The Clearing

by Lina J. Potter

  That’s no surprise. I can’t expect to find everything I need right here at my feet. Earton has peat, and it has amber. Those are good resources to start with.

  When Helke learned about the amber, he took his nephews and dashed off to the shore to find more. His sister stayed behind and quietly took over control of the kitchen. She was an excellent cook, and much to Lily’s taste. She was also economical in the extreme, which Lily appreciated after years of Etor's excesses. With Loria in charge, Lily found that they were all eating plain, healthy fare without any fancy flourishes.

  Some days, that good food was all that kept Lily on her feet. It was hot in the glassblower’s workshop, and she often left there after a full day of experimenting not sure she could make it back to her own room. Still, she was overjoyed when they made their first piece of good glass. The method they invented became known as the red cross method of casting glass. Lily did not want to use the Earton crest or her own Broklend crest. No, for now, everything she did would be marked with a red cross.

  She was also pleased with herself for bringing the blacksmith and the glassblower together. It had never occurred to anyone that masters with two different arts could join forces, but Lily had done it. Once the two were accustomed to working together, she told them she wanted them to make a new kind of mirror. Following her instructions, they coated one side of a piece of glass with a thin layer of silver. When that dried, they went over it with black paint. Thus, Earton was the birthplace of that world’s first glass mirror. Lily felt no compunction about taking it for her own use. It was a sign of her achievement, and she also wanted to look at herself.

  What she saw in the new mirror pleased her: a handsome woman who looked to be about five feet ten inches tall and weighing just shy of two hundred pounds. She did some quick math.

  That gives me a BMI of about 28, maybe a little less. I still have a ways to go, but I’m building muscle. I’ll call it good after I lose another twenty pounds.

  She reflected that she wasn’t really dieting anymore because her work kept her on her feet all day: from Mirrie’s lessons to the glassblowing workshop to the dressmakers (who were constantly running into trouble with their lace) to the stables, to the infirmary, Lily lived at a breakneck pace.

  If I don’t get enough calories, I’ll fall over dead!

  All this time, Hans Tremain had been poking around Earton and asking questions of everyone he met. Eventually, he was forced to admit that things were even worse than he had thought. Personally, he disliked women who couldn’t be controlled and admired Edward the Third, who had whipped his wife to keep her in line. However, Lilian Earton was not out of control. Quite the opposite: he found her to be a woman in steely control of herself who was busy morning to night. He knew for a fact that she often missed meals. She attended church in the morning, followed by her stepdaughter’s lessons, household affairs and meetings. Glassmaking was the only work of Lily’s that Tremain did not entirely approve of, but he had to admit that good glass was a useful thing to have on hand.

  Since their first conversation when she acquainted him with the estate’s condition, the countess had not complained to him once. Hans was now convinced that she had not been exaggerating. All the older servants told him that the countess had been a quiet, shy woman. She sat in her room, praying and embroidering while she waited for her husband to visit. When asked about the earl, they said he was a good master, may Aldonai bless him with years of health, but that he was rarely at the estate and taxed his peasants to the point of starvation. Everyone he spoke with was delighted by the changes in the countess and the work she was doing.

  Hans sat down to sum up what he had learned. Before she lost her much-anticipated child, Lilian Earton had been a quiet girl who never complained about her husband, even though she had much to complain of. The earl treated her poorly, turning up once every three or four months for short visits during which he spoke to her rudely. The countess often cried after he visited her bedroom at night.

  The envoy didn’t like to involve himself in private family matters, but he couldn’t help but wonder at Jess’ behavior.

  She is his wife, after all, and he ought to show proper respect in front of the servants. It isn’t right for them to know such things.

  He was not a particularly religious man, but he believed that Aldonai gave women to their husbands to love and cherish. A man who disrespected his wife disrespected himself.

  Hans reviewed his notes. The countess had had an accident that resulted in a miscarriage. She almost died. When she finally recovered, she was like a different person. That made sense to him. He didn’t think she was right to fire Etor for stealing, though. The man should have been held in the dungeon until the proper authorities could question him. However, he admitted that she was in a bad position and may not have known what else to do, especially since all the castle guards had been sent away.

  For now, it looked like Lilian Earton had done everything she could have done. Not knowing if or when her husband would show up, she dealt with Etor’s treachery the best way she knew how.

  He stretched and looked out the window.

  But what about those Virmans?

  He supposed she didn’t have a choice, especially since the slave traders had grown used to filling their ships in Earton. Hans knew about the illegal slave ships that hunted up and down the coast. The king wanted the trade suppressed, so he would do his part to suppress it. For her part, the countess was doing her best to take care of the estate and the peasants. He might not agree with how she went about it, but she was a woman and she was trying her hardest. Mentally, he wrote down “Virmans” in the column he was keeping against the earl.

  After interrogating Shirvey, Hans just shook his head. He had no trouble believing that Shirvey and Etor had banded together to defraud the earl, but he couldn’t see why the earl would leave his pregnant wife to their care. In short, the envoy was not pleased.

  While he was in the dungeon, he found time to interrogate the slave traders. Afterwards, he admitted to himself that the countess’ Virmans could be quite useful in some ways. None of the slave traders wanted to be left alone with them, so they told him many things that Hans found it worthwhile to know. He was looking forward to reporting back to the king.

  When he spoke with the former slaves who had found themselves in Earton entirely by chance, he heard even more in the countess’ favor. She was giving them clothes, food, and a roof over their heads. True, they had to work hard, but she had promised to pay them. And they were free to go wherever they liked.

  A true bureaucrat, Hans examined the episode with the slave ship from all angles to make sure that there was nothing he could pin on the Virmans. They hadn’t broken any laws, as far as he could tell. They seized a slave ship and then turned the slaves over to the countess for her to deal with. The king would find no fault with them.

  True, the envoy had heard a few voices of dissent about the countess and her Virman guards, but he was inclined to disbelieve them (although he would file those statements away with all the others, just in case). For example, Lady Miranda’s former nursemaid swore up and down that the countess was a terrible tyrant and that she was engaged in some kind of dark devilry. Even worse, she was keeping the Virmans so that she could fornicate with them.

  There was also one tutor who complained that the countess allowed the commoners on the estate entirely too much freedom. He was upset about having to teach Virman children, and he hinted that Lily was too free in her attentions to men.

  Hans filed these statements away, but he doubted they had any value. He felt it was more likely that the nursemaid had lost her position because she wasn’t very good at it. In fact, he was sympathetic to Lily for letting the woman stay on as a stable hand. He knew many noble families where she would have been handed her things and told to leave.

  The tutor is a similar case. For the money she pays him, he ought to be happy to teach anyone or anything that shows up for lessons. And I’
ve kept an eye on her and those Virmans. Jess Earton is no cuckold, of that much I am sure.

  During his stay at the castle, Hans had seen Lily shovel in her dinner and fall into bed every night. He also knew that Lady Miranda slept right next door and that the door between their rooms was always unlocked. Several of the maids confirmed that Miranda often spent the night in her stepmother’s bed. There was no doubt in his mind that Lily had neither the time nor the inclination to commit adultery. True, the Virmans checked her bedroom every night before she went to sleep, but that made perfect sense, since the murderer had been hiding in her room.

  The envoy went over what he knew of the attempted murder. Someone connected to the earl’s mistress wanted Lily dead. His mistress was the very same Adelaide Wells who had been included in Prince Richard’s delegation upon the earl’s request.

  Did the earl know about any of this? If he did, he’ll be in a bad place when it all comes out.

  He reflected that Lilian Earton could have a magnificent scandal if she wanted one. That said, he was fairly certain that she wasn’t interested in scandal.

  He sighed.

  Tomorrow I’ll ride out to the villages and see what else I can find out.

  Big Jim, the captain of the She-Wolf, viewed the coastline with an experienced eye. He and his men had been coming here for ten years. Once Etor was appointed manager, they had been able to work in the open. They had sailed in one day to pick up their cargo and any debtors for sale, when Etor had made them a curious offer. A castle. An entire castle without guards. They could come and take whatever they wanted. Etor guaranteed that there would be no defenses. Big Jim hadn’t gotten the letter he expected, but Earton was such a backwater that it wouldn’t surprise him if the letter got lost.

  The smugglers (call them pirates, call them slave traders – it’s a hard world for nice young men trying to make a living) dropped anchor in a quiet cove and prepared to go into the nearest village once it was dark. The boatswain’s brother lived somewhere nearby. Part of the plan had been his idea.

  Amber was incredibly rare and incredibly valuable, and the boatswain’s brother was one of the few people that knew about a large seam of it running through some black rocks on the coast. The present earl’s grandfather had known about the deposit, but he had kept it under wraps because he didn’t want to share with the king. Three of his men had also known about it, including the boatswain’s father. The old earl’s wife had not known – she was mean enough for ten women, with barely brains enough for one – and the present earl did not know. No one knew the details, but the men had heard that the Earton family split into two camps following a scandal of some sort.

  Once old earl died, the boatswain’s father made sure that the two other men who knew the secret met sudden and accidental deaths, leaving him the only one in possession of the valuable knowledge. He dug the amber quietly, selling it in small quantities and building up his farm on the proceeds. His oldest boy grew up to be a village elder, and the youngest ran away to sea and became boatswain on a slave ship.

  When his younger son came home for a visit, they soon realized that they had the beginnings of a profitable trade. Big Jim was let in on the secret and decided it would make a nice side venture to the pillaging he had planned with Etor. He had brought another man with him, Captain Darvin of the Salty Dog. One of them would load up the amber while the other took care of the castle. Once they were in the clear, they would split the proceeds.

  Big Jim brought his ship in close to shore in a secret location. He knew that sailors liked to blow hot air about the shoals and reefs along Earton’s coastline, but he was a crafty old salt. There was always a way in, you just had to find it. Sometimes you had to time the tide just right, and you couldn't necessarily get out again until the next high tide, even if you had a shallow draft. He still hadn’t decided what to do with this particular cargo. He couldn’t risk sitting too low in the water, so he might have his men bring it back to the ship in rowboats.

  But first, he would send the boatswain to see his brother. If the coast was clear, they would load the amber. Then they could turn toward the castle.

  I want to get my hands on the loot that won’t bite, first.

  “There’s a sail!”

  Virmans had never enjoyed the luxury of negligence. They always had both eyes open. Gel was the first to notice the sail.

  “Who is it?”

  Olaf squinted at the horizon. “It’s a Wellster-built tub. They’re the only ones with a bow like that. I can’t make out a name yet.”

  “Where is it headed?”

  “To shore.”

  “There’s no place to anchor here, but they may get through if they’re sitting high enough.”

  “It looks like they know where they’re going.”

  “So they’ve been here before.”

  Olaf grimaced. He remembered the countess’ words about slave traders, and he suspected that he was about to meet them in person.

  We’ll hand them their asses.

  The countess had said that once and Olaf had liked it and filed it away.

  “Stop all work. Get everyone in the smokehouse and keep them quiet. I want to see where they anchor. Then we’ll send out scouts. Gel, you're the lightest of us. I'll give you a horse. Get back to the castle and tell the countess.”

  Gel nodded. There was no time for discussion. “What do I tell her?”

  “That a ship arrived. We need reinforcements. We will watch them for now, but if they make trouble, we won’t be able to hold them for long. Hurry.”

  Gel ran toward where the horses were tied. He was glad he wouldn’t have to run the whole way.

  Olaf turned to his men. “Find the Eveer and his family. The countess will not want anything to happen to them. They have Hleig with them, but he is just one man.”

  Anna of Wellster shook as if she had a fever. Time was passing. Soon…soon… Richard would arrive soon. Would she be able to captivate him? What if he wanted a blonde? What if…

  Her nerves were shot. The jester was standing next to her, and that didn’t help. Anna had been right about him. He was an evil, clever beast. If he raised a finger, no one would ever find her body.

  Richard will be here soon. People say the day after tomorrow.

  Anna went to the mirror and looked at herself. She was beautiful. Not too tall, with a lovely figure, generous breasts, sleek, dark hair pulled up into a complicated style, red lips, and deep, dark eyes. She was charming. She had all the gorgeous dresses a girl could want. She had a rich dowry. She was the king’s daughter! What else could a man want?

  I have no idea.

  The jester told her that Richard wasn’t known to favor any particular type of woman, and that he hadn’t brought a mistress with him.

  I have a chance, but how much of one?

  She would do anything to become queen. She would lie to, sell, betray or sleep with absolutely anyone. She might even kill to get what she wanted.

  They can all go to hell! I have to protect myself!

  Her lawful husband didn’t even enter her mind. She was too busy trying to save her own life.

  Helke had seen the ship, too. He followed his instincts, gesturing for his nephews to get down. Then he looked around cautiously. It wasn’t good. The Virmans were far away. Instantly, he had a plan. They would get off the beach and into the trees, and then they would run towards the Virmans as fast as their legs could carry them. Eveers had been hunted on and off for many years. Helke knew that the less noticeable they were, the more likely they were to survive. The amber could wait. Now his goal was to get his family back to safety.

  Hleig confirmed his fears. “Pirates. Let’s go.”

  They began to crawl toward the trees. Helke cursed his luck. They had wandered far from the Virmans’ camp, and the ship would soon be between them.

  “Uncle!” His oldest nephew Trost grabbed Helke by the sleeve and pointed to the beach. He saw a seated figure. It was a boy. He looked to be abou
t twelve years old, and he was waiting for someone.

  The ship?

  Helke thought quickly. For now, he was fairly sure they couldn’t be seen from the ship, but he needed to make up his mind immediately. He had his two nephews with him and one Virman, and Helke was armed. He was an expert at throwing knives.

  “Uncle, we can do it quietly,” Trost whispered.

  Caleb, his other nephew, a serious boy of about fourteen, nodded. “If they’re pirates…”

  Helke needed no explanation. Lilian Earton had spoken openly with him when he arrived. She had told him that there may be trouble ahead, describing what she foresaw and promising to do her best to keep him safe. Now, her safety depended on the Eveers.

  He let out a breath. “Can you take him? I will cover you from the cliff.”

  Hleig looked at the jeweler with fresh respect. “You Eveers are courageous.”

  “We’ll be hard pressed later if he gets a message to them.”

  The Virman nodded. “You take the younger boy and get behind the cliff. If anything goes wrong, run.” To Trost, he said, “You follow me. Do as I say.” Trost nodded.

  Together, the man and the boy slipped down to the beach like a pair of lizards. Helke gripped the handle of his knife.

  Let them live. Let this work out.

  Gel spurred his horse like a madman. Finally, it faltered, and he leaped off and ran the rest of the way. When he burst through the gate roaring “Slave traders!” even the chickens fell off their perches. Lilian raced out of the glassmaking workshop.

  “What did you say?”

  Leis materialized next to her. “Did he say slave traders?”

  “Two ships, both large but with shallow draft. No flags. They are approaching the shore confidently. They have been here before.”

  Lily bit her thumb. “Are they the ones from before?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Could they be merchants?”

  “I doubt it. Why would they be here?”

  “To take on water.”