Free The Saxon Bride (The Norman Conquest Series) by Ashley York Page A

biscuit into his mouth. Shaking his head as he chewed, he finally answered. "Is there fomefing amiff?" Taking a generous gulp of the cider, he burped loudly.
    John snorted again. "No. Mayhap I can see him later."
    " It hasn't concerned you overmuch to this point," Peter reprimanded him with his tone.
    "You have made your point. Mark, have you adequately stuffed yourself?"
    Standing only as high as John's chin, Mark nodded, patting his stomach. "I have, my lord. I will take you to the boy."
    The lanes were still empty at this early hour, and John was glad to have a moment to consider how he should approach this attempted sabotage. Certainly the lad should not suffer because of it. He wasn't the culprit. John could make financial reparations and possibly give him a different job at the castle if he was maimed beyond hope. John preferred to have people working rather than living on handouts. The whole incident did not make a very good first impression of him or his soldiers. They needed to win the family over.
    A man with long, scraggly hair was at the front door of a clean little cottage, dipping his wooden ladle into the rain barrel. Mark tipped his head toward the man and spoke in quiet tones. "That's the boy's father. Anton." John turned a questioning eye to Mark who shrugged his shoulder. It was an odd name.
    "Hail, sir ," John called out as they approached the man. He immediately bowed to his lord and master. "How fares your son this day?"
    "My lord, he has slept through the night. I thank you for your concern. Your man here brought a generous helping from the castle to fill his stomach last night. Thank you again, Sir Mark."
    Mark smiled. John appreciated Mark's gesture. Normans really were not monsters. He just needed to make sure these people realized that.
    "Yes, we are all very sorry that your son was injured."
    "Oh, my lord, it was an accident is all. The boy knows that."
    Mark and Anton exchanged glances, and John could see that already a friendship, or at the very least mutual respect, was growing between these two. Good. One less thing for John to worry about.
    "If you want for anything, please come to me."
    Gesturing to the darkened doorway behind him, the man said, "Would you care to come see him?"
    "Is he awake then?"
    "Well, no, but he could be awakened for you, my lord."
    John smiled warmly at the man's genuine gesture of hospitality. "No, let your son sleep for now. I will come again." He grasped the man's hand as he spoke. "Speedy recovery to him."
    "Yes, my lord."
    The burden seemed lighter on John's shoulders as he passed back along the lane, stopping just inside the barn. "Mayhap this will not be so bad."
    Peter came out leading John's horse. "It went well then?"
    "It did. The boy's father seems to be a good man. He does not seem to harbor any undue hostility toward us."
    Mark answered after retrieving his own mount. "It was the damndest thing." He rubbed his horses flank as he spoke. "My leather halter had been replaced by one made of rope and I'm not sure why."
    "That is strange." Peter did not elaborate but met John's eyes. John knew that until he decided to say something himself, Peter would never mention anything they suspected. Not even to Mark.
    Leading the horses into the outer bailey, John passed by the man from the garden the day before. "Good morrow ," John said.
    Perceval dipped his head in respect. "My lord. How fare ye this day?"
    "I am well," John answered, continuing on with Peter and Mark on either side.
    "Pray you stay that way." It took John a moment to realize what the man had said. Peter and Mark showed no indication that they'd heard him at all. Stopping his horse, John turned to see the man just standing in the road. He was looking down, kicking a small stone back and forth.
    "Go on ahead." John handed off his horse to Mark. "I will come to you anon," John said and headed back to the man.
    "Did I hear you right?"
    "Mayhap you did." Perceval turned half toward John as he