places
several times,” Lady Benedicta noted with a disapproving sniff.
“They found no trace of Aglise.”
“So I told them,” Elaine said. “They insisted
they needed to see the island for themselves, so they can decide
where to concentrate their efforts.”
“It’s a waste of time, when the silly girl is
already gone,” Lady Benedicta said. She paused, a few sprigs of
lavender still in her hands, and shot an irritated glance in
Elaine’s direction. “Really, I am most displeased with you for
writing that letter. You ought to be ashamed of yourself for
bothering Lord Royce when he has far more important matters to
attend to. You should not have encouraged him to send his men here.
I’m sure they could be put to better use elsewhere.”
“I suppose you are right, if you truly
believe Aglise is gone from Jersey,” Elaine admitted with a
sigh.
“If you will only think honestly about your
sister’s character, you will realize I am, indeed, right. Aglise is
a foolish, troublesome girl. Now that Lord Bertrand has determined
she is not on Jersey, the problem of finding her rests on your
mother’s shoulders, not on yours – nor on my lord Bertrand’s
shoulders, or even upon our two visitors.”
“Yes, my lady.” Elaine did her best to sound
meek, though she was angry enough to rip apart the shelves that
were so neatly stacked with clean linens. She didn’t think she
could bear another disparaging word from Lady Benedicta on the
subject of Aglise. Nothing, nothing , was more important than
finding Aglise, and everyone who knew her ought to be seriously
concerned until she was found.
“They discovered nothing, did they?”
“I beg your pardon, my lady,” Elaine said. “I
was wool-gathering. What did you ask me?”
“Pay attention when I speak. Your
knights-errant found no useful evidence?”
“No, my lady.” Elaine realized that Lady
Benedicta’s persistent queries weren’t aimed solely at criticizing
Aglise. She suspected Elaine of knowing more about Aglise’s
disappearance than she was telling, and she saw it as her duty to
discover what that knowledge was. Doubtless she also felt compelled
to do all she could to guard Lord Bertrand’s honor as designated
protector of the sisters and, thus, to safeguard her own good name
as well. The possibility of a scandal brought upon them by Aglise’s
conduct must be deeply troubling to Lady Benedicta. Though Elaine
experienced a stirring of reluctant sympathy toward her foster
mother, she was not going to betray her sister. She thanked heaven
that she could answer Lady Benedicta’s last question honestly.
“If Desmond and Cadwallon had discovered
anything at all to do with Aglise, I would have told you and Lord
Bertrand at once. They learned nothing that I am aware of.”
“Well then, we may dare to hope they will go
away and leave us in peace.”
“I believe they are only waiting for the ship
that brought them to return for them,” Elaine said. She tactfully
refrained from pointing out that on any given day Lord Bertrand’s
men-at-arms, many of whom were frequently drunk, did far more to
disturb the peace of Warden’s Manor than Lord Royce’s two men.
“They needn’t wait at all,” said Lady
Benedicta. “Any ship leaving Gorey Harbour for Normandy can take
them along as passengers.”
“But, if you should suggest as much to them,
my lady,” Elaine said, trying her best to sound as if it were an
innocent question, “won’t you seem inhospitable?”
Lady Benedicta did not respond. With her lips
pressed together in a stern expression, she finished counting the
sheets, then stalked out of the room, her skirts swishing along the
floor. Over her shoulder she called a brusque command for Elaine to
see the solar thoroughly cleaned before the morning ended.
At the midday meal Lord Bertrand was even
more emphatic than his wife that Desmond and Cadwallon ought to
finish their work and leave as soon as possible. Again he berated
Elaine for
several times,” Lady Benedicta noted with a disapproving sniff.
“They found no trace of Aglise.”
“So I told them,” Elaine said. “They insisted
they needed to see the island for themselves, so they can decide
where to concentrate their efforts.”
“It’s a waste of time, when the silly girl is
already gone,” Lady Benedicta said. She paused, a few sprigs of
lavender still in her hands, and shot an irritated glance in
Elaine’s direction. “Really, I am most displeased with you for
writing that letter. You ought to be ashamed of yourself for
bothering Lord Royce when he has far more important matters to
attend to. You should not have encouraged him to send his men here.
I’m sure they could be put to better use elsewhere.”
“I suppose you are right, if you truly
believe Aglise is gone from Jersey,” Elaine admitted with a
sigh.
“If you will only think honestly about your
sister’s character, you will realize I am, indeed, right. Aglise is
a foolish, troublesome girl. Now that Lord Bertrand has determined
she is not on Jersey, the problem of finding her rests on your
mother’s shoulders, not on yours – nor on my lord Bertrand’s
shoulders, or even upon our two visitors.”
“Yes, my lady.” Elaine did her best to sound
meek, though she was angry enough to rip apart the shelves that
were so neatly stacked with clean linens. She didn’t think she
could bear another disparaging word from Lady Benedicta on the
subject of Aglise. Nothing, nothing , was more important than
finding Aglise, and everyone who knew her ought to be seriously
concerned until she was found.
“They discovered nothing, did they?”
“I beg your pardon, my lady,” Elaine said. “I
was wool-gathering. What did you ask me?”
“Pay attention when I speak. Your
knights-errant found no useful evidence?”
“No, my lady.” Elaine realized that Lady
Benedicta’s persistent queries weren’t aimed solely at criticizing
Aglise. She suspected Elaine of knowing more about Aglise’s
disappearance than she was telling, and she saw it as her duty to
discover what that knowledge was. Doubtless she also felt compelled
to do all she could to guard Lord Bertrand’s honor as designated
protector of the sisters and, thus, to safeguard her own good name
as well. The possibility of a scandal brought upon them by Aglise’s
conduct must be deeply troubling to Lady Benedicta. Though Elaine
experienced a stirring of reluctant sympathy toward her foster
mother, she was not going to betray her sister. She thanked heaven
that she could answer Lady Benedicta’s last question honestly.
“If Desmond and Cadwallon had discovered
anything at all to do with Aglise, I would have told you and Lord
Bertrand at once. They learned nothing that I am aware of.”
“Well then, we may dare to hope they will go
away and leave us in peace.”
“I believe they are only waiting for the ship
that brought them to return for them,” Elaine said. She tactfully
refrained from pointing out that on any given day Lord Bertrand’s
men-at-arms, many of whom were frequently drunk, did far more to
disturb the peace of Warden’s Manor than Lord Royce’s two men.
“They needn’t wait at all,” said Lady
Benedicta. “Any ship leaving Gorey Harbour for Normandy can take
them along as passengers.”
“But, if you should suggest as much to them,
my lady,” Elaine said, trying her best to sound as if it were an
innocent question, “won’t you seem inhospitable?”
Lady Benedicta did not respond. With her lips
pressed together in a stern expression, she finished counting the
sheets, then stalked out of the room, her skirts swishing along the
floor. Over her shoulder she called a brusque command for Elaine to
see the solar thoroughly cleaned before the morning ended.
At the midday meal Lord Bertrand was even
more emphatic than his wife that Desmond and Cadwallon ought to
finish their work and leave as soon as possible. Again he berated
Elaine for
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