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Two thirds of the food was still left. The roasted lamb had hardly been touched, and not one of the mince pies had been eaten. Elwyn looked around the little hall, lined with oak paneling and old shields. Only two couples were dancing, though the minstrels played as heartily as if there had been a hundred. They were getting paid the same, of course, and they would be taking a lot of that food home, so it was no wonder they were in a good mood.
At the lower tables, even the artful arrangements of spring flowers couldn’t disguise all the empty seats. Some people had sent notes saying they couldn’t make it. But others simply hadn’t shown up. This wasn’t technically Elwyn’s luncheon, but she couldn’t help taking it personally, all the same.
In some cases, it was impossible not to. One of those who had skipped the party with no notice was Lady Melanie Peel, wife of Sir Nathan Peel. Back before Melanie’s marriage, she and Elwyn had briefly been lovers. Melanie had been only the second person Elwyn had ever slept with, and at least for a time, they had been completely devoted to each other. Now Melanie had forgotten all about that. Or worse, she remembered, but was embarrassed by it.
The actual hostess of the party, Lady Alicia Tynsdale, glided over to Elwyn with two glasses of Immani wine. “As far as I’m concerned,” she said, beaming, “it’s a successful party if you’re here.” She handed one of the glasses to Elwyn and clinked hers against it.
Alicia was one of Elwyn’s oldest and best friends. She was married to Elwyn’s first cousin, Sir Robert Tynsdale, who had been a secret agent for Elwyn’s family for years and still served Elwyn’s stepmother. Alicia and Elwyn had gone to Atherton together, and few people in the world knew Elwyn as well as Alicia did. The fact that the girl continued to like her in spite of that sometimes astonished Elwyn. When Alicia had heard that Elwyn was having trouble getting nobles to commit money and troops to the Sigor cause, she had immediately volunteered to hold “a little get-together” at her house. The hope had been that in a more neutral setting, with no overt pressure, Elwyn might be able to win some people to her brother’s side.
Unfortunately, it seemed as if a great many people had realized exactly what the party was about, and they had no desire to be put in that position. No one wanted to give offense, at least not directly. They all knew there was a chance that Edwin could be king again in a few months. But in case he lost, they wanted to keep their names off any list of his supporters.
“Don’t worry about it,” said Alicia. “You’ve won a few men over today.” She gestured to the hearth, where their new recruits chatted over glasses of Alicia’s wine. There were about a dozen fellows, and most of them were either too old or too poor to do much good for the cause. The duke had sent two regiments south to join Flora’s troops in Keneburg a week earlier, and everyone said they would love to be in the next detachment. Or perhaps the one after that. But few people had given firm commitments.
Near the tall glass doors out to the garden, there was another group—the ladies. Hildred was holding forth there, entertaining everyone with the story of some dress she’d ruined by falling out of a boat once. Some of those ladies had very rich husbands or young sons who would be good officers. But there was no way of knowing yet how much sway these women had over their men.
Alicia followed Elwyn’s gaze. “So, you and Hildred Cuthing seem quite the pair. How exactly did that happen?”
“She wanted to help my brother’s cause. And she needed a little time away from her family. I was happy to oblige.”
“I’m sure you were.” Alicia giggled and nudged Elwyn. “She is rather pretty, isn’t she?”
“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about,” said Elwyn, hating the flush she felt on her cheeks.
“H’m.... I’m sure you do.” Alicia patted Elwyn’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, dear. No matter what you’re doing, or who you’re doing, I promise I’ll never tell a soul. In fact,” she added in a whisper, “if you need somewhere to get together, I’ve got the guesthouse in back of the garden here.”
Elwyn wasn’t quite sure what to make of this odd act of friendship, so she thanked Alicia and went off to talk to someone else for a while.
Later, when she, Rada, and Hildred were in their carriage on their way back to the Bocburg, Elwyn pondered Alicia’s offer and wondered if it had really been well-meant, or if there was something more sinister behind it. Was Alicia trying to entrap her somehow? Maybe she was tired of her husband never being home because he was too busy serving a former, powerless queen. Or was she turning into one of those decadent society ladies who made up for the general dissatisfaction in her own love life by trying to improve everyone else’s? Elwyn could certainly do without that.
For a few idle minutes, while Hildred and Rada talked about which nobles and knights had committed themselves to sending troops to Keneburg, Elwyn stared out the window of the coach and considered whether to trust Alicia with her secret life. It wouldn’t necessarily be a bad idea to have another place to meet Hildred. And she didn’t really believe Alicia would ever betray her family.
Then, as the coach turned a corner, she looked back down the street they had been traveling on, and she saw a small woman in a blue tartan cloak riding about a block behind them. It was only for a second, but Elwyn could have sworn that was the same pattern cloak she had seen while walking through the university. She waited until the next turn and looked back again. Sure enough, there was that same cloak.
Elwyn got up and knelt on the seat, looking back through the little gauze window. Yes, there was no doubt about it—the woman was following them.
“Is there something wrong?” asked Rada.
“Something interesting out here?” asked Hildred, climbing up on the seat next to her and crowding in to peer out the window.
Elwyn pointed out the woman to them and then, with some reluctance, told them how someone with the same cloak had chased her through the university. As she had expected, Rada was very annoyed that Elwyn hadn’t said something earlier.
“I could have been on the lookout this whole time!” she fumed.
“Should we stop and confront this person?” asked Hildred.
Rada pulled off her lacy blue gloves and adjusted the magysk rings on her hands. “If we’ve got to do it, we should do it somewhere public. The Cathedral Square would be best.”
Elwyn went to the front window of the carriage and told the driver to take them to the square and stop right in the center of it. He gave her a dubious look, but complied. At each turning, the girls looked out the windows, and every time, they saw the hooded figure in the blue cloak, only a dozen yards away.
They got into the square and rumbled to a halt, right in the middle of the crowds of late afternoon shoppers. The drivers of several big carts crossing the square from different directions hadn’t expected them to stop, and they very nearly caused a tremendous collision. But after some turning and backing up and swearing, everyone got on their way again. Elwyn jumped out one side of the carriage with a hand on her knife, and Rada did the same with her rings ready. But the woman in the blue cloak was nowhere to be seen.
“Now that’s odd,” said Hildred, climbing down with a fan clenched in her fist like a sword. “I wonder where she went. I don’t suppose we’re being paranoid, do you?”
“No,” said Rada.
“Definitely not,” said Elwyn.
When they were back in the Bocburg, they went up to Elwyn’s room and held a little council of war. “We should ask the duke for a more secure room,” said Rada, settling in on the window seat. “Maybe something in one of the towers, where we can always control who goes in and out.”
“I’m not going to make myself a prisoner,” said Elwyn, sitting on her bed.
“And I like this room,” said Hildred, as she plopped herself down next to Elwyn.
Rada pursed her lips and looked at Elwyn, and then at Hildred, and then back again.
“What?” asked Hildred.
“Very well, if you insist,” said Rada, primly smoothing her dress. “I think it’s obvious that the reason you want to keep your current rooms is because of the...,” she blushed and cleared her throat, “ease of access between them. I think you should consider there are more important things than the pleasures of the moment.”
“I don’t know about that,” said Elwyn coldly. “If you think a change of scenery is in order, then Alicia has offered the use of her guesthouse to me and Hildred.”
“Ooh, nice!” said Hildred. “Does it have its own bath?”
Rada shook her head. “A townhouse would be even less secure than the castle. And everyone in the city knows—or will know—that you were at Lady Tynsdale’s house. Many people already know you are her friend. It would be a terrible place to hide.”
Elwyn had to admit Rada was right about that. Alicia’s home was lovely, but no more defensible than a child’s snow fort. Anyone who really wanted to get into it could do so with little trouble.
“Doesn’t your cousin, Lord Edgar, have a country estate near here?” asked Rada.
“Um, yes,” said Elwyn, studying the pattern in the rug. “But I’d rather not ask him for help right now.” She and Edgar hadn’t said more than two words since the night she’d turned down his marriage proposal.
“I see.” Rada heaved a very small sigh and looked out the window. Sometimes it wasn’t what Rada said, but what she left unsaid, that was so infuriating.
“Um...excuse me,” said Hildred, in a very tiny, girlish voice. “But if it’s a country estate you need, there’s one north of here, across the river, that we could use. It belongs to my mother’s family, you see. But no one lives there except a caretaker who only looks in at the house once a week.” Her cheeks colored slightly, and she looked at Elwyn. “You’ve, um...seen it already.”
Rada looked at Elwyn, too, and raised an eyebrow. “You have, have you?” She crossed her arms. “Very well. As objectively as possible, how would you rate it as a defensive position?”
“It’s a good hiding place,” said Elwyn, doing her best to remain unbiased, and not to think about the heavenly day she and Hildred had spent at the little hunting lodge. “But the trees come up very close to the house in some places. We might not have a lot of warning if someone attacked.”
“Well, maybe so,” said Hildred, “but the ground is pretty uneven in the woods, and there are a lot of little ponds, and there’s a lot of underbrush. If anyone wanted to attack us in force, they’d pretty much have to come straight up the front drive.”
Rada nodded thoughtfully. “The attackers funneled into a narrow road where they’re cut down and slaughtered. That might be perfect, then.”
“Good,” said Elwyn, standing up. “I’ll go tell the duke we’re going to Hildred’s mother’s hunting lodge for a while.”
“No.” Hildred put out a hand to stop her. “I don’t trust these people at the duke’s court. I’m sorry, but I really don’t.” She waved toward the south. “I mean, think of that party we went to today. Half the people who were invited never showed up. And the only ones who agreed to help are the ones in need of advancement if your brother wins.” She took Elwyn’s hand. “Honestly, if push came to shove, I bet most of the people in this castle would sell you to the Gramirens in a heartbeat.”
“But not the duke, surely,” said Rada.
“No, not him,” said Hildred. “But I don’t trust anyone else here. Except maybe his son. But once we tell two people, we have to assume everyone will find out, sooner or later.”
“I’m not sure how you’re going to keep seeing nobles and lobbying for your brother’s cause from a secret location,” said Rada.
“We can still come back to town whenever we like,” said Hildred. “But we’ll be staying in a place that’s a lot more secure than here.”
“Very well,” said Elwyn. “I’ll tell the duke we’re leaving, but I won’t tell him exactly where we’re going.”