Page 19 of Raven's Rise
“She’s not my—” Otto snapped, then checked himself. “She has an affliction that no one here can deal with. Of course we’re all concerned for her health.”
“Of course,” Rafe echoed, not believing it.
“I had wanted to speak to you last night,” Otto said, again turning to Angelet. “Ernald insisted something important occurred, and you would know what he was speaking of.”
Angelet’s eyes grew wide. “Did he? I’m not sure what he could have meant.”
“Do you not?” Otto grunted, and looked sidelong at Rafe.
Rafe jumped in. “In fact, my lord, I have some questions of my own. Shall we let the lady rest? We can speak elsewhere.”
“Very well.”
Otto led Rafe to another part of the manor house, and then to what must be his private room. There were documents, sealed and unsealed, filling cubicles along the wall. In one corner stood the chest of money that Otto presented last night, the whole thing still bound with the chain and lock.
Otto sat in a large, high-backed chair. Rafe continued to stand, since there was no other place to sit.
“About last evening…” Otto began to say.
Before Otto could bring up Ernald’s trumped-up accusations, Rafe launched his own offensive. Always keep an opponent on his toes. “Did you hope to hide the lady’s condition? What if she’d had an attack on the road? None of us would know what to do!”
“The matter will be addressed. The maid Bethany has seen the attacks before,” Otto said. “She told me early this morning that she will be pleased to accompany Angelet on the journey.”
“Will Bethany’s knowledge be sufficient?” Rafe remembered Bethany’s cold reaction to Angelet’s collapse and her total lack of any assistance. He narrowed his eyes, waiting for Otto to come to his senses.
The lord finally shifted in his seat, looking a bit uncomfortable. “I suppose I should have mentioned it.”
“Yes, you should have.”
Otto grumbled, “What do you want? An apology?”
“More money.”
“What?” Otto’s eyebrows nearly rose off his forehead.
“This job is not what was first described. Your reticence about the lady’s health and your choice to flaunt the gold in that chest both mean the journey is much riskier than you implied. If you want me and my men to guard the cortège from here to Basingwerke, it will cost more. Double, in fact. And you’ll paybeforewe move out.”
“Ludicrous.”
Rafe shrugged. “Very well, my lord. If you don’t like my terms, then hire another group. Farewell.” He headed for the door.
“Hold, sir knight!” Otto said quickly. “Angelet needs to travel now. There’s no time to wait for another group.”
Rafe smiled to himself. He’d gambled on Otto’s impatience, and it paid off. But when he turned back to Otto, his face was serious. “And how much is your time worth?”
“Double the original price is too high. I could offer you…half again as much.”
Rafe made a show of considering it. “Agreed.”
Otto clearly hated being outmaneuvered, but he said, “Done, then. And I’ll lend your group four of my guards as well, to ensure the safety of the venture. But you must leave tomorrow.”
“Certainly, my lord. We’ll leave as soon as the wagons in the cortège are loaded…and the payment is in my hands.”
Rafe nearly skipped out to the courtyard. Negotiating with Otto had gone better than expected. It was almost too easy, in fact.
He gave Simon and the boys the good news.
“This is amazing,” Laurence said. “We’ll eat beef for a year!”
