Chapter Thirteen
He dressed in plain clothes and a worn cloak he’d borrowed from Benton. He could not walk into the pub clothed all in black, which would result in unwanted attention, so the clothes were brown and tan homespun. Benton fashioned a cloth eye patch to disguise his face and trimmed his hair.
It was the best they could do, and Devlin hoped no one would recognize him. As he and Alden prepared to ride off, Ridley sprinted into the stable with a couple of leather bags, which he attached to each of their saddles.
“From Marta. She said you might get hungry. There’s cheese, some bread, and dried apples,” Ridley said. “In case you’re delayed.”
The ride to Wisbech took only two hours, and Devlin planned to return that same night. He wasn’t used to others thinking about his needs and wanting to help, so he said nothing, but Alden replied, “Tell Marta that the food is much appreciated.”
Ridley stared up at the men, and looked so small beside their mounts. “Safe travels,” he said with a wavering voice. “Please come back with…”
“Don’t you worry for a second, Ridley. When I come back, I’ll have answers,” Devlin said steadfastly. “And I will come back.”
Ridley nodded, and with that, the men urged their horses into an easy canter and headed toward Wisbech.
****
Rosalind decided that staying busy was the best defense against the overwhelming worry and fear that welled up inside her and threatened to devour her sanity and her soul. She mentally drafted a list of things to do and moved from one task to the other as she tried to keep her hands and mind busy.
She worked on her spinning, and then she weaved a bit. She dusted and swept her bedchamber. Grim provided some relief for anxiety and allowed her to brush his coat with an old horse brush, but he eventually wandered outside to explore in the winter sun.
She made her way into the kitchen and half-heartedly attempted to cook the evening meal’s pudding, but only scorched the milk in the pot.
“Kaylyn and Luella dropped their stockings in your mending basket, dear. Why don’t you go sit in front of the fire and work on that?” Marta said kindly but firmly as she half-led, half-pushed her from the kitchen.
Rosalind sighed. Once seated, she realized sewing was the last thing she wanted to do.
After three unsuccessful attempts, she’d managed to mend one hole when she heard Edward Kelley and his men enter the manor.
Benton took their cloaks, and Rosalind’s heart quickened as Kelley made his way to the great hall and to the other chair in front of the massive fireplace.
As he sat, a long, deep sigh escaped from the man. Rosalind paused her work on the tunic she was hemming for Ridley and waited for Mr. Kelley to speak. And then she waited some more. But he sat there, quiet, for a few moments and gazing into the fire. Finally, Rosalind couldn’t stand it any longer.
“Good evening, Mr. Kelley. Were you able to get some clarity on this dreadful situation with Roland Kirkeby?”
The small man with the bulbous nose turned to her and sighed again.
“I don’t think I have ever met a more disgraceful excuse for a man than Mr. Kirkeby.
The despot was drunk when I arrived. Can you believe that?
He knew that a representative from the palace was coming to investigate his claim, and he showed nothing but disrespect upon my arrival. ”
“Of that, I am not surprised.” She paused. “But did he have proof of a contract?”
“No. None at all. So, it seems that it’s his word against yours, Lady Rosalind. And considering he was out of his mind on ale, I’ve decided not to pursue his claim any further. And this will be my recommendation to the king as well.”
Rosalind almost jumped from her chair with joy, but she stayed composed. “I cannot say how relieved I am—I feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. And, Mr. Kelley, please know I am grateful for your investigation into the matter.”
Edward Kelley gave her a slight smile, and she returned it with one of her own.
Their conversation ended there. Rosalind and Mr. Kelley sat in relaxed amicable silence.
After several undisturbed moments, the pounding of small feet was heard as Luella and Kaylyn rushed down the hall.
When the girls saw Mr. Kelley, they both stopped short of entering the room.
Rosalind craned her head around the back of her chair and called out, “Girls, do come in. Catch me up on what you’ve been doing.”
The children entered carefully, and Grim followed clumsily. Enticed by the warm fire, the large dog then busted through the girls who were walking hand-in-hand, and plopped onto the rug with a grunt and a sigh. The canine gave Mr. Kelley no mind, and he started snoring almost immediately.
Kaylyn and Luella rounded the table, then stood in front of Rosalind. Kaylyn had a large hole in her woolen stocking and a smudge of mud on her cheek. Luella wasn’t much better off. Her hands were dirty, and several pieces of hay were sticking straight out of her braids in several places.
“Girls, were you in the stable by chance? After you were told not to go there alone?”
Both girls started to shake their heads, and their mouths formed the word “no,” but Rosalind held up her hand. “Choose your words carefully. Surely you will not shame this household with a lie in front of a representative from the palace sitting right here.”
After a brief pause, the girls said in guilty unison, “Yes, Mama Rosalind.”
“And what were you doing in the stable?”
“Ridley said the big black cat had kittens again. I didn’t believe him, but he said there were three, and he got to play with them each time he went to the barn to do his chores. And that’s not fair, is it, Mama?” Kaylyn stated with conviction.
Rosalind thought for a moment, “I agree. That isn’t fair. But you’re still not supposed to be in the stable alone.”
“We wanted to ask someone, but everyone was busy, Mama,” Luella chimed in. “We went out for a quick look, but we never found any kittens. I think Ridley was telling a story.”
“And then you came right back to the manor, then?” Rosalind asked sternly.
“Not quite,” Kaylyn answered after a slight pause, and then more words spilled out, “Luella went and looked at the body!”
Luella gasped and then reared back her small, skinny arm and punched her sister right in the shoulder.
“Luella! I’m shocked!” Rosalind exclaimed. “Why would you do such a thing?”
“What, Mama? I punch Kaylyn all the time. Especially when she tattles.”
Rosalind sighed, rubbed her forehead, then looked back at Luella, her eyes wide and expression seemingly innocent.
She heard a slight chuckle from Mr. Kelley.
“Not that! But I will address the hitting later. Now tell me why you would want to look at a corpse.” Rosalind demanded with all the authority she could muster.
“Well, Ridley tells us he hears Lord Edmond moaning when he does his evening chores.”
“That’s right,” Kaylyn chimed in. “He says he’s still moving out there too. Not a lot. But just a little.”
“And I wanted to see if it was true. So after climbing in the straw to look for the kittens, I went to take a look.”
Rosalind just looked at each girl, and she didn’t know whether to punish the girls for disobeying or laugh, but Edward Kelley surprised her and joined the conversation.
“Oh, don’t keep me in suspense, little one,” Mr. Kelley asked with exaggerated but authentic interest, “Did you see old Lord Edmond move? Even just a little?”
Luella and Kaylyn moved over to Mr. Kelley’s chair.
And with the snores of Grim, and the crackling of the fire in the great fireplace in the background, Luella and Kaylyn regaled the king’s man with a glorious tale that included watching the wrapped corpse for at least an hour, throwing a few acorns at it, and finally working up the courage to poke Edmond’s body with a stick.
“And did it moan? Or move?” Mr. Kelley asked.
Luella leaned forward and placed her small hand on the man’s knee. With wide eyes, she whispered, with enough drama to sound frightening, “Yes, I believe it did.”
Kaylyn nodded in agreement, and the older man placed his hand over his heart. “Oh my goodness! I shan’t sleep a wink tonight!”
Both girls erupted into laughter, and the royal servant joined in. Lady Rosalind couldn’t hide her smile and decided she would deal later with the girls and Ridley for telling such tales. She told the girls to get cleaned up for dinner, and they ran excitedly out of the room.
“Those two are quite entertaining and very clever,” Mr. Kelley said when the girls had left the room. “I enjoyed their story immensely.”
“It takes much of my energy and time to keep them out of trouble, but they are pure joy to me.”
Mr. Kelley nodded as if he understood, and Rosalind wondered if he had children of his own. She wanted to ask, but Benton entered the room and announced that the evening meal would be ready shortly, and they both retreated to their chambers to change before eating.
****
The Boar’s Head sat at the town’s end and was all but hidden, concealed by large English oaks and a tall, unkempt hedge of vegetation.
Devlin wondered that, if the walls could talk, how many crimes and secrets would be revealed.
The structure boasted an exterior framed with sturdy timber beams and a thatched roof that sloped downward, while sagging dramatically inward at the same time.
Moss and ivy clung heavily to most of the exterior and looked to engulf the structure come spring.
Above the entrance, a wooden sign, its letters barely decipherable, swung lazily in the breeze; its once-vibrant colors faded from years of warm summer sun and harsh winter winds and snow.
Mist rolled in like a white cloak from the vast fields behind the pub and threatened to conceal the pub even more.
Devlin took a deep breath, pulled his hood low over his face, and approached the entrance.