now David said so. Her own instincts told her he did. She just prayed she was not fooling herself, believing he cared simply because she could not endure the pain if he did not.
"So, he left because he felt those rumors about him had grown to be a real threat?"
"Aye. I swear to ye, he would ne'er have walked away from ye if he didnae think it was for your own good."
"Weel, then, first we must silence the talk." She explained what her plan was, the one Barbara was already acting upon, and David smiled.
"Clever, lass. Then what?"
"Then I go to Cambrun, sniff out whatever cave your father has crawled into, and beat some sense into him."
"Another good plan," David said and then laughed.
Chapter Ten
"Where is he?"
Efrica marched up to her sister and her husband, ignoring their startled looks and in no mood to apologize for her abrupt entrance into their great hall. It had taken her a fortnight to get to Cambrun. She did not care to think too much on what Jankyn may have been up to during that time. As one complication after another had slowed her down, delaying her arrival at Cambrun, David's assurances about how Jankyn felt about her had lost some of their power to calm her. She wanted to trust Jankyn, to believe he would not go from her arms straight into the embrace of another woman, but she had no vows from him to cling to.
"Where is who?" asked Bridget.
Despite the look of sweet confusion and innocence upon Bridget's face, Efrica knew her sister was fully aware of who . Efrica suspected Barbara had written a letter. There was also the chance that David had written to his mother. She doubted Jankyn had said anything.
"Jankyn," she snapped.
"I hope ye didnae travel here alone, lass," said Cathal.
"Nay. I left the men who brought me here in the village," she replied. "Jankyn has gone to ground, hasnae he."
"He must have angered ye more than usual for ye to chase him all the way here," said Bridget.
"Sister, I truly hate to deprive ye of your sport, but I have had one wretched week of dealing with idiots at court. That was followed by a wretched week of rain, washed-out roads, broken wheels, limping horses, and men muttering about wee lasses who dinnae have the sense God gave a flea. Since I didnae start that journey in the most cheerful of moods, I am now teetering on the edge of a glorious tantrum."
"Ah, thank ye for the warning."
"My pleasure. Jankyn?"
"In the caves. He has been hiding in his room, buried in work, since he returned."
"Weel, he is about to discover that ye can run from a determined Callan lass, but ye cannae hide."
She ignored Cathal's hearty laughter and headed out to corner Jankyn in his lair. Fury carried her down into the depths of Cambrun. She faltered only briefly when she stepped into the large cavern that served as the great hall of the Purebloods, drawing every eye her way. The eldest of them, a handsome white-haired woman named Agnes, grinned and pointed to a thick iron-studded door set in the wall near the far end of the cavern.
When Efirica reached the door, she lifted her hand to knock, then changed her mind. She would not give Jankyn the chance to turn her away or lock her out. Efrica pushed aside the traitorous, weakening thought that he had left her because he did not want her, did not care for her at all, and that he was in there with another woman. As she reached for the door latch, she heard several encouraging whispers coming from the shadows behind her. They gave her the strength to open the door, step into the room, and slam the door shut behind her. The way Jankyn jumped in surprise, nearly tumbling from his perch upon the back of a stone bench, gave her a brief moment of satisfaction.
Jankyn stared at Efrica and felt his pulse leap with delight, even as shock had him gaping at her. He had not expected her to follow him, if only because of her pride. The fact that she had pleased him beyond words, until he all too clearly recalled his reasons for leaving her. Those
"So, he left because he felt those rumors about him had grown to be a real threat?"
"Aye. I swear to ye, he would ne'er have walked away from ye if he didnae think it was for your own good."
"Weel, then, first we must silence the talk." She explained what her plan was, the one Barbara was already acting upon, and David smiled.
"Clever, lass. Then what?"
"Then I go to Cambrun, sniff out whatever cave your father has crawled into, and beat some sense into him."
"Another good plan," David said and then laughed.
Chapter Ten
"Where is he?"
Efrica marched up to her sister and her husband, ignoring their startled looks and in no mood to apologize for her abrupt entrance into their great hall. It had taken her a fortnight to get to Cambrun. She did not care to think too much on what Jankyn may have been up to during that time. As one complication after another had slowed her down, delaying her arrival at Cambrun, David's assurances about how Jankyn felt about her had lost some of their power to calm her. She wanted to trust Jankyn, to believe he would not go from her arms straight into the embrace of another woman, but she had no vows from him to cling to.
"Where is who?" asked Bridget.
Despite the look of sweet confusion and innocence upon Bridget's face, Efrica knew her sister was fully aware of who . Efrica suspected Barbara had written a letter. There was also the chance that David had written to his mother. She doubted Jankyn had said anything.
"Jankyn," she snapped.
"I hope ye didnae travel here alone, lass," said Cathal.
"Nay. I left the men who brought me here in the village," she replied. "Jankyn has gone to ground, hasnae he."
"He must have angered ye more than usual for ye to chase him all the way here," said Bridget.
"Sister, I truly hate to deprive ye of your sport, but I have had one wretched week of dealing with idiots at court. That was followed by a wretched week of rain, washed-out roads, broken wheels, limping horses, and men muttering about wee lasses who dinnae have the sense God gave a flea. Since I didnae start that journey in the most cheerful of moods, I am now teetering on the edge of a glorious tantrum."
"Ah, thank ye for the warning."
"My pleasure. Jankyn?"
"In the caves. He has been hiding in his room, buried in work, since he returned."
"Weel, he is about to discover that ye can run from a determined Callan lass, but ye cannae hide."
She ignored Cathal's hearty laughter and headed out to corner Jankyn in his lair. Fury carried her down into the depths of Cambrun. She faltered only briefly when she stepped into the large cavern that served as the great hall of the Purebloods, drawing every eye her way. The eldest of them, a handsome white-haired woman named Agnes, grinned and pointed to a thick iron-studded door set in the wall near the far end of the cavern.
When Efirica reached the door, she lifted her hand to knock, then changed her mind. She would not give Jankyn the chance to turn her away or lock her out. Efrica pushed aside the traitorous, weakening thought that he had left her because he did not want her, did not care for her at all, and that he was in there with another woman. As she reached for the door latch, she heard several encouraging whispers coming from the shadows behind her. They gave her the strength to open the door, step into the room, and slam the door shut behind her. The way Jankyn jumped in surprise, nearly tumbling from his perch upon the back of a stone bench, gave her a brief moment of satisfaction.
Jankyn stared at Efrica and felt his pulse leap with delight, even as shock had him gaping at her. He had not expected her to follow him, if only because of her pride. The fact that she had pleased him beyond words, until he all too clearly recalled his reasons for leaving her. Those
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