The Rambling Spy

by Mackenzie Morgan

  “But…” Chris started.

  “No buts. Come on. You’ll like it.”

  ~~~~

  Chris was sitting at his desk when Kevin and Nikki got back from their walk with Rhianna. As Nikki ran over to say hello, Kevin said, “I didn’t see you at dinner tonight. Where were you?”

  “Darrell wanted to eat at Fenway’s so we went there,” Chris answered as he petted Nikki.

  “How did you like it?”

  The grin on Chris’s face said it all. “I had the best chicken pie, and the bread…heavenly.”

  Kevin laughed. “I told you you’d like it. Blair can cook.”

  “But the pièce de résistance? Chocolate cake with some kind of raspberry filling.” Chris’s eyes took on a dreamy look. After a moment he shook his head. “Anyway, Darrell and I sat there and talked for a while. Fenway joined us for a bit, too. From what he said, business has picked up enough he may need to hire someone to help out before long.”

  “With serving? Or in the kitchen?”

  “In the kitchen. He said between them, he and Ainsley could handle the customers, but Blair was going to need some help if they got much busier. He’s thinking about serving breakfast too, and if they do, she’s going to have some long days.”

  Kevin nodded. “Rhianna said something about all the hours she’s been putting in at Fenway’s. I think Doreen’s planning to have a quiet word with Ainsley about it.”

  “She may have already done it. That may be where Fenway’s comments about hiring some help came from.” Chris put the papers he’d been going through in the drawer. “Want anything to go with your scog?”

  “Miranda had blackberry pie for dinner tonight. If you see any of that…”

  Chris nodded. “See you upstairs.”

  Chapter 22

  News from Sean

  Sean began recognizing landmarks around the beginning of October, and by the middle of the first full week, he knew they were a few miles outside Fall Creek, which was about fifty miles from Milhaven.

  As they rode by a sheltered clearing near a stream, Sean said, “This would be a good spot to set up camp. We’ll be here for a while, so I’ll put up a lean-to.”

  “Why are we staying here?”

  “I want to be sure it’s still all right with Myron for us to stay in Camden before we go any farther.”

  “How are you going to ask him?”

  “I’ll go into Fall Creek tomorrow and ask the local sister to send a letter to Myron by way of Sister Agnes in Milhaven.”

  “Do you think she’ll do it?”

  “Probably. If not, I’ll think of something else, but I don’t want to look for work in this area until I check with him. He told me it would be all right, but he may have changed his mind. After all, I was sent here to kill him.”

  Kitra shuddered. “He won’t try to kill you, will he?”

  “He’s had plenty of opportunities to do that if he wanted to. No, he might not want me in the area, but he won’t kill me.”

  “What are we going to do if he says we have to leave?”

  “We’ll head south and west, cross the Kivee, and find a place in Nandelia. Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.”

  ~~~~

  Sister Agnes got Sean’s letter Friday afternoon. There were two sheets of paper inside the little pouch, one with her name on the outside, the other with Myron’s. After quickly reading the letter Sean had written her, she called Duri in and handed her the letter addressed to Myron. “Would you run this up to the castle, please?”

  Duri looked at the letter and frowned.

  “Mail is often sent by way of sisters when the sender doesn’t want to chance it being intercepted. No one looks twice at mail going from one chapel to another. You can take the buggy if you like. We shouldn’t need it this afternoon.”

  Duri nodded and left Sister Agnes’s office.

  Half an hour later, Chris walked into Kevin’s office and handed him the letter. “Special delivery by way of the sisters’ network.”

  Kevin raised his eyebrows and opened the letter. After he read it, he handed it back to Chris. “Sean found his girl and married her. They’re camped outside Fall Creek.”

  “Why?” Chris asked as he looked at the letter.

  “He said they set up a temporary camp rather than ride into town because he wanted to be sure it was still all right for him to be here.

  “But why come here at all?”

  “It’s not safe for him to be in Brendolanth. According to Cpt. Garen, Rolan told them they could not return unless I was dead.”

  “But after he and his wife left Brendolanth, there were a lot of places they could have stayed before they got here, places Rolan would never think to look even if he wanted to find them.”

  “I think Sean’s here because he’s hoping he’ll be able to join up with Garen, and he has a better chance of finding them if he’s here.”

  “Does he think you’ll take him to the island?”

  Kevin shook his head. “I doubt it. My guess is he thinks if I know where he is, I’ll let Cpt. Garen know so they can send for him when Landis comes back. He doesn’t know about the island. All he knows is they’re somewhere isolated.”

  “What are you going to tell him?”

  Kevin thought for a moment. “I think I’ll invite him to come to Milhaven. As far as we know, Rolan hasn’t sent anyone else down here, but that won’t last. It would be nice to have someone around who might recognize them.”

  “But wouldn’t being here put him and his wife in danger?”

  “Depends on how he plays it.” Kevin stood up and took out his key. “I’ll leave it up to him. They can stay in Fall Creek if they’d rather, but in the meantime, we have a house full of furniture sitting right outside town they could probably use.”

  “Which house is that?”

  “The one that belongs to Shana’s family. Think I’ll go see if they’re ready to come back yet. If not, maybe they wouldn’t mind letting Sean and his wife live there for a while. In the meantime, send a letter back to Sean by way of the sisters. Tell him to meet me at the chapel in Fall Creek at three Sunday afternoon. Back in a little bit.” And with a turn of the key, he was gone.

  When he got to Allisandra’s, she and Lysette were out back in the garden. As he watched Lysette toddle around while Allisandra worked, a longing stirred somewhere deep in his heart. He’d never felt the desire for children before, but he did now, and he wanted them with Rhianna. As that realization hit him, he gave his head a little shake and took a deep breath. Too soon for those thoughts.

  Allisandra turned towards him without getting up. “Is something wrong with Laryn?”

  Kevin shook his head. “She’s fine. Everyone’s fine. Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

  With a nod, his aunt stood up and wiped her hands. “Let’s go inside and have a cup of tea, or coffee if you prefer.” She held her hand out to Lysette. “Come, little one. Let’s get you something to drink.”

  “Dwink!” Lysette waddled towards her mother with her arms up, reaching for Allisandra. “Dwink.”

  Allisandra laughed as she picked her daughter up. Then, with her child in her arms, she led the way inside. She helped Lysette sit in her high chair and, as she put the kettle on, asked Kevin what she could do for him.

  “There’s someone I’d like to put in Shana’s parents’ house, but before I say anything to them, I wanted to ask you if you know their plans. I’m afraid if I tell them what I want to do, they’ll tell me to go ahead regardless of how they feel, but it’s their house. If they want to go back to Milhaven, I can find somewhere else for the other couple. ”

  Allisandra handed Lysette her drink. “I have my doubts they’ll ever want to go back to Milhaven, even to visit. Shana’s found a job in the tavern, her mother’s the housekeeper for the inn, and her father’s a clerk in the general store. Right now they’re still staying here, but several of the men have been talking about building a house for them after they get th
e harvest in. But they may want their furniture.”

  Kevin nodded. “I can bring down whatever they want. When would be a good time to talk to them?”

  “This evening around seven or so. Craven and I can take Lysette visiting so you can have the front room to yourselves.”

  Kevin nodded and reached for his key.

  “Oh, no, you don’t!” Allisandra pointed to the kitchen table. “Have a seat. You and I have a few things to talk about.”

  After Allisandra fixed their tea and sat down, she tried to pump Kevin for information about what Laryn had already gotten for the baby and what else she needed.

  Finally he said, “I don’t know what she has. Mia’s Laryn’s housekeeper, and from what Cryslyn told me, Mia knows everything about taking care of a baby. I’m sure between the two of them Laryn will have everything she needs. Why?”

  “Because Kayla, Danyelle, and I are planning to furnish the nursery.”

  “Then you need to ask Cryslyn or Mia what she needs. If you want to write a note to them, I’ll take it back with me.”

  “And bring me their answers when you come back this evening. And if I need to send letters to Danyelle and Kayla, you can deliver them on your way home.” Allisandra stood up and put her cup in the sink. “I’ll be right back.” As she left the kitchen, she called back over her shoulder, “Finish up your tea. You need to head back as soon as I’m done so they’ll have time to get the answers for me before you come back. And keep an eye on Lysette!”

  ~~~~

  Rhianna knocked on Kevin’s door shortly before dinner. When he glanced up she asked, “Got a minute?”

  Kevin smiled and leaned back in his chair. “Of course.” After Rhianna sat down, he said, “I’m glad you dropped by. I was going to send you a note. I’ve got to go to Ardmore after dinner tonight. I’m not sure how long I’ll be there, but I hope to get back before nine at the latest.”

  “That’s fine,” Rhianna said. “I’ve got a few things I need to do. That’ll give me plenty of time to get them done.”

  “Now, what’s brought you to the castle this late in the day?”

  “I haven’t been home yet. I spent most of the afternoon talking to Laryn.”

  “Is everything all right?”

  “Everything’s fine,” Rhianna answered. “How would you feel about me teaching Laryn and Marshall how to connect with nature and work with the elements, like you did for me?”

  “That’s a good idea. I should have thought of it, especially for Marshall. I always assumed either Laryn wasn’t interested or the elven magic in her blood wasn’t strong enough.”

  Rhianna shook her head. “No one ever mentioned it to her and she was too busy to think about it. But she’s going to have a child, one who will have the same amount of elven blood as you do, and she needs to be able to teach her child.”

  “And you can’t teach what you don’t know.”

  Rhianna nodded.

  “When are you planning to start?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  Kevin frowned. “So soon? I thought you’d wait until after the baby’s born.”

  “Why? She’ll be too busy taking care of the baby then, and besides, she could use a diversion now. She’s getting really tired of being pregnant.”

  “How do you know?”

  Rhianna raised her eyebrows. “Have you talked to her lately?”

  Kevin hesitated. “Come to think of it, not in a while. We speak in passing, but as to actually talking, I think the last time was when she told me she was pregnant.”

  Rhianna nodded. “I think she’s bored. When I asked her if she’d like to learn, she jumped at it.”

  “What did Marshall say?”

  “At first he wasn’t too enthusiastic. I think he was afraid his grandfather was behind it, but when I explained it was my idea and his grandfather doesn’t need to know about it, he was a lot more interested.”

  “I wonder if his mother knows how to use hers.”

  “She may, but Dougan doesn’t strike me as one to spend a lot of time teaching anyone other than soldiers.” Rhianna stood up. “I’m going home and get cleaned up. Want me to take Nikki with me? She can play with Shelley while you’re gone.”

  “Is she around? Marshall may have taken her off somewhere.”

  “They were at the stable when I came in. If she’s not there, I’ll find her. See you this evening.”

  ~~~~

  It was well after ten before Kevin and Nikki made it back to the castle, so they went straight upstairs. Chris was stretched out on the couch with his eyes closed until Nikki rushed over to say hello.

  “How’d it go in Ardmore?” Chris asked as he sat up and rubbed Nikki’s ears.

  “Fine.” Kevin plopped down in a chair across from Chris. “I couldn’t believe the change in Shana’s parents. I don’t think I’d have recognized them if I’d met them anywhere except Allisandra’s.”

  “Why”

  “They look twenty years younger.”

  “Amazing what fresh air and food will do for you,” Chris said. “What do they want to do?”

  “They said they don’t care what we do with the house. They have no intention of ever coming back here. They don’t want anything from here either, not their furniture or anything else. Shana said they’ve even gotten rid of all the clothes she packed for them.”

  “They’re taking the fresh start idea to a whole new level.”

  Kevin shrugged. “Apparently it’s working for them.”

  “So where are they going to live?”

  “In Ardmore. They’ve found some land right outside town. I told Alli to find out what they need and let me know.”

  Chris nodded as he stood up and stretched. “I want some scog. Want any?”

  “Sounds good. By the way, did anything happen this evening I need to know about?”

  Chris shook his head as he headed out. “Back in a minute.”

  Ten minutes later Chris was back with a mug of scog for each of them. “Are you going to tell Cpt. Garen you’ve heard from Sean?”

  Kevin nodded. “I’m going out there tomorrow to pick up Callie’s grocery order. I’ll talk to him then.”

  “What if he wants Sean to join them?”

  “He can, once Landis is trained and ready to come back.”

  ~~~~

  Chris was still in the office Friday evening when Kevin and Nikki got back from their walk with Rhianna.

  “I need to go to Elsewhere,” Kevin said. “Can you keep Nikki?”

  Chris nodded. “I’m just going to finish up a couple of these notes, so we’ll probably be upstairs by the time you get back. Do you want anything other than scog?”

  “Not tonight.” Kevin took out his key and left.

  When Kevin got to the island, he stopped by the dining hall to pick up Callie’s grocery order and then dropped by Theresa’s cave to see if she needed anything.

  “I was hoping I’d see you today.” Theresa pulled a note out of her pocket and handed it to him. “Send this to Hayley when you get back. I need to go to Rainbow Valley for a few days next week and I’d like for her to meet me there. Let me know when you can take us.”

  Kevin nodded. “Anything else?”

  “Not for me. You’re going to check in with Torrey, aren’t you?”

  “That’s my next stop. Why?”

  “She misses Ashni. Why don’t you suggest she go with me next week?”

  “Okay. How long do you want to stay? She’ll want to know.”

  “I need at least two full days, as in daylight days.”

  “If I pick you up late afternoon my time next Wednesday, and bring you back Saturday morning, would that give you enough time?”

  Theresa nodded. “As long as Hayley can fit in a visit while I’m there. If not, find out when she can manage it and we’ll go from there. I’m pretty flexible. Taelor can handle things around here.”

  “If you don’t hear anything from me, I’ll meet you and Torrey here next W
ednesday.”

  “Okay. See you then.”

  After Kevin talked to Torrey, he went in search of Cpt. Garen. He found him on the beach. After they talked about a few things on the island, Kevin told him about Sean.

  “I’m glad he found Kitra. He worried about her the whole time we were in Milhaven.”

  “Why didn’t he go back for her?”

  “Same reason I didn’t go back to get Gilean and the children. We were afraid we’d get them killed. Sean took a chance, even after all this time. Of course it helped that Rolan had no idea he was interested in her.” After a moment, he asked, “What’s going to happen to them now? Are they going to join the others in Nandelia?”

  “I don’t know. I’m meeting with him Sunday to see what he wants to do. There’s a house in Milhaven they can have if they want it. It’s furnished and ready to live in. It’s been vacant since the beginning of June, so it’ll need a good clean, but it’s in good shape.”

  Cpt. Garen frowned. “How do you happen to have a furnished house available?”

  Kevin told Cpt. Garen about Shana, her parents, and Rolan. “I talked to them last night. They’ve made a life for themselves in the town I took them to after I got them back from Rolan, and they have no desire to come back to Milhaven. Can’t say I blame them.”

  “Rolan has caused so much trouble in so many places. Hope I live to see the day Brendolanth is free of him.” Cpt. Garen shook his head. “Let me know what Sean decides to do. When Landis is ready to leave the island I’d like for him to join us.”

  Kevin nodded as he took out his key. “I’ll let him know. See you next week.”

  ~~~~

  Sean was waiting outside the Chapel of Light in Fall Creek when Kevin got there Sunday afternoon. As Sean walked up, Kevin said, “Glad to see you made it out of Trendon. Let’s walk while we talk.”

  When Kevin was sure they were out of earshot, he asked, “Did you run into any trouble?”

  Sean shook his head. “I didn’t go into Trendon until midnight and from the time I got there until we left a couple of weeks later, I didn’t leave her parents’ house. I mainly stayed in the cellar.”