It was nearing sunset when they heard a door open and close out on the landing. There were two other chambers out there, plus a small corridor that ran to the back of the building where another set of fortified stairs led down to the kitchen and a small array of servant rooms. Jareth was studying a ledger from last year pertaining to Portbury Castle when he caught movement in the doorway of the solar. Looking up, he saw Desdra standing in the opening.
“Lady Desdra,” he said, setting the ledger down. “I hope you do not mind that I’ve been going over the ledgers without you.”
She stepped into the chamber, smiling weakly. “Of course not,” she said. “They are your ledgers now, after all. You are welcome to look as much as you wish.”
He smiled at her, seeing how pale she appeared. He wasn’t sure if he should simply gloss over the fact that her father had tried to get physical with her earlier in the day, but the truth was that it really wasn’t his business. He’d only known the woman a day, so he wasn’t going to insert himself into her world morethan he already had. But he had to admit that he was concerned for her. Given her pale face, it was a natural reaction.
“Thank you,” he said. “I do have a few questions, but they can wait. I’m sure you have other things to do.”
She shook her head. “Nothing terribly pressing,” she said. “It is the day I usually tally money spent on things like food and fuel for the fires. Things necessary to ensure The Feast runs smoothly. But I can certainly answer a few questions.”
“I have a question, my lady,” Aidric said from his position over near the hearth. He had been sitting in the same chair Ciaran had sat in only hours before, and Desdra hadn’t noticed him. She gasped in surprise when he sat up, poking his head over the chair. “My apologies if I startled you.”
She giggled at her own foolishness. “The back of that chair is so high that I did not see you, my lord,” she said.
“This is Sir Aidric St. John,” Jareth said. “He is part of the House of St. John in Cumbria. His father is a great warlord and Aidric is part of the Guard of Six. He is also one of the most educated men I know, so he has been helping me decipher the ledgers so I understand what I am looking at. Aidric, this is Lady Desdra le Daire, a woman who appears to have single-handedly maintained this empire.”
Desdra smiled modestly at the accolade. “It has been my honor,” she said, but her focus fixed on Aidric. “You said you had a question for me, my lord?”
Aidric nodded, picking up one of the ledgers he had spread out on the chair next to him. “Aye,” he said. “I understand that de Long had eight cogs for shipping?”
“That is correct.”
“But I see that he owns five other smaller vessels,” Aidric pointed out. “Fishing boats?”
Desdra nodded. “Aye,” she said. “You will note that the ledger in question only deals with those boats. He had thembrought over from Calais about two years ago after a bad bit of weather moved through here and destroyed several fishing vessels. Lord Chester bought them so the fishermen would not lose their livelihoods. They are his boats, but the fishermen use them and maintain them, and pay us a portion of their daily catch.”
“Ah,” Aidric said. “That was my question—who owned the boats.”
“Sir Jareth does.”
A smile tugged at Aidric’s mouth as he glanced at Jareth before turning back to his ledgers. “Excellent,” he said. “Well done, Uncle Chester, for giving the fishermen boats for their livelihoods.”
Jareth chuckled at the man’s tribute to his generous uncle before returning his attention to Desdra. “Have you eaten yet?” he asked. “Would you like for me to send for food?”
Desdra was shaking her head even as he offered. “Nay, but I thank you,” she said. “Truthfully, I was simply going to finish up my work from this morning, but I do not wish to impose upon you. I shall leave you to your inquiries.”
“Please do not leave,” Jareth said. “If you feel strong enough to answer more questions, I beg you to stay. And also because I’ve been looking at Aidric’s ugly face all day and your shining presence would be most welcome.”
Aidric, who was quite handsome, shrugged. “I agree she is better to look at than I am,” he said. “But I will admit that I am becoming rather hungry, so I will take my leave at this time. Jareth, do you want me to send something up to you?”
Jareth nodded. “Please,” he said. “Enough for us both.”
Aidric nodded, ignoring Desdra’s soft refusals. Once he left the room, Jareth sat back down at the table and pulled forth the ledger he had been reviewing. He pulled out a stool for Desdra, indicating for her to sit, and she did so slowly.
“Did you have specific questions of me?” she asked. “Truly, I do not need to be here if you’d rather be alone. This is your solar now and I do not wish to intrude.”
“You are not intruding,” Jareth said, focused on the ledger. He flipped a page, casually. “Is your father a regular visitor here?”
Desdra drew in a long, slow breath. The subject of her father had come up, expectedly so, but she wasn’t eager to discuss him. “Nay,” she said. “I’ve not seen him in a year. You saw him being chased out. And before you ask me, he did not hurt me. He tried, but Zeus prevented it.”
“This is the same father who used you to pay his gambling debt?”
“The same.”
Jareth looked up from the ledger. “Then it seems to me that you can never return home,” he said. “You must stay here forever. I will ensure that you are always fairly treated, and I will further ensure that your father is never allowed within these walls again.”
Desdra smiled weakly. Just as quickly, the tears came and she tried not to be obvious about wiping them away, but Jareth saw her. It was hard to miss.
