A Grave Inheritance by Edgren Kari

Author:Edgren, Kari [Edgren, Kari]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub, mobi
Publisher: Carina Press
Published: 2014-11-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

A Day Well Spent

The first message arrived with the sunrise. Having spent much of the night pacing the floors, and peeking outside at every sound, I had finally managed about an hour of sleep, curled up in the armchair. A soft knock on the door brought me upright.

“Come in,” I said, my voice abrupt as I jumped to my feet.

Sophie came into the room. “A letter just arrived for you, miss.” She held out the folded paper. “Delivered by one of Lord Fitzalan’s footmen.”

I snatched it from her hand and dashed over to the window, which offered the only light in the room other than a sputtering candle stub. Breaking the wax seal, my eyes flew over the scant words.

All is well—please relay my sincerest appreciation to Cate.

Henry

My breath came out in a rush. “Merciful saints!” I cried in a hoarse whisper. Relief flowed through me as I read the single line two more times just to be sure. With each pass, the nightmare of dark tunnels and perilous sea crossings began to fade, like most bad dreams did once the sun came up.

All is well could not have been more clear—the king had been placated and we needn’t run away to France. But what in heaven’s name did he mean by mentioning Cate? I had followed her up the stairs last night after returning from the bakehouse. At the time she mumbled about being too tired for even a hot bath after such a long day. Certainly she couldn’t have had a hand in soothing the king. Could she? I tugged at my lip, trying to find the connection through a growing haze of exhaustion.

“Everything alright, miss?” Sophie asked curiously.

I snapped my head up from the letter, startled to see her still there. “Yes, everything is fine.”

Sophie came closer and peered into my face. “You look bone-weary this morning, miss.” Her gaze drifted over my gown. “And no wonder, with you still dressed from the party. Did you close your eyes at all last night?”

I looked down at my rumpled skirts. “I slept a little in the chair.”

She gave me a kind smile, one that belonged more to a grandmother than Sophie’s youthful face. “A few winks in a chair doesn’t make a good night’s sleep.” She patted my arm. “Turn around and I’ll undo your laces. Lady Dinley is also sleeping late this morning, so you won’t be in bad company.”

Her fingers worked deftly, and in no time she had me sitting on the edge of the bed in my shift. “Lay your head down, miss, and we’ll get you properly tucked.”

With a thick yawn, I sank into the mattress and let Sophie draw the covers to my chin.

All is well. A calming tincture could not have soothed my nerves more than those three simple words in Henry’s letter. The remainder, though, continued to befuddle me. Give my sincerest appreciation to Cate. What had he meant by that?

Another yawn escaped. “By any chance did Lady Dinley go

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