‘You called for me, sir?’ He saluted his master.

‘Aye.’ St Clair indicated Nicholas Warr – an indifferent archer whom the knight had been forced to promote to captain two years ago due to a lack of seasoned soldiers willing to work for the little he could offer. ‘Warr’s of a mind to leave, and I’d like to know your plans, Fletcher. Will you be following him?’

Ned could feel Gwenn’s gaze boring into his shoulder blades. Now that it came to it, he could not bear to go. It might be hell living near her, but without her... Besides, if he left, he’d never meet Waldin St Clair.

‘I...I’ve no plans to leave,’ he heard himself say. A soft sigh emanated from the direction of the fireplace.

Jean St Clair leaned forwards and rested his chin on his hand, watching Ned sombrely from under grey streaked brows. ‘Good. What say you, Fletcher, to a promotion?’

‘P...promotion, sir?’ Ned was temporarily tongue-tied, and he knew those wretched crimson flags were flying in his cheeks. He heard a throaty giggle.

St Clair tossed him a smile. ‘I regret Warr leaving us, but if you will accept the position of sergeant, that will ameloriate the loss. Who knows, one day you might step into his boots.’

Ned was so astounded, that he forgot his discomfiture.

‘And, Fletcher?’

‘Sir?’

‘I feel confident that you will not abuse this new position.’

Ned was trying to come to terms with his astonishing change of fortune. This was the answer to his prayers. ‘N...no, sir,’ he blurted, stammering like a dolt.

Sir Jean’s lean face warmed. ‘You show promise, my lad. You’re hard-working, diligent, I trust you–’ an audible chuckle from the fireside brought the jutting brows down, ‘-in almost every respect. Besides, I have the feeling you’ve been under-employed of late. You’ve had a restive look about you. What say you?’

Ned pulled his scattered wits together. ‘I’d be honoured, sir.’

‘Good man.’ St Clair jabbed a finger at the parchment. ‘Put your mark there. Warr and Raymond will witness it.’

Scarcely able credit this was truly happening, Ned picked up the goose quill. Gwenn drifted to her father’s elbow and every nerve in Ned’s body reacted to her nearness. It was the most exquisite agony. Was love always so painful? he wondered miserably.

Bright, brown eyes smiled boldly at Ned. ‘Well done, Ned,’ she said.

The knight glowered at Gwenn. ‘Back to the women, daughter,’ he said, tight-lipped, and he plucked his riding switch from the trestle. ‘And by St Patern, what do you think you are about, addressing him,’ he sounded as though he was talking about the dirt beneath his feet, ‘as Ned?’

Gwenn lowered her gaze, but Ned was not deceived by this apparent humility. Her pretty mouth was sullen. If St Clair noticed that look – and how could he fail to? – his wrath would be fearful. Would she never learn? St Clair doted on her, as he did all his children, but such looks never failed to wake a demon in him. The knight sucked in a breath.

‘Are you listening to me, girl?’

‘Aye, Papa.’

Sir Jean put his crop under Gwenn’s chin to force it up. Ned winced. ‘Have the courtesy to look at me when you’re talking to me, daughter. And wipe that defiant smile from your lips.’

‘Aye, Pa...sir. My apologies, sir.’

‘His name,’ Sir Jean jerked his head at Ned, ‘is Fletcher to you, or Sergeant. Do you hear?’

‘Aye, sir.’

‘Fletcher,’ Sir Jean repeated.

‘I’m not deaf.’

The knight’s moustache bristled.

Quickly, Gwenn gave a bob of a curtsy. ‘I’m sorry, Papa, but knowing N–’ swiftly she corrected herself, ‘Fletcher so well, I forgot.’

‘He’s a hired man,’ Sir Jean said, in clipped tones.

Grimly, Ned stared at the oak table and wished himself back in England.

‘A free man.’ Gwenn said this lightly, but with an edge that was not lost on her father.

‘He hires himself out for pay,’ her father said scathingly as though that were the most damning condemnation one man could level at another. And in his eyes, perhaps it was.

‘Raymond calls him Ned.’

‘Over-familiar of him, I’d say, but a different case entirely. And don’t ask me why, because you know very well. Raymond’s a man.’

Raymond smirked.

St Clair flexed his riding switch. ‘I’d use this on you, mademoiselle, if I thought it would do any good, but no doubt your hide is as tough as a donkey’s.’ And to Ned’s inexpressible relief he smiled and cast his whip onto the board. ‘Pick up that spindle, girl.’

Meekly, Gwenn turned on her heel, but her eyes flashed.

‘If I hear you call him Ned again, it will mean a birching.’ Something about his daughter’s posture gave Sir Jean pause. He stared keenly at her slight back for a moment or two, stroked his moustache into place, before turning his attention back to the young Englishman.

‘Now, Sergeant Fletcher.’ His master smiled with charming formality. ‘About your remuneration...’

***

Three weeks later, a leggy stranger whose limbs looked as though they had been flung together, swaggered across the drawbridge of François de Roncier’s main residence, Huelgastel. Bow and quiver were slung over one bony shoulder, and his left forearm was bound with the leather guard of an archer.

Though the castle’s drawbridge was lowered, the gatehouse was shut. The spy-hole in the central door was closed. The man, who was in his late thirties, rattled the door, and when that failed to gain any response, pounded on it with his fist. ‘Hey! Wake up sluggards! I’ve information for Captain Malait.’

Nicholas Warr, archer, had been furious when Jean St Clair had criticised him for slackness. The knight had complained when Warr had asked for a couple of men to spare some time to make more targets. St Clair had had the cheek to infer that it was Warr’s fault they were damaged, when everyone at Kermaria knew the man’s penny-pinching, miserly ways were to blame. The targets had not been replaced since St Clair’s father’s time, and it was only thanks to Warr’s good management that they had given as much service as they had. Not content with that, St Clair had criticised the condition of the spare bows and arrows, not to mention Warr’s method of training the villagers...

Nicholas Warr never stayed anywhere his talents were not appreciated. He had wasted no time in informing Jean St Clair that he had a woman waiting for him and that he was to be married. This had been no lie, but he had not seen the woman for some months, and when the archer had reached his lady-love, he had found himself turned down for a cooper. A cooper! The faithless woman had said she wanted someone who paid her more attention. She wanted someone who wasn’t about to go and get himself killed. Storming off, Warr had drunk his pay away, and then, too proud to go back to St Clair and admit that his woman had deserted him, and that he had been in the wrong, he had decided to head for Huelgastel. Warr was bent on refilling his purse. He had done Otto Malait a good turn once. He hoped the Viking would not have forgotten it, for Malait was to help him gain admittance.

The archer was betting that the Count, St Clair’s old adversary, would be anxious to learn that Waldin St Clair was coming home to roost. Warr could also tell him about St Clair’s forthcoming marriage. He had been quick to see the possibilities. Here was an easy way to feather his nest, for the Count would doubtless pay handsomely for the information. Warr had intended coming here three week ago direct from Kermaria, but after being jilted the prospect of a few weeks’ indulgence had been more temptation than he could stand.

But now, with his wings clipped by a depressingly light purse, Nicholas Warr wished he had come earlier. His idiotic fling was over and he felt desperate. Perhaps they would ignore him. Or perhaps they would listen and then throw him out. Perhaps he should have stayed put at Kermaria. Admittedly the money was poor, but one could always fill one’s belly there.