“Who?”
“Lady Isalyn!”
Barbara was standing next to a bed in the upper floor of the apartment block at Blackpool. She had come to prepare two chambers when she had been informed that Tor had visitors. Lenore had gone to the hall to prepare refreshments and Barbara had gone with the servants to clean out two dusty chambers, that were now mostly swept and made up in preparation for their guests.
But Lenore’s words had Barbara pausing in her duties.
“She is interested in him?” she repeated, concerned. “It will do her no good. He clearly said that he was too old for her.”
Lenore was shaking her head. “Mayhap that is what he said, but he lied,” she said. “He is looking at her with great interest, Sister. I saw it myself.”
Barbara was the more devious of the pair, the one who made the plans and led by example. Lenore was simply a follower. However, it took Barbara some time to act, like a slow burn. She had to be absolutely clear before she was motivated. As her sister’s words sank in, she set down the pillow in her hands.
“That does not sound like Tor,” she said. “I cannot ever recall him looking at a woman with great interest. At least, not that kind of interest. Mayhap he is only being kind because he killed her brother.”
Lenore shook her head firmly. “Listen to me,” she said. “He is looking at her as if he wants to kiss her. I have seen men look at women in such a way. The soldiers who take after the serving wenches, for example. They have the look of a predator.”
“And Tor is looking at the woman as if he is a predator?”
“He is looking at her in a most interested fashion. You must see it for yourself.”
Barbara thought on that a moment. Lenore wasn’t one to act in haste, so if she said something was true, it usually was. Then Barbara looked around the chamber. This room was on the corner of the apartment block, with windows that faced both west and north. To the west was a yew tree that had sprouted up between the building and the wall, and to the north were the livestock and kitchen yards.
In fact, the pen that kept the goats and pigs butted up against the north side of the building. The ground floor didn’t have windows on that side, so it didn’t matter, but the first floor did. Barbara made her way over to the windows, examining them for a moment. Each window had exterior iron shutters with a lock that could be closed in the event of a siege or bad weather. The key for the lock was on a large key ring in Barbara’s possession. But in the case of the shutters over the animal yard, the lock had rusted away and no one had ever fixed it.
Barbara inspected the shutters, pulling them closed. Unable to lock the one over the yard, she locked the one by the yew tree. The shutters were designed in a pattern that was pretty to look at, making it an interesting view even when they were shut. When she turned back around, Lenore was looking at her curiously.
“Why did you lock those?” she asked. “What are you doing?”
Barbara didn’t answer her right away. She went to the chamber door and inspected the latch on it. It was a warded lock, meaning there was a complex series of tumblers and several ways to lock it. Being that this was a border castle, and sieges and invasions were common, there were times that one might want to lock oneself in a chamber for protection, or lock someone into it for safekeeping. Therefore, the elaborate lock worked from both sides.
Each door in the apartment block had the same complex lock.
“What is the woman’s name again?” Barbara finally asked.
“Isalyn,” Lenore said, watching her sister with interest. “Isalyn de Featherstone.”
“How long is she to be here?”
“I do not know. That has not been discussed.”
Barbara took out her enormous key ring and began fumbling through it. “Do you remember how we discovered these doors could be locked from the outside?” she asked.
Lenore nodded. “It can be locked from the inside or the outside,” she said. “All you need is a special key to…”
“To disable the latch on the inside,” Barbara said, cutting her off. She finally found what she was looking for, an oddly shaped key, and put it in the lock from the inside. “I will disable the latch so she cannot leave the chamber, at least for tonight. When she does not come to the feast, it will be assumed that she was too weary to attend. She can spend the night alone in this chamber, without food or fire. One night spent like that should prompt her to want to leave quickly, don’t you think?”
Lenore nodded, a smile on her lips. “I should not have doubted you,” she said. “You always find a solution.”
Barbara turned the key, disabling the latch from the inside. “Always,” she said, looking at her sister. “The bed is made and there is an extra coverlet, so she will not freeze to death, but being trapped by a broken lock will surely convince her to return home quickly.”
Lenore’s smile broadened. “Shall we go greet our guest, then?”
Barbara nodded graciously. “By all means,” she said. “Let us show her Blackpool hospitality.”
Leaving the door open, the sisters headed towards the great hall, confident that yet another eligible female for Tor’s attention would soon be gone by morning.
Unfortunately for them, their victim would not make an easy target.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“This is Barbara,” Isabella said, rising from the table. “Barbara, this is Lady Isalyn de Featherstone. Barbara is Lenore’s sister, my lady. They are both Tor’s wards.”
In the great hall of Blackpool, introductions were being made between Barbara and Isalyn. It wasn’t an unpleasant moment, but it was a strangely tense one. Isalyn forced a smile at the redheaded woman who was smiling thinly at her in return. There was something in the air between them, though it was difficult to discern what, exactly, it was. All Isalyn knew was that there was a hint of disquiet.
She was intuitive that way.
“Sir Tor has explained Barbara and Lenore’s situation to me,” Isalyn said evenly. “He told me that they are his chatelaines. Ladies, you are to be commended for the state of the hall. It is as clean and pleasant as any I have seen.”
Barbara dipped her head graciously. “You honor me, my lady,” she said. “I am pleased that it meets with your approval.”
“You have done an excellent job,” Isalyn reiterated. “I am sure that holds true with every corner of the fortress and not simply the hall.”
Barbara swept her hand in the direction of the apartments. “That is why I have come, in fact,” she said. “Your chamber is now prepared, as is your father’s. If you would like to rest, I will happily show you to your chamber.”
It sounded innocent enough. Isalyn turned to her father, still sitting with Tor and Blayth. “Father?” she said. “Your chamber is prepared. Would you like to rest?”
Gilbert waved her off, still talking to Tor. Isalyn shrugged and returned her attention to Barbara.
“It seems that he wishes to remain, but I will go with you,” she said. “My father’s knight should have my satchel.”
“I will send someone for it.”
Isalyn stood up and moved to follow Barbara and Lenore, but Isabella was suddenly by her side.