Chapter 30

The house in Ascot was large with a good expanse of land and a fabulous barn full of the best horse flesh Fann had ever seen. But it was not the gift Fann had intended for John to give his stepmother. Claire seemed to have known what awaited them, or rather whom. The vassal was a man named Kent who bore an uncanny resemblance to her oldest son, also named Kent. Perhaps her arrangement with the Duke had been more to her liking than she had let on all those years ago. That could certainly explain the man’s change of stance in his will. No man liked to be a cockhold. Even one who couldn’t stand his wife.

Another surprise had been how quickly Eleanor decided it was time to depart. He had expected it would take at least a week for Eleanor to be ready to go, not a mere three days. Originally he’d thought to leave her here and go to Oxford on his own to pick up some books to surprise her. Something to make her smile. He was going to tell them he was looking for books of science to inspire hi