Free No Dark Place by Joan Wolf

It will also give you a chance to visit the castle where you spent the first seven years of your life.”
    Hugh did not reply.
    “You have nothing to lose and everything to gain,” Nigel said.
    Still Hugh said nothing.
    Cristen moved up to walk beside him.
    “I have to go, too,” she said with resignation. “Lord Guy likes to have ladies present to admire all the manly exhibitions.”
    A corner of Hugh’s mouth twitched with amusement.
    “You don’t sound as if you approve of these ‘manly exhibitions,’” he said.
    “Everyone sweats so much,” Cristen said.
    Hugh’s mouth twitched again.
    She added, “And the festivities in the castle hall tend to get rather boisterous.”
    “Guy’s hall is well known for its debauchery,”Nigel said disapprovingly. “He keeps a large household and there is always much gaming and intemperance. Chippenham was a very different place under the old earl. Roger was an austere, ascetic man. The two of them may look alike, but temperamentally no brothers could be more different.”
    “Cristen told me earlier that Earl Roger had been on crusade,” Hugh said. “I did not know that.”
    Nigel sighed with faint exasperation. “It is the greatest pity that this present generation has forgotten the names of all the great men who retook Jerusalem for the church. Let me tell you, Hugh, that Roger de Leon, your father, was the one who first breached the gates of the holy city. He was a living legend among his own generation.”
    “I see,” Hugh said. His face was closed and still.
    “The last time we were at Chippenham, Father had to rescue me from the unwelcome embrace of a very large, very drunken knight,” Cristen said. “This year, you can look after me as well, Hugh.”
    He smiled down at her. “I should be glad to,” he said.

6
    T he rain held off until Simon of Evesham and his escort of five knights were almost at the doors of the Benedictine convent in Worcester.
    “God’s bones,” Simon said to the young knight who rode by his side. “Ten more minutes and we would have escaped it.” He scowled with annoyance and pulled the hood of his light wool cloak up over his head.
    “I don’t mind the rain,” Philip replied. “I think it feels refreshing. The road has been so dusty that my throat hurts.” He held his face up to the sky as if he would drink in the flow of water cascading from the dark clouds above.
    Simon grunted and pulled his hood even further forward. “All I can say is that there had better be a good reason for my sister to have sent for me at such a time. I don’t want to be away from Evesham for long. I expect to have news any day now that Earl Robert has landed.”
    There was a stream in front of them, with a narrow bridge that required their party of six to file across it one by one.
    Ducks floated on the rain-dappled, greenish water and an old boat was moored along the far shore.
    When they had reached the other side of the bridge and Philip was once more riding next to Simon, the young knight said, “It’s been a long wait, almost a full year since the earl formally renounced his allegiance to Stephen and declared for Matilda.”
    “Aye, well, he had to settle his estates in Normandy before he could come back to England,” Simon said.
    The rain began to fall harder.
    “You have no idea what Lady Isabel wants?” Philip asked. He was on comfortable terms with Simon, having served in the lord of Evesham’s household since he was a child of eight.
    “I have no idea,” Simon replied grumpily. “My sister has communicated with me very rarely since she insisted on immuring herself in that convent. I cannot imagine why she is so insistent that she must see me now.”
    In the distance, Philip saw the spire of the abbey church appear over the trees. He pointed it out to his lord.
    “We’re almost there,” he said. “You shall know soon enough.”
     
    Isabel de Leon’s brother and his retinue rode up to the gatehouse of the convent just as