"Yes,she should be with her family."
"Iwill return for you in three hours," he told Eada and turned back towardcamp without waiting for her reply.
Amoment later, he kicked his horse into a gallop, eager to put some distancebetween himself and the nunnery before he did something he might regret. Serlewas right, he reminded himself sternly. He had to give Eada the choice ofstaying with him or staying with her family. If he used his position as aknight in a conquering army to hold onto her, he would soon find that all thatwas good between them would be gone. When he returned to the nunnery, he wouldgive her that choice. All he could do was pray that she would choose him.
Seventeen
Asshe sipped her wine from one of the elegant silver goblets her mother had fledPevensey with, Eada idly touched the little chest on the bench next to her. Shewas still afraid of what Old Edith might have secreted inside, but that fearwas beginning to annoy her. Drogo was right. It was far past time for her toface whatever truths the old woman had hidden within it.
"Eada,what is that?" asked Vedette as she watched Eada blindly move her fingersover the intricate carvings on the lid of the tiny chest as if she had done soa hundred times before. "I do not remember it being a part of ourhousehold."
"No,Old Edith bequeathed it to me when she died."
"Iam sorry for the loss of your old friend."
"Thereis no need to be. She knew that her time here was done." Eada smiled."It did upset those Normans when they found that she had already preparedher grave." Eada was surprised when her mother returned her smile, for shehad always felt that her parents had not liked Edith, had even shared the fearsothers had. "I have been afraid to open it, and I was hoping that youwould give me the strength to do so."
"Whyshould you be afraid?"
"Becauseshe told me I was to read the truth within it and I dread seeing any more ofher harsh truths." Eada frowned when her mother paled.
"Children,"Vedette said to Averil and Ethelred, her voice tight and soft. "I believeit is time for you to seek your beds."
"But,"protested Averil even as she stood up and took Ethelred by the hand, "Iwanted to see what is in the box."
Vedettekissed their cheeks as they stopped at her side. "I will tell you all youneed to know in the morning."
Eadaalso kissed their cheeks, but asked, "What harm could there be in theirsharing my discovery?"
"Asyou said, Old Edith's truths were often harsh. I think these two children havehad enough sad and upsetting news. I would feel more at ease if I could atleast see what the woman has left before I show or tell them."
Althoughshe nodded and gave a final wave to her siblings as they left the small centralroom of her mother's quarters, Eada was troubled by her mother's behavior. Itwas clear that Vedette had not hidden the news of their father's death and hadexpected them to understand why she had left their eldest sibling behind inreach of the enemy. How much worse could the truths within the box be? Hermother was also looking uneasy, as if she suspected what truth Edith had spokenof; but that made no sense to Eada either. As far as she knew, her parents hadhad nothing to do with the old woman and had often expressed the wish that Eadadid not visit Edith.
"Doyou open it now?" Vedette asked in a small voice, turning on her seat toface Eada squarely and twisting her hands in her lap.
"Ibegin to think that you are more afraid of what is inside than I am," Eadamuttered as she slowly unlatched the little chest.
"Eada,that poor old woman was not cast out of Pevensey because everyone delighted inher truths. She chilled everyone's blood. Of course I am uncertain about whatlast and, quite possibly, dark truth she has left behind her."
Thatanswer did not really satisfy her, but Eada took a deep breath and opened thebox. What was inside was almost disappointing, although Eada doubted she couldhave explained why even upon pain of death. It just seemed that, after so manyweeks of being afraid, she ought to be faced with more than documents.
"Canyou read,Maman?" she asked as she carefully placed the scrolls anda small dagger on the table. "I suddenly cannot remember if you can ornot."
"Onlya very few words, and I had to fight to get your father to teach me them."
"ThenI shall read them to you."
"Youcan read?" Vedette's shock briefly diverted her from the collection ofthings on the well-scrubbed wooden table.
"OldEdith taught me."
"Iam not sure that was a good thing for her to do, and God alone knows where shelearned."
"Inever thought to ask. I just accepted it as another of her odd gifts."Eada frowned as she smoothed out the scrolls. "I suppose I shall have totell Drogo that I can since he will wonder how I could look at these papers andknow what they said."
"Wecan speak of your Norman knight later."
Therewas a sharpness to Vedette's tone that warned Eada that that talk would not bea pleasant one. She turned her full attention to the documents, and absentlyrubbing the carved wooden handle of the little dagger, she began to read. Eachword she read chilled her blood. As she read the last, she nearly cried outfrom the shock and pain. Slowly she looked at Vedette, realizing that she hadsaid nothing to the woman, reading the horrifying truths in complete silence.The pale, fearful look on Vedette's face told her that the woman was fullyaware of what dark secrets Eada had just learned.
