Hugh looked up. ‘My thanks, old friend, but it wasn’t an easy landing.’
‘How so?’ asked Will.
Maybe the fact that Hugh had yet to bed his wife after almost three weeks of marriage!
‘For one thing I have not found and brought to justice the outlaws and their leader, Le Renard.’
‘You will. It’s only a matter of time.’
Yes, Hugh had to be patient, it seemed. Patient until he eventually rooted out the outlaws. But there had been no sighting of them since before the wedding. For one reason or another they had not surfaced anywhere, meaning it would not be easy to track them. And in any case his mind was so preoccupied with other things it was difficult to focus and throw his usual zeal into it.
He sighed, thinking once again about his marital problems. It seemed patience was not only needed with the outlaws, but also when it came to Eleanor. Thankfully it was a virtue that he not only possessed but also harnessed in order to use it in very difficult situations—like the ones he’d faced since his betrothal.
He gave himself a mental shake and focussed on trying to win this combat with his tricky opponent. ‘I need to set a trap, Will, and then I’ll get them.’
He thrust forward with his quarterstaff and was met by a defensive swipe by Will. They were close again, nose to nose.
Hugh shook his head. ‘The problem is that Le Renard and his men seem to have melted away into the forest. Disappeared into the night.’
‘Then smoke them out. In fact, the missive I’ve brought from our King may be the answer.’
Hugh swerved round him and made another swipe. ‘Oh? How so?’
‘New taxes, Hugh.’ Will expelled a breath and engaged with his friend’s quarterstaff. ‘Tax levies that John desperately needs and your outlaws may want to steal back. This could be exactly the way in which to entrap them, don’t you think?’
‘I do.’
Hugh swivelled his staff round and over his arms. He thrust forward, attempting to strike a blow to Will’s ankle, but his friend foresaw his intentions and jumped in the air, avoiding it.
‘Now, is that any way to show your gratitude? A low move even for you, Hugh.’
‘I just wanted to see whether you’re still as quick on your feet as you used to be.’ Hugh chuckled.
‘Glad I passed the test. And now that I’ve helped you with your outlaws, what is the other matter that troubles you?’
Hugh frowned. ‘I don’t recall saying I had other troubles.’
‘When you recounted your difficult landing, you said, “for one thing...” Implying that there is another thing.’
‘You know, Will, you’re damned annoying.’
‘Yes, but I have the right of it, have I not?’ Will raised his brow and tarried with the combat. ‘Come now, man, I’m waiting.’
‘You can wait until hell freezes over.’
‘Dear, oh, dear—and there was I thinking that marriage to an heiress as fair as yours would mellow you. It seems I was wrong.’
‘I’m warning you, Will. I don’t welcome this topic of conversation.’
‘Oh? And why not?’
They circled each other, toe to toe.
‘Just leave it.’
Awareness suddenly trickled through Hugh, making him turn to find Eleanor walking around the edge of the castle yard with her maid, mingling with the villagers and handing out parcels from her basket.
She stopped and met his gaze, giving him a curt nod but seeming reluctant to move away.
Will paused and followed the direction of Hugh’s smouldering gaze. He whistled, shaking his head.
‘Don’t you dare say anything,’ Hugh hissed under his breath, moving forward for another attack.
But he was met with Will’s quarterstaff. ‘I’m not saying a thing,’ Will said, pushing back against Hugh’s weapon.
‘Good!’
‘But if I was...’
‘Will...’ Hugh’s voice held a low warning which was soundly ignored.
‘If I were to offer advice...’
‘Which I would not want,’ Hugh muttered out of the corner of his mouth.
‘Which I would still offer, as your friend...’
Hugh took a step back and lunged forward with force, taking Will by surprise. He lost his footing and fell backwards on the ground with a thud. Will glared at his friend and rubbed the back of his head as Hugh strode towards him and held out his hand, pulling him back on his feet.
‘Unsporting.’
‘I know, and I’m sorry. I... I wasn’t thinking.’
‘Clearly.’ Will looked at his friend and then back at Eleanor, still watching them from afar. He sighed. ‘I would say allow for more time there as well, Hugh.’
‘Are you ready to continue?’ Hugh asked, ignoring him.
They began their dance again, engaging their weapons against each other.
‘Although a marriage like yours has little to do with whom you actually marry and more to do with what you gain,’ said Will. ‘But I can see that for whatever reason it matters to you.’
‘Hell’s teeth, Will—are you still talking?’
‘Tell me why you care?’ Will asked. ‘Tell me.’
‘I need to woo Eleanor.’
‘Pardon me?’ A slow, mischievous smile spread across Will’s face. ‘Well, well, Hugh... I never thought to see the day when a woman didn’t swoon at the sheer sight of you.’
Hugh bit back an oath.
‘Tell me, though... For what purpose do you need to woo Lady Eleanor? You’re already married to her!’ Will stopped for a moment and tapped his chin with his fingers. ‘Ah...let’s see, now... My guess would be that your lady wife is impervious to your charms.’ Will defended himself against another scathing attack and continued. ‘And now you wish to win your wife’s heart?’
‘No, I’m not interested in that!’ Hugh spat. ‘I just want to win her trust. I want to reassure her that not all men are like her cruel bastard of a late husband.’
And he wanted to take her to bed so that he could learn all the secrets of her body...but he couldn’t voice that even to his close friend. For one thing it wasn’t Will’s concern, and for another a marriage that wasn’t consummated could lawfully be dissolved—which was a perilous situation for both Hugh and Eleanor...not
