Read Online Agent of the Crown by Melissa McShane - Free Book Online

began
whacking the mattress with a smooth rhythm in a pattern that went
from top to bottom. Dust flew. No wonder Aunt Weaver had moved the
freshly-dyed yarn. “Looks like this mattress hasn’t seen use in
years,” he added.
    “It’s from Aunt’s spare room, I think,”
Telaine said, and coughed before stepping back farther. “I’ve about
got the room cleaned up.”
    “And I’ve about got this finished,” he said.
He gave the mattress a few more whacks and handed her the tool.
“Came to see how you’re settling,” he said. “Those fellows have an
odd sense of humor, but they’re harmless.”
    “I’m sure they are,” Telaine said, thinking, If that’s harmless, I don’t want to be around for
violent.
    He stepped forward and held out his hand.
“Ben Garrett,” he said.
    She switched the tool to her left hand and
took his with her right. “Lainie Bricker, but you know that
already.” His hand was callused but perfectly clean. She wouldn’t
have guessed his occupation if she hadn’t seen him at the
forge.
    “Most likely the whole town knows it. Not
much excitement around here.”
    “I don’t know if I qualify as excitement. I’m
looking for a quiet retreat.”
    “You’re new and you’re a Deviser. Never had
one in Longbourne before.” He paused, then said with some
hesitation, “You ought be prepared for people to stare at you.”
    “Thanks for the warning.” She tugged the
mattress down and felt him supporting the far side. “Thanks, but I
can manage,” she said. The idea of letting a strange man haul her
mattress into her bedroom made her uncomfortable. Not to mention
inviting someone into a house not her own.
    He helped her arrange it in a less awkward
position and said, “Good night, Miss Bricker.”
    “Good night, Mister Garrett. And thank you
again.”
    He nodded and went back around the corner of
the house toward the street. Telaine wrangled the mattress back
inside and put it on the bed frame. No dust arose when she dropped
it. Now, how did one make up a bed? She’d seen sheets and blankets
in the chest when she stowed away her clothes.
    Tucking the sheet over the mattress proved
challenging; when she tucked one corner in, another came loose. She
finally managed to get the sheet in place and lay another one, and
a blanket, atop it. Still no pillow. She’d have to get used to
doing without.
    Telaine was accustomed to watching the sun
set, but up here the sun disappeared behind the mountains without
fuss, leaving behind a diffused evening light. She opened her
window, pushed aside the curtains, and leaned out. Although there
were lights in the buildings along the street, they were so few by
comparison to the bright lanterns of Aurilien that burned all night
that she was able to watch the stars come out.
    Here in the mountains she felt closer to the
sky, close enough to reach out and pluck one of those brilliant
specks of light from the black velvet it was pinned to. Her anger
and frustration drained away. Yes, this was a difficult mission,
and she hadn’t been trained for anything like it. She didn’t know
how to get into the Baron’s home—she barely knew what she was
looking for. But it was impossible to worry about those problems
when she looked at the encircling mountains that held up the sky,
with Mount Ehuren’s upper slopes still gilded by the setting sun.
It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.
    “Don’t go falling out,” Aunt Weaver said, and
Telaine had to catch herself on the window ledge. The woman carried
a lamp that glowed dimly but enough to illuminate the room. “Forgot
to leave this for you,” she grunted, and Telaine wondered if that
might be an apology—a watered-down, reluctant apology, but Telaine
would take whatever was offered.
    “Thank you,” she said.
    “Say ‘thanks’ instead,” Aunt Weaver said.
“You want to not stand out, happen you tone down your fancy
language.”
    “It will come, I think—I mean, happen I’ll
make