But would her father, do you think----"
"Lord, that beef-eating knight is in such a rage that he would do
anything. What did he say just before the stroke took him? That you were
to marry her by fair means or by foul. Yes, and he told me an hour ago
that if only he knew she was your wife, he would die happy. Oh, you have
his warrant for anything you do to bring about this end. Still there is
no need to tell him too much lest it should cause his good name to be
aspersed by the vulgar. Many, it seems, love this Red Eve for her high
spirit, and are friends to the de Cressis, an open-handed race who know
how to bind folk to them. Listen how it must be done."
That day it was given out that Sir Edmund Acour, those of his knights
who remained alive and all his following were about to leave for London
and lay their cause before the King, having learned that Hugh de Cressi
had gone thither to prejudice his Grace on his own behalf. It was added,
moreover, that they would not return to Suffolk, but proposed when
they had found justice or the promise of it, to take ship at Dover for
France. Next morning, accordingly, they rode away from Blythburgh Manor
and passed through Dunwich with much pomp, where the citizens of that
town, who were friends of the de Cressis, stared at them with no kind
eyes. Indeed, one of these as they crossed the market-place called to
them to be careful not to meet Hugh de Cressi and Grey Dick upon their
journey, lest there should be more midnight burials and men-at-arms
turned into foot-soldiers, whereat all about him laughed rudely.
Pages:
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123