will be to turn it over to a drunkard who cares little for anything other than himself.”
It was a statement wrought with anger and sorrow. Daniel quickly surmised that the subject of the older brother was not a pleasant one.
“Forgive me for bringing up a painful subject,” he said. “I was not aware.”
Etzel seemed to calm, realizing how harsh he must have sounded. “I know,” he said. “I apologize if I was abrupt. Brynner does not associate with the family and we do not associate with him. He wishes it that way. You can expect no help from him because, as you can see, he has left us to fend for ourselves as if he wants no part of us. It is shameful but true.”
Daniel suspected this was not the time for any further questions about the son Etzel identified as Brynner. It was a puzzling and seemingly sad situation, but he knew it really wasn’t any of his affair. He had already imposed himself on the family enough so he respected the information he was given as all he needed to know. It was evident they didn’t wish to speak of the brother so he changed the subject.
“My lady, your father and I were discussing all of the roads that lead south from Shadowmoor, roads or paths that Lord Bramley might not be watching,” he said, looking to Liselotte as he pulled apart the last of his bread. “He tells me that there are two roads, a main road and a smaller one, and then two smaller paths that lead over the hill towards Hawksworth and Guiseley. Can you think of any other roads that might be worth attempting when I try to send a message south?”
Successfully diverted off the painful subject of Brynner, Liselotte’s brow furrowed thoughtfully. “I do not,” she said. “Do you intend to take the message yourself?”
Daniel shook his head. “I intend to hire a messenger.”
Liselotte seemed hesitant when she spoke. “I see,” she said. “If that is the case, then I have been thinking… mind you, we’ve not had the money to hire a messenger but if we did, what if we were to go north to the villages of Cross Hills or Eastburn and find someone to take the message south? Lord Bramley doesn’t necessarily watch the roads leading north too much, only the ones that converge south towards Bradford. He more than likely would not think much of a lone messenger providing the man had money to pay Bramley’s road tariff. We have never tried to slip a message past him that way.”
Etzel looked at his daughter with some curiosity, as if he wasn’t certain her idea was a sound one, but Daniel smiled broadly at her. He didn’t seem to have the same reservation. “A brilliant idea, my lady,” he said. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
Liselotte grinned, blushing to the roots of her hair. “We have never had a reason to try something such as that,” she admitted. “We do not have the means.”
Daniel cocked his head. “But you have men here at Shadowmoor who could take a message and mayhap not be recognized or harassed,” he said. “Men who could take it straight to Henry.”
Etzel answered. “It takes money to travel,” he said. “We have none.”
“None to spare?”
“None at all.”
Daniel didn’t doubt that in the least. Shadowmoor was clearly poor but he thought they might have some small stash of coinage tucked away because certain items did need to be purchased. Therefore, he was surprised to hear there was absolutely nothing.
“Then where do you get money for flour and ale?” he asked. “You must purchase such things from a mill or a brewer wife.”
Liselotte drank the last of her ale. “We spent all summer and into the fall collecting wild grains,” she said. “It is what we use for the ale and flour, but even that store grows low. We will conserve until the early summer when the grains began to reach a state where they can be harvested early.”
Daniel looked at his clay plate, the meal he had just finished off. “Is everything you collect wild? You purchase
It was a statement wrought with anger and sorrow. Daniel quickly surmised that the subject of the older brother was not a pleasant one.
“Forgive me for bringing up a painful subject,” he said. “I was not aware.”
Etzel seemed to calm, realizing how harsh he must have sounded. “I know,” he said. “I apologize if I was abrupt. Brynner does not associate with the family and we do not associate with him. He wishes it that way. You can expect no help from him because, as you can see, he has left us to fend for ourselves as if he wants no part of us. It is shameful but true.”
Daniel suspected this was not the time for any further questions about the son Etzel identified as Brynner. It was a puzzling and seemingly sad situation, but he knew it really wasn’t any of his affair. He had already imposed himself on the family enough so he respected the information he was given as all he needed to know. It was evident they didn’t wish to speak of the brother so he changed the subject.
“My lady, your father and I were discussing all of the roads that lead south from Shadowmoor, roads or paths that Lord Bramley might not be watching,” he said, looking to Liselotte as he pulled apart the last of his bread. “He tells me that there are two roads, a main road and a smaller one, and then two smaller paths that lead over the hill towards Hawksworth and Guiseley. Can you think of any other roads that might be worth attempting when I try to send a message south?”
Successfully diverted off the painful subject of Brynner, Liselotte’s brow furrowed thoughtfully. “I do not,” she said. “Do you intend to take the message yourself?”
Daniel shook his head. “I intend to hire a messenger.”
Liselotte seemed hesitant when she spoke. “I see,” she said. “If that is the case, then I have been thinking… mind you, we’ve not had the money to hire a messenger but if we did, what if we were to go north to the villages of Cross Hills or Eastburn and find someone to take the message south? Lord Bramley doesn’t necessarily watch the roads leading north too much, only the ones that converge south towards Bradford. He more than likely would not think much of a lone messenger providing the man had money to pay Bramley’s road tariff. We have never tried to slip a message past him that way.”
Etzel looked at his daughter with some curiosity, as if he wasn’t certain her idea was a sound one, but Daniel smiled broadly at her. He didn’t seem to have the same reservation. “A brilliant idea, my lady,” he said. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
Liselotte grinned, blushing to the roots of her hair. “We have never had a reason to try something such as that,” she admitted. “We do not have the means.”
Daniel cocked his head. “But you have men here at Shadowmoor who could take a message and mayhap not be recognized or harassed,” he said. “Men who could take it straight to Henry.”
Etzel answered. “It takes money to travel,” he said. “We have none.”
“None to spare?”
“None at all.”
Daniel didn’t doubt that in the least. Shadowmoor was clearly poor but he thought they might have some small stash of coinage tucked away because certain items did need to be purchased. Therefore, he was surprised to hear there was absolutely nothing.
“Then where do you get money for flour and ale?” he asked. “You must purchase such things from a mill or a brewer wife.”
Liselotte drank the last of her ale. “We spent all summer and into the fall collecting wild grains,” she said. “It is what we use for the ale and flour, but even that store grows low. We will conserve until the early summer when the grains began to reach a state where they can be harvested early.”
Daniel looked at his clay plate, the meal he had just finished off. “Is everything you collect wild? You purchase
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