Page 14 of Retribution

Aidric drew his horse to a halt.

“Cambridge,” he muttered.

The others drew up beside him, beholding the vision of the expensive carriage and well-dressed men bearing the yellow and silver of the Archbishop of Cambridge. To fighting men, or men of the church, it was one of the most recognizable standards in all of England.

And possibly one of the most unwelcome.

“That man travels like a king,” Britt said in disapproval. “I heard he was in London, but this is the first I’ve seen of him.”

“Who is it?” Bennet asked.

Britt glanced at him. “You’ve been spending your time away from London until recently,” he said. “Have you not heard about the fabulously wealthy Archbishop of Cambridge?”

Bennet shrugged. “I’ve heard of him, of course,” he said. “I’ve had no interaction with the man, ever. He never came to the marches where I was.”

“He’d not sully himself so,” Dirk said, snorting. “The man has more money than God and spends his time either in London, at his family’s townhome, or in Lincolnshire at his family’s castle of Ruskington. His family owns most of Lincolnshire.”

“A family empire built on greed and scandal,” Aidric put in with irony.

Britt and Dirk nodded. “True,” Britt said. “He spends most of his time in London and there has never been a man who has hated the royal family more than Clarence de Fulbourne, Archbishop of Cambridge. When Edward spoke of enemies, he most definitely meant Cambridge.”

Bennet nodded, his gaze on the gloriously decorated carriage. “I know,” he said. When the other three knights glanced at him, he smiled weakly. “My being away from London does not mean I am not aware of the politics of England. I know that Cambridge is a spoiled whelp of a man who has tried to rule Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire and other counties after Henry’s death. I’m well aware he saw Edward’s absence as an opportunity for himself. Everyone knows that.”

“Did you also know that he has a Jewel?” Dirk asked.

Bennet’s brow furrowed. “What jewel?”

“A Jewel,” Dirk said. “He is in possession of one of the Seven Jewels of London.”

Bennet looked surprised. “Truly?” he said. “A prince of the church has a prized courtesan?”

Dirk nodded confidently. “He is in possession of the Pearl,” he said. “No one really knows what he does with her, considering an archbishop is supposed to adhere to a vow of celibacy, but he has a highly trained courtesan in his possession and has for about three years. Draw your own conclusions as to what he does with her.”

Bennet scratched his chin in thought. “I do not have to guess,” he said flatly. “But it is Cambridge. He can do as he pleases. From what I’ve heard, he always has. He’s the son of the Earl of Gainsborough, a man known to believe he was above the law of the land.”

“He was the Gainsborough heir,” Dirk said. When the others looked at him, he shrugged. “Do not forget that I started out my career as a knight with the intention of becoming a priest. I am the second son of my father, with no chance of inheriting, so the priesthood seemed like a solid path. I know about men like Cambridge. I will be honest when I say that he is not genuinely part of the church. Like his father, Cambridge believes himself above the laws of God and man.”

“Yet he is allowed to remain an archbishop,” Aidric said. “No one challenges him. Not even the Archbishop of Canterbury. Why not?”

Dirk shook his head. “Fear, mayhap,” he said. “Cambridge is very powerful. Sometimes it is simply better to let those men do as they please. Eventually, they will bring about their own ruin. Greed has a way of doing that. But now that Edward is back in England, I would say that Cambridge is a man to watch. He cannot be too happy about the return of the king.”

That was more than likely an understatement. All eyes drifted back to the elaborately decorated carriage with the silk banners snapping in the breeze as they considered the implications to that statement. In a country of men who could be a potential threat to the newly returned king, Dirk’s comment just put the Archbishop of Cambridge at the top of the list.

Anything was possible.

“Happy or not, he will be watched just like anyone else who has been opposed to Edward in the past,” Aidric finally said. “We are not going to take any chances with the king’s safety. Regardless, the man’s presence is not going to keep me out of Adelie’s stall, so I am going in. Those who wish to join me may do so.”

He directed his horse up the avenue, steering clear of the archbishop’s escort as he reined his animal across the road. He could hear the clip-clop of horses behind him, knowing his friends were following, but he didn’t turn to see who had come.

He’d find out soon enough.

Because of the archbishop’s entourage, the entry to Adelie’s was quite crowded. Across the street was a small livery specifically for Adelie’s clients, because they were always high-end clientele and expected preferential treatment, and Aidric dismounted his horse at the mouth of the livery, handing the reins over to the nearest stable servant. The man and his fellow servants were very well dressed, considering Adelie’s business, and Aidric could see that all of the men who had accompanied him were now dismounting their horses, preparing to enter Adelie’s establishment.

It was clear they weren’t going to let him go in alone.

With a grin, Aidric headed across the street, his focus on the entry door with its elaborately carved doorjamb, consisting of thistles and roses. A great craftsman had made it. He was focused on that, and that alone, and he certainly didn’t look at any of the soldiers with the Cambridge tunics because they weren’t worthy of his attention. He was in command of the king’s personal guard and there weren’t many men higher in the chain of command at Westminster. Aidric wore that air about him as he entered the establishment, immediately finding himself in a room full of women. Not that he’d expected anything less, but as his gaze moved over the chamber, he could immediately see that there was no Archbishop of Cambridge.

There was no man in sight.