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“But milady,” protested Trudy. “He surely would not expect you to go careering off into the countryside without your husband’s leave!”

Fen cleared her throat. “Oh, my husband will not mind,” she said airily. “We discussed the possibility before he left.” The lies were coming thick and fast now. “I do not need to pack overmuch, no jewelry or fine head-dresses. Just the essentials.” Though in truth, all her gowns were fancy these days, so she was talking nonsense. She drifted through to the bedroom, feeling quite numb. She stared in the mirror as she unpinned her gauzy veil, but left the velvet roll her hair was caught up in. Her face was rather pale, but you would never guess that her life was collapsing down around her. The door closed, and Trudy joined her, pulling out drawers and unfastening trunks as they went about their business. She turned to her maid as they were tightening the strap on her chest.

“Trudy, I wonder if you could send word down to the stables to have my horse made ready?”

As her maid hurried away, Fen stared at the trunk, and then at Bors who was sat watching her. Even though she was not taking much, she would not leave her dog behind, however attached to Roland he might be! But the sad fact was that Bors’ days of running alongside her horse were long gone. She would need some type of conveyance for him to sit in alongside her trunk. She was just pondering this, when Meldon appeared in the doorway.

“I’ll take ye,” he said.

“Pardon?” Fen turned in surprise.

“I said I’ll take ye to Sitchmarsh. I made that journey many a-time. We can take a wagon.”

“Oh but…Meldon,” said Fen taken aback. “I don’t think Oswald would be happy for me to take you away with me. After all…”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he said sticking out his chin. “I see my duty before me, and it’s to take you to Sitchmarsh. Who’s to show you around the old place if it’s not me?” He puffed out his skinny chest.

“Well, you see,” said Fen weakly. “I was thinking of going to my brother’s place first as-”

“Now that, is something the master would not like,” said Meldon with a thunderous frown.

Fen was surprised by his addressing Oswald as ‘the master’. To her knowledge it was the first time he’d done it. Usually he called him ‘Master Oswald’ as he called Roland ‘Master Roland’. As she understood it, he reserved ‘the master’ exclusively for when he was speaking of the old Baron.

“He wouldn’t?”

“Stands to reason, he’d expect you under his own roof!” said Meldon with a vigorous nod.

“I see,” said Fen. “Well…” After all, what difference did it make? Their estates were neighboring. And this way, if Meldon drove the wagon, Bors could sit beside him while she rode her horse alongside them. “If you really do not mind accompanying me, Meldon?”

“It’s no more than my duty,” he reiterated, and stomped back out. “I’ll get a wagon and send a man for your trunk.”

“Thank you, Meldon,” she called after him.

Hurried explanations to Linnet followed. Her sister-in-law was bewildered and dismayed by her departure. Fenella wrapped the children’s solstice gifts and Bryce’s lined hood and left them on the bed for Oswald to bestow them. She gave her presents for Hester and Eden to Cuthbert to deliver. On impulse, she gave Cuthbert the deck of cards she had bought for Gil. After all, he was to have a wife now, and that was Solstice gift enough. Then, pulling on her thickest cloak and drawing on her gloves, she kissed them all farewell, and left the castle.

**

Oswald whipped back the tent flap and strode into the tent he was sharing with his brothers. “We’ll be here at least another hour,” he said grimly. “I’ve left Schaeffer to finish up the formalities. Wymer’s suffering from last night’s excesses. We won’t be packing up in a hurry.”

Mason scowled back at him, sharing his mood.

“Can’t we start off ahead of them?” asked Roland irritably.

“Now, how would that look?” asked Oswald. “The King’s champion, lead general and chief advisor all ride off, and leave him trailing behind undefended.”

“He’s got a hundred soldiers,” Roland pointed out, perhaps not unreasonably.

“You know how the King feels about protocol,” Oswald responded tersely.

“What’s up with you anyway?” Roland asked him. “You’ve been jumpy since yesterday. Usually you’re calm as hell about these things.”

Both his brothers turned to look at him keenly.

“What?” said Oswald. “You don’t want to get back before more snow falls? Princess Una has signed all the papers and is ready to leave. It’s a good four-hour ride back to the palace, and I can see no call for further delay.”

“I’m going to see if I can find out anymore,” muttered Roland flinging out of the tent.

“And that’s the only reason?” asked Mason.