around them?
Nothing could have stopped the hissed warning from reaching Abby’s ears. There was desperation in the old woman’s slurred speech. Stark belief resonating in each consonant uttered, and firm conviction was laced in the tone of the message conveyed.
Abby was not wont to believe in local fables, legends, curses, and whatnot. She’d never been one for stories of this nature.
But the way in which she was warned made her want to caution herself. Made her wonder. It was as if a spell was being put on her. Suspending her thoughts and allowing impossible slander to root into her head and worm its way so deep, it could never be plucked away. So deep, she’d have to explore every facet until she knew the truth of the matter. A sliver of apprehension embedded itself right into her bones.
“Too late, Tommy boy.” The woman gave a bitter laugh.
“Too late. Truths have a way of coming out. Just helped her along in figuring it out sooner.”
When the woman released her arm, Abby swayed where she sat. She felt as though she’d been sitting in a room full of cigar smoke from her father and his acquaintances for too long. It lent to the light- headedness—the feeling of disembodiment.
The woman set her knobby cane to the cobbled road and wobbled away on rheumy legs. She limped with every step down the center of the town’s road, cutting a swath through everyone. Another cart went around her, pedestrians moved away, even the village children who were more focused on one another veered far out of the woman’s path.
Lord Brendall’s fingers were light under her chin as he tipped her up to face him. His lips were pinched in an angry frown, his eyes softer than they’d been since she’d met him. What he searched for she didn’t know.
“Thomas,” he called over his shoulder as he released her and turned his horse away from the cart.
Abby said nothing on the ride home with Thomas. He did not ask her any questions, did not ask what the old woman had whispered for her ears alone. She felt dazed with all the questions going through her head. There was a mystery to be solved. Secrets to uncover. And she hadn’t even been here two days. She would find the truth in the old woman’s words. If there was any truth in them.
Lord Brendall did not follow them back. When they arrived at the castle and her luggage was unloaded and taken to her room, she had no more energy after climbing the stairs.
She did not search out the child she was there to teach.
She could not. She could hardly think. There was one thing aside from finding the boy she must do on the morrow.
She had to find the grave that had been whispered about in her ear.
Unknown
Chapter 4
In leaving, the prince allowed his father’s rule to stand, despite his promises made to the woman he loved true.
—The Dragon of Brahmors
Abby did not find the grave. She’d had plenty of free time to herself in the last few days since she could not find her charge. Her search had been to no avail, so she doubted the grave’s existence. The woman who’d spoken to her in town had lacked a sound mind. In fact, Abby had given up the silly notion that there was a mystery to solve in regard to Lord Brendall.
The less she thought of him, the better.
The simple fact of the matter was that she shouldn’t care to know more about him. Giving in to the urge to find the grave showed she wanted to better understand him.
Good thing she’d come to her senses after a couple of fu-tile and rather frustrating searches.
Another mystery she had yet to solve was where her pupil whiled away his days. She’d seen neither hide nor hair of him. It was understandable why the governesses hired in the past didn’t stay on long. Without a child to teach, their days were spent idle. She didn’t like idle.
It seemed strange that the staff went about their day without looking after the boy. It shouldn’t surprise her that the boy was intentionally avoiding her. She thought maybe that
Nothing could have stopped the hissed warning from reaching Abby’s ears. There was desperation in the old woman’s slurred speech. Stark belief resonating in each consonant uttered, and firm conviction was laced in the tone of the message conveyed.
Abby was not wont to believe in local fables, legends, curses, and whatnot. She’d never been one for stories of this nature.
But the way in which she was warned made her want to caution herself. Made her wonder. It was as if a spell was being put on her. Suspending her thoughts and allowing impossible slander to root into her head and worm its way so deep, it could never be plucked away. So deep, she’d have to explore every facet until she knew the truth of the matter. A sliver of apprehension embedded itself right into her bones.
“Too late, Tommy boy.” The woman gave a bitter laugh.
“Too late. Truths have a way of coming out. Just helped her along in figuring it out sooner.”
When the woman released her arm, Abby swayed where she sat. She felt as though she’d been sitting in a room full of cigar smoke from her father and his acquaintances for too long. It lent to the light- headedness—the feeling of disembodiment.
The woman set her knobby cane to the cobbled road and wobbled away on rheumy legs. She limped with every step down the center of the town’s road, cutting a swath through everyone. Another cart went around her, pedestrians moved away, even the village children who were more focused on one another veered far out of the woman’s path.
Lord Brendall’s fingers were light under her chin as he tipped her up to face him. His lips were pinched in an angry frown, his eyes softer than they’d been since she’d met him. What he searched for she didn’t know.
“Thomas,” he called over his shoulder as he released her and turned his horse away from the cart.
Abby said nothing on the ride home with Thomas. He did not ask her any questions, did not ask what the old woman had whispered for her ears alone. She felt dazed with all the questions going through her head. There was a mystery to be solved. Secrets to uncover. And she hadn’t even been here two days. She would find the truth in the old woman’s words. If there was any truth in them.
Lord Brendall did not follow them back. When they arrived at the castle and her luggage was unloaded and taken to her room, she had no more energy after climbing the stairs.
She did not search out the child she was there to teach.
She could not. She could hardly think. There was one thing aside from finding the boy she must do on the morrow.
She had to find the grave that had been whispered about in her ear.
Unknown
Chapter 4
In leaving, the prince allowed his father’s rule to stand, despite his promises made to the woman he loved true.
—The Dragon of Brahmors
Abby did not find the grave. She’d had plenty of free time to herself in the last few days since she could not find her charge. Her search had been to no avail, so she doubted the grave’s existence. The woman who’d spoken to her in town had lacked a sound mind. In fact, Abby had given up the silly notion that there was a mystery to solve in regard to Lord Brendall.
The less she thought of him, the better.
The simple fact of the matter was that she shouldn’t care to know more about him. Giving in to the urge to find the grave showed she wanted to better understand him.
Good thing she’d come to her senses after a couple of fu-tile and rather frustrating searches.
Another mystery she had yet to solve was where her pupil whiled away his days. She’d seen neither hide nor hair of him. It was understandable why the governesses hired in the past didn’t stay on long. Without a child to teach, their days were spent idle. She didn’t like idle.
It seemed strange that the staff went about their day without looking after the boy. It shouldn’t surprise her that the boy was intentionally avoiding her. She thought maybe that