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A Welsh lover, perhaps? Havilland thought.

But as she looked at her little sister, something more occurred to her.

Madeline was heading to the kitchen yard where the postern gate was, the same gate she had left from yesterday to meet her lover.

This morning in front of the gatehouse, much had been discussed in Madeline’s presence.

Havilland had been surprised that Jamison had been so free with his thoughts and information.

Now, Madeline had something more to tell her Welsh lover.

Suddenly, she was headed to the kitchen yard.

… the gate!

Putting the dress in her hands aside, Havilland also made her way to the ladder. Amaline watched her go.

“Where are you going now?” Amaline asked, concerned.

Havilland didn’t want Amaline following her.

She pointed to the trunks. “To see if the nooning meal is ready,” she said.

“I will return. Meanwhile, you will select the three most beautiful dresses of Mother’s and bring them up to my chamber.

We must see what needs to be done to the dresses so we can wear them.

Also, see if there are shoes to go with them.

I doubt my boots will go well with a fine silk gown. ”

Amaline had a task now and she was very good about following through, so Havilland didn’t worry about her sister trying to follow her.

Amaline was easily distracted. Quickly, Havilland slipped down the ladder and made her way out of the stables, following Madeline’s path to the kitchen yard to see if her sister was really there as she said she would be.

Havilland wasn’t particularly surprised to discover Madeline wasn’t anywhere to be found. When she asked the cook standing over the boiling pig if she had seen Madeline, the woman pointed to the postern gate.

It was as Havilland suspected.

She followed.

*

“Do you think this is a good idea, Jamie?” Thad asked. “This party, I mean. What if that messenger was really Welsh? What if it is a ploy to drag you away from Four Crosses so the Welsh can attack?”

Standing in the armory of Four Crosses, which was set on the ground level of the northeast tower, Jamison had gone to there to select weapons for the men who would be accompanying him and the de Llion sisters to Trelystan.

But Thad, who had been informed that he would be left behind and in command along with Tobias, wasn’t so sure this was a good idea.

He was following Jamison around now, not at all convinced he would let Jamison leave this place without standing in the man’s way.

But Jamison only grinned at Thad’s concerns.

“Do ye think they are waiting over the hill, watching until me big red head leaves this place?” he asked the young knight. “Ye and Tobias will have command for two days. That isna a long time.”

Thad was unhappy. He frowned, watching Jamison inspect a couple of spears. “I am going to wake Tobias up,” he said. “He must hear what is happening.”

Jamison held up a hand. “Let the man sleep,” he said. “He was up all night and has only been sleeping for a few hours at most. Truthfully, I dunna know what ye’re upset over. Would ye rather go wit’ me?”

Thad nodded almost instantaneous. “Why do you get to go to a party with the de Llion sisters?”

Now the truth was out. Thad wanted to go with the women and Jamison began laughing, low in his throat, just enough to irritate Thad. “Why are you laughing?” he demanded.

Jamison shook his head. “Ye hot-blooded little pup,” he said. “’Tis not that ye dunna want me tae leave Four Crosses; ’tis simply that I’m leaving and taking the women wit’ me.”

He continued to laugh as Thad continued to frown. “It is not funny.”

Jamison put the spears down. “Aye, it ’tis,” he said. “Ye ridiculous whelp, I’m leaving ye here and that’s the end o’ it. Go cry tae someone who cares what ye think.”

Thad flinched. “Now you are becoming nasty.”

“Not as nasty as I’m going tae be if ye dunna stop whining about this. Me mind is made up.”

“Is that so? Let’s see what Tobias has to say.”

Jamison gave him a wry expression. “I’m in command here, not Tobias. It doesna matter what he thinks. Now, go select about a dozen men tae accompany me tae Trelystan. I want them heavily armed and ready tae depart at dawn.”

“I want to be one of those twelve.”

“Get about yer task before I beat ye like a rug.”

“I am going to tell my uncle about this!”

“I hope ye do.”

Thad rolled his eyes petulantly. That made Jamison stomp his big foot in Thad’s direction as if threatening to reach out and grab the man.

The young knight, always unable to keep from flinching when Jamison did that, bolted out of the armory, heading off to do as he had been told.

But he shook a balled fist at Jamison, his last stand to save his pride, and Jamison simply shook his head and brushed him off.

Thad was an excellent knight but he was still very young.

That youth was great fun to taunt, or at least Jamison thought so, especially when Thad began to whine.

With a grin, Jamison was just turning back to the weapons in the armory when he caught sight of Madeline heading away from the stables and in the direction of the kitchen yard.

Jamison faded back into the armory doorway, watching the woman from the shadows.

The last he’d heard, the sisters were tracking down their mother’s old clothing, hoping to find something serviceable to wear to the de Lara festival.

Now, Madeline was out by herself, heading into the kitchen yard.

Jamison didn’t trust her where the kitchen yard or the postern gate were concerned, not after what he’d seen the day before.

Therefore, when she disappeared from sight, he thought very heavily on following her just to see where she was going.

He was just about to make his move when he caught sight of Havilland, also heading out of the stables and seemingly following her sister’s trail.

Curious, Jamison watched Havilland cross the bailey towards the kitchen yard. She seemed to be on a mission, moving quickly and focused on the kitchens ahead. As soon as she passed from sight, Jamison came out of the shadows and, purely out of curiosity, began to move to the kitchen yards himself.

It wasn’t as if he could be stealthy in the broad daylight.

His red hair gave him away, a bright splat of color against colorless surroundings, so he casually moved towards the kitchen yards like a man who wasn’t tracking two women.

He was simply walking. If he ran in to either one of them, he could simply ask them about the clothing and pretend he wasn’t following them.

He would use the clothing for an excuse.

But the truth was that he really wanted to see what the pair was up to.

Passing through the gate into the kitchen yard, he immediately looked around for Havilland or Madeline, preferably both, but he didn’t see either of them.

Puzzled, as he knew there was nowhere else they could have gone on the trajectory they were traveling, he made his way over to the cook in the middle of the yard.

The round woman, with a red face, was standing over a big pot of boiling pork and beans. Wonderful smells wafted into the air but Jamison had to step back as the wind shifted and steam blew in his face.

“Have ye seen Lady Havilland or Lady Madeline?” he asked the woman.

Brushing stray hair from her face with her wrist, she pointed to the postern gate. “There.”

Jamison turned to see what she was indicating. “The gate?”

“Aye.” The woman went back to stirring her pot.

“Both of them went through the gate?”

“Aye.”

With a sinking feeling, Jamison followed.