"Nothing I've learned about Deville indicates he has a fondness for horses," Jared said.
"But he has a fondness for Cassie, and she was in love with the stallion." She added caustically, "And this is the terrible man you wish to kill." She watched Jared move to stand before the stallion. "You're too close. I told you-" She broke off and stared in astonishment when Jared reached up and stroked the stallion's muzzle. Kapu nickered softly and pushed against his hand. "Magic."
"No." Jared gazed into the stallion's eyes. "We just understand each other."
"Jared is very good with horses," Bradford said.
"Kahuna," Lani muttered.
It was what Cassie had said on the shore, Jared remembered. She had looked at him with that expression of desperation and fear, and he had felt as if he had been cruel to a helpless child. The abrasive memory roughened his voice. "Nonsense."
Bradford chuckled. "He's definitely no priest. Though I've often thought he delves in sorcery when dealing with horses… and the gaming tables."
Jared shot him an amused glance. "Intelligence."
"Luck," Bradford replied.
Lani looked from one to the other and then shrugged. "Neither will do you any good here. This is a bad thing you seek to do to Charles, and God will not be with you." She moved toward the door. "Test how far your good fortune lasts, Your Grace. Let the drunken one stroke Kapu."
Bradford watched her leave the stable. "Unusual woman. I feel quite intoxicated." He laughed. "But then I felt intoxicated before I met her, so it's difficult to judge." He turned back to the stallion. "Magnificent."
"Yes."
"You want him."
"Oh, yes." Now that he had a closer look in full daylight, he wasn't sure even his Morgana could compare to the stallion. Another frustration to add to the mix.
"A difficult situation."
"Without the slightest doubt." He gave the stallion a final pat and backed away. "And probably going to grow more difficult as time goes on. I want you to go to the king and make discreet inquiries regarding Deville. Make sure the king knows we're staying here at Deville's cottage."
"If Deville is under his protection, then I may get a blow instead of an answer. He'll know by now that your intentions aren't friendly."
"I don't think there's any danger. He won't want to jeopardize the possibility of persuading me to furnish him weapons. Would you rather I go?"
"No, I'll do it. Braving the savages will make a fine story when we return to England. You're staying here to watch the girl?"
Jared nodded. "If Deville went to the trouble of pleading for that horse for his daughter, he must have some feeling for her. If he thinks she may be in danger, then he might come here."
"You're beginning to speak of him as if he possesses a few human qualities."
"I always knew he was human. There's usually a balance of good and evil in every man. When I was a boy, I found Deville quite amusing." A sudden memory of Charles Deville sprawled in the chair in that hidden little room at Danjuet came back to him, Deville's pencil moving rapidly on a sketch pad, his bearded face alive with humor as he joked with Jared. "That doesn't mean I don't realize what he is."
"But it makes it harder to execute a man who isn't a complete villain."
He smiled thinly. "Try me." He turned away and moved toward the door. "If you find out anything, let me know. Otherwise I'll expect you back here tomorrow evening."
Three
"Danemount was down at the stable looking at Kapu," Lani said as she brushed Cassie's hair. "He has quite an amazing way with horses."
Cassie stiffened. "He didn't try to ride him?"
"No, I said he was looking." She paused in midmotion to meet Cassie's gaze in the mirror. "You should not care for Kapu this much. He's only an animal. You cannot expect total loyalty from him."
"He is loyal. He knows he belongs to me."
"But he won't-" She broke off and shrugged. "Why should I argue? I'm wasting my breath."
Cassie reached up and took her hand. "Because you don't want me hurt. I won't be, Lani."
"Yes, you will. It is inevitable." Lani smiled. "But thank God you have the strength to heal yourself. It's a great gift." She squeezed Cassie's hand. "Now, how do you feel? Can you eat some supper?"
"Yes." Her brow wrinkled thoughtfully. "Is Clara having supper prepared for the Englishmen?"
Lani nodded. "Of course. A meal fit more for a king than a duke."
"Then I'll come to the table."
"You wish to eat with them? Why?"
She quickly looked away from Lani. "It will do us no good to have me cowering in my room all night. I may learn something that may help us. You can't defeat the enemy without knowing their strength. Where are the Englishmen now?"
"Having brandy on the veranda." She made a face. "The uncle drinks like a fish. Pity."
"Why is it a pity? Surely such a weakness is good for us."
"But I think he is not weak. He is just… I hate waste. But you're right, any flaw will help. You won't find much weakness in the other one to use." She turned away and moved toward the door. "I'll tell Clara that we'll be joining them for supper. I'm sure she'll be delighted."
"No, wait." Cassie jumped to her feet. "I'll tell her. You go on and change."
"Why? I can do it before I go to my room. You have to dress yourself, and it will take you longer since you're still weak."
"Go on and dress," Cassie said again.
Lani turned to look at her speculatively. "This is the first time I've ever seen you so eager to confront Clara. What are you about?"
Cassie could not involve her friend by telling her the truth, but neither could she lie to Lani. So she merely repeated, "I'll do it."
Lani hesitated, then turned and left the room.
Dear God, but could she do it? She must stop this waffling; she had no choice. She had to reach her father before he arrived and was trapped. It seemed impossible that merely a few days ago her only problem had been Clara's overwhelming oppression. Now she was being forced to commit an act that filled her with revulsion.
Don't think about it. Just do what has to be done.
She drew a deep breath and moved quickly toward the armoire across the room.
"What an enchanting surprise," Jared murmured as he and Bradford pushed back their chairs and rose to their feet. "To what providence do we owe the grace of your presence?"
"I was hungry." Cassie strode brusquely onto the veranda. "You keep forgetting this is my home. Why shouldn't I come to supper?"
"You're also joining us for supper? Extraordinary."
This was neither the girl on the beach nor the defiant waif he had confronted in the bedroom, Jared thought with dissatisfaction. She still looked a mere child, but now everything about her was tight and confined. She wore a high-necked gray silk gown that fell straight to the floor, hiding any hint of a possible curve. Her dark-brown hair, scraped back from her face and captured in a bun on top of her head, looked too heavy a burden for that slim neck. Jared had a sudden desire to take out the pins and let her hair flow free, as it had that night on the beach.
"Not at all unusual, Jared. She's quite right," Bradford said as he moved swiftly to escort Cassie to a chair. "But as he said, a lovely surprise. We thought that your injury would keep you to your room. Please sit down."
She shook her head. "I came only to tell you that I refuse to hide in my room like a culprit."
"Sit down anyway. You must conserve your strength." Bradford smiled. "May I get you a glass of wine?"
"No." She sat down and perched on the edge of the chair, her back rigid. "And I don't need to conserve my strength. I'm much better now."
"I can see you are," Bradford said warmly. "You have a lovely color in your cheeks."
Jared watched the color deepen. Bradford was right: her cheeks were flushed and her dark eyes shone brilliantly, almost feverishly. She clearly wasn't as well as she claimed. Why the devil hadn't she stayed in her room and rested?