by M. J. Haag
“We devoured these books,” I said, removing the books in question from the bag. “Would you have any others like them? Perhaps by the same authors?”
He chuckled.
“I do have several others that I think you’ll like if those struck your fancy.”
He stood and shuffled toward his prized shelves, sliding the books back into place before selecting new ones.
“Could we perhaps borrow two each this time?” Kellen asked.
“You’ve been bitten by the book bug, I see,” he said. Without hesitation, he took two more from the shelves. “These will suit you, Kellen.” He handed her two thick tomes. “And these will suit you, Eloise.”
In no time, we were walking toward the market for a bite to eat.
“I should have read your book before returning it,” I said. “This time, we should trade.”
“If you wish.”
We both inhaled deeply, catching the same scent. Following our noses, we ordered two fresh meat pies and started home.
“What comes after we see the north?” I asked.
“I don’t know. What do you want to see?”
I thought about it for a moment.
“Turre. Or maybe somewhere even further south. Somewhere magic isn’t banned.”
Kellen gave me a curious look.
“Why?”
“Have you seen the pear tree?” I asked.
“I have.”
“That’s not natural. I’m certain it’s growing like that because of magic. Is it residual magic because of Mother’s death or is it something else? So many of our questions would already be answered if we had even a basic understanding of magic, I think.”
“I see.”
“Not that I’m pursuing anything, just idly dreaming about how it would be nice to have an explanation of how these things happened.”
She gave me a small smile.
“I wouldn’t mind knowing more, either. North then south it is. Perhaps we then go west before we return home to the east.”
We idled away the distance with speculation over what we might see and learn and do in each area of our travels. When we reached the lane to our house, I noted fresh tracks and pointed them out to Kellen.
“One muddy rut looks like the other,” she said with a shrug. “Do not get your hopes up that we will have a quiet house.”
We passed the trees protecting the drive, and I groaned when I saw a second carriage had joined the first.
“It looks like you were right,” Kellen said. “Those tracks were fresh.”
We entered through the kitchen and set our books on the table.
“The note’s still here,” Kellen said, looking at the block.
The truffles hadn’t moved either.
Before I had time to worry, the murmur of voices reached our ears. I moved to the dining room door and pushed it ajar enough to hear Maeve thank our guests and wish them a speedy journey.
I motioned to Kellen, and she stepped into the hall the moment the door closed.
“Have you seen Anne?” Maeve asked. “She didn’t bring in tea or answer the door. I’m worried she didn’t return from her walk.”
“She returned,” Kellen said. “There are truffles on the block.”
Maeve’s gaze grew more concerned.
“Has Hugh arrived?”
“I’m not certain,” I said. “We just returned from town. We went for more books.”
“Let us not worry just yet,” Maeve said, gently herding us toward the kitchen. “I’ll fix us some tea, and we’ll wait for Anne. If she doesn’t return by the time Hugh does, we will go look for her.”
In the kitchen, Kellen found us something to eat while I made tea and Maeve paced. She checked the window constantly until I heard a soft, “about time.” Opening the door, Maeve strode out.
Kellen and I followed and saw Hugh riding into the yard. Maeve hurried to his side.
“Anne’s missing,” she said. “You must find her. Check the woods.”
He stared at Maeve for a long moment before nodding and sliding off the horse.
“We should split up,” I said. “While there’s still daylight.”
Maeve shook her head.
“No. Hugh will look, and we will stay in the house.”
“Four sets of eyes will cover more ground than one,” I insisted.
Maeve came to me and took my hand in hers.
“Two people have already gone missing. I will not lose either of you.”
While I understood her concern, I couldn’t let fear of my own well-being stop me from helping someone I cared about. I glanced at Hugh, who was taking the saddle from the horse, and saw my chance.
“I understand,” I said to Maeve. “Hugh, can I unsaddle Sugar for you? There’s too little light left to waste.”
Maeve released me as he nodded and started for the trees.
“Kellen, Anne will likely be chilled and hungry when she returns. Can you make something for dinner?” I asked.
“Of course,” she said, already turning to the door.
Without looking at Maeve, I went to the horse.
“I’ll brush you down, sweet thing,” I crooned taking the reins. “You must be hot and tired from the long journey.” I led her to the trough where she drank her fill. When she was done, I looked at the yard and saw it empty.
“Sorry, girl,” I said softly, leading her into the stall. “A brushing will need to wait. Anne needs to be found before dark, and one man alone will not be enough.”
I left her in the barn and snuck around the back to the woods. A familiar, low distant whistle echoed in the trees. The tune was one I’d often overheard when Hugh worked alone. I paused for a moment, trying to determine where he was and decided he was searching the area closest to the house.
Walking softly, I started down the path toward Mother’s grave and listened carefully. The sound grew more distant, confirming my guess about Hugh’s location. Nothing else moved once the whistle faded. The sound of my own passing and my gentle breathing kept me company as I watched the ground.
I saw my footprints and Anne’s coming and going. Nothing else. My gaze swept the trees, my skin prickling. I felt watched. Halting, I turned a slow circle and saw nothing but the fading light of day.
Shaking off the feeling, I continued forward until I reached the clearing.
A bit of white against the new green robbed me of my hope. Woodenly, I walked forward and picked up Anne’s cap. It hadn’t been here this morning. That meant she’d returned to this spot after I’d watched her go to the house. Like Judith, Anne had disappeared.
“It’s an odd tree, isn’t it?” a voice said behind me.
I whirled to face Kaven. He was standing not far from me, facing my mother’s grave and the pear tree.
“Where did you come from?” I demanded. “Why are you here?”
“Interesting questions coming from the girl who likes to lean against trees and watch other people.”
He’d seen me but never acknowledged my presence? Why? Pulse racing, I stared at him, unsure and waiting for what he would do next.
“Nothing to say?” he asked, glancing at me before resuming his study of the tree. “It’s growing much too quickly. Almost as if by magic.”
He turned to face me and glanced at the cap in my hands.
“That doesn’t belong to you.”
My insides started to quake with rage. He knew and was baiting me. All of it. Mother’s death by magic…the disappearances of our housemaids. After the delivery boy, Kaven had been in the woods. The same woods where people now disappeared. And, he’d been wearing the same hat as the boy.
Words piled in my mouth, choking me as I held my tongue. This man wasn’t the King, only a representative. Yet, I couldn’t accuse him. Not without proof when anything he said would likely hold more weight to the King than anything I could say.
“Last time we met, you had plenty to say,” he said, stalking closer to me.
The dee
p blue of his gaze bore into mine. I raged at him. He’d taken so much. No more.
“Speak now, Eloise,” he said when he towered over me. “Save yourself.”
While meeting his gaze, I tugged back my long skirts and sharply lifted my knee. The connection to his groin was solid and true. With a grunt, his face reddened then paled as he cupped his testicles and slowly fell over.
I leaned over him, knowing I had several moments.
“I will see you hanged for what you’ve done,” I said harshly. “I swear it on my mother’s name, I will see you—”
Something caught my ankle, and I suddenly found myself on my back with a very angry man pinning me down. A vein throbbed in his forehead as his bloodshot gaze found mine.
“Pray, what have I done to deserve that?”
Each pain-laced word fell on my deaf ears. The thrumming of my heart and the certainty of my own demise robbed me of thought as my hand searched the ground for what I knew was nearby. My fingers closed over a rock, and I immediately brought it down on Kaven’s head.
The man slumped on top of me.
Fear, and a frantic amount of wiggling, saw me free of his weight and running toward the house. It wasn’t until I’d almost reached the door that I realized I’d dropped Anne’s cap. I halted and looked back.
Kaven stood near a tree, leaning on it heavily, watching me. Our gazes locked across the distance. He held up the cap then turned and disappeared into the trees.
Chapter Ten
Kellen was in the kitchen when I returned shaken and muddy. I washed and said nothing about what had happened even though I saw the question in her gaze. When I was changed, I returned to the kitchen to help her with dinner.
Maeve joined us at the table. We’d just served ourselves when Hugh entered.
“I didn’t find any sign of Anne,” he said.
And still, I said nothing. What could I say without damning myself or Kellen in some way? I felt certain it was magic that killed Mother. That both Judith and Anne went missing less than a fortnight later couldn’t be coincidence. Something was happening here. But what? It most certainly had to be tied to Kaven and the Crown. However, if I started crying magic, the king’s men would descend, and it would be the remnants of my family who would suffer.
I looked at Kellen and found her watching me. I could almost hear her thoughts reminding me what I’d promised her. Bowing my head, I stared at the stew in my bowl.
“Thank you for looking, Hugh,” Maeve said. “Join us.”
Hugh usually never ate in the house, preferring to take his meals alone. However, this time he agreed. Kellen fetched him a bowl of stew and placed it on the opposite end of the table from Maeve.
Four people at the table. Just as it had been before Mother died. Yet, everything was different. I tried not to think about it and took a bite of the stew.
“I don’t want you in the woods alone anymore,” Maeve said after a moment of quiet eating. “I promised your father that I would keep you safe. I do not intend to break my word. It’s too dangerous out there.”
I nodded in quiet agreement. The woods were far too dangerous with Kaven lurking about.
After dinner, Kellen and I retreated to our room. She watched me close the door and sat on the edge of her bed. Of course she’d known I wouldn’t brush the horse.
In a hushed voice, I told her what had transpired. The cap. Kaven’s sudden appearance. My narrow escape.
“I want to ignore it,” Kellen said. “To turn away and let someone else deal with this, but you’re right. Mother, Judith, and now Anne. I don’t believe this will stop.”
“I agree. But what are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to stop this?”
“Perhaps we should speak with Maeve.”
I shook my head.
“I did speak to her of my suspicions. Her opinion is the same as yours. That we cannot say anything for fear of being persecuted ourselves.”
“Then, what do you suggest?”
“We now know that Kaven is involved. The messenger might have been unaware of the purpose for his delivery. The only part I’m uncertain about is the backing of the Crown. If the king knows of this, no amount of proof will save us.”
“Then we run,” Kellen said.
“How will we convince Maeve to—”
“No, Eloise. We run.”
I nodded.
“All right. But, first, we try to find out if Kaven’s actions are his own or that of the King’s.”
“Agreed.”
As I lay in bed that night, my mind raced regarding how I could possibly determine the Crown’s involvement. It wasn’t until the sliver of the moon was high, its weak light shining through the window, that a fitful slumber claimed me.
When the sun rose, I was dressed and ready. This time, I was the one to poke my sister in the eye.
She groaned and rolled to her back before looking up at me.
“Why must you always wake so early?”
“I have a plan,” I said quietly.
She sat up, her dark braid falling over her shoulder to her waist.
“Tell me.”
I sat on the edge of her bed so we were close.
“We need to check the inside of the retreat for signs of magic. If we find some, we can anonymously—”
The soft knock on our door caused us both to jump. Kellen’s gaze locked with mine for a moment. We would speak later. I went to answer the knock.
Maeve waited in the hall, already dressed for the day.
“Good morning. I’m glad you’re already awake. Is Kellen? May I speak with you both?”
I opened the door wider and invited her in.
She smiled good morning to Kellen then began to pace the small confines of our room.
“We have a problem we can no longer keep to ourselves,” she began. “We need to report the mysterious disappearances. Yet, I worry how such a thing will reflect on this household, and more importantly, the pair of you. In addition to reporting Judith and Anne missing, we will be challenged with finding replacements.” She held up her hands as if to forestall any argument from us. “These replacements need not be permanent. If, no, when Judith and Anne return, of course they will be welcomed back. But, with the visitors and the rumors of the king’s impending visit, we need help.”
“I agree,” Kellen said. “However, we need to be discreet in reporting the issue or it will make finding new help harder.”
Maeve’s expression turned grateful, and she exhaled hugely.
“I was so worried you would think ill of me for suggesting that we bring in others to work.”
“Not at all,” I said.
“It is the only practical course of action,” Kellen agreed.
“Very good. Then, I’d like you both to dress and accompany Hugh and me to town. I cannot leave you home alone. Not with…” She shook her head.
“We’ll be down in a few minutes,” Kellen said.
I closed the door after Maeve left and shared a look with Kellen.
“It would be ideal to check the retreat while they’re gone,” I said.
Kellen shook her head and started to change.
“I disagree. If we find something and need assistance, we would be alone. Best to wait until we return. Besides, going to town can benefit us.”
“In what way?”
“We might be able to learn what the king is up to and why the retreat is being prepared. All this trouble started with that, did it not?”
I agreed and willingly followed her down the stairs.
The trip to town didn’t take long in the comfort of the carriage. And this time, we didn’t need to cover our noses. Only a hint of dank and damp remained.
“I’ve asked Hugh to stop near the market so you can shop while we’re here. I would prefer you not be present when I speak with the king’s guard. The conversation will likely be upsetting, and I wouldn’t put you through that. When I’ve finished, Hugh and I will return and find you.”
&n
bsp; Since Maeve’s plan aligned with our goals, Kellen and I quickly agreed and found ourselves walking the market district with the early morning crowd.
“You know there’s only one place to go for this kind of gossip,” Kellen said.
“Try not to make me spit my ale this time.”
We made our way to Alfie’s family alehouse and found a table near the window. This close to the market district, Crumbs and Casks maintained a respectability most alehouses did not. A serving girl came to offer us a drink and some breakfast.
“Have you heard anything about the king retiring to his hunting retreat soon?” Kellen asked before the girl could leave.
“Not a thing. It wouldn’t make sense for him to go there now, what with his son due back and all that.”
“The prodigal prince is returning?” I asked in disbelief.
The girl nodded. “I heard that he found himself a wife during his time away. Some Lord’s daughter from the far north. I’m excited to see what style of dresses the gentry will start wearing, trying to impress the girl.”
“What if she wears pants?” Kellen asked. “I heard that the women wear pants that far north.”
The serving girl looked intrigued before Alfie’s father called her name and she hurried away.
“I wonder if Kaven is really there on behalf of the king, then,” Kellen said softly.
“What we need is information from a source that is more likely to know the king’s intentions.”
“No one within the king’s inner circle would ever consider sharing that information with the likes of us.”
“The king’s inner circle aren’t the only ones privy to the comings and goings of the royal family.”
“The king’s guard? They would never speak to us about such matters, either.”
She was right, but I still regretted not being with Maeve at the moment. Maybe Kellen and I would have overheard something.
Kellen’s eyes lit up.
“You know who may know something?”
“Who?”
“The dressmaker. These guards have wives, don’t they? Husbands confide in wives, and a good many wives love to gossip.”
“Perfect. And we must stop in to check on our dresses,” I said with a grin.