Page 29 of The Curse of Penryth Hall
Jago. The rational part of my brain told me that I should turn him over to the constable, let the law do what it was meant to. After all, he’d nearly gotten me killed. But the other part, the one I kept deeply locked inside, couldn’t bear the thought of a boy’s life being so upended for one mistake, not when I’d made so many of my own. “Let him be, Constable. No harm’s been done.”
He choked on air. “No harm, ma’am? Have you seen your face?”
“What would you have me do? Send you after a child because he’s frightened? Someone has been murdered in his village and the rational adults whoshouldbe talking sense into the boy are blaming a curse and feeding him full of supernatural nonsense. I find I have a great deal of sympathy for him. Far more than I do for any of the lot of you.”
The constable didn’t even have the decency to look chastened.
“While I don’t particularly relish being attacked, I can understand why he did it.” I straightened my spine, feeling the swelling at the base. “So, no. I won’t hold him accountable, and if you try to take matters further I’ll simply tell everyone I fell over after too many pints.”
“Madam, this is impolite to say, but you look like you did a bit more than fall down the steps of the Hind and Hare. Not to mention half the village saw what happened.”
I shrugged. “I’m clumsy when I drink. Good day, Constable.”
Across the room, Ruan’s shoulders trembled with barely concealed amusement as he continued with his work. The scent of the crushed plants filled the room with reassuring sweetness.
Constable Enys stood tapping his hat upon his thigh before grabbing his jacket. “Very well. If you change your mind you know where to find me.” He started for the door before pausing, turning to Ruan. “Have you discovered anything new about the Chenowyth matter?”
Ruan shook his head slowly.
The constable sighed and closed the door behind him.
I sank back onto the cushions, squeezing my eyes shut. That little encounter took far more energy than I’d realized, and the gravity of the situation settled upon me. All my life I’d been protected—in a fashion—by my money, my name, my status. But now all those things I’d come to rely upon were worthless. Useless.
“Thank you,” Ruan said softly.
“Don’t mention it. I’m not particularly fond of your young Jago after today, but at the same time I’d never forgive myself if his entire life was ruined because of this.” A sharp pain settled in my temple and I whimpered. “What exactly happened by the way?”
“You mean you don’t believe you stumbled?” The edge of his mouth curved up. “You fainted not long after I arrived.Lost a fair bit of blood too, but head wounds can do that. You should be fit again in a few days so long as you rest.”
I reached up to the back of my head where I’d been struck. It was tender and I could feel the stitches there as well. “Thank you, Mr. Kivell.”
“Ruan. After all we’ve been through the last couple of days, the least you can do is call me by my name.”
I smiled at that. “Ruby then. You should call me Ruby as you’ve saved me from an angry mob and sewn up the back of my head too. At least I assume this is your handiwork.”
He snorted. “It wasn’t many stitches considering the size of the rock that hit you. I also fished you from the sea before your husband got cross. Don’t forget.”
There he was again. The charming man from the shore. I vastly preferred him to the one hurling accusations of witchcraft and murder. “No. I won’t forget that either. He does have a frightful temper.”
Ruan chuckled as he reached over his head, grabbed a sachet of dried herbs, and plucked out a few pieces.
“I suppose it’s a good thing I’ve a hard head.”
“Indeed.”
It hurt to laugh, another unwanted souvenir from my attack. “You shouldn’t agree with that. It’s not gentlemanly.”
He sniffed and continued grinding herbs. “Then it’s a good thing I’m not a gentleman.”
“It’s for the best, as I’ve never had much use of them myself. Thank you, though—I don’t know what would have happened had you not shown up when you did.”
“They’d have probably killed you.”
“Lovely.”
“They’re rattled. Angry. Looking for explanations for what happened to Sir Edward. It’s not entirely their fault, and yetsquarely their doing. And as Enys said, there has been a stranger in town. Besides you of course.”
“Besides me.” I added wryly, “Do you have any idea who it is?”
