He set the kettle down and brushed a kiss across my lips. “Sorry I can’t stay for supper. Desmond chipped a hoof.”
And like that, he was gone. I found what tasted like venison stew in the kettle and wondered if it was Alexi’s handiwork. I washed the dishes when I was done eating and then noted that the tub of my bathwater had been forgotten. I couldn’t lift it by myself, so I emptied it in batches, one basin at a time. By then, it was almost fully dark outside. A light shone from the barn window, and I heard the sound of clanging.
When the tub was emptied, I started heating new batches of water. I couldn’t do it as efficiently as the men had, but by the time Jago returned, the tub was filled again and had retained enough heat to still give off a little steam. He didn’t notice it right away. He took off his hat and boots and started telling me about Desmond. When Jago did see the tub, he came to a halt.
“Did you do that?”
“You said you needed a bath.”
He studied it a bit longer and then took in the rest of my small chores. “Tamsin, you might be stunningly smart, but you don’t understand what ‘leisure’ means.”
“Quiet,” I snapped. “It’s going to cool off if you keep wasting time.”
And so, we switched roles, with him immersing himself into suds and me waiting discreetly to the side. He told me more about the farm, and I listened, my heart happy to see him happy. It was a rare, comfortable moment of peace.
“You haven’t said anything in a while,” he observed, when he’d finished describing some mishap with a stump. “You okay?”
“Just thinking, that’s all.”
“About what?”
“That I don’t want to leave.” I gestured to the neatly folded laundry. “I think I was happier working here today than I was at any of those fancy parties I’ve been at this month.”
His bright expression sobered a little. “Ah. Well. I don’t really want you to leave either. But of course, you have to.”
“Yeah,” I said, wilting a bit. His answer wasn’t a surprise; we both knew the nature of the life I’d signed on for.
And then he said, “But once you’ve reported on Warren and picked up Merry, you can come back.”
I lifted my head. “What? Jago—”
“Don’t. I know what you’re going to say. And no, I won’t give up the horses and the land. And no, I don’t know how we’ll make it work yet.” A spark of his earlier amusement returned. “Besides, you’ve been here for one day. Let’s see what you’ll say in a few more. You might be running back to Cape Triumph without me.”
“Jago,” I said quietly, “I don’t want to go anywhere without you.”
He was left at one of his rare losses of words. Finally: “Don’t look at me like that, not when I’m soaking wet and can’t come hug you.”
I stood up with a blanket and strolled over, tilting my head to peer at the water. “Hmm.”
“That’s not a very ladylike way to look at a man in a bathtub,” he noted, reaching for the blanket. I kept it away.
“No. I was just noticing that the water’s not really dirty. Is it still warm?”
“Mostly.”
I dropped the blanket and began to unbutton my dress. “I bet it’d be warmer with two.”
“I bet half the water’ll end up on the floor with two,” he said wryly, though he didn’t take his eyes off the buttons.
I paused. “Do you want me to stop?”
He sat up and shifted over. “Stop suggesting ridiculous things and get in here.”
CHAPTER 36
I WORKED AS HARD IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS I had among the Heirs, as hard as I had in Osfro. And I loved every moment of it.
I saw little of Jago during daylight. He always had something to do. The horses needed exercising and grooming. The orchard needed clearing. The buildings needed constructing. He and Alexi worked doggedly along in the hot weather, both ready with a quick smile when our paths crossed.
Jago refused to give me any directives, but the more I explored, the more I found to do too. Along with all the little domestic tasks I couldn’t help but tend to, I discovered plenty of jobs inside the house. Part of preserving it and getting it ready for Jago’s eventual residence involved cleaning it out. He and Alexi had done little of that so far, since their priority was in structural repairs to keep the place standing. So, I ended up spending long hours sorting through the jumble of items, deciding what could be saved, sold, disposed of, or sent to the estate’s elderly mistress. It was dusty work, but it really did feel like exploring an ancient treasure-filled tomb at times. I’d get absorbed reading or looking through collectibles and then be surprised to find I’d hardly made a dent.
I’d found a stash of old newspapers one day and was trying to decide what to do with them when I heard a knock and a man’s voice. Jago had few guests, and those who knew him well knew he didn’t live in the big house. Then the visitor called, “Miss Wright? Are you here?”
I carefully set down the flaking newspapers and made my way to the foyer. “Mister Myers? Is that you?”
Rushwick’s councilman beamed when I stepped outside. His face was flushed from the heat, and nearby, an old mare was tethered. “You are still here! I’m so glad.”
“Is everything okay?” I asked, wiping my dusty hands on the apron.
“Oh, yes, yes.” Looking beyond me, he held up a hand and waved. “Hello there.”
I turned to see Jago and Alexi swiftly approaching over the green slope. Both men wore wary, tense expressions, and Alexi held a large pine plank over his shoulder. “Tamsin?” Jago queried.
“It’s all right,” I said. “I know him. This is Mister Branson Myers—the one who helped me in Rushwick.”
After a moment’s scrutiny, Jago relaxed and murmured something to Alexi. The big man nodded and eased his grip on the plank. Slipping into his salesman mode, Jago strode to my side and shook Mister Myers’s hand heartily.
“Well, how do you do, Mister Myers? Jago Robinson. I sure am grateful for the help you gave our girl here.”
“My pleasure! But really, she’s the one who helped me.” He paused to push his spectacles up. “Some of the other councilmen and I were surveying your work, and they were completely awestruck! As well they should have been. And so, I’ve come with a proposition for you. Would you be willing to continue to help us out until we hire a full-time clerk? We’re getting around to it . . . honest. Along with the other positions. We could give you a stipend for your troubles—a silver a week—and perhaps, if the budget allows, we could keep you on as an assistant to the clerk if you are interested and still around.” The words came out in a rush, and he had to catch his breath before continuing. “Are you staying around?”
I glanced over at Jago, who looked supremely delighted by this afternoon diversion. To Mister Myers, I said, “That’s so incredibly kind of you, sir. I can’t say how flattered I am that you’d think of me. But we’re actually going on a trip in two days, and even if—when—I get back, I’m just not sure what my exact situation will be.”
Mister Myers’s face fell, but he nodded in acceptance. “I see, I see. Well, if you change your mind when you come back, I’m sure we’ll still be in need of the help.”
I tried to keep my face straight. “I’m sure of that too.”
The councilman, though scattered, glanced between Jago and me and noted the familiar way we stood near each other. “Are you leaving to get married? You know Esau Rivers on the east side of town used to be a judge. No need to go far if that’s what you’re after.”
“N-no,” I stammered. I could feel my cheeks heating. “That’s not what our trip is for. We don’t have any plans to get married.”
“Oh. Well. I’m sure . . . well, yes.” Mister Myers looked equally embarrassed and hooked his thumbs through his belt loops as he turned away. “Nice piece of land you
have here, Mister Robinson.” His eyes widened. “Those are some horses.”
“Would you like a better look?” Jago waved him forward. “Come this way. And while you’re here, Tamsin had mentioned that some of the new town buildings don’t have proper window coverings. Now, I don’t have any glass on me, but I know a guy, and I bet we could work out a fair price . . .”
I watched with a smile as Jago led the councilman away, sucking him into a web of amazing deals. Forgotten, I returned to the house and my work. I still wasn’t sure what to do with the newspapers, though they barely earned the name. They were nearly thirty years old, one page each, printed with very simple presses. Most of the “articles” were just a few lines of news from Cape Triumph and Bakerston, followed by a handful of classified advertisements. Considering how undeveloped things had been in Denham back then, these had probably been long out of date before reaching Grassy Hill.
The front door opened, followed by creaking footsteps. Jago soon entered the parlor, his mood high. “Did you fleece Mister Myers of everything he owned?” I asked.
“Since when have I fleeced anyone?” Jago knelt beside me. “I made him some incredible deals, and now I don’t have to haul all that wax and dried beans to Cape Triumph.”
“Did you see his face when I said we didn’t have plans to get married? He thinks I’m some sort of wicked seductress.”
“Oh, Tamsin. You aren’t wicked.”
I jabbed him with my elbow. “I thought I’d be getting away from gossip when I came to Adoria, and now I’m openly walking right back into it. I mean, what must Alexi think?”
“He thinks you’re too good for me. And he’s probably right.”
“He knows we’re sleeping together.”
“Well, unless someone in Rushwick knows Belsian, you don’t have to worry about him gossiping.”
“Jago.” I leaned against him. “You know what I’m referring to.”
“I do. And it’s the least of our problems. I mean, I’d go find that judge right now if you wanted, but I know you won’t until things are settled in Cape Triumph. So, we’ll go settle them, and that’ll be that.”
I shook my head. “You make it sound so easy.”
“Well, being on the road again won’t be easy. We’ll have to sleep in a wagon. It’s not nearly as comfortable as that luxurious straw-filled mat we’re using right now. But exposing Warren’s crimes, freeing you from the Glittering Court . . . I’m sure that’ll be no problem. In the meantime, don’t let Myers make you feel bad. If anything, he should be ashamed of that offer. One silver. I’m sure that’s not what they’re offering the regular clerk.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at Jago’s indignation on my behalf. “The irony is I don’t think they’ll ever get around to hiring one. They don’t have the time or organization for it. That’s what a town manager’s for—but that job advertisement’s sitting in a stack with the clerk’s.” I pointed at the newspapers. “Of course, a silver a week’s a fortune compared to what things used to pay years ago! You should read some of these. They’re fascinating. I just wish I knew how to transport them safely. Half of them fall apart when you touch them.”
“There’s probably someone in Cape Triumph who knows about preserving this stuff,” he said, leaning in. “We can ask. Are they worth saving?”
“A historian would think so. Back in Osfro, one of our clients was a professor who’d travel all over, bidding on things like this.” I pointed to a few of my favorite headlines. “There are all sorts of fascinating stories about Adoria’s early settlement. It was a lot more disorganized than my textbooks taught! There was one . . .”
A strange, improbable thought occurred to me. I rose on my knees, looking around the various sheets I’d laid out. When I spied the one I wanted, I gestured for Jago to join me.
“Look there, at this one from Bakerston. ‘His Majesty’s Loyal Army Squashes Rebellious Troublemakers.’” I pointed at the words as I read them, carefully avoiding contact with the paper. “‘Soldiers from Fort Shorebank were called in on Vaiel’s Day to address rumors of insurrection in Bakerston. Treasonous ruffians, led by a Mister Harold Vance, were advocating the rebellion of Archerwood Colony from the Crown, due to recent tax changes imposed upon the charter. The rebels were quickly rounded up and imprisoned, with Mister Vance scheduled for death by hanging next week.’”
Jago grimaced. “Bad day, huh? Let that be a lesson to people who complain about taxes.”
“That’s just it. Warren was complaining about taxes—he was really upset about the cut the king gets of Hadisen’s gold. And he kept wanting to know just how upset the Heirs were with Grashond’s charter being questioned.”
Neither of us said anything for a long time. I knew Jago had grasped my conclusion immediately. But it was a hard thing to know how to process.
“I don’t know Warren Doyle personally,” he finally said. “Do you think he’s the type who would try to get the colonies to rebel?”
“Not on his own. But I could see him being part of a larger group. He has a lot of powerful connections.”
“You’d have to. One lone colony couldn’t successfully rebel. You’d end up like poor Mister Vance there. It’d take a coalition of colonies, and even then, even with manpower and weapons, you’d be hard-pressed to take on the royal army. And they can move fast. One speedy rider could relay news of a rebellion in Bakerston to Cape Triumph in less than a night. Denham’s army could be there in the morning.”
“Not if they were up in the outer reaches of Grashond or down on the far southern edge,” I said grimly. “Not if they’d been summoned out there to handle trouble with the Icori.”
“Yeah. And you and I both know how long it takes messages to get here from those distant borders.” Jago groaned and rubbed his eyes. “Well, then. I guess that settles it. How attached are you to that luxurious straw-filled mat?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Not very.”
“Good. Because we’re going to have to get on the road earlier than planned.”
* * *
It was hard to sleep that night. I tossed and turned, consumed with the revelation that Warren was orchestrating conflict with the Icori in order to clear the way for his own rebellion in the central colonies. I’d actually been sympathetic to him when he’d explained how Osfrid’s steep taxes were hurting Hadisen, but using that tax frustration as a way to justify the slaughter of innocent Icori and border settlers was unforgivable. And if he was helping acquire weapons and had enough support to make him and his coconspirators believe rebellion was possible . . . well, the outer colonies weren’t the only places innocent people would die.
“Would it help if I told you a story?” Jago’s sleepy voice murmured beside me. “I could explain the mechanics of racing bridles. That’d put you to sleep pretty fast.”
I rolled toward him, propping myself up on my side. The shanty had one small window, its moonlight faintly illuminating the gold of his hair. “I’m sorry,” I said, touching his face, “I don’t mean to keep you up. There’s just a lot on my mind about tomorrow.”
He kissed my bare shoulder and brushed my hair back. “It’s okay. It’d be weird if you didn’t have a lot on your mind.”
With a sigh, I sat up and drew my knees to me. I had no clothes on, and even in the middle of the night, it was still hot and muggy. “I just hope we can pull this off. Even knowing what we know . . . will anyone believe us?”
“We’ve got enough scraps to get people’s attention, especially if Harper hasn’t gotten too far away yet. And you know me. I can talk them into anything. Then we’ll get Merry and get married and live out the rest of our days in peace and bliss.”
I looked down, trying to see his face. “Did you say we’ll get Merry or that we’ll get married?”
“I said both.” He covered a yawn. “Assuming you want to. And that she likes me. You know, on secon
d thought, let’s change the order. Let’s get married before she gets here.”
A rush of pleasure went through me, despite knowing things wouldn’t be quite as easy as he breezily made them out to be. “Well, Merry’s probably not going to be a problem so much as Jas—”
“Shh.” Jago sat up beside me, tilting his head. “Did you hear that?”
A chill ran down my spine. “Hear what?”
“One of the horses.”
“Oh.” I exhaled. “You scared me.”
He felt around for his pants on the floor and then stood up to get dressed. “I’ve got to go check on them. They should be fast asleep.”
“Maybe they have a lot on their minds too.”
He planted a kiss on the top of my head. “Try to get some rest. I’ll be back soon, right after I tell them a story.”
I lay back down after he left, draping my arms over my head. The frustration of knowing I needed to sleep was now keeping me from sleeping, and I couldn’t afford to be tired when we got on the road in the morning. We needed to get to Cape Triumph fast.
We’ll get Merry and get married. I smiled to myself as I turned his words over and over in my mind. If I was going to keep myself awake, at least it should be for something positive. But was it really? Just because we were sleeping together and uncovering treason, our logistical and financial problems weren’t vanishing. We had no solution for that yet, and no matter what else happened, Merry still had to come before my own romantic longings.
I sat up again, feeling glum. So much for positive thoughts. And where was Jago? A sudden fear that something had happened to one of the horses, particularly Pebble or Dove, seized me. He certainly had no shortage of horses, but they were his best driving team, and one of them getting sick would alter tomorrow’s plans.