“I may have to kill others before Hereward.”
“You may?”
And so the matter dropped. But William caught Ivo alone after an hour, and asked him what he meant.
“No pay, no play. Lord King, I have served thee well, rough and smooth.”
“Thou hast, and hast been well paid. But if I have said aught hasty—”
“Pish, Majesty. I am a plain-spoken man, and like a plain-spoken master. But, instead of marrying Torfrida or her daughter, I have more mind to her niece, who is younger, and has no Hereward to be killed first.”
“Her niece? Who?”
“Lucia, as we call her,—Edwin and Morcar’s sister,—Hereward’s niece, Torfrida’s niece.”
“No pay, no play, saidst thou?—so say I. What meant you by having to kill others before Hereward?”
“Beware of Waltheof!” said Ivo.