Page 49 of Retribution

As Edward and Aidric nodded in agreement, Gerard spoke up. “My lord, there is much more to the story,” he said. “The night before the feast, an Executioner Knight came to us and told us that an agent planted within Cambridge’s house had information that would lead him to believe the archbishop was going to use the Jewel to assassinate you by using her new relationship with Aidric. By somehow seducing him so she could get close to you.”

Edward looked at Aidric in shock. “You have a relationship with this woman?”

Aidric was irritated because Gerard made it sound as if he’d been withholding information on his connection with the lady. “I saved her life, my lord,” he said, trying to explain himself. “That is the extent of it, but she came to me in confidence and told me the same thing our Executioner Knight agent told us. She, too, says that Cambridge wants to use her to get close to me so that she can carry out this assassination. Cambridge phrased it in a way that makes it sound like you want him dead, so he is compelled to defend himself. Strike first, as it were.”

Edward was listening to all of it quite seriously. “And she told you all of this?”

“She did, my lord,” Aidric said. “She confirmed what Perrin de Lohr already told us.”

“Ah,” Edward said. “Perrin. He is a good agent.”

“He is, my lord.”

Edward rubbed his chin thoughtfully, pondering what he’d just been told. “It does seem strange to me that an assassin would confess what she’d been ordered to do,” he said. “That sounds rather inept of her.”

“Or brilliant,” Gerard muttered.

Aidric had to take a deep breath to still his annoyance, but Edward looked at Gerard curiously. “You think she is so brilliant that she would confess what she’s been charged with doing?” he said. “So we are all aware of it and, therefore, on our guard against her? Does that make sense?”

“It does not,” Aidric said firmly.

“It does when you understand the nature of the Seven Jewels of London,” Gerard said, unwilling to retreat from his point of view. “These are women trained in court intrigue. They understand it. They are capable of it.”

“You think so?” Edward said. “It is interesting that you should. You will remember that my father created the Seven Jewels of London, and the only things they are trained in are a man’s pleasure, culture, food, music, poetry, and reading. I’ve not known them to be trained in court intrigue, nor have I known any of them to take part in it.”

Gerard didn’t have an answer for him other than to state the truth. “If you are exposed enough to something, you are going to learn about it,” he said in a low voice. “She has spent three years with Cambridge. We all know the man is a viper. Do you not think she has learned from him?”

“Then you are saying that you believe she is capable of carrying out an assassination?”

Gerard shrugged. “Or she will convince Aidric to do it.”

Aidric had had enough. He slammed his hands on the table as he stood up, rattling the entire room. Orion jumped up beside him, throwing his arms around him so he wouldn’t charge Gerard.

“That is enough from you,” Aidric exploded. “You have done everything to undermine my position and my capabilities that you could possibly do, but now you slander my honor. I will not stand for this, de Velt.”

Edward was on his feet, putting himself between the knights. “Gerard, that was uncalled for,” he said. “Aidric’s loyalty is beyond question. Why would you say something like that?”

Gerard’s feral gaze was riveted to Aidric. “Because he has feelings for the woman,” he said. “That makes a man capable of almost anything.”

Aidric was trying to break free of Orion’s grip. “You bloody bastard,” he said. “At least I wasn’t exiled from the Executioner Knights. You have to be some kind of lowborn, gutless fool for that to happen. Clearly, you are already a failure. How does it feel to be called that, de Velt? How do you like being insulted?”

Edward gave Gerard a shove toward the door because if Aidric broke free, there would be blood on the walls. “Enough,” he spat at Aidric, but his focus returned to Gerard. “You started this. Explain yourself before I let both Aidric and Orion loose on you.”

Gerard was in a bad position and he knew it. He was starting to tense up, his cheeks growing ruddy with anger, perhaps even humiliation. He looked between Edward and Aidric, struggling with his composure, but in the end, he knew he’d been wrong. He’d gone too far.

He grunted and lowered his gaze.

“Because… because it happened to me,” he finally said. “Why do you think I was discharged from the Executioner Knights? I am trying to prevent what happened to me from happening to you, St. John. Can you not understand that?”

That seemed to slow down the building rage that was forming in the room, for all of them. Those few simple words brought both Aidric and Edward to a halt as they looked at Gerard for what was a very personal confession. When Gerard simply turned away, hoping they wouldn’t ask him to elaborate, Edward spoke softly to Aidric and Orion.

“Lord Hogsthorpe of Lincolnshire was bringing in French mercenaries to tear up England during my father’s reign,” he said. “Lord Hogsthorpe’s daughter was the captain of his army, the one orchestrating everything. The Executioner Knights were involved in information gathering and repulsion of the enemy as they landed upon England’s shores. Gerard, do you want to tell them the rest?”

Gerard sighed faintly. No, he really didn’t, but he didn’t have much choice now. He’d already unlocked the door of that part of his past and the king had opened the door entirely. He was still staring at the wall when he spoke.

“Lady Emilia Hogsthorpe and I were kindred spirits,” he said, barely audible. “She was a mission and nothing more. I was supposed to infiltrate the Hogsthorpe ranks and ingratiate myself to her, but I ended up falling in love with her. When the critical moment came and a particularly large group of mercenaries landed at Hogsthorpe’s bay, I delayed in sending word to de Lohr because by that time, she knew who I was. She knew I was there to destroy her father’s plans. She begged me not to—and for a brief moment, I surrendered.”

Aidric was calmer, but he wasn’t entirely sympathetic. Not yet, anyway. “Who told her your identity?”