Chapter 11
Within a very shortmeasure of time, Annelise tired of inventing answers to perfectly reasonable questions. Enguerrand asked after every detail, finding the flaw in every quality of the palace. She had explained the lack of an ostler with a vague wave, saying that the man must be slumbering. She excused the lack of squires with the suggestion that they would be along momentarily. Enguerrand’s knights had been clearly skeptical as they set their own squires to the task of unsaddling and brushing down theirsteeds.
She used her husband’s tale of quick and silent servants who stayed out of view when they returned to the palace to find a sumptuous meal spread for them in a chamber Annelise had never used before. She could only hope that her urge to see to the comfort her guests was strong enough to have itdone.
Enguerrand’s curiosity was relentless and his suspicion open. Annelise was aware of the avarice in his dark eyes as he assessed the treasures of thisplace.
Before they even sat at the board, she had tired of his queries. What was the name of this holding? When had it been built? From whence had her husband’s family earned its wealth? How many brethren had he? Why had none heard of their existence in thisforest?
Annelise fought to create evasive answers that told her curious guest nothing, knowing full well that the others attended her every word even as theyate.
Soon she would not be able to keep track of what she had said and what she hadnot.
Sadly, Annelise was not accomplished in the art of deception. Her head throbbed with the effort. Under other circumstances, she might have simply blurted out the truth and let consequences fall as they may, but she had to protect herspouse.
It was illogical, but she sensed that Enguerrand posed a threat to her husband that she could not readily name. And she had no intention of being less than true to the man who had treated herwell.
Worse, the snow beyond the walls fell with increasing vigor. When one of the knights jested that they might be her guests for a long while, Annelise had to retreat to the chamber she shared with her husband to compose herself. She wanted nothing more than to be alone, but she did not trust Enguerrand enough to leave him unattended,either.
When she returned, it seemed that even her brief absence had been toolong.
Annelise had never expected Enguerrand to find the book. She stepped into that chamber and he saluted her with the tome, malice bright in hiseye.
“And what is this, fair Annelise? A collection of secret potions? We have decided that your hospitality here reeks of involvement in the dark arts, for nothing else can explain all we see around us.” His men chuckled, though their interest in her reply wasclear.
“I do not know what you mean,” Annelise responded. She kept her eyes on the table as she slid into her place and resumed hermeal.
Enguerrand leaned closer. “It is clear that something most unnatural is at work within thesewalls.”
“Do not be ridiculous,” Annelisescoffed.
“Ridiculous? Explain to me if you will, fair Annelise, why the weather within these walls varies so much fromoutside?”
She swallowed her bite of bread with difficulty, then took a long draught of wine, hoping the delay would give her time to conjure aresponse.
“It is a trick of the wind,” she said, feeling the explanation to be inadequate. She smiled at the surrounding knights, hoping to cajole them with her explanation. “We all know that there are places in the mountains where warm winds are trapped and the weather differs from the surroundingarea.”
Enguerrand shook his head. “You speak of isolated valleys, not simply the space within a wall arbitrarilyconstructed.”
Annelise forced a laugh. “Who are we to say what is arbitrary and what is by design? Perhaps the builder of the palace simply took advantage of a natural effect.” She chided Enguerrand. “Cleverness in choosing a site is not the same as sorcery.” The knights murmured to each other, one shrugged, and they returned to their meal, much to herrelief.
Enguerrand, though, shook his head slowly. “It is not so, and you know it as well as I.” His gaze brightened and she caught her breath. “Why will you not admit as much? Who do you seek toprotect?”
“Who would I protect? You see worries where there are none, Enguerrand. Truly, I did not think you were such a whimsicalman.”
“There is no one else here and only the rumor of your spouse. Is he truly at hunt, Annelise? Or does he hide from hisguests?”
Annelise did not trust the gleam in Enguerrand’seyes.
“What does he want to keep us from knowing?” he whispered, before tapping the book firmly. “Is this his collection of blackspells?”
“The wine is clearly too potent for you,” Annelise said sweetly, and one of the knightschuckled.
“Annelise! I think only of your safety and happiness! Surely you can understand that this situation is most unusual and that my concern is only for you.” His eyes widened with mock concern. “If you had fallen into the hands of some sorcerer, who better than me to rescueyou?”
Annelise chose not to reply to that. It was time to put this nonsense to rest. She held Enguerrand’s gaze and spoke firmly. “You have nothing to worry about upon that score. My husband is no sorcerer. The man is athunt.”
With that, she bit into a piece of fruit, although it might as well have been wrought of dust for all shetasted.
