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But Miggins did not look convinced. She opened her mouth, then shut it because Garron said, “It does not matter now. If Arthur indeed lives, then I am no longer the Earl of Wareham. I will not be allowed to wed her.” He thought of the days that had passed, so many days when he could have wed her, but hadn’t. But if he had wed her—what would have happened then? Would the king still make him the Earl of Valcourt? He doubted it. Well, it didn’t matter now. No matter what her differences, no matter how she had changed, even the scent of her hair, Merry would never be his wife, whether he wanted her to be or not. He gave a low, vicious laugh. Jason of Brennan was right, he would once again become nothing more than the king’s lowly guard.
Miggins was frowning. “It is very strange. I knew Lord Arthur was dead, my lord, knew it to my soul. I was wrong, and that’s a blow, I tell ye. Do ye believe he really still lives?”
“Jason of Brennan said he could not take the chance of killing Arthur in case he’d lied about where he’d hidden the silver. It is reasonable. Thus, Wareham is his. It is his birthright, not mine.” It hurt so much to say those words, hurt all the way to his soul.
“He was a warty master, lad, niver happy with what he had. And now he will lose the silver, ye know the king will not let him claim any of it. Think ye it will go back to Lord Ranulf?”
“Since I don’t know where Ranulf got the silver coins, it is up to the king to judge the matter. It no longer has anything to do with me.”
“And those two mangy scoundrels, Jason of Brennan and Sir Halric?”
“Burnell wants to take them and the silver back to London, to the king. I am going with him, to demand my right to kill him. Killing him is little enough payment for what he did to Wareham, much less what he did to Arthur.”
“The future is unsettled, lad, too unsettled for my taste.”
He could not disagree. “I do wonder who this Arlette was and how she came to get so much silver.”
Miggins leaned close. “Mayhap she was a witch, jest like the witch who brought us all the trouble. Will ye kill her too, lad?”
“What are you whining about to my lord, old crone?”
Miggins whirled around so fast, Garron had to grab her bony arm to steady her.
“What is she whispering to you?”
Merry stood, hands on her hips, and death in her eyes as she stared at Miggins. “She is complaining, isn’t she, Garron? She is saying I am not Merry, isn’t she? She’s claiming I’m an imposter. The old bitch lies! What has she said?”
Imposter?
He looked at the vibrant girl whose hair lay loose down her back, a simple golden band around her forehead. He said calmly, “I am no longer your lord, Merry. We were speaking of my brother, who, if he lives, will once again be the Earl of Wareham.
Who knows? Mayhap the king will give you to him to wed. Did you wish to speak to me?”
“You will protect the old crone?”
How can you have changed so utterly? But he merely cocked his head at her.
Merry drew herself up, shook her head so that her glorious hair shifted and danced. “Bullic asks me when we are to wed, my lord. I told him the king’s chancellor would not allow it now that you will be stripped of your title.” She turned to Miggins. “Why are you listening? This has nothing to do with you. Go away.”
Miggins muttered as she walked away, “Aye, ’tis the drug, it has to be the drug that has turned you into a witch like yer mother.” She gave Merry a bewildered look, then shuffled out of the great hall.
Merry said, “Since I am not to wed with you, Garron, I would like to return to London with Robert Burnell and ask the king to send my mother a message.”
“Do not worry, the king will very much want to bring your mother to London. She has a lot to answer for, Merry.”
“What did Miggins say to you?”
“Only that you are different. I told her the drug your mother gave you has somehow changed you. Do you think this is true?”
“Why would you care since I will not be your wife?”
He looked out over the great hall. Wareham Castle would stand forever, but it wouldn’t be his progeny to dwell within its walls. He said, “You do not sound at all upset by my changed station in life. Did becoming my wife mean so little to you?”
She met his gaze squarely. “It does not matter what I feel or what I want, for the king will not allow us to wed, you know that. You have no holdings now, no wealth. Even the silver will pass from your hands. When my mother faces the king, she will explain all that has happened. She will prove she has done nothing but try to save me and to save Valcourt.”
Who are you? He said more to himself than to her, “When she let you go to return to me, she had to know she would never gain the silver coins. Why then did she let you come back to me? It makes no sense.”
Merry only shrugged.
