Brielle shook her head. “I’m already bundled. And I haven’t cleaned my knife yet.” She’d wiped the tool in thesnow but always took time to clean and sharpen the blade after a hunt.
Her sister gave her a sheepish smile. “Thanks.”
“Where are Papa and Andre? And Uncle Carter?” The room was empty, and the curtains dividing their sleeping sections were tied back to show no one still abed.
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “They’ve gone to the workshop. Papa was eager to get back to the new design he’s working on. He thought of another idea for it in the night. He’s making Andre keep up with his studies while the weather is bad and there’s not much else to do.”
Brielle would have smiled if her cheeks weren’t so frozen. Once the weather turned fair, keeping their brother focused on academic learning became five times harder. Thankfully, Papa had always taken charge of their studies.
“Are you spending the day with Mr. MacManus again?”
Brielle shot a glance at her sister, even as warmth crept up to her ears. Did Charlotte think she was spending too much time with their prisoner? Did she suspect what was growing between them? That kiss . . .
Brielle shifted her focus down to the liquid still steaming in her mug and worked for a nonchalant expression. “I’ll check on him as I always do, but Leonard’s standing guard today.”
“He seemed to like the music at the feast yesterday. I’m glad Papa let him come.” Charlotte’s voice seemed casual, without a weighty undertone, so Brielle chanced another look at her.
Charlotte stared into the pot she was stirring, but her distant gaze and the tender smile curving her lips must mean she was reliving scenes from the feast.
A memory sprang to Brielle’s own mind, a wide grinspreading Evan’s face as he clapped along to the music. Even the binding of his wrists hadn’t stopped his pleasure as fiddle and voices rang off the stone walls of the great hall. Their music had a way of stirring inside a person and bringing every sense to life. Evan had felt that, too, she was almost certain of it.
Brielle worked to pull herself from the memory and pull the grin off her face. Another glance at Charlotte showed her sister was watching her with a curious expression. Charlotte was old enough now to understand the deeper connection that could grow between a man and woman, but thankfully not quite savvy enough for full understanding.
This would be a good time to step outside. Brielle turned toward the door and set her cup on the small table by the exit. “I’ll be back in with the meat soon.”
“Brielle.”
Charlotte’s quiet tone made her pause in the midst of reaching for the handle. “Yes?”
“I like him. He seems like a good man.”
She forced herself to turn back to her sister. Though Charlotte’s eyes shone with her usual sweet temperament, there was a seriousness about her that didn’t line up with the naiveté Brielle had just been grateful for.
Brielle nodded, then forced words. “Good. I think so, too.” Then she turned and fled the apartment.
Crouching outside, she set to work. The air was cold enough a person could freeze within minutes if they didn’t keep moving, so she worked quickly to skin the rabbit and cut away the good meat. Although the job only took minutes, she almost wished she’d left the hare and come home empty-handed. At least then she wouldn’t be racing against frostbite.
A cry howled on the wind, and she jerked her head up. Maybe the sound came from air sliding between the rocks and crevices of the mountainside.
But a figure hurried across the courtyard toward her. The call sounded again.
Brielle squinted to decipher who it was through the swirling snow.Jeanette. Why was she out in this blizzard?
Brielle gathered her tools while she waited for the woman to reach her, then pushed the door open and hurried them both inside, pushing hard to close the partition against the wind.
“Marcellus.” Jeanette spoke before she could turn to her. “Have you seen him? Is he here?” Her voice rang with worry. “He hasn’t been home all morning.”
Brielle glanced at Charlotte. “I just came back from a hunt.” She dropped the soiled things in a pile against the wall, then set the meat on the work surface, where Charlotte could prepare it.
Charlotte stepped nearer Jeanette. “I haven’t seen him at all. Not anyone, actually, besides Papa and Andre, and now you both.”
Jeanette wrapped her arms around herself. “Marcellus was gone when I awoke this morning, and no one knows where he is. I’ve looked everywhere. Your father said he hasn’t been to the workshop.” She turned pleading eyes to Brielle. “I can’t think why he would have left the walls, especially with the storm. But maybe he went for a walk before the snowfall grew thick.”
Brielle reached for her knife from the soiled pile and grabbed a pair of clean gloves. “I’ll go look for him. He can’t be far. The snow came quickly; maybe it surprised him andhe just hasn’t made it back yet.” But she’d gone much farther than he would have. He should have come back before her.
“Brielle, take food with you.” Charlotte’s voice stopped her before she could step outside.
Brielle turned back, and while Charlotte packed several food items into a bag, she used the time to reach for her bow and quiver. As she stood there with all her weapons strapped on, Charlotte was still rolling something in leather to pack in the satchel.
