Garron’s eyebrow shot up.
“Nay, you will see,” said Hobbs. Each step they took down the stairs, the air became more chill and dank and fetid. There were no windows, just deep shadows even with the rush lights.
Aleric unlocked the cell door and raised the rush light high. “There is Jason of Brennan, in all his glory.”
Garron saw that Jason of Brennan had rubbed all the dirt seams off his face and the black from his teeth. He was close to Arthur’s age, young and comely, or he would be if he didn’t look so very miserable, filthy, and sullen. He hadn’t stripped off the old gown because it was too cold and damp to go without. It was a wretched room, and Garron was pleased to think of him spending the past week here.
“At last I meet you, Jason of Brennan. I am Garron of Kersey, Earl of Wareham. And this, I believe, must be your husband?”
He looked down at the old man as he slowly raised his head. He’d also cleaned the lines and seams off his face, rubbed the black off his teeth. Garron looked into Sir Halric’s face. How lucky can a man be?
Pali said, “Your surprise, Garron. Aleric knew you would be pleased to see the whoreson again.”
“I have been hoping Aleric was right. Let me tell you I find your disguises very clever, but it is over now. I wish the truth now, all of it. Jason of Brennan, you will begin.”
Jason gathered as much spit in his mouth as he could and sent it hurtling toward Garron’s boot. It fell several inches short. He was heaving, he was so enraged. “I will tell you nothing, you bastard!”
Hobbs said at his elbow, “I knew you wouldn’t want them starving and nearly dead, Garron, so I had Bullic feed them well. Now when you break them, it will be all the sweeter.”
Hobbs knew him well.
“Sir Halric, the last time I saw you, you were running away from me.”
Sir Halric merely stared at him, said nothing at all.
Garron studied Jason of Brennan’s face again, then he turned on his heel and walked out of the cell, calling back over his shoulder, “I will see you and Sir Halric again in two days. Perhaps you will feel like talking to me then.”
As the cell door clanked shut, Garron heard Sir Halric groan, heard the murmur of low, angry voices.
For two days, Garron said nothing more about the men, merely instructed Bullic to continue to feed them well.
Garron was eating bread and cheese the following morning, when he saw Merry staring at Elaine, her eyes narrowed. “What is this? Has Elaine displeased you?”
She looked quickly over at him, shaking her head. “Nay, I worry about her, that is all. Why is she speaking to that soldier?”
Garron said mildly, “That man is Lussy, one of the king’s finest soldiers. As you well know, her husband was killed by Jason of Brennan’s men. Lussy is a good man. I’m thinking she might like him. What is amiss with you, Merry? You have always liked Elaine.”
Merry was slowly shaking her head, her lips seamed. “I don’t believe that is her purpose. I heard her say your name plainly. She is speaking to Lussy about you, Garron. ’Tis you she wants, not Lussy. I know it.” At his baffled look, she raised her hand to her forehead and rubbed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I’m saying. ’Tis a pain in my head that is making me miserable and foolish.”
“Have you no recipe to cure yourself?”
She looked utterly blank.
“The pain must be very bad indeed to make you forget your Leech Book of Bald,” he said patiently. “Consult it for a curative potion. Would you like Miggins to help you? She does not read, but she could surely follow your directions.”
“Nay, I can do it by myself.”
He watched her walk away from him. He’d been about to ask her if she would wed with him on the morrow, but he hadn’t. There was indeed still something very wrong with her. He continued to watch her cross the great hall. She didn’t pause to greet a single woman she passed. He frowned. She truly believed Elaine to be interested in him. It made no sense, and he thought again about the drug her mother had fed her. It had changed her utterly.
He heard Aleric yelling something at Gilpin. Three minutes later, he was laughing so hard he was holding his belly. Gilpin had tied Eric the goat to Aleric’s new bed. Smelling the fresh lumber, the goat had chewed through one of the bed legs.
Without conscious thought, Garron found himself watching Merry throughout the day. He realized she seemed distant from the women, very unusual for Merry, who always had her nose pressed into every single task being performed at Wareham. But what was very strange indeed was that the women didn’t come to her as they used to. And the laughter, it had become more and more rare since they’d come back to Wareham. Today, he thought, it was simply gone. He thought again of her mother’s drug. What had the witch done to her own daughter? She was simply different, and it had nothing to do with her loose hair, which she wore long and free all the time now, or the smell of her hair.
But there was so much to be done, he had no time to dwell on it. The silver was discussed and counted and discussed more and recounted. He and Burnell agreed to the number of silver coins Burnell would take back to the king. Rather, Burnell announced the amount and Garron, having no choice whatsoever, and thinking about another barony, agreed. After all, it had been his brother’s silver in any case, not his. Or Arthur had stolen it, probably from Jason of Brennan’s father, Lord Ranulf, but who knew? It was manna from heaven for him, no matter the number of coins remaining to him after the king’s large hands delved into the piles.
On the morning of the third day, Garron, Aleric, Pali, Hobbs, and Gilpin went again to the cell in the granary.
48