Page 90 of Castle of Refuge

“Why don’t you marry Sir Clement?”

Maris’s face turned dark again. “How dare you taunt me?”

“I was not meaning to taunt you.” Audrey tried to sound meek. “I simply wondered if you wanted to marry Sir Clement. He has released me from our marriage agreement he made with Father. Or perhaps if you tell Father you’re sorry, he will find you someone else to marry.”

“You know Father doesn’t want me to marry.”

“He could change his mind.”

“You’re taunting me again. You want me to rot in that convent with all those nuns who hated me and tried to tell me there was something wrong with me. Well, there’s nothing wrong with me.”

“The new abbess, Agnes, says the woman who used to torment you has left. She is not at the abbey anymore. Sister Deloreswants you to come back so the two of you can work in the garden together.”

“She said that?” Maris narrowed her eyes even as her mouth went slack.

“She did. Abbess Agnes wrote me a letter and said if you come back, she will allow you to do as much gardening as you wish, and you will not be forced to have periods of silence. Sister Delores will have charge of you. Would you like that?”

“I’m afraid you are only saying this to trick me. Because you don’t want me to marry.”

“You could marry if you wanted.” Audrey said, still walking backward. “Everyone always says how pretty you are.”

“I am pretty.”

“You can marry if you wish.”

“I could marry if I wished to.”

“Yes. And if you asked him, Father might even give you a dowry.” Of course, he probably would not. But she prayed God would forgive her for being deceptive.

“You didn’t ask me what happened to Umfrey,” Maris said.

“What happened to Umfrey?” They were nearly to the other side of the field. Should Audrey turn and run?

“He did not understand what I wanted, and he was too eager to kill someone for me. I would not have really killed you, Audrey. But Umfrey wanted to. He argued with me about it, and I did not like that. Sister Delores would not have been happy with me if I had let him harm you, would she? And I was afraid he was going to get me caught. He was too big. Everyone noticed him. So I sent him away.”

“I see.” Audrey was only half paying attention to her. She was thinking about how to escape from her sister. “Would you like to come to the castle tomorrow for our ball? You will enjoy the music and the food.”

Maris looked confused for a moment, then she stopped walking. “You’re taunting me again. Do not expect me to be happy about your wedding. I will not be, and I will not forget how you refused to do as I asked.”

“I want you to be happy, Maris.”

“No one lets me be happy. I was happy in the garden when I had Sister Delores to talk to. But no one wants me to be happy.” Maris looked as if she might cry. “Go on!” she said, shooing Audrey with her hand. “I don’t want to see you right now. Leave me alone.”

Maris always did hate for anyone to see her cry, and her face was scrunching in that way that said she was about to start sobbing.

“Fare well.” Audrey turned and walked quickly instead of running, fearing that Maris, like a wild animal, would be attracted by her running and would be that much more determined to catch her.

Twenty-Three

Edwin searched for Audrey everywhere and could not find her, either in the castle or outside it. He asked Sybil and Mistress Wattlesbrook if they’d seen her, then went into the bailey and asked a guard there. No one knew where she was.

His heart pounded against his chest. Could she be in danger? Why had she left the safety of the castle?

He went back inside and found Mistress Wattlesbrook again. “Audrey is missing. Have the servants search every nook and corner of the castle until she is found.”

Mistress Wattlesbrook looked alarmed. Good. If alarm was what helped him find Audrey, so be it.

He went outside and spoke to the captain of the guard. “I need some men to go and look for Audrey. Search in every direction until she is found.”