Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
THEO
‘What do you mean you found nothing of consequence?’ my father bellowed, his face puce with fury.
‘Exactly what I said,’ I replied, unsure what else to tell him.
Garnier stepped from one foot to the other and Le Gall smirked at him before addressing my father. ‘I wasn’t there, sir.’
My relief that Le Gall had not arrived at the manor house before our departure vanished. How typical of him to feel the need to tell my father that I had sent him on an errand.
My father glared at him. Le Gall gave me a pointed look, causing my father to turn his attention to me. ‘And why is that, Theo?’
I deliberately did not acknowledge Le Gall.
Clearly, I had been right to think him capable of making trouble to gain favour.
I decided to turn the tables back on to my father.
‘I assumed you wanted me to carry out a thorough search, and I supposed that, as your official assistant, I should be the one to do that.’ I looked at Le Gall.
‘I didn’t expect you to mind me sending one of your men in my place to accompany Lord Thistlebury the rest of the way to his home. ’
My father considered my words, then looked from me to Le Gall. ‘He is correct. Why, therefore, are you wasting time giving me this useless information?’
Le Gall pressed his lips together, furious that his attempt to discredit me had failed. ‘I thought it was of importance, sir.’
‘You were wrong.’
My father shot a look of disdain in his direction before addressing me. ‘I suppose your thinking was that, as the only one of you to have visited the property, you would be best placed to lead the search?’
‘That is correct.’
He stared at me without speaking. It occurred to me that my father had no reason to suspect me of anything untoward.
I hoped that continued to be the case, because it was the only way I had any hope of helping Rue.
The thoughts that followed I drove out of my head, not wishing to entertain them while in my father’s office.
It was foolish of me, because as clever and perceptive as he was about people and what they were hiding, he couldn’t – as far as I knew – read minds.
‘I’m surprised you found nothing at all of note.’
I took a breath to answer when Garnier stepped forward. I tensed, hoping he wasn’t about to mention finding the crystal. I hoped in vain. Another of my father’s men seemingly keen to gain his favour.
‘Have you forgotten the crystal we found?’ he asked me, his face the picture of innocence, though I now knew it to be a mask.
‘Crystal? Theo, why did you not deem it important to share this with me? Do you have it with you now?’
Unable to do otherwise without causing suspicion, or worse, I took the small, shiny item from my waistcoat pocket and held it out for him to see.
He came closer, snatched it from my fingers and studied it, turning it repeatedly as he did so.
‘Did you ask the women in the house about this?’
‘I did, sir, but they didn’t recognise it.’
‘And do you believe it could be used for practising witchcraft?’
I shrugged. ‘I have no idea.’ If I did want to add to my father’s determination to see Rue arrested, now was the time.
As angry as I was with her for her deception, I still couldn’t bring myself to cause her harm.
Instead, I explained where it had been found but that it was the only item of any significance.
‘It seems like a trinket rather than anything useful.’
He looked at it again and held it up to the light briefly. ‘I agree it doesn’t appear to have any magickal powers we need to worry about.’
‘That was my conclusion too,’ I agreed, relieved.
I expected him to hand the crystal back to me for safekeeping but instead he dropped it into his jacket pocket. I wondered why but decided to change the subject.
‘What would you like us to focus on now, sir?’
He frowned thoughtfully. Something amused him, if the hint of a smile was anything to go by, but he didn’t elaborate. We watched silently as he went and sat down behind his desk.
After moving around papers and finally seeming to find what he was looking for, my father sat back in his chair and considered our next task.
Finally, he leant forward and, resting his elbows on his well-polished desk, gave a secretive smile.
‘I have discovered there is a coven that meets on occasion in the woods not three miles from here.’ My mind raced.
‘According to my source they meet at the full moon. The next one is tonight. I want two of you – Garnier and you, Theo – to go there today. See if you can track down where the coven has met before. Then return there before dusk and hide. I want you to witness exactly what is done. Then bring the information to me.’
I thought back to when I had raced through the fields and woods to warn Rue about the raid.
I had spotted tracks leading from the woods, in one direction to the back fields at Thistlebury Manor and in the other to the village.
I guessed this was another confirmation that the women from the manor were involved in the local coven.
My neck ached, no doubt from my continued concern for Rue.
Would she be there? A small part of me still hoped she wouldn’t be.
‘We shall leave to search the woods now,’ I said, eager to leave the stuffy office, which was becoming warmer by the minute. Why my father had a fire burning in the grate and the windows closed I had no idea. What was it about fire that excited him so much?
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Go with Garnier now. Le Gall, I have another job for you.’
What could he be referring to? I wondered as I left the office. I hoped it wasn’t something underhand again. I was going to need to be alert to stay one step ahead of him.