Page 34 of Castle of Refuge

“Sir Clement is here.”

“Send him in.”

Well, it would be good to see him after all.

Soon Sir Clement was coming in the door and crossing the floor toward him.

“Welcome,” Edwin said.

“Old friend.” Sir Clement walked straight up to him with a grim look on his face.

Oh no. Would he express pity and condolences on his lostarm? Would he stare at the empty space where his arm should be and look sad? He wasn’t sure he could refrain from anger if he was treated thusly.

Sir Clement clapped him on the shoulder and a small smile crossed his lips. “I must call you Lord Dericott now. You are looking well.”

“You look well also. How was your journey?”

“Good, good. I am glad to see you, heartily glad you fought your way out of that mess with your stepmother and old ‘Baldric the Sneaky.’ Where did they end up?”

“The Continent, possibly. If they ever come back to England, they will be hanged.”

“As well they should be. In fact, we might just go down and find them and drag them back, just for that purpose.”

There were many things he could say to that suggestion. “I’ve thought about it.” Many times, in fact. They should pay for what they did—for their greed and the terrible time they put his family through, his young brothers and sister who were completely innocent—not least of which was murdering their father.

But vengeance belonged to the Lord. And perhaps one day Edwin would stop dreaming about exacting vengeance himself. He knew he needed to let it go, but forgiveness was difficult when the offense was so great.

“It has been a long time since I’ve been to Dericott Castle,” Sir Clement said. “I like the way it’s situated—on a hill facing south. You tend to get the breezes and clear views that way...”

May God bless him for continuing to talk about inconsequential things, the condition of the roads and the trees andfields around Bedfordshire. It allowed Edwin to breathe a little easier and feel more relaxed and prepared for the inevitable questions and condolences that would come.

“I am heartily glad to see you,” Sir Clement said again as they both sat drinking a tankard of ale. “But I have a specific reason for traveling about just now.”

Edwin listened closely. Judging from the look on his friend’s face, he had something important to say.

“I am searching for someone.” His eyes clouded over, his mouth contracted into a thin line, and his brows lowered. “Do you remember when we stopped for the night, about four years ago, at Viscount Engleford’s castle?”

Edwin’s mind went back, trying to grasp hold of the memory.

“The viscount had two young daughters, both pretty, but one was exceptionally so. I believe the viscount had you in mind for a husband for her.”

The memory was slowly coming back to him. He had no recollection of their names, but they had sat across from him during a meal in the viscount’s Great Hall. He recalled the older one looking shrewd and saying unkind things about the younger one, who was very shy and barely looked up the whole time they were eating.

But something was making the hair rise up on the back of his neck, prodding at him like a thought inching its way from the recesses of his mind.

“That younger one has run away from home and vanished, and I feel partially responsible for it.”

The prodding grew stronger.

“Her father had pledged her to me in marriage. We had agreed on the bride price, and I was to take her to wife in a couple of months.” Sir Clement held up his hand. “Now, I know what you are thinking.”

Audrey.Could she be the young girl he and Sir Clement had met at her father’s castle four years ago?

“What am I thinking?” Edwin’s heart beat hard.

“That she is much too fair and young for the likes of me. That her father would rather she marry a young handsome earl like you. But she got burned, you see.” He lifted his hand and pointed to his ear.

Edwin’s chest hurt.