Pendragon

Tysen Sherbrooke held up a beautiful hand and said in his deep compelling vicar's voice that brought immediate silence, all eyes now on him, "I think it could be very helpful, Thomas. I would like as well to hear what everyone has to say. Lord Kipper, why do you think someone is trying to kill my daughter?"

Lord Kipper walked to the fireplace, where he leaned his shoulders against the mantel. He looked immaculate in his riding clothes, those black riding boots of his so shiny he could see his face. He looked as calm as the sea at dawn, and utterly beautiful. He said, "I believe it to be someone who perhaps despises Thomas, someone who wishes him ill, someone who knows that if he kills Thomas, he will be discovered, thus he is trying to kill Thomas's wife, in order to have Thomas blamed for it. That is the most likely. Perhaps it is revenge this man wants. Even though he is very young, Thomas has certainly made enemies, inevitable since he is ruthless and successful, particularly in his shipping endeavors."

Tysen said, "Can you think of anyone in your business dealings who would wish you ill, Thomas? Who would hurt my daughter rather than you? As punishment or revenge?"

"No," Thomas said.

Tysen turned to William, who was standing still as a stick of furniture against the far wall, obviously wanting to go u

"I don't know, sir. But I do believe that it must have something to do with Je

"It seems likely," Tysen said slowly, "since everything is happening at the same time."

"Perhaps this someone," William said, more forcefully now, the worry plain on his face, "didn't want Thomas to marry, but since he did, now he's trying to get rid of Meggie. In my case, he doesn't want me to marry either, thus he's taken Je

"That," Thomas, said, giving his half-brother a look of respect, "is a very good question."

"I agree with William," Meggie said, and that set both Madeleine and Libby off. "Someone wants two unmarried men in the house. But why?"

"Perhaps the two mothers," William said, and took three more steps away from his own mother. Predictably, voices went up, tempers rose and tangled, a teacup smashed to the floor.

Once again Tysen said in a voice of honey and iron, "That is quite enough. Thomas has given us a lot to consider. I suggest we do just that." He paused a moment, looked briefly at his son-in-law, and said, "One of the persons in this room is very deeply involved in this. I wonder which one of you it is."

There were dark mutterings.

The party broke up quickly after that.

Chapter 34

THAT NIGHT MEGGIE'S shoulder hurt, to be expected Dr. Pritchart had assured her, but still Thomas was worried. But he didn't say anything, simply poured a tincture of laudanum in some barley water and handed it to her. He didn't move until she'd emptied the glass.

He held her until she eased into sleep.

It was very late, dark clouds obscuring the quarter moon that cast a watery light through the window when the cloth slammed down over his mouth. It took him only an instant to realize that it wasn't a dream. He lurched up, ready to fight, but something struck him hard on the head and he slumped back. The cloth was back, covering his nose and mouth. He was aware, on some level, that he was breathing in a sickeningly sweet odor that seemed to fill his lungs, that snaked to his belly, and that odor, even more than the blow, sent him deeper and deeper until he knew no more.

Meggie felt heavy, as if her body weighed more than one of the boulders on the Pendragon beach and someone was sitting on top of it. She didn't think she could move. She wanted to move. She managed to lift a hand, moan, and then her eyes flew open.

She felt light-headed and dizzy, a bitter taste in her mouth. At first she thought she was simply waking up in her own bed. She quickly realized she was wrong.

She didn't want to open her eyes, but she did, finally, and looked up into a man's face. At first she didn't recognize him. Then she said slowly, "The last time I saw you, you were lying on your kitchen floor, blood on your head and flour all over your apron."

"Ye're right smart, yer ladyship. Aye, the Grakers got me, now didn't they?"

"You're Bernard Leach of the Hangman's Noose at St. Agnes."

"Good memory in yer smart head. I remember thinking how purty ye were, and all fresh and i

"We were going to stay at your i

"Aye, it was the Grakers what brought ye here," Bernard said, and laughed, deep in his throat, and that laugh led quickly to a cough, a nasty watery cough that made Maggie's insides crawl.

"Them Grakers-bothersome little pixies, the lot of them. Don't they travel a lot, eh?" And he laughed some more. He started to cough again, stopped his laughter fast.

He looked even ski

"Aye, that's as may be, but at least I'm not dead, not like ye will be, my little lady. It shouldn't o' been high tide, but it was. Then ye should o' broke yer back when ye hit the water. Bloody hell, that bullet should have laid ye out, but it didn't, now did it? Yer too lucky by far, ye are. Fu

"My husband has known you all his life. Why would you wish to harm him by killing me?"

"Well, ye see, it's like this-"

"Do be quiet, Bernard."

Meggie looked beyond Bernard Leach's right shoulder to see Lord Kipper standing just inside the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, wearing riding clothes, holding a single lit candle in one hand.

"Eh, she woke up, milord."

"Yes, I see that she did. You may go keep watch, Bernard. Oh, by the way, did you kill Thomas?"

Bernard Leach grunted, not looking at Lord Kipper.

"Did you, Bernard? While he was sleeping? While it was so easy since he was helpless, at your mercy?"

Bernard Leach darted a look at Lord Kipper, then his eyes slid away again. He was shaking his head, back and forth. "Oh no, my lord, I jest couldn't do that. Known him all his life, little Thomas. A fine boy, an excellent man. Only her, my lord, only her, and here she is. Not Thomas, I'll never kill Thomas. I'll jest not do it."

Lord Kipper sighed deeply. "We will speak of this later, Bernard. Go keep guard."

Thomas was alive. Meggie was so relieved, so very grateful to Bernard Leach that she would have given him everything she owned. Because he'd refused to kill Thomas even though Lord Kipper had ordered him to.

Bernard Leach nodded and took himself out of the room. It was a single room, rude, bare boards forming the walls and ceiling. A cottage of some sort, likely abandoned given the filth she now saw. It was dawn and gray light was seeping through the dirty windows. Years upon years of dirt.