Free Shadows at Stonewylde by Kit Berry Page A

nowadays, not some old biddy with dandelion tea and love potions, and Yul won’t let you do it for long. Everyone here has to earn their living and he’ll find you something fitting, I’m sure. Maybe he’ll let you grow vegetables up at the Hall. And in the meantime, my girl, I want this cloth woven tonight. Do you understand?’
    ‘Yes, Mother.’
    ‘Sweyn should be here any minute and—’
    ‘No! Oh Mother, please don’t get him round! You know I’m behaving myself and I promise I’ll stay in and do the weaving. Please! ’
    But Maizie smiled tightly.
    ‘You let me down once too often and now I don’t trust you, Leveret. Sweyn’s coming to keep an eye on you and from now on him or Gefrin’ll make sure you behave yourself. I’m very glad Sylvie thought of it.’
    ‘Please, Mother, I beg you ! You don’t know what he’s like when he gets me alone.’
    ‘You’re wasting your breath, Leveret, and talking rubbish too. I told you all this before, many a time – I won’t listen to your lies about your brothers. Sweyn’s a fine young man and I’m proud o’ him. That sounds like him now.’
    The front door crashed open and Sweyn barged in. It was as if Alwyn had been reincarnated for his youngest son was the image of him, right down to the gingery bristles on his sausage fingers and the brutish under-bite of his pugnacious lower jaw. He even wore an enormous brown leather coat as his father had done, and he looked older than sixteen. The stink of the tannery came with him into the cottage.
    ‘Sweyn! Just in time!’
    Maizie went over to peck his ruddy cheek and he hugged her gruffly.
    ‘Alright, Mother?’
    ‘I am now. I’ve left you cake and some nice cheese in the pantry, and there’s cider too if you fancy it. Take what you want, son.’
    ‘I will, Mother – you know how I miss my home comforts. Gefrin said he might come by too.’
    ‘Good. Thank you, Sweyn – I’m grateful for this. She shouldn’t need looking after at her age but there you are – she’s let me down once again.’
    ‘Has she upset you tonight? You’re looking like a rosy apple.’
    Maizie bobbed her head, curls shaking, and patted his arm as he hung up his coat.
    ‘I should be used to it by now. But never mind that – I don’t want to think about it. She’s been told to weave tonight so you make sure she does. No sloping off to her room in a sulk – she’s got work to do.
    Sweyn smiled and nodded.
    ‘Don’t you worry, Mother, I’ll sort her out.’
    As soon as Maizie had gone, Leveret sat on the stool before the loom and started to organise the shuttles. She kept her head down so her hair hung over her face, hoping Sweyn would be distracted by the thought of food and drink in the pantry. He was as greedy as their father had been – not that Leveret remembered him, for she’d only been a year old when he’d collapsed in his chair. But she’d heard about him from Rosie, Geoffrey and Gregory, who remembered Alwyn with fear and loathing. Yet even now Maizie rarely spoke out against him. He was their father, after all. Yul never, ever mentioned him.
    Sweyn had sat down comfortably in the great armchair by the fire; the late October nights were getting chilly. He relaxed into the old, soft leather and surveyed his younger sister. Far from resenting his mother’s request, he was delighted. He’d moved up to the Hall last year along with the others in their final year at school, and had been missing his favourite pastime – tormenting Leveret. Over the years he and his older brother Gefrin had developed it into a fine art. Although neither of them was very bright, they were inventive in their torture and clever at avoiding detection.
    Leveret had never known anything but their constant bullying, and if something were ever noticed, it was always put down to the rough and tumble of growing up in a large family. A small girl with older brothers, so Maizie had always said airily, should expect some teasing and Leveret