Cal laughed. “You should let your hair down, James. Have a little fun. Life’s too short to waste on work and boredom.”
“I’ll have you know my life has been anything but boring of late.”
“Do tell!” Cal settled against the kitchen bench and poured himself another mug of tea. “I believe the master jeweler is blushing!”
He fixed Cal with a cold stare. “You wish. I refer to one of my traveling companions. I had the pleasure of Vard Anton’s company for the last two days.”
Cal whistled. “My, my, the elusive captain returns. Where is he now?”
James sighed. “I don’t know where he went. I set Dael to follow him. That lasted all of an hour.”
“Not surprising. The man is a legend. It’s said he returned from insanity to find Princess Alecia. They were linked at one time. He was her protector.”
James waved his hand. “I know all of that. And he is only a man. I didn’t detect any madness while he was with us, although he did keep to himself.”
“There are other rumors.” His friend fixed him with a sly smile. “It is also said you entered Brightcastle with an attractive woman, wearing men’s garb. Who is she?”
James stiffened. “Just a traveler we met on the road. No one you need to know about.”
“You know better than that, James. Like you, I need to monitor any strangers in Brightcastle. If you won’t tell me, I shall have to seek out the lass myself. I may even share a meal with her …”
“Stay away from her,” James snapped. Damn, now he’ll know she is someone of interest, at least to me. “She’s visiting a sick friend. Nothing to concern you.”
“Mmm.” Cal tapped his lips as he watched James. “I’ll leave her alone for now, but she had better behave herself while in town.”
James ground his teeth. Katrine would get herself into trouble the first time she left Hetty’s house. His gut took a dive as his thoughts leaped to what trouble she might attract. Perhaps he’d watch her himself or get Dael to do it when he was unable to. But what about when he left for Costa? She would be on her own. And it was what he wanted, to be out of her life forever.
“Do what you must,” James snapped. “You will anyway. I have people to meet.” He pulled a sealed parchment from his pocket and handed it to Cal. “I would appreciate it if you could send this note to Lady Stenmore.”
“Certainly. Have a good day, and I’ll meet you for dinner at our usual haunt.”
James waved distractedly as he left the shop via the back alley, his thoughts already on those he needed to see while in Brightcastle. They were craftsmen from all the guilds in the city, and they formed his eyes and ears. He spent the morning collecting news from his network and, by luncheon, had a pocket full of notes and a head full of information that required sifting through.
The next person on his list was Lady Stenmore. Her residence was the perfect place to sort through the mess of information he had gleaned. Luckily, he was only a short walk from her mansion, though luck had nothing to do with it.
He stepped through her front gate and across a paved courtyard to the steps and front door. As he raised his hand to knock, her steward opened the door and bowed.
“Lady Stenmore has been expecting you, sir.”
“Hello, Roth,” James said. “How is her ladyship?”
“She is well, sir,” Roth said as he took James’s cloak. “Please follow me to the drawing room.”
The steward was full of airs and graces. James had never seen him smile in all the time he had known the man. He stepped through the door of the drawing room, and a beautiful blonde woman in a black satin gown stood to greet him. Melanis Stenmore.
“James,” she said, embracing him and kissing both of his cheeks. “It’s marvelous to see you.” She turned to Roth. “Have luncheon served in here.”
The servant left, and Melanis drew James to her, lips close to his ear. “I’ve missed you terribly. When are we to make our betrothal public, so I will never be without you again?”
“You would still be on your own when I traveled, Lady Stenmore,” he replied, pulling away from her and crossing to the fireplace where a cheerful blaze warmed the room.
She was not to be daunted by his words. She walked up behind him, and her arms circled his middle, her jasmine fragrance filling his nose. “So formal, darling. There is no one to hear.” Her nails scored his chest, reminding him of Katrine’s, and a kernel of passion stirred.
He snatched a breath and turned to her, pulling her against his chest and threading his fingers up into her hair. His lips crashed against hers, and, for a moment, he was lost in the sensual dance he had come to expect with Melanis. But unease curled its way up from within, and, no matter how his body wished to fall into old habits, he pulled away. “I had work in mind. Can you help me sort through the information I received this morning?”
She pouted, and he reflected it looked silly on this elegant woman. “I don’t want to work. Why would you suggest that when we have been apart for so long?”
Indeed, why? He didn’t know himself. Every other visit he had paid to Melanis resulted in them ending up in bed together, even though their betrothal was not yet official. Only this time, he had less desire to sample her delights—and they were many. Melanis knew how to pleasure a man. He often wondered how a lady had learned all the tricks in her repertoire. But where once a marriage to Lady Stenmore had appeared the ideal pathway to a life of comfort and predictability, now he wasn’t sure.
“I have much on my mind, Melanis. Don’t press me, or I’ll find somewhere else to work.”
Her eyes widened at his snappy retort. “You have tired of me.”
“How can I have tired of you? I haven’t seen you.”
“They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I rather think it’s the opposite.” She folded her arms across her middle, and her pale blue eyes conveyed a world of hurt. “There is someone else. I know the signs.”
He shook his head. “There is no one else.” Hadn’t he deliberately distanced himself from Katrine because of Melanis?
Roth arrived with luncheon which he set out on the sideboard. Neither of them spoke as the steward worked and then left. James poured a cup of tea and took his lunch over to a table by the window where he laid his notes in a pile. Melanis drifted after him.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I’ve lost my appetite. Pass me a pile, and I’ll help.” She bent her head over the papers, making brief notes in her neat script.
Within the hour, they had all the information collated, and she sat back, watching as he folded the summaries and tucked them inside his shirt.
“What has happened, James?” she asked. “You have never been so cold toward me.”
He stood, walked to the fireplace, and threw all the notes he had gleaned from his contacts that morning into the fire. It was no easy question his lady asked him. He turned to her.
“I admit I’ve been pondering the future, Melanis,” he said. “I wonder if it is fair to you to continue our betrothal.”
Her eyes widened, her hands flying to her throat. She rose and paced across the room away from him, shoulders tight, her steps small and hurried. “I never thought to hear those words from you.”
“I know it must be somewhat of a shock, my dear, but is a union with me truly what your heart desires?”
She spun to face him. “Yes! It is all I wish for. I dream of the children we will have. The wedding plans are almost complete. I believed we were close to announcing our betrothal, and we could be wed in short order.” She heaved a great breath, and he was appalled to see tears in her eyes. “We are an ideal match!”
“But do you love me?”
“Love! What is love when compared to the life we have planned?” She joined him at the fireplace and clasped his hands in hers, looking up at him with eyes he used to admire. “We will be invincible as a team, James. We will be wealthy and powerful, and all will seek
our advice and company. How could you even contemplate turning your back on us?”
Confusion roiled in his gut. The picture she painted was the life he had always craved when he escaped the farm. Only now it didn’t sound as compelling as it once had. Could it be he now longed for something different? “I haven’t decided anything, Melanis, however I think we should take our time—make sure it is what we both want.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “It is only you who has to decide. I’m ready to commit my life to you, have your children, and be your partner.” She stepped back out of reach. “I don’t wish to see you until you can tell me you are ready for our official announcement.” Her head came up, and she was every bit the proud noblewoman.
“I expect to see you before you leave Brightcastle.” She turned and left the room.
Chapter 11
Kat sat dozing in front of the fire in Hetty’s kitchen, her daydreams full of James and the adventures they had shared. She idly wondered where he was now and what he was doing. She hadn’t set foot outside the house since she arrived, caring for Hetty for a full day and two nights. Only the visit yesterday of Princess Alecia, bearing medicines and food, had broken the monotony and the worry.
Hetty was a little better, but the nursing and spells should have had a greater effect. And Kat’s magic waned as her exhaustion grew. She didn’t know what else she could do.
Her stomach grumbled so she rose from the rocking chair, placed a pot of stew over the fire, and added wood. She stood by Hetty, watching the easier movements of the old woman’s chest, but when she took in the pallor of her face and lips, her stomach fluttered with dread. Since their first conversation the day Kat arrived, Hetty had barely been conscious and had eaten only one bowl of watery broth. If she didn’t awake soon, she would die of starvation.
Kat turned back to the fire and swapped the stew pot for the kettle. She had never drunk so many cups of tea or said so many prayers. If only she could be sure she was winning this fight. If only Hetty would wake up and snap at her as she always had. She longed to see the fire back in her friend’s dark eyes.
As she was finishing breakfast, there was a knock at the door, and her heart started pounding again. She hurried out and opened it, taking care to keep the magical shield in place.
“Good morning, Princess,” Kat said, as Alecia brushed past dressed in gray breeches and tunic, a heavy forest green cape swirling around her legs.
“How is she?”
Alecia was the only other person who cared if Hetty lived or died. “Perhaps a little better.”
Alecia paused to study Kat. “You look dreadful.”
She pushed her hands through hair that hadn’t seen a brush in over a day. “I’m tired, that’s all. Please go through.”
The princess frowned at her, then turned and headed into the kitchen. She stood gazing down at Hetty then faced Kat. “What else can be done?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I cannot think of anything. I’ve exhausted all my potions, spells, and charms only to have this small improvement. Are you sure you know of no local wise woman we could call on?”
Alecia snorted. “Local wise woman, indeed. If you can’t help, then such a woman will be useless. There is only one who might be able to aid us, and she has refused.”
Kat’s mouth dropped open. “Why? Who is she?”
“The woman who married my father!”
“Princess Benae?”
Alecia’s eyes flashed fire. “She is no princess!”
Kat took a deep breath to control her temper. “Regardless, why did she refuse to aid you?”
Alecia wore such a fierce look Kat completely believed the stories of the princess protecting her people by fighting. “There is bad blood between Benae and Hetty, and neither of them will tell me why. Ramón knows, and, each time I reference it, he goes red in the face.”
“Ramón? He’s Steward of Brightcastle and Benae’s husband, is he not?” Kat asked.
Again, Alecia snorted. “Steward of Brightcastle! My uncle the King must need his head read to place those two in charge of such an important region. I am preparing to travel to Wildecoast to petition him. He must give Brightcastle to me. I am the rightful heir. Let him tell me himself that being female means I can’t inherit the throne.”
Kat couldn’t keep up with Alecia’s rapid changes of direction. “Princess, what about Hetty? Can you not ask Benae again? Perhaps she has a potion she can prepare for us. She need not even see Hetty.”
Alecia scowled, and Kat was tempted to take a step back, but she refused to allow this fierce woman to intimidate her.
“Her healing is not through potions, though she uses them to disguise what she is really doing. She must lay hands on her patient, but she won’t leave the castle. She says she won’t place her babe at risk.” Alecia’s face softened. “He is such a tiny mite and not robust.”
“That’s the reason she won’t help? Fear for her child?”
“It’s one of them. She does seem to hate Hetty, however, and I would love to understand why.”
“This is getting us nowhere!” Kat stalked across the parlor and back again. “I can’t stand this waiting.”
Alecia stood watching her. “I thought I was the only one who cared for Hetty.”
Kat stopped, hands on hips. “I care very much. When I realized she was ill, I left immediately, fearing I would be too late.”
“And you traveled alone?”
She felt her face heat. “No, I had an escort. I traveled with a respected citizen of Costa.” Should she mention Vard Anton? She was curious to learn more of him and Alecia, so decided to chance it. “We met Vard Anton two days out from Brightcastle.”
Alecia went perfectly still, and her face blanched. “You did?”
“Do you wish to hear how he is?”
The princess’s eyes dropped to her hands which were clenched in front of her. “He is alive, and that’s all I wish to know–until he comes to his senses and returns for good.”
“Then you still love him?”
Alecia’s fiery gaze returned. “It’s none of your concern. Iona and I are fine just as we are and need no man to play with our hearts.”
Kat gulped hard. This woman was so brave. If only half of what she had heard was true, Alecia was a woman to be reckoned with. “Vard helped us on the road then left us when we reached Brightcastle. He is searching for someone?”
Alecia nodded. “A mentor, and that is all I will say.” She knelt beside Hetty’s cot and held the old woman’s hand. “Dear Hetty, you must fight and get well.”
“I’ve decided,” Kat announced. “I’ll take her to the castle, and Benae will have no choice but to help us. I’ve heard she is unable to resist the sick, so I’ll force her to look upon Hetty’s wasted countenance.”
Alecia snorted yet again. It seemed Benae brought out the worst in her. “I wish you good luck, but I think the rumors you have heard greatly exaggerate Benae’s compassion.”
Kat ignored her. “We must decide how to get Hetty there without the journey killing her.”
James rode Lightning, a silver stallion, through the gates of the castle and dismounted in the forecourt. The horse belonged to Cam and was one of a string of horses he owned, too numerous to ride. Lightning was James’s favorite. A groom hurried up to help him dismount and led the horse away. James turned to survey the castle in all its glory.
The opal features on the face of the building sparkled in the sun, but James couldn’t help a shudder at the knowledge the façade had been created centuries ago with the help of a witch. And recent events had also cast a pall over the structure. The sudden death of Prince Zialni was yet to be properly explained, in his opinion. Add to that the prior kidnapping of Princess Alecia and rumors of her mistreatment at the hands of her late father, and James had no real desire to set foot in the place.
However, he must if he wished to claim Princess Benae’s patronage along with gaining valuable intelligence. It was said
Princess Alecia had recently returned with a young daughter, and, despite his reluctance, he was intrigued to discover more of the princess and her travels.
He gathered his thoughts and ascended the steps only to have the door open before he could knock. It seemed all footmen had a sixth sense when it came to the arrival of guests.
“Good morning, Master Tomel,” said an aged footman as he gave a small bow. “The princess has been expecting you. Please follow me into the lower reception hall. Her Highness will join you presently.”
No sooner had the words left the man’s lips than the sound of a coach arriving drew their attention. James turned to find a public conveyance pulling up in the forecourt. A petitioner? The footman left James to approach the vehicle.
“You may not alight here, miss,” the man said.
James didn’t catch the reply, but the timbre of the voice pricked his ears. Katrine? He descended the steps and peered over the footman’s shoulder.
“Can I help?”
“James, thank the Goddess,” Katrine said. She still wore breeches and a shirt, and dark shadows lurked beneath her eyes. Had she lost weight as well? “I need to see Princess Benae.”
“This gentleman cannot help you, miss,” the footman said. He looked in at the frail Hetty. “Take this lady away before she spreads whatever she has to the palace.”
Katrine gasped. “How dare you! This lady is worth ten of you, and I will not take her away until she is seen. I’ve heard the princess is a healer.”
“She is nothing of the sort,” the footman snapped. “You will leave now, or I will call the guards.”
James cleared his throat. “Footman, I am about to meet with the princess. Can you not have this carriage moved away from the stairs, and I will speak to her on the young lady’s behalf?”
Katrine’s grateful eyes looked ready to release a torrent of tears at his offer.
“Thank you, James. You have no idea how sick Hetty is.”
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