Lord Gawain's Forbidden Mistress. Carol Townend
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Название: Lord Gawain's Forbidden Mistress
Автор: Carol Townend
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Историческая литература
isbn: 9781474005821
isbn:
Nodding, Vivienne bent over Bruno, but not before Elise saw the glitter of tears. ‘Vivienne?’
Vivienne sniffed. A tear splashed on to Bruno’s cheek. Vivienne’s face was pale, her eyes shadowed.
‘You’re thinking about André.’
Vivienne’s throat worked. ‘It’s been three days.’ Her voice was thick with emotion. ‘Three days since we last saw him and there hasn’t been a word. Where is he, Elise? Where?’ Another tear landed on Bruno’s cheek.
‘We must have faith in him. He’s not stupid. He told me—’
‘That he would put matters right. I remember what you said.’ Vivienne swiped her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘But how is he going to manage it? If he has truly been dealing with counterfeiters, do you think they’ll take kindly to him confessing that he’s lost that sword?’
Picking Pearl up, Elise came to the window and searched Vivienne’s face. ‘You know more than you have told me.’
‘No, I don’t. Truly. But I’ve been thinking. Elise, these past three days I’ve done nothing but think and if André’s friends—the players he told us about—if the players are the counterfeiters, what will they do when they learn the sword has fallen into the hands of the Guardians? They might hurt him.’
‘I don’t think they will.’ Elise spoke firmly, even though the thought had occurred to her too. When she had seen André in the pavilion she hadn’t imagined that three days would pass without a word. Three days. No message, nothing. Just a silence as ominous and oppressive as the August heat.
‘It’s possible he tried to get a message to us,’ Elise murmured. Pearl squirmed in her arms. ‘But with Lord Gawain’s men posted in the street to watch our every move, he might have been afraid to come near.’
Vivienne looked at her, eyes watery. ‘They’re still out there?’
Elise peered into the grey morning light. ‘Two men are leaning against the house opposite. And though I can’t see from here, I’m guessing that two more will be stationed either side of the door as they were yesterday. I think there will be four of them.’
She sighed, Gawain was nothing if not thorough and Elise didn’t like it. She really did feel as though she had been imprisoned. It didn’t help that every hour she had to listen to the tolling of the cathedral bells—every horrible note brought back the convent. Trapped. Trapped. Trapped. The bells, the rigid routine... She thought she’d escaped all that.
‘I suppose we should be grateful we’re not locked in,’ Vivienne said. ‘What shall we do?’
Pearl let out a wail. Elise handed her to Vivienne and waited until she had settled before she spoke again. ‘I’m going back to Strangers’ City.’
Vivienne jerked her head meaningfully in the direction of the guards in the street. ‘Will they permit it?’
Outside, Gawain’s men stood as still and solid as carved wooden pillars. Their expressions didn’t betray the slightest hint of fatigue even though they’d been there all night.
Elise pursed her lips. ‘Lord Gawain didn’t actually forbid me to return.’
‘No, but two of his men accompanied you when you went to buy bread yesterday.’
‘That’s true.’ Elise squared her shoulders. She wished things were easier between her and Gawain. If only she could trust him. No, that wasn’t right, she could trust him. Gawain would do the right thing. He always did the right thing. And that was exactly the problem. Elise wasn’t sure what André had done and she wanted him to have a chance to make things better. But the instinct to ask for Gawain’s help was strong. ‘It must be resisted,’ she murmured.
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