The Renegade Merchant Read Online Free Page B

doorstep. It was just that the pool
of blood had temporarily driven that knowledge from her mind. “What
about you? Has anyone accused you of being Cole?”
    “While the story of Cole’s and Adeline’s
deaths has spread far and wide,” Gareth said, “he never did look
much like me. John attacked me when he saw me for the first time
only because Cole was at the forefront of his mind. With my hair
shorn and without a beard, I am a different person.”
    Gwen’s expression turned thoughtful. “I had
wondered why everyone has been so kind to me. Now I know why. It
would be nice to know if she really was my sister.”
    Gwen hadn’t ever met Adeline herself—she’d
only seen her body—but the reminder of why they had come to
Shrewsbury in the first place had her wondering how her father was
getting on. He’d been cheerful last night, if a little tipsy from
the good wine the abbey stocked, but she’d hadn’t had a chance to
speak to him more than briefly this morning.
    And now that she thought about it, one
benefit to whatever gossip was flying around Shrewsbury about Gwen
and Gareth was that Tom Weaver, Adeline’s father, and Roger Carter,
Adeline’s betrothed, would know in advance that Gwen’s father was
here too—and that sooner or later he would be coming to visit
them.
    “It could simply be that your father and
hers are long-lost cousins,” Gareth said.
    “True, but even if Father
clears the path, I don’t relish the idea of walking up to Adeline’s
father’s house with this face and reminding him of his dead
daughter.” Gwen’s laugh was mocking. “Imagine what my father is
saying right now: I might have fathered
your daughter can’t be the most welcome
opening.”
    “Had Meilyr left before I sent word to you?”
Gareth said.
    “Yes,” Gwen said. “I saw him off into
Shrewsbury shortly before you summoned me to the alley.”
    Gareth checked the sky. “Then he would have
reached Tom Weaver’s shop long since. Whatever Meilyr ended up
saying to Adeline’s father, it has been said.” Gareth took Gwen’s
elbow again, to begin walking down the street as it sloped towards
the river.
    Gwen had taken only one step, however, when
the sound of running feet echoed from the alley. She exchanged a
glance with Gareth, who shrugged, and together they headed back to
the entrance. They reached it in time to watch the messenger—a
tall, thin, young man with a shock of short blond hair—leap what
remained of the pool of blood in an easy stride and then come to a
halt in front of Luke.
    The young man spoke urgently to the
watchman, words Gwen couldn’t catch because they went by too
quickly, but Gareth must have understood something of them because
he hastened forward.
    Although the elderly man and the young woman
had moved on, the two boys stopped their game of throwing stones
against a wall to listen. Gareth stepped between them and the
messenger, who turned to him with a relieved expression on his
face. Luke wore a cynical frown, as if whatever the messenger had
just told him couldn’t possibly be true, but he didn’t openly
discredit it.
    “Start again, Cedric.” It seemed Gareth had
met the young man already, although he wasn’t among those to whom
Gwen had been introduced.
    “My lord.” Cedric took in a huge breath to
steady himself after the running he’d done. “I’m glad to see you
here, but I was looking for John Fletcher.”
    “I don’t know where he is at the moment,”
Gareth said. “He went to find a witness who could tell him what
might have transpired here.”
    At a movement from Gwen, Cedric’s eyes
tracked to her, and he did a double-take. Gwen gave him a gentle
smile, acknowledging the widening of his eyes without mentioning
it. In a way, it was gratifying to see, now that she was paying
attention, that they hadn’t been mad to think Adeline and she
looked alike.
    Cedric put one hand to his chest and bowed
at the waist. “My lady.” He straightened and looked again