Lora of Two Worlds

The source of the silver ingots came to light. Alvin hurried off to find Felix; the Countess had taken the matter on herself, calling it a misunderstanding.

Nor did the Countess let Coltrain return to the house; she sent him straight to one of her dowry manors, to learn estate management under the old reeve.

Steward Webb was sorely disappointed.

He guessed, too, that the Countess’s tale, ”the silver was her back-pay to Coltrain”, was a lie, but he could do nothing; only, he set his mind on it: he must find out why the Countess had stepped out to shield Coltrain.

Lora came back to the tower chamber, and saw Anne stretching her neck, peering in at the arched trellis gate. At sight of them, Anne ran up to meet her:

”Has, has anything happened? I saw everyone going to the outer yard... has my lady remembered something?”

”Nothing, nothing. Come, you and Helen go and bring hot water; my lady is to wash.” Margaret shooed her off. Watching Anne’s back, Lora frowned a little:

This serving girl seemed more concerned than anyone else about whether her memory was back. If she had no notion of it, she was a fool.

She was about to climb the steps when she saw Norton and a serving lad jostling on the colonnade; Norton was signing fast. Margaret went up and asked:

”What are you two about?”

”Margaret, tonight was my turn to sleep on the colonnade watch. Norton will have it that he should take it. Deaf and mute, sleep him under the window, and a man might call all night and he’d not hear; what’s that but a trouble to us?”

The serving lad was a new one Alvin had brought in from the outer yard; he had meant to make a good showing before the young lady, and the house’s least useful mute had come to fight him for the post, it was a joke.

Norton signed in haste:

There may be another assassin tonight. I’ll hide behind the pillar, both eyes open; I’ll warrant I won’t sleep a wink.

Lest Margaret not believe him, he pulled up his sleeve and showed his hand-bow, to prove he was ready.

Lora, standing by, laughed: ”Let Norton stay. He’s anxious for his foster-father and can’t sleep; he came back with us, and would be easier if he had something to do.”

Norton watched Lora’s lips, guessed she had agreed, and saw Margaret send the lad packing with his bedroll. He was relieved, and his face showed his gratitude.

Tonight, however, Lora had no mind for Norton; she was turning over how to test Anne:

Yesterday on the boat, Anne had met Brendan and Carl on the deck as they ran for the bow; she had been carrying Lora’s gown, so no one had doubted where she stood. If, as she said, she had gone to the carriage to fetch the gown for her...

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When she came out of her bath, Anne came to dress her hair. Lora asked, idly:

”Anne, just now Margaret said you had a sister come from Ashford to find you. I can’t help thinking something’s wrong, shouldn’t it be a brother?”

”I’ve only a brother and a younger sister, where would I have a sister?”

Anne laughed easily, then, suddenly, her heart gave a great jump; her hand went stiff, and the comb slipped down Lora’s long hair and fell to the floor with a clack.

At the sound, Anne scrambled to pick up the comb, hesitating:

”My, my lady, you remember I have a brother?”

”Whenever I try to think, my head aches, I don’t know if it’s what Dr. Jorund said, that I’m near to remembering something... oh, never mind, my head aches, I’ll lie down; put out the lamp and sleep.”

Lora didn’t answer her; she went to the bed, lay down, turned over, and was still.

Anne, having let fall the bed-curtains, watched her sleeping mistress through the gauze, hardly daring to breathe; she could have run then and there:

My lady’s wits are coming back, what’s to be done? I must get out of the house at once and report... no, if her wits were truly back, so many weighty things she doesn’t remember, how would she remember only that I have a brother? It must be a guess the young lady threw out.

She soothed herself with this, and lay down on the pallet beside the bed.

But who could sleep? Anne turned over and over, unaware she did so.

On the bed, Lora didn’t move a finger; she only felt, lightly, the rose ring: This heaven-sent ring has too small a use, was it only that I might give Daphne those two needle-pricks? But she’d not have died of them anyway. Or, has the needle some other use?

And then, Anne was a maid raised in this house for years; why should she serve another?

Lora waited, in silence. When Anne, below, had gone still, she turned heavily over and muttered:

”It’s you! We were dancing together just now, and now you’d kill me...”

Anne, half-asleep, started up at the words:

”My lady?”

No sound from the bed. Anne lit the oil lamp and held it up; behind the bed-curtains, Lora, troubled by the light, turned over, faced the wall, and slept heavily on.

Now Anne was wide awake. She blew out the lamp and dropped on her pallet:

It’s over, my lady must have remembered! I must get out! Find my brother, take the money, and we’ll go back to Ashford... No, no, we can’t go home; first hide out a twelvemonth or so...

She lay down again, her heart heavy. She couldn’t get out tonight, unless she waited till past midnight, before Matins, when the gong farmer came for the waste. At the thought of the waste, she sat up, looked at the still bed, and stole out on tiptoe.

Lora slipped out of bed after her. She regretted, now, that she hadn’t arranged a signal with the hidden guard outside, she didn’t even know his name or how to call him.

She was peering out of the door when she saw Norton peering the same way from the colonnade. She beckoned him, pointed at Anne’s retreating back on the colonnade, and signed him to follow.

Norton, though he didn’t know why, set off after Anne at a quick pace.

Lora walked to the middle of the court and looked up, at the roof, at the trees. The roof was bare; the trees were black, she couldn’t tell if the hidden guard was up there.

”Hey, hey ”

She waved both arms, turned in a circle, and looked up, calling soft and false.

”My lady... is it me you’re looking for?” A man of middle height, in black, stood in the shadow of the house; had he not been so close, she would hardly have made him out.

Lora nodded, pleased, went to him, caught his sleeve, and drew him behind a pillar. The hidden guard was a youth of eighteen or nineteen, never so close to a woman before; had the shade not hidden the flush on his face, he wouldn’t have been so steady.

But at her next words he was all attention. He pulled up the mask at his chin and said, low:

”Don’t worry, my lady, Shawn will keep an eye on her.”

Lora raised her eyebrows and asked, light-hearted: ”Are you Shawn?”

Shawn’s face reddened again; he dropped his head and answered low: ”Yes, I is Shawn; the one who rides watch with me is Jory. Henceforth, when my lady would call us, set a white linen cloth in the window, that’s the signal.”

”Good!”

Shawn shot a glance at Lora; for some reason, she looked very glad.

He had no time to think on it, he gave a quick bow and ran off down the colonnade’s shadow.

Lora: I’ve a guard of my own now!

Eh? Wait, the guards in the romances never simply walked, did they?