Snippet #1515186

Adelaide's emotional plea touched Henry's heart, but not his mind. Her tears were proof enough that she was not thinking clearly, as were her silly claims. Lionel had treated them badly enough in their childhood to make them think him an eager kinslayer? The boy was given to black moods and a sharp tongue, but that did not make him a man to kill his own flesh and blood.

"Lionel will kill no one," Henry said, his tone and expression treating the conversation as being over. "Your mother died because of a foolish, impulsive decision he made. I do not doubt he regrets that action. And you will not raise a hand to him, your being a woman and his sister not the least of the reasons."

He paused, then tried to steer her thoughts away. "As for you and Kervall, I do wish for the two of you to wed."

One less nobleman I have to find a reason for to justify the kill. One way to tie the blood of Winsler, and Lannister, to Damian forever.

"There will be another wedding here, soon enough. You will have a stepmother; the Lady Julia Cavanaugh."


~


Do I remember that ball? Jane thought. How can I not remember that?

The abridged life's story that he gave left her with more questions: Matthew had been a threat to their parents? She remembered a rumor about Lady Cavanaugh being poisoned, but she'd dismissed it as people wanting to make something a little more exciting about a normal event. And he'd married and been widowed? Had 'briefly' been a father? She kept her curiosity to herself and tried to present a calm, interested face. The interest was real enough.

Kenneth kissed her hand and she smiled. "Good night to you, too, Lord Cavanaugh."

Her own rooms were calmer. Margaret was in bed, but recovering, and Katherine, as always, needed little more than a bit of warm food and a colorful cloth to make her content. Her sleep was troubled by dreams she could not remember and it was early when she woke and dressed - earlier even than Edwina, who was up before the sunrise. The dress that Edwina had managed to get for her had belonged to a kitchen maid and the woman was close to Jane in stature. It was plain, of a dark green shade, and, most importantly, clean.

Quietly, Jane began to take stock of the household. It was in disarray, that was clear, and understaffed. The servants went about with the air of people ready to be whipped with a crop. It started out with a question here, a suggestion there ... and then she was ordering people about just as she'd done at Strake. They listened to her. Being of noble birth helped, as was the evidence that she knew what she was doing. Nor was she a harpy. Breakfast was set out (though no one told her Julia ate in her rooms) and Jane busied herself with the scant number of maids ... and the alarmingly disproportionate number of cooks.

She was just coming out of the scullery, a basket of eggs on her hip, when she saw Kenneth at the table, surrounded by ledger books and breakfast.

Kenneth had just sighed in defeat and reached for another slice of bread when he saw her. He smiled and said, "Well, maybe I was right yesterday when I thought you were a serving maid."

The words were already out before he realized they could be offensive, but Jane only smiled and shrugged. "You wouldn't be the first. When the Damians' Knight Commander rode up to my doorstep, he told me to fetch Lady Strake."

"Seems like a compliment to me to be considered human, as opposed to above. I guess," he finished, brows furrowed, not entirely sure what he was trying to say. "Let's just say I don't consider being a noble the highest of callings."

"You try to make it high," she replied.

"How do you mean?" he asked, taking a bite of bacon.

She hesitated, acted as if she would speak, then smiled. "I can't rightly explain it. It's just a feeling I have. Doing good things? No, that's not quite it..."

"Well," he huffed, "I'll never be able to do good things until I reconcile these account books."

Jane perked up. "Account books? Let me see."

She came around behind him and leaned down. Her hair was caught up in a messy coiff and a lock of it came loose, landing on his shoulder close to his neck. Kenneth's writing hand fidgeted as he saw it.

"Yes, these are messy ... what gives you the most trouble?"

"All of it, really. I'm not good at mathematics. My old Maester couldn't get me to sit still in a lesson. And, honestly, I think he understood that I wasn't up to it."

"Let me have a go at them," she said. "Perhaps I can help sort it all out."

"You're sure? You've done enough already if I'm correct in assuming all the changes from this morning, including this breakfast, are by your hand."

"It keeps me busy," she said, watching him stack them to the side of the table. "I've a lot on my mind."

"Well, as long as it helps the both of us, I don't see why not. I'm out to show the stable lads how to handle the horses."

Horses, Jane thought. Great.

"Come find me when you're done," he said and stood. "I'll be there."

She nodded and took his vacant seat at the table.

~

Jane raised her skirts to her ankles as she tiptoed through the stables. The main account book was firmly pressed between her elbow and her side. It wasn't the hay and dirt that made her uneasy, but the sights and sounds of horses. She'd never liked the creatures, not since her early childhood, and she wasn't about to spend more time near them than needed. Kenneth was talking to the stable lads and shoveling a stall when she came upon them. She hurried towards them and was almost smacked by a shovelful of manure.

"Watch out there!" he said and put the shovel down.

"I've finished the account books," she said and presented the ledger to him.

He looked surprised. "In an hour?"

Jane smiled. "I did say I'm good with numbers. But horses ... not so much."

"Why not?" he asked and walked towards the horse in the opposite stall. "They're very gentle beasts." He ran his hand down the horse's neck.

"I was thrown from one when I was six."

"What kind?"

"...a brown one?"

Kenneth laughed. "It must have been a bad-tempered beast. I know of plenty that wouldn't throw a lady, mine included. We'll have to go riding sometime, so I can show you."

Jane looked visibily uncomfortable. "Ah, that ... that wouldn't be---"

"Or would you prefer a carriage?"

"I'm afraid that wouldn't be seemly, Lord Cavanaugh," she said, her voice low. "I'm in mourning."

"Was it because of the burning?" he asked, his friendly, open tone replaced by quiet sympathy.

"A plague came through not two months ago," she answered. "It took seven of my sisters. I only lost my lady-in-waiting to House Damian, but ... she was a treasured friend. Scattered," she remembered with a smile, "but a friend."

Kenneth frowned at the sadness of her story. He'd wondered why she'd not arrived with her passel of sisters, but he'd assumed they'd either have been married off before now or killed by Damian. He was glad that he'd let her speak about this in her own time, and he wanted to do something nice for her. She couldn't go picnicking or riding, so what could he do?

It was then that he remembered her gown was borrowed and that she had no more clothes of her own except the bloodstained dress she wore in her escape. She seemed like a very practical woman, so he hoped that his suggestion would be pleasing her to when he said, "I'm very sorry about all of your losses and my insensitivity to your situation." He cleared his throat in an attempt to dislodge the lump that had started to form there, and asked her, "Do those ledgers say there's enough to hire a seamstress? I think I remember that a noble is supposed to wear all dark clothes when in mourning, and I'd like to offer two or three dresses as a gift."

Jane looked taken aback.

He didn't want her to get the wrong idea about his suggestion so he hurriedly added, "from one friend to another, that is."

"I ... there is enough. And that's very generous, my Lord. Thank you."

As if to dispell the uncomfortable feeling in the air, she thrust the ledger books toward him. "They're all finished and up to date. Your sister was very ... prolific in spending money on chocolates and gowns, but she cut so many of the staff and sold so many things that the losses were able to cover the expense."

Kenneth was relieved that there really was enough in the coffers to be able to afford for Jane to have a few gowns. Finding out there wasn't enough would have been more embarrassing than her turning him down because she wanted to. When she thrust the ledgers toward him, he held up his hands in a defensive position, startling the horse he'd been petting with the quick movement.

"Oh no, thank you, but you've done a wonderful job with them. I'd like you to handle the ledgers for me while you're here. If you don't want to then you can show me how, and I'll do my best to keep things up. In fact, I think I've shown the stable boys how to properly shovel a stall, and I'm sure you're eager to return to the castle. Would you like to meet me in my study in, say, an hour from now? I'll clean up and you can try to show me what you've done. I also need to make a list of supplies to be ordered," he said with a smile.

She said earlier that she wants to be kept busy, and there's plenty around here that I can use her help with, he thought almost guiltily. I'll have to look at the ledgers with her, but I'll see if I can find her a dress in the green color she's wearing that makes her look so nice.