Free Wheel of Fate by Kate Sedley Page A

austerely. ‘He’s my dog and I enjoy his company.’ Hercules, who was stretched out in front of the fire, opened one eye in acknowledgement of these sentiments, then closed it again. ‘Besides, she’d been left with Elizabeth to care for since your precipitate flight to London. And why you felt that to be necessary,’ I continued, working myself up into a pitch of righteous indignation, ‘I simply can’t imagine. Could you not have trusted me long enough to wait until you heard my side of the story? Yes, I was acquainted with Mistress Gerrish, but that was two years ago, so I could not possibly be the father of her child.’ Adela started to speak, but I held up my hand, the patriarch, a man in command of his household. ‘I know what you thought. Margaret told me. But I am now at liberty to reveal that my delay in coming home after returning from Scotland was because I was asked to undertake a special mission to Paris on behalf of Prince Richard. I was not in Gloucester, renewing my acquaintanceship with Juliette Gerrish.’
    â€˜Paris!’ Adela echoed, astonished. ‘You were in Paris?’
    I nodded. ‘I was. But mind, it’s not something to be discussed with other people. I can’t tell you what I was doing there, so you’ll just have to take my word for it that I was there. Now—’
    â€˜Oh Roger, I’m so sorry for not trusting you,’ my wife said, putting her arms around my neck and kissing me. ‘I’ve no excuse except that you were away for so many months. And once the news reached us that the war in Scotland was over and Berwick retaken, I thought you’d be home much sooner than you were. And when you finally did turn up, you were so guarded about where you’d been and what you’d been doing. I was already feeling suspicious long before that woman arrived on the doorstep last month with her evil story. Whatever made her do it? When you knew her, did you anger or harm her in some way?’
    â€˜I barely knew her,’ I lied, but was able to add truthfully, ‘Why she did what she did, I’ve no idea. And had I been at home, I should have been able to refute her claim straight away. But knowing my calling, she may have gambled on my absence.’ I returned Adela’s embrace. ‘Perhaps we shall never discover her motive. In any case, it’s in the past now. Let’s forget about it. We’re together again and all’s well. The only thing I want to do now is to take you and the children home. So let me have no more of this nonsense about staying here. I don’t see why you think their problem is anything I can solve. I don’t know these people. I’ve only just learned of their existence. We’ll leave this afternoon.’
    Adela immediately became agitated, pulling herself out of my arms and saying, ‘No, Roger, we can’t. Two members of the family have already been killed and an attempt has been made on Sybilla’s life. We can’t just abandon them to their fate.’

FIVE
    I stared at her for a moment, uncomprehending, before the sense of her words sank in.
    â€˜Two of them have been killed?’ I repeated stupidly. ‘And an attempt on Sybilla’s life, as well?’
    My wife nodded. ‘And now they are inclined to think that Clemency’s illness was more sinister than they all thought it at the time. You see—’
    â€˜Wait!’ I said. ‘We’d better sit down while you explain this to me.’ And I drew her towards one of the settles beside the hearth. The three children had retired to sit around the table, Elizabeth and Nicholas catching up on one another’s news, Adam sucking his thumb, staring into space and contemplating heaven alone knew what mischief. Hercules was still stretched out in front of the meagre fire, asleep and snoring.
    â€˜Now,’ I asked, ‘what is all this about?’
    Before Adela