Read Page 1(2/2)
nodding, murie stood to follow, only to pause as she spotted a pair of birds on a nearby branch. "oh, look! two male blackbirds, sitting together. that is supposed to be a good omen." emilie turned to glance at the birds, then shook her head with amusement. she murmured, "you and your superstitions."
"well, it is supposed to be a good omen," murie said, sounding embarrassed. she followed the other woman from their bower.
"did you hear that?" osgoode asked with excitement the moment the women were out of sight.
"did you hear that?"
balan and osgoode peered at each other at the repeated question, which hadn't come from either of them.
"is there an echo?" osgoode asked, but balan shushed him as he realized that the words had come from the other side of the bushes. .. and that the speaker was already continuing.
"oh, this is too rich!" the man went on.
pulling the branch aside again, balan and osgoode put their heads together so both could peer through. beyond, malculinus and lauda aldous stepped out of the bushes on the far side of the bower where murie and emilie had just been.
"aye," lauda said with a faint smile. "she is not the terror everyone thinks."
"and everyone is terrified of the girl due to her reputation," malculinus crowed. "halstaff has already claimed a sick mother as an excuse to flee court for fear she might consider him a candidate for her hand in marriage. and harcourt swears he will do everything he can to escape her notice. the men are fleeing court like rats abandoning a sinking ship. there will be no competition at all for her hand."
"the way will be clear for you," lauda agreed with a grin.
"and just imagine the favor you will curry as the husband of the king's beloved brat."
"aye." malculinus almost sighed the word, his eyes faraway as he savored the idea.
"still," lauda said suddenly, "we should not count her won already. there are those desperate enough to court even someone they believe so unpleasant."
"aye." malculinus frowned. "gaynor needs the coin. did you see the clothes he and osgoode are wearing? i would have been too ashamed to show my face at court dressed thusly." balan's mouth thinned at the insult.
"but i want her, lauda," malculinus went on with determination. "i want lady murie and the political connections she brings with her."
"then we shall have to help her see that she should marry you," lauda said calmly.
"how?" malculinus asked abruptly. "have you a plan? i know you do. i can see it on your face."
a slow smile drew his sister's lips apart, and she nodded. "aye. we shall use her superstitious nature against her."
"tell me," malculinus insisted.
"not here. someone could come upon us at any time and overhear," she cautioned. "the maze is a safer place to have this conversation. come."
nodding eagerly, brother followed sister out of the bower.
"come on," osgoode hissed, standing to follow.
"where?" balan asked suspiciously.
"you heard them - they are going to the maze to plot. we have to find a way to listen." when balan just stared at him, he frowned and added, "surely you are not going to leave them to trick lady murie into marrying that snake? she hardly deserves such a fate. besides, now that we know she is not the brat everyone believes, you should court her yourself. she could save gaynor!"
balan still hesitated, and his cousin repeated, "she does not deserve being tied to that man. i hear he beats his horse, and you know what they say about a man who beats his horse."
" 'he beats his wife twice as hard,'" balan recited with a frown, not at all liking the idea of murie marrying someone who would beat her.
"aye. surely you know you would be the better husband. you are always gentle with beasts and women. besides," osgoode added, "if you do not marry her, it will be lady brigida." balan winced, then stood with a nod. "very well, we shall make sure malculinus does not do anything to trick the girl," he agreed. but he added firmly, "that is all."