“No way.” Kevin vigorously shook his head. “Even if I wasn’t trying to stay as far away from him as I can, I wouldn’t do it. I am not forcing anyone into a marriage against their will. Forcing a man to stay with a woman when he doesn’t want to leads to all kinds of problems, including violence. You can tell them you asked me and I turned you down flat. I will not get in the middle of something like that.”
“I don’t blame you. It’s not your business any more than it’s mine.”
After a moment, Kevin said, “Shadron’s the only one left. He’s got to be next. Guess I should warn him.”
“Hope he doesn’t cause any problems there.”
“I do, too.” Kevin took out his key. “See you later.”
~~~~
When Kevin left Dayed’s, he went to Shadron’s house but no one was home, so he used his seeing eye to scan the pastures and fields. He spotted his uncle sitting on his horse near a small stream. Since no one else was in the immediate area, Kevin used his key. As he stepped out of the energy field a few feet away, Shadron’s horse did a little sidestep.
“Sorry,” Kevin said as Shadron dismounted. “Didn’t mean to spook her.”
Shadron shook his head. “She’s fine. Just startles easy. Now, what brought you all the way out here?”
“Gildan left Cedar Grove last Friday, and as you’re the only one he hasn’t visited yet, he’s probably on his way here.”
“Any idea what he’s doing?”
Kevin shook his head. “All he’s done so far is watch. And the only place he’s asked any questions as far as I know was Milhaven.”
Shadron nodded. “We’ll be on the lookout for him. Anything else?”
“Not at the moment, but if he does show up, let me know.”
After Kevin left, Shadron turned his horse around and headed towards the house. He went to his room, got the sketch of Gildan out of his drawer, and left again, this time headed for town.
When he reached Emerson, he went to see the owner of the inn. “Remember I told you someone might be coming around here?”
“The one you showed me a picture of?”
Shadron nodded and handed him the picture. “We think he’s on his way here.”
The innkeeper studied the picture and handed it back. “What do you want me to do when he gets here? Refuse to let him stay?”
Shadron shook his head as he folded the picture and put it back in his pocket. “No, give him a room if he wants it, but let me know he’s in town. And if he’s looking for work, send him my way.”
“You sure?”
Shadron nodded again. “If he’s around here, I want to know where he is and what he’s doing. That’ll be a lot easier if he’s working for me.”
~~~~
Gildan rode into Emerson on a Sunday afternoon near the middle of November. He sighed as he dismounted. His last stop. After this, his time was his own until he had to be in Trendon next summer. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do until then, but some time at the Octuro tables in Glenarbour was definitely on the list.
When he approached the innkeeper, he noticed that the man was looking at him pretty hard, but Gildan figured the man probably thought he was someone he knew. “Good afternoon,” Gildan said, taking off his hat. “I’d like a room for tonight if you have one available.”
The innkeeper turned the register around facing Gildan, picked up his pen, pointed to the next line, and handed the pen to Gildan. “Sign here and I’ll get your key. Do you plan to eat your meals in the tavern?”
Gildan nodded as he signed the book. “Do you serve breakfast?”
“Coffee and toast come with the room. If you want more than that, my wife will cook it to order. Do you want us to bill your food to your room? Or do you want to pay for it as you go?”
“Bill it, please.”
“Any idea how long you’ll be here?”
Gildan shrugged. “I’d like to find some work for a month or so.”
“Thinking of settling here?”
“No, just a stop in the road. I’m not one for setting down roots.”
The innkeeper nodded. “The only thing I know of right now is out at Shadron’s. He’s always got work for anyone willing to put in a full day. They have a nice bunkhouse, and from what I hear, the food’s good, too. And the work’s not bad, mending fences, working in the barns, things like that.”
“Sounds good. Who should I see?”
“His foreman comes most Sunday evenings. I’ll introduce you.”
“Thanks. I need someplace to board my horse.”
“Blacksmith’s at the edge of town. He has pasture and stall boarding. He probably won’t be in his shop today, but he lives next door. Just knock on his door.”
Gildan nodded as the innkeeper handed him his key. “Thanks.”
Once Gildan was upstairs and out of sight, the innkeeper took out a sheet of paper and jotted down a quick note. Then he went into the tavern and found his son. “Here, take this to Shadron.”
“Right now?”
The innkeeper nodded. “And be quick about it.”
~~~~
When Kevin got back from lunch Tuesday, Petri handed him a letter from Shadron. “This came while you were at lunch.”
Kevin nodded. “Thanks.”
He waited until he was at his desk to open it. Shadron got right to the point. Gildan had arrived in Emerson, and was working at Shadron’s.
“Talk about keeping your enemies close,” Kevin mumbled as Chris walked in.
“Who?”
“Gildan. He’s in Emerson, and Shadron’s hired him.”
Chris nodded. “Good idea. Easy to keep tabs on him that way.”
“But I can’t help but think he’s putting himself and Kayla at risk.”
“Why? Gildan hasn’t made a move against any of the others.”
“I know, but I still don’t like it.”
“What about Isak?”
“Huh?”
“So far, Gildan’s spent about a month in each area. Isak goes up there every other weekend. He’s not going this weekend, but he is the next. What do you want to do?”
Kevin started to shake his head, but stopped. “My first reaction was to keep him here, but maybe not. Let me think about it.”
Chris nodded. “In the meantime, you have some other mail to go through.” Chris set half a dozen messages on Kevin’s desk. “And when you’re done with those, I have more on my desk. I’ll be happy to share.”
~~~~
Kevin didn’t make up his mind to let Isak go to Shadron’s until the Friday night before he was supposed to go, but he also decided to warn him about Gildan. Isak was waiting when Kevin got to the office Saturday morning. Kevin went to his office and motioned for Isak to follow him.
After Isak was inside, Kevin said, “We need to talk,” and shut the door. “About a year ago, there was a man in town who asked Fenway a lot of questions about my aunts, uncles, and their families. Since then, he’s visited each of them.” Kevin paused. “That’s not exactly right. He didn’t go up to their door and introduce himself. He found a way to watch each of them from a distance. He worked on farms near Allisandra and Danyelle, camped out in the woods near Kyle’s, and moved in with a woman who lives near Dayed’s. He’s at Shadron’s now.”
“You mean he’s in the area?”
Kevin shook his head. “Shadron hired him. He’s staying in the bunkhouse. So you’ll run into him while you’re there.”
Isak frowned. “What’s he doing?”
“I wish I knew. So far all he’s done is watch. Danyelle spotted him several times in a hunting blind near her house but he never approached any of them, never asked any questions as far as she knows, never did anything but watch. That’s all he’s done everywhere. Just watch.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Nothing, but I wanted you to know about him before you went. His name’s Gildan.”
Isak nodded.
“The men who work
for Shadron know you’re a page, right?”
“Yes, and most of them know I’ve lived here since I was ten, but Shadron’s the only one who knows I was a slave before that.”
“Then Gildan will find out you’re connected to us. He may ask you some questions, he may not. If he does, answer them, but just tell him stuff that’s common knowledge, things he could find out from anyone in Milhaven. And remember what he asks so you can let me know.” When Isak nodded, Kevin took out his key. “I’ll be in and out this weekend, but I should be back by the time Chris picks you up. If not, I’d like for you to wait until I get here.”
Isak nodded, put his hand on Kevin’s arm, and they left.
~~~~
Chris picked Isak up shortly after Kevin got back from Crinsor Run Sunday evening.
When they got back, Kevin asked Isak how his weekend had been.
“Boring.”
“Why?”
“I spent the whole weekend checking fences with Gildan. Most boring job on the farm. We usually spend maybe a morning or an afternoon checking a pasture, but never the whole weekend. Was that your idea? To keep me with him?”
Kevin shook his head. “But it was a good idea. What did the two of you talk about?”
“At first he talked about himself. He told me stories about growing up in Riordan, some of the adventures he’s had traveling around Nandelia and Brendolanth, but nothing from anywhere in Camden.”
“Nothing about any of us? He didn’t ask you any questions?”
Isak’s cheeks turned a little pink. “He didn’t ask me anything about you, your family, or anyone at the castle. The only questions he asked were about women, things like were there any cute girls around here, was I interested in anyone, stuff like that. It was embarrassing.”
Kevin bit his lips to keep from smiling. “Sorry about that. I’m sure if Shadron had had any idea that’s the direction the conversation would take, he’d never have sent you out with him. He probably thought he’d say something that would give us an idea what he’s up to. If he’s still there when it’s time for you to go back, you can skip it if you want to.”
Isak nodded. “I might do that. See you in the morning.”
Chapter 58
New Beginnings
Towards the end of November, while Hayley and Marcus were planning their wedding, Marcus told her he wanted to be married and settled before the new year began. She agreed, as long as they could schedule the register signing in Bridgeport as well as the party in Milhaven without impinging on everyone’s Christmas plans. So they decided to celebrate their marriage the weekend before Christmas.
Morris told the couple he’d handle all the plans for a signing party in Bridgeport on Sunday afternoon, and Chris and Ainsley offered to handle the plans for a big party at Fenway’s on Saturday.
Marcus worked from sunup to sundown every day for two weeks prior to his wedding so he could have everything taken care of by the time he left. Although there were quite a few requests for his services as a sorcerer, there were more for his carpentry skills. Finally, on the Thursday before he was getting married, he marked the last item off his to-do list. He was done, provided nothing else came up before Saturday afternoon.
He spent Friday morning packing up all his stuff. After lunch, he stopped by Kevin’s office and asked if he had time to help him take his stuff to Bridgeport.
“You’re ready to go?”
Marcus nodded. “All packed.”
“Where are you sleeping tonight?”
“At my house. I need to get unpacked and clean up a bit.”
“Are you and Hayley going to live there or at the chapel?”
Marcus shook his head. “I don’t want to live at the chapel. I don’t plan to work for free after I move up there, and if I’m living at the chapel some of them might say they don’t need to pay me because I’m being paid by the town.”
“Good point. And Hayley’s all right with living at your place?”
“Not really,” Marcus admitted. “I live a couple of miles out of town, so if anything happens, it’ll take them a while to get her. And then there’s Sherri. Hayley doesn’t want her to stay there by herself. She’d be safe, Thom’s right next door, but I understand how she feels.”
“Marcus, you’re getting married this weekend. You need to know where you’re going to live.”
“We’re staying at my house Sunday night, which is why I want to get it cleaned up, get some wood cut, and raid my sister’s kitchen for food. But I’m going to put a small house in Thom’s pasture, basically a kitchen, sitting room, and bedroom. Once I get the lumber, it won’t take any time to get it up. I should have it ready for us to move in by next weekend.”
“I can help with the lumber,” Kevin said. “Dayed has plenty.”
Marcus shook his head. “I appreciate it, but Thom’s getting it together for me. What he doesn’t have already, we’ll pick up next week.”
“Well, let us know if you need anything.” Kevin stood up and took out his key. “Now, let’s go get your stuff.”
~~~~
Almost everyone who lived near Milhaven was at Fenway’s Saturday when Kevin went to Bridgeport to pick up Hayley and Marcus. The party was still going strong at six when Kevin picked up Theresa and Ariel. Finally, around midnight, the crowd started to thin, and by two, the only ones left were the guests of honor, the visitors from Elsewhere, Kevin, Chris, and Ainsley. Even Fenway had given up and gone home.
After the final goodbyes, Chris took Marcus and Hayley home while Kevin took Theresa and Ariel back to the island. Chris was waiting in Kevin’s room with Nikki and two mugs of scog when Kevin got back.
“I didn’t know if you wanted any more, but I did.” Chris pointed towards the second mug.
“Thanks.” Kevin sat down and ruffled Nikki’s fur. “You won’t believe what Theresa said.”
“What?”
“When Darrell introduced her to Serra tonight, he asked her if she could come back next weekend.”
“Why?”
“Because he and Serra are going to tie the knot.”
“Are you serious?”
“That’s what she said.”
“This is the first I’ve heard about it, but it wouldn’t surprise me. He’s been spending more and more time with her. I’ll ask him tomorrow and see what he says.”
Kevin leaned back in his chair. “I think things went well tonight, don’t you?”
Chris nodded. “We’re going to owe Fenway a load of money for all the food and scog they served tonight.”
“I know.” Then Kevin laughed. “Cryslyn can sell a couple more of my tunics if she needs to. I’ll even sign them if she wants me to.”
Chris laughed. “Guess you’ve gotten used to being a celebrity.”
“Not really, but if someone’s willing to pay good money for them, that’s on them.”
“You’re really going to miss him.”
“I know. And not just because of all the work he did around here. I’m going to miss being able to send him places to do things I can’t.”
“Like Glenco?”
“And Drisden and half a dozen other places. If it hadn’t been for him, we might never have been able to put an end to those slaver raids.”
“That was mainly a case of being in the right place at the right time.”
“True, but he thought to grab that key.”
Chris nodded. “Who are you going to get to take his place?”
Kevin didn’t answer immediately. “You know it’s not a real position, right? We created it to keep him here after Warren took Colin.”
“But you have to admit, it came in handy to have him around. I think we need to make it a permanent position and get it filled as soon as possible. You never know when an emergency will come up and you’ll need some help.”
Kevin shrugged. “If we need it, we can have a room full of sorcerers in five minutes. You know that. My father managed all those years without having a live-in sorcerer
to help out.”
“All right. We’ll do it your way, for now.”
Kevin nodded. “Post a notice in Fenway’s Monday that if anyone needs a sorcerer to let us know.”
“Maybe we should let them sign up down there instead of making them come up here.”
“Fenway’s not going to want to run that list up here.”
“He won’t have to. I’ll pick it up when I’m down there.”
“I guess that would work, provided the person’s not in a hurry. You don’t go to town but once or twice a month, and now that Rhianna’s not here, I doubt I’m down there that much. Maybe one of the guards could pick it up.”
Chris shook his head. “I’m down there four or five evenings a week.”
“You go down there that often?”
Chris nodded. “What did you think I was doing while you’re gone?
Kevin thought for a moment. “Blair’s usually gone by the time we finish dinner. Ainsley!”
“Ainsley what?
“You’re interested in Ainsley.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Then who?”
“Why does there have to be a who? Why can’t I just go down for a mug of scog and some company?”
Kevin laughed. “You have all the scog you want right here, and as for someone to talk to, there are plenty of people around, too. No, if you’re spending your own money for something you can get for free up here, there’s got to be a woman involved.”
“No, there’s not.”
“If you say so, but I still think it’s Ainsley.”
~~~~
Chris was waiting in Kevin’s office Sunday morning when he got back from sparring with Glendymere.
“Did you talk to Darrell?”
The Rambling Spy Page 59
