff. “The boy’s protector. And I have said my piece. He isn’t going anywhere.”
The sheriff’s smile faded. “Geoff, be sensible!”
“Yes,
Mark
? Are we dispensing with titles now? You come into my castle with armed men and suddenly I’m your friend again, is that it? And who are these men? They wear your colors, but I don’t recognize their faces.”
“This is no longer about a fight. A man is dead,” said the sheriff. “A trusted servant of Sir Guy’s, but I cannot officiate a murder trial against Lord Rodric’s only heir. I don’t have the authority. Westminster is the only choice.”
“I didn’t kill him,” said Will. “I only wounded him!”
“He bled out in the night,” said Guy, frowning. “Seems your sword arm is stronger than it looks, Wolfslayer.”
“Our physician examined his wound,” said Geoff. “He said it was a flesh wound, nothing more.”
“Then you need a better surgeon!” shouted Guy. “My man’s dead. Shall I fetch his corpse?”
“No, but perhaps you could fetch the blade you used to kill him?”
“How dare …” If Guy had had a sword on him, he would’ve drawn it then and there. And Geoff was ready to match
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