Page 99 of Arrows and Gems
“Hmm.” Lady Jocelyn eyed him speculatively. “I see.”
They stood in silence for a few moments before the ladystraightened her shoulders. “Thank you for the warning; I will tell my father and do my best to ensure that he heeds it. But I must return before I am missed.”
“Of course. Thank you for your time, my lady.” Cap gave her another slight bow and turned away.
Helena hung back. “Lady Jocelyn, may I have another few moments?” she said in an undertone. Cap would notice her absence soon. “The prince can’t return until someone proves his innocence. Do you know of anything that might help?”
No one had yet. Or at least, nothing they’d been willing to share with her.
Lady Jocelyn hesitated. Her eyes flicked toward Cap’s retreating back. “I’ve heard General Valentin keeps trophies of his victories someplace in his home in Laurier.” A smile tugged at the side of her mouth. “If it’s documents you seek, I’ve also heard that false bottoms in desk drawers are a good place to start.”
Helena’s eyebrows pulled together. “Where did you hear that?”
“From Prince Cedric. He is quite the fan of Stewart’s mysteries.” The smile disappeared from Lady Jocelyn’s face. “I know he longs for his brother’s return. So do I.”
The wistfulness in the lady’s tone resonated with something inside Helena. Her eyes tried to follow Cap. He wouldn’t want her involved. He seemed to think it was more dangerous than attacking twenty guards with only two teenage boys to help.
Helena didn’t care. She’d never met the prince, but she planned to do everything in her power to free him.
Because freeing him meant freeing Cap.
She gave the lady a feral grin. “Leave it to me.”
CHAPTER 34
Helena
It wasn’t much of a clue, but Helena still wanted to act on it. Too bad Cap would never take them close enough to the capital.
She focused on the passing trees instead of his back. Tonight was their bi-weekly check-in with the other two raiding parties and the noncombatants. It was an opportunity to exchange information and discuss results and obstacles.
But also to spend an evening relaxing and having fun. To pretend they weren’t soldiers in a lopsided war.
“Will there be a dance?” Tucker said eagerly, bounding up next to Cap. “Can we, Cap? Please?”
Cap looked at the energetic youth. “That’s up to Adrien.” His eyes flicked toward Helena. “I have no objections.”
Smirking, she quirked an eyebrow back. Since they didn’t have many women, Adrien mostly played non-partner songs. But she hoped Cap’s comment and look meant he wanted to dance with her.
Not that she would let him see that. Or Tucker, who hoped to dance with Alanna.
“A dance sounds like a fine idea.” Adrien chuckled and patted his violin. “I’ll fall out of practice if we don’t.”
Scrunching her nose, Helena said, “You play almost every day in some market square or other while Cap scouts out the area.”
“But not for the enjoyment of my friends,” he replied with a wink. “They are two very different things.”
Helena just shook her head and smiled.
A breeze rattled the bare tree branches above them. A pile of old leaves fluttered up off the ground, swirling in a short but furious wind devil. She waited for it to blow her hair in her face, but it stayed to the side. Just as well; the day was nice enough that she wasn’t wearing her hood, and she liked it that way.
“Where are we heading next, Cap?” she asked. “Do we have a target for the next raid?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t find any orders in the last one. We’ll camp near the rumors of bandit activity and patrol for the General’s imposters.”
An hour later, she spotted the fledgling camp. Several tents lined the clearing, and a line stretched between two branches with clothes hung up to dry. Rouge had already started a campfire, and the aroma of baking bread drifted through the trees. It would be a welcome change after weeks of dried meat and winter berries.
Once everyone was settled, they gathered around the fire for an early supper. Cap was deep in conversation with Jean-haut as he stepped over the log next to Helena, but his hand still brushed her back as he took his seat.
