So would he.
*
“What do youmeeeeeeeeean you still cannot find him?” Morgan’s screech resonated throughout her castle in the northern hills of Avalon.
“The brooch is not bringing us to him, but others to each other,” a man with a deep voice told her.
“What did you do to it, Gawaine? You broke it!” she accused.
Gawaine took a deep breath in, trying to gather himself before he broke. Morgan Le Fey might be beautiful, but she was stark raving mad. Why did he have to spend his days looking for this Arthur Pendragon? One of her many lovers, no doubt. “I did not break it, my queen. ’Twas broken long before I put my hands to it.”
“Yes. Yes. It was burned numerous times,” she allowed, then sat up straighter on her throne. “He tampered with it. That must be it. Him and Merlin. Can we find Merlin?”
He almost looked heavenward, which would have enraged her.
“How can we find him when you cursed him to roam time? And besides, we don’t know who we are searching for. Have you forgotten that?”
“No! I have not forgotten, Gawaine!” Her screaming nearly brought down the walls. “Do you think I am as meagerly made as you? I have forgotten nothing!”
Gawaine closed his eyes. He wanted to be out of here. Let Kay or Sagramore deal with her.
“We need Arthur to break the spell so that I can find my Mordred,” she wailed. “Do you think I want to be here all alone? My sisters hate me! I want to find my son!”
Gawaine had no idea what she was talking about. And he no longer cared. He had quests to go on. He was tired of looking for a dead king and the queen’s dead son.
“I will do my best, Your Majesty,” he promised so that he could leave.
“Your best is not good enough, Gawaine. You have a week. One week. You better find someone in that week. Now get out.”
Gawaine wanted to say more. He wasn’t going to be able to find anyone. What was he supposed to do? She had threatened to kill him in the past. If he didn’t find someone in a week, he was certain she would take his life. He was almost willing to give it up just to stay permanently away from her.
He stormed out of the castle without saying another word to her. What good would it have done anyway?
He decided Merlin might be the easiest to find since Morgan knew she’d cursed him. Gawaine knew a cursed traveler.
Roldan Simeon. He would start there.
Chapter Nineteen
Croydon House
1724
Michael and Charlottemet in the dining hall for breakfast early the next morning. He was sitting at the head table with her father. Old John stood behind them.
“Good morn to you, Investigator, John, Father. Did you sleep well?”
“Like a baby, and I woke up like one. Hungry.” Michael laughed. So did her father.
She wanted to get up from where she was sitting opposite Michael and go sit beside him. She wanted to hold his hand, feel his strong fingers around hers, giving her strength through them. But she sat where her father motioned her to go.
“I was just telling your father about the old keep. He will pay for renovations, as well as pay the men and also pay for whatever we need.”
“Father, that is very generous,” Charlotte said with surprise lacing her voice.
“Crime will cease here, Charlotte,” the duke vowed to her as her softly boiled egg and bacon, along with toasted bread, was set down before her. “I will see that every criminal is caught and brought to justice. Especially murderers.”
She nodded. “I believe you have found the right man in Detective Pendridge.”
