you track this woman down.”
Simon closed the flap on his saddlebag. He avoided looking at Miri as he replied, “No. But the Lady of Faire Isle does.”
A tingle of apprehension coursed through Miri. “W-what?”
“Your sister. Ariane.” Simon tried to sound casual but the tension in his face told Miri that he understood full well the enormity of what he was about to ask of her. “If you could just send her a message—”
But Miri was already on her feet, too alarmed, too outraged by his request to even speak. All she could do was vehemently shake her head.
“Miri, I am certain that you have to know where she is. You and your sisters were so close. You would never remain out of touch with them for long. What is more, I also know how you communicate. With those birds you have bewitched to carry messages over long distances.”
Miri found her voice enough to splutter. “
Trained,
blast you. My pigeons are trained to deliver messages.”
“All right, all right.” Simon flung up his hands in a placating gesture. “Could you please get word to Ariane with one of these
trained
creatures? I won’t make any effort to follow the bird if that is what you are afraid of. I could hardly do so even if I tried.
“I don’t even want to know where Ariane is, just to warn her about what is happening. Isn’t the Lady of Faire Isle supposed to be a guardian, keeping other wise women from doing harm as well as protecting them?”
“Ariane always tried to do just that. But she is not the Lady anymore, thanks to you. Maybe if you hadn’t driven Ariane away from Faire Isle, she would have found out about this Silver Rose and stopped her a long time ago. Did you ever think about that, Simon?”
“Yes, I have. You have no idea how often of late, I have regretted—” He checked himself, dragging one hand wearily through his hair. “But I can’t undo the past, Miri. All I can do is try not to repeat it.”
Stepping closer, he encircled her wrist, his fingers resting against the delicate skin above her pulse. “I need Ariane’s help, her connection with the community of witch—I mean wise women. No matter where she is, she is still the Lady of Faire Isle. Don’t you think she would want to know about this rising menace?”
“I am certain she would and that is exactly why I have no intention of telling her.” Miri pulled free of Simon’s grasp and shrank back, uncertain which she found more dangerously seductive, his gentle touch or his pleading gaze.
“If Ariane heard of this trouble, she would think it her duty to return to Faire Isle in spite of any risk to herself. And where Ariane goes, Renard would follow. Both of them lured back into any trap you might be setting. You already seem to half-suspect that Ariane might be your Silver Rose.”
“I told you that I don’t. Your sister is fundamentally a good woman, although I confess I do find some of her skills and knowledge a bit, er, disconcerting. The thing I most fault her for is her choice in husbands. But if Ariane returns, I promise she will be safe from me.” Simon added grudgingly, “And Monsieur le Comte, too.”
“You’ll have to pardon me if I don’t believe you. The last time you induced me to trust you, you nearly succeeded in destroying everyone and everything that I love.”
Simon opened his mouth to retort, only to close it, a myriad of emotions chasing across his face: sorrow, shame, regret.
“You are perfectly right. I have given you no reason to ever trust me again and every reason to go on hating me.”
“And that is exactly the problem. I don’t want to hate you, Simon. It hurts too much. I am so afraid that if you betray me again, the next time I might actually be able to use that knife.”
She paced away from him, rubbing her arms for comfort. “If the danger was only to me, I might be willing to take a chance on trusting you again. But to put Ariane and Renard at risk . . . I can’t do it. I
won’t
do it. My answer to
Simon closed the flap on his saddlebag. He avoided looking at Miri as he replied, “No. But the Lady of Faire Isle does.”
A tingle of apprehension coursed through Miri. “W-what?”
“Your sister. Ariane.” Simon tried to sound casual but the tension in his face told Miri that he understood full well the enormity of what he was about to ask of her. “If you could just send her a message—”
But Miri was already on her feet, too alarmed, too outraged by his request to even speak. All she could do was vehemently shake her head.
“Miri, I am certain that you have to know where she is. You and your sisters were so close. You would never remain out of touch with them for long. What is more, I also know how you communicate. With those birds you have bewitched to carry messages over long distances.”
Miri found her voice enough to splutter. “
Trained,
blast you. My pigeons are trained to deliver messages.”
“All right, all right.” Simon flung up his hands in a placating gesture. “Could you please get word to Ariane with one of these
trained
creatures? I won’t make any effort to follow the bird if that is what you are afraid of. I could hardly do so even if I tried.
“I don’t even want to know where Ariane is, just to warn her about what is happening. Isn’t the Lady of Faire Isle supposed to be a guardian, keeping other wise women from doing harm as well as protecting them?”
“Ariane always tried to do just that. But she is not the Lady anymore, thanks to you. Maybe if you hadn’t driven Ariane away from Faire Isle, she would have found out about this Silver Rose and stopped her a long time ago. Did you ever think about that, Simon?”
“Yes, I have. You have no idea how often of late, I have regretted—” He checked himself, dragging one hand wearily through his hair. “But I can’t undo the past, Miri. All I can do is try not to repeat it.”
Stepping closer, he encircled her wrist, his fingers resting against the delicate skin above her pulse. “I need Ariane’s help, her connection with the community of witch—I mean wise women. No matter where she is, she is still the Lady of Faire Isle. Don’t you think she would want to know about this rising menace?”
“I am certain she would and that is exactly why I have no intention of telling her.” Miri pulled free of Simon’s grasp and shrank back, uncertain which she found more dangerously seductive, his gentle touch or his pleading gaze.
“If Ariane heard of this trouble, she would think it her duty to return to Faire Isle in spite of any risk to herself. And where Ariane goes, Renard would follow. Both of them lured back into any trap you might be setting. You already seem to half-suspect that Ariane might be your Silver Rose.”
“I told you that I don’t. Your sister is fundamentally a good woman, although I confess I do find some of her skills and knowledge a bit, er, disconcerting. The thing I most fault her for is her choice in husbands. But if Ariane returns, I promise she will be safe from me.” Simon added grudgingly, “And Monsieur le Comte, too.”
“You’ll have to pardon me if I don’t believe you. The last time you induced me to trust you, you nearly succeeded in destroying everyone and everything that I love.”
Simon opened his mouth to retort, only to close it, a myriad of emotions chasing across his face: sorrow, shame, regret.
“You are perfectly right. I have given you no reason to ever trust me again and every reason to go on hating me.”
“And that is exactly the problem. I don’t want to hate you, Simon. It hurts too much. I am so afraid that if you betray me again, the next time I might actually be able to use that knife.”
She paced away from him, rubbing her arms for comfort. “If the danger was only to me, I might be willing to take a chance on trusting you again. But to put Ariane and Renard at risk . . . I can’t do it. I
won’t
do it. My answer to
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