Mage of Dudone.”
“ Will we
be safer here than along the shore?” Jenia asked.
“ I doubt
if you will be safe anywhere,” Roarke said. “Not with your face so
similar to Lady Chantal’s.”
“ Now,
that’s not entirely true,” Garit protested. “We can keep our
distance from Thury, where Lord Walderon has taken up
residence.”
“ Walderon
is at Thury?” Jenia exclaimed. “How can that be?” She broke off
when she saw Roarke staring at her with a knowing gleam in his
eyes. Once again she had revealed too much knowledge. Constant
deception really was beyond her.
“ Walderon
moved to Thury shortly after Lady Chantal vanished,” Roarke
informed her. “He has been conducting his search for her from
there. Do you know Thury?” he asked with an emphasis that Jenia
could not mistake.
“ Only
from your discussion of the place as Lady Chantal’s home,” she
said, certain that Roarke knew she was lying. In an effort to
prevent any further discussion of the subject she added, “At least,
I do not think I
know it.”
“ At the
moment,” Garit said, “it doesn’t matter whether you know Thury, or
not. My lady, if you can ride until shortly after nightfall this
evening, we can stop at a manor house we know of, that’s safely
located in an isolated area. In our younger days, Roarke and I were
squires to Lord Giles of Nozay. He remains a dependable friend, and
we have stopped at Nozay several times during our searches of this
area. Lord Giles will take good care of us and feed us
well.
“ Then,”
Garit continued, “if you are willing to undertake a long day’s ride
tomorrow, and if no mischance slows us along the way, we have a
good chance of reaching a castle that King Henryk bestowed on me
two years ago. I keep it staffed with people who are loyal to me.
You will be perfectly safe at Auremont.”
“ I
thought we were bound for Calean City,” she objected.
“ So we
are,” Garit assured her. “But we cannot go there
directly.”
“ Why
not?” she demanded, her fear returning in a rush. She shivered at
the thought that she might not reach the capital after all, that
she still might fail in her quest in spite of two strong knights
who were pledged to protect her. “What mischance are you thinking
of? Might we be attacked?”
“ Why
would anyone want to attack us?” Roarke asked, his tone bland, but
his gaze sharp on her face.
“ You
don’t understand,” she said.
“ Then,
perhaps you ought to explain.”
“ My
lady,” Garit said, “it will take three days of steady travel on a
good horse to reach Calean City. I am due there early on the second
day after tomorrow, so I must ride faster than you can. We will
separate at Castle Auremont, where you and Roarke will stay until I
return.”
“ You’re
leaving us?” she cried. “Roarke, is this some new scheme of yours?
One of you should have told me about any change in plans. I will
not have my life arranged without my approval.”
“ We did
agree,” Garit said in a quiet way that Jenia believed was
calculated to soothe her irritation, “that you will present
yourself at the royal court as Lady Chantal. If you are to be
accepted in that role, you will need fine clothing such as Chantal
would wear, a noble horse to ride, caparison for your horse,
servants—”
“ No!”
Jenia cried. “No servants. I refuse to drag anyone else into so
dangerous a situation.”
“ What
danger?” Roarke asked. When she didn’t respond he said, “It’s clear
to me that most if not all of your memory has returned. If you ever
did lose your memory.”
“ I did
lose it. I lost everything except my honor, and that I preserved
only by taking a desperate risk.” She choked on tears. After a
moment she swallowed hard and continued in the belief that Roarke
would be pacified only by the truth, or some goodly portion of it.
If she had any hope of convincing him that she was being honest
about her ordeal, she sensed that she ought to reveal as
“ Will we
be safer here than along the shore?” Jenia asked.
“ I doubt
if you will be safe anywhere,” Roarke said. “Not with your face so
similar to Lady Chantal’s.”
“ Now,
that’s not entirely true,” Garit protested. “We can keep our
distance from Thury, where Lord Walderon has taken up
residence.”
“ Walderon
is at Thury?” Jenia exclaimed. “How can that be?” She broke off
when she saw Roarke staring at her with a knowing gleam in his
eyes. Once again she had revealed too much knowledge. Constant
deception really was beyond her.
“ Walderon
moved to Thury shortly after Lady Chantal vanished,” Roarke
informed her. “He has been conducting his search for her from
there. Do you know Thury?” he asked with an emphasis that Jenia
could not mistake.
“ Only
from your discussion of the place as Lady Chantal’s home,” she
said, certain that Roarke knew she was lying. In an effort to
prevent any further discussion of the subject she added, “At least,
I do not think I
know it.”
“ At the
moment,” Garit said, “it doesn’t matter whether you know Thury, or
not. My lady, if you can ride until shortly after nightfall this
evening, we can stop at a manor house we know of, that’s safely
located in an isolated area. In our younger days, Roarke and I were
squires to Lord Giles of Nozay. He remains a dependable friend, and
we have stopped at Nozay several times during our searches of this
area. Lord Giles will take good care of us and feed us
well.
“ Then,”
Garit continued, “if you are willing to undertake a long day’s ride
tomorrow, and if no mischance slows us along the way, we have a
good chance of reaching a castle that King Henryk bestowed on me
two years ago. I keep it staffed with people who are loyal to me.
You will be perfectly safe at Auremont.”
“ I
thought we were bound for Calean City,” she objected.
“ So we
are,” Garit assured her. “But we cannot go there
directly.”
“ Why
not?” she demanded, her fear returning in a rush. She shivered at
the thought that she might not reach the capital after all, that
she still might fail in her quest in spite of two strong knights
who were pledged to protect her. “What mischance are you thinking
of? Might we be attacked?”
“ Why
would anyone want to attack us?” Roarke asked, his tone bland, but
his gaze sharp on her face.
“ You
don’t understand,” she said.
“ Then,
perhaps you ought to explain.”
“ My
lady,” Garit said, “it will take three days of steady travel on a
good horse to reach Calean City. I am due there early on the second
day after tomorrow, so I must ride faster than you can. We will
separate at Castle Auremont, where you and Roarke will stay until I
return.”
“ You’re
leaving us?” she cried. “Roarke, is this some new scheme of yours?
One of you should have told me about any change in plans. I will
not have my life arranged without my approval.”
“ We did
agree,” Garit said in a quiet way that Jenia believed was
calculated to soothe her irritation, “that you will present
yourself at the royal court as Lady Chantal. If you are to be
accepted in that role, you will need fine clothing such as Chantal
would wear, a noble horse to ride, caparison for your horse,
servants—”
“ No!”
Jenia cried. “No servants. I refuse to drag anyone else into so
dangerous a situation.”
“ What
danger?” Roarke asked. When she didn’t respond he said, “It’s clear
to me that most if not all of your memory has returned. If you ever
did lose your memory.”
“ I did
lose it. I lost everything except my honor, and that I preserved
only by taking a desperate risk.” She choked on tears. After a
moment she swallowed hard and continued in the belief that Roarke
would be pacified only by the truth, or some goodly portion of it.
If she had any hope of convincing him that she was being honest
about her ordeal, she sensed that she ought to reveal as