The Falcon in the Barn (Book 4 Forest at the Edge series) by Trish Mercer Read Free Book Online Page B

stories.
    He refused to acknowledge her accusation, but
to the kitchen he called out, “Thank you for the rolls, Mrs. Peto,”
as he left.
     
     
    ---
     
    Mahrree set out for her regular walk through
Edge to the Cottages where her mother lived. To make things easier,
she kept her head down as she tromped along the cobblestones. She
didn’t want to meet anyone’s face, nor did she want them to have to
abide seeing hers.
    Besides, now when she really could have used
a bit more friendliness in her life, everyone in Edge pulled back
to a safe distance. From the corners of her eyes she could see the
villagers’ feet scuffling away to give her plenty of room as she
passed.
    Blessedly there were a couple of people she
could always count on. One was Rector Yung, who frequently stopped
by and attempted to talk to Perrin who always suddenly had
something else to do. The other was her mother.
    Two minutes later she sat on Hycymum Peto’s
pink sofa painted with purple flowers and woven with garish threads
of gold and green. All Mahrree noticed, though, was that her mother
had slipped a thick cloth onto her shoulder today, in
anticipation.
    Hycymum patted her on the back as if she were
a messy infant as Mahrree sobbed on her shoulder.
    “ Mahrree, I mean it; you
and the children stay here for a few days. Let him do . . . whatever he’s doing, but you get a rest. Just when it looks
like things are getting better, they get worse again.”
    Mahrree sniffled. “I can’t leave him, Mother.
He needs us. Someday he may actually be glad—” She couldn’t finish
because she didn’t know if her husband ever would be glad
for anything, ever again.
    Not that long ago she had cried and chuckled
about how blessed how her life was, how many miracles had struck
them in such a short amount of time. She didn’t realize that the
outpouring then was to make up for the drought now.
    “ At least I know where my
husband went. But yours?” Hycymum patted her daughter again. “Who
knows where his mind is sometimes. I heard he confronted some
weaver yesterday until Shem led him away.”
    Mahrree sighed. “I’ll add him to the list of
those I need to visit and apologize to. What do people think about
him, Mother? What do they say?”
    Hycymum sighed back. “People think that the
colonel’s been issued orders to interrogate people in Edge, because
the Administrators suspect that Guarders are still after him and
his family.”
    “ Hmm,” Mahrree pondered
that. “I suppose it works. I wonder where that came
from.”
    “ I think it was Rector
Yung. I heard him say that a few weeks ago to the new couple living
over by the fort. You know, for a rector he’s a pretty decent
gossip.”
    Mahrree smiled miserably. “He must have been
talking to the Briters. I’d already paid them an apology visit.
Perrin was sure they were spies, but they’re the gentlest, kindest,
and now most terrified couple I’ve ever met. They like me ,
at least.”
    “ So what happened last
night?” Hycymum asked her daughter as she smoothed her hair. “At
least you visit me more often.” She tried to say that
lightheartedly, but even silly Hycymum Peto had lost a great deal
of her inanity since Relf and Joriana Shin were killed by Guarders
as they slept. Some level of her intellect, usually absorbed by
cloth and cooking and decorating, had realized that if her
son-in-law’s parents were intended targets, she might be
too.
    Mahrree sniffed. “Sometimes he does so well.
Three nights, no incidents. He almost smiles then . . . it’s all
back again. I make him tell me what he sees. Shem said that’s what
the book said to do; make him speak it and realize it’s not
real.”
    Hycymum shifted nervously. “What does he
see?”
    Mahrree could tell she really didn’t want to
know it all, but it helped her to say it out loud. “Variations on
the same theme: dirtied men in black. Daggers and knives. Sometimes
swords. His family, lying still in pools of blood. He