Page 51 of The Tailor's Treasure

"It might," Constance said."Or it might not."She squeezed Isabel's fingers."And surely it is worth it to make the attempt."Surely I am worth it, was what she meant.She badly wanted to hear Isabel say as much, but she knew she wasn't ready yet.Another long wait: but she could bear it, knowing what reward she would find at the end.

"It is," Isabel said slowly, "worth it."She wrapped Constance's hand in both of hers', squeezing back."I will not pose the question to them just yet.I fear they, or Hilda, may try to prevent my attempt, if they learn of it before the feat is accomplished.They may be more amenable if I come to them with the money already in hand."Her mouth twitched in the little half-smile that Constance had come to love."And in the meantime, you may begin to offer embroidery to anyone who may wish to pay for it.If nothing else, it will give me a reason to return."

Constance leaned forward until their foreheads bumped together."Then I will begin today," she said, and was rewarded with a soft puff of air across her face as Isabel laughed.She took the opportunity to brush a kiss across her cheek, and then her mouth.Isabel tensed slightly, but she neither objected nor pulled away.After all, their only audience was Walter – who was contentedly gnawing on the spoon he had eaten breakfast with, and thus paid them no mind - and so they could be as free with their affections as they wished.And, if their plan came to fruition, they could do the same every day.

"I had better go," Isabel murmured, drawing back after another too-brief kiss."The longer I delay, the angrier Hilda will be."She dropped Constance's hand and shifted Walter on her hip, gently prying the spoon out of his grasp and handing it back to Constance.Constance badly wished she could take Isabel in her arms and keep her there, safe from any irritable nieces or quarrelsome stepsons.Soon, she thought, and privately vowed to seek out as much custom as she could manage by the time the day was out.

"Say goodbye," Isabel said to her son, and Walter flapped a hand in Constance's direction with a mulish, "'bye."He evidently had not forgiven the loss of the spoon.Constance pulled a face at him, and it drew out a small, reluctant smile.He looked so much like his mother, Constance thought.

"I'll return as soon as I can manage," Isabel said, then hoisted Walter up on her hip and went out the door.Constance caught at her hand as she went, giving her fingers a final squeeze before dropping it and letting her go.She couldn't kiss her goodbye with the door open, so she had to be content with that.Soon, she thought again.Sooncould sustain them both, if they tried hard enough; and even if they didn't, it had to.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Isabel eased the frontdoor open slowly, hoping to slip inside without being noticed by any of her family.If she were truly lucky - and she had been truly lucky for the past night and day, so perhaps her luck would hold - she would be able to creep upstairs without meeting anyone, and pretend to Hilda that she had arrived home the night before, after the rest of the household had gone to bed.Hilda would be angry with her for staying out late regardless, but she might be able to mitigate it a bit.

It was the first time in a long time she'd had any faith in her own ability to manage Hilda.She had to assume that the night with Constance had conferred it on her, for she certainly had no such internal resources of her own.

"There you are!"Her hopes were dashed in an instant.Petronilla was standing on the stairs, her arms crossed."Mother and Father were worried when you didn't come back last night.Mother said you'd most likely made off with Walter, and she'd send Cousin Piers after you if she had to.Did you run off?"

"No, it was raining," Isabel said with a sigh.There was nothing for it now but to face the impending scolding head-on."Where's your mother now?"

"I don't know."Petronilla shrugged, then leaned into the main room and bellowed, "Mother!"loudly enough that Walter - who'd been dozing on Isabel's shoulder - awoke with a start and a whimper.Isabel was still trying to hush him when Hilda emerged into the front room, her posture a mirror of her daughter's.When she caught sight of Isabel, her expression shifted, but not quite to the anger Isabel had anticipated - it was an emotion she couldn't quite place.

"You said you wanted to know as soon as she came home," said Petronilla.Her emotions, at least, were easy to read: her entire mien was buoyed with self-satisfaction at having carried out her mother's orders.Likely she was especially glad to have done so before Aline was able to.She won so few victories over her sister, after all.

"Go back upstairs," Hilda said, "I told both you girls to keep to the solar this morning.And you -" This, she addressed to Isabel."Ancelin wishes to see you in the hall.Hurry now, my husband is a busy man."

Out of the corner of her eye, Isabel caught a dejected Petronilla slinking back up the stairs.There would be no praise forthcoming for her obedience; likely her mother had forgotten her as soon as she stepped out of her line of vision.It was a pitiful sight - or would have been, had she not made herself so odious.But Isabel had greater concerns just then than her niece.

"I ought to change Walter first, and wash him," she said, "he's not had the opportunity for a bath this morning, and -"

Hilda cut her off with an impatient gesture."Never mind that.Ellyn!"The maid appeared behind her in moments; it seemed she'd been waiting for the summons."Take Walter with you to the kitchen and keep him there, his mother is otherwise occupied."

Isabel's arms tightened around her son as she felt her heart seize.Walter would come to no harm in Ellyn's care - she was a silly girl, but she at least knew how to mind a baby - but the prospect of letting him out of her sight in this house, even for a moment ..."There's no need for that."

"I say there is," Hilda said coolly, "and I am the mistress here, not you."There was some of her normal imperiousness in her tone, but there was something else, too - a gloating note of something that sounded like triumph.It made Isabel nervous.Hilda already held the upper hand between the two of them, and always had; it had never sweetened her temperament before, so why the sudden change?And why did she want to send Walter off with Ellyn while Isabel was busy elsewhere?