Page 28 of Secrets of Capell Manor
Devlin nodded. “And did anyone else in the household know of the contract or know that Edmond sent you to deliver a message to Ned for the king?”
Ridley thought for a moment. “No one else knew. Not Benton, not Marta, and milady didn’t know either. And I didn’t tell anyone.”
He had to consider all the possible ramifications of this bit of information for Ridley and Rosalind. If no one else knew of Edmond’s intention to send the contract to the king that day, and if Edmond was dead, there would be no consequences. Roland knew, of course, but it would be his word against Rosalind’s, and with no contract, he could not prove anything.And Devlin was willing to take the chance that the king would not believe that Roland “won” her in a card game as payment for a gaming debt.
But if Edmond were alive, the consequences would be dire for Ridley, and Rosalind would most likely be married off to Roland as soon as he was found or returned.
“Ridley, you keep that message hidden, do you hear? Don’t tell anyone where it is. Not even me. Do you understand?”
Ridley nodded vigorously again.
“Now, I must talk with Alden. You get back to your bed. It’s too late for you to be up and about.”
Ridley turned to leave. But very quickly, he ran to each man, and hugged them both. After the quick gesture of thanks and affection, he hurried from the stable toward the manor house.
“I guess he thought you would punish him on the spot. Or worse, threaten to turn him in,” Alden said.
“Punish him? No. What he did was wrong and very dangerous. Surely, he couldn’t understand what would happen to him if his deceit was found out. He obviously loves her very much.”
“We already knew that Ridley had a hatred for Capell, and his love and devotion to Rosalind is unquestionable,” Alden added. “And now we know how far he would go to keep her out of the clutches of Kirkeby and further out of any harm’s way. Do you think the boy could have had a hand in Edmond’s disappearance?”
Devlin nodded and considered the possibility. “All the evidence points to the bog. We know that Edmond, well at least his mount, was there. As far as we know, Edmond was, too. Weather permitting, we will return there in the morning. We’ll search again.”
The men gave the barn a final once over, checking to see that the horses were secure. Alden picked up the lantern, and they walked to the manor house in silence.
****
Devlin was awakened before dawn with the now familiar sounds of Ridley adding wood to his fire. Never in his life had anyone ever worried about his comfort. No one had ever cared whether he had woken up in a warm room on a cold morning before. But here, in the midst of so much pain and hostility, this clan cared for each other and wanted to care for others as well. Devlin didn’t know what to do with this unfamiliar feeling.
But no matter. Today, he and Alden would venture out once more. There had to be something there. He threw back the covers and pushed himself out of his warm nest. He doused his face with water that was left in a pitcher by the fire. She thought of everything. No cold water for washing in this house; the water was kept warm for his use.
As he left his bedchamber, he closed his door; Alden exited his room at the same time. His face, normally pleasant and smiling, was downcast. It appeared that neither man was looking forward to another trip to the bog.
Down in the great hall, Benton had just laid out the morning’s breakfast. Devlin wasn’t hungry, but he knew he should eat. He grabbed a bowl with porridge, some fresh bread, and a wedge of cheese. Alden joined him at the table, but they ate in silence.
Rosalind and the children were not seen before they left. But that was understandable. The night before had been quite stressful, and no one retired until late. Alden grabbed some bread and cheese to take with him. At the stables, Ridley had each of their mounts saddled and ready. Dim light filtered through the thick clouds, but the sun didn’t make anappearance. The morning was damp and cold, but at least the winds died, and the snow and sleet stopped.
The men mounted their horses, and after only a few steps, Alden asked, “Do you really think Edmond is in the bog, Devlin?”
“All I know is that the only clue, the only real evidence we have leads there.”
“But why was he out here, in the middle of the night, no less? Think about it. He’s over an hour’s ride from his home, town is in the opposite direction, and none of his drinking or gaming cohorts live in this direction. There are only a few farmers’ and crofters’ cottages about.”
Devlin had not thought about Edmond’s motives. Alden asked good questions. Why was he this far out, late at night? It truly made no sense. But Devlin knew he had to find out. As they entered the area containing the low-lying land, the forest landscape began to change. Fewer trees grew, and the dark, rich soil of the forest floor, once solid beneath the horses’ hooves, softened and turned gray.
They had arrived.
Devlin surveyed the uneven border of the mire. They certainly had their work cut out for them.
“Let’s search in opposite directions around the wettest edge of the bog. Look for any sign of Edmond or the horse.”
Alden nodded, turned to his left, and methodically looked around the edges of the bog. Devlin began his own search, working in the opposite direction of his friend.
The cold quiet of the marsh was interrupted by the occasional caw of a crow in the distance, and it wasn’t long before the men met back where they had started and had nothing to show for their hunt.
“What now?”
Devlin let out a deep sigh, “Now I go in.”
