How?” Surely, he hadn’t been so
transparent that Cadwallon had perceived his interest. Impossible;
he had no interest in Elaine.
“You were pushing her hard during the early
part of our ride,” Cadwallon said, “all but wringing out of her the
information she didn’t want to speak. So she offered something
else.”
“Oh?” Desmond closed his mouth and waited,
knowing the other man would continue.
“That business about the king of France.”
Cadwallon laughed. “Elaine knows Royce, and I’ll wager she knows
what kind of work Royce does for King Henry. She also knows Royce
sent us here. It follows, then, that Elaine knows the kind of work
we do for Royce. So, she dangled poor, old King Louis the Fat
before you, and you took the bait.”
“Are you suggesting Elaine lied?” Suddenly,
inexplicably, Desmond’s fingers itched to wrap themselves about
Cadwallon’s neck.
“Of course not.” Cadwallon laughed again.
“She took great care not to lie. She mentioned a suspicion, then
changed it to an impression. And you did what she wanted. You let
the question of what Elaine knows about her sister but isn’t
telling us drop unanswered and unexplored.”
“So I did.” Desmond was ready to give credit
where it was deserved. “As you said, a clever woman. I admit I fell
into her trap. But later, when you left us alone there on the
beach, I set a snare for her.”
“And?” Cadwallon regarded him with a
smile.
“She neatly avoided my trap by following you
into the water.” He didn’t mention holding Elaine’s hand.
“And in the water, she avoided my questions
with her innocent prattle about seashells. All of which means,”
Cadwallon said, “we have to concentrate on the issue that brought
us here, and not allow Elaine to distract us again.
“Ewan,” Cadwallon went on, turning to his
waiting squire, “did you learn anything from Jean the kitchen
boy?”
“Aye, my lord,” Ewan responded. “Jean adores
both Lady Aglise and Lady Elaine. He’s from Gorey village, so he
knows all the fishermen and many of the sailors who put in at
Gorey. It seems there’s a regular traffic between Jersey and
Normandy, and with England, too. I think you were correct to say
Jean is the person Lady Aglise would apply to if she wanted to
leave the island. But he swears she didn’t leave. He’s truly
worried about her.”
“I’ve heard much the same from every
man-at-arms or squire I spoke to today,” Richard added.
“So, Cadwallon said, “it seems Elaine is not
mistaken in her contention that her sister is still here on
Jersey.”
His glance caught and held Desmond’s and it
was Desmond who said what both of them had likely been thinking for
most of the day.
“If Lady Aglise is still here, and no one has
seen or heard from her since February,” Desmond said, “then she
must certainly be dead.”
Chapter 4
“No, you may not ride out again with those
men,” Lady Benedicta told Elaine. “Your absence yesterday left your
chores undone. We don’t have enough maidservants to do your work as
well as their own.”
“I’m sorry if you and the maids were
inconvenienced,” Elaine said. “But, surely, finding a missing woman
is more important than mending torn sheets or supervising the
scrubbing of the stillroom floor.”
“Not if the woman is missing of her own
volition.” Lady Benedicta’s mouth snapped shut on the abrupt,
coldly spoken words.
Elaine knew there was no arguing with her in
her present mood. Only a display of meek obedience would soften
her. Elaine resolved to keep silence on the subject of Aglise for
the entire day. She told herself it scarcely mattered whether she
went with Desmond and Cadwallon, or not. When the men returned from
their second day of searching, she’d learn if they had discovered
any sign of her sister. If Desmond refused to answer her questions
she would attempt to persuade the kindly Cadwallon to tell her what
she wanted to know.
So, over the next few
transparent that Cadwallon had perceived his interest. Impossible;
he had no interest in Elaine.
“You were pushing her hard during the early
part of our ride,” Cadwallon said, “all but wringing out of her the
information she didn’t want to speak. So she offered something
else.”
“Oh?” Desmond closed his mouth and waited,
knowing the other man would continue.
“That business about the king of France.”
Cadwallon laughed. “Elaine knows Royce, and I’ll wager she knows
what kind of work Royce does for King Henry. She also knows Royce
sent us here. It follows, then, that Elaine knows the kind of work
we do for Royce. So, she dangled poor, old King Louis the Fat
before you, and you took the bait.”
“Are you suggesting Elaine lied?” Suddenly,
inexplicably, Desmond’s fingers itched to wrap themselves about
Cadwallon’s neck.
“Of course not.” Cadwallon laughed again.
“She took great care not to lie. She mentioned a suspicion, then
changed it to an impression. And you did what she wanted. You let
the question of what Elaine knows about her sister but isn’t
telling us drop unanswered and unexplored.”
“So I did.” Desmond was ready to give credit
where it was deserved. “As you said, a clever woman. I admit I fell
into her trap. But later, when you left us alone there on the
beach, I set a snare for her.”
“And?” Cadwallon regarded him with a
smile.
“She neatly avoided my trap by following you
into the water.” He didn’t mention holding Elaine’s hand.
“And in the water, she avoided my questions
with her innocent prattle about seashells. All of which means,”
Cadwallon said, “we have to concentrate on the issue that brought
us here, and not allow Elaine to distract us again.
“Ewan,” Cadwallon went on, turning to his
waiting squire, “did you learn anything from Jean the kitchen
boy?”
“Aye, my lord,” Ewan responded. “Jean adores
both Lady Aglise and Lady Elaine. He’s from Gorey village, so he
knows all the fishermen and many of the sailors who put in at
Gorey. It seems there’s a regular traffic between Jersey and
Normandy, and with England, too. I think you were correct to say
Jean is the person Lady Aglise would apply to if she wanted to
leave the island. But he swears she didn’t leave. He’s truly
worried about her.”
“I’ve heard much the same from every
man-at-arms or squire I spoke to today,” Richard added.
“So, Cadwallon said, “it seems Elaine is not
mistaken in her contention that her sister is still here on
Jersey.”
His glance caught and held Desmond’s and it
was Desmond who said what both of them had likely been thinking for
most of the day.
“If Lady Aglise is still here, and no one has
seen or heard from her since February,” Desmond said, “then she
must certainly be dead.”
Chapter 4
“No, you may not ride out again with those
men,” Lady Benedicta told Elaine. “Your absence yesterday left your
chores undone. We don’t have enough maidservants to do your work as
well as their own.”
“I’m sorry if you and the maids were
inconvenienced,” Elaine said. “But, surely, finding a missing woman
is more important than mending torn sheets or supervising the
scrubbing of the stillroom floor.”
“Not if the woman is missing of her own
volition.” Lady Benedicta’s mouth snapped shut on the abrupt,
coldly spoken words.
Elaine knew there was no arguing with her in
her present mood. Only a display of meek obedience would soften
her. Elaine resolved to keep silence on the subject of Aglise for
the entire day. She told herself it scarcely mattered whether she
went with Desmond and Cadwallon, or not. When the men returned from
their second day of searching, she’d learn if they had discovered
any sign of her sister. If Desmond refused to answer her questions
she would attempt to persuade the kindly Cadwallon to tell her what
she wanted to know.
So, over the next few
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