Danger in the Wind Read Online Free PDF Page A

a twinge of guilt because I’d forgotten my promise to check up on the boy. “Secundus said he slept with the horse-boys over the stables.”
    “Yes, and spent the evening with them, too. That was after he’d had supper in the kitchen. He seemed a nice lad. He talked about his family, and how he wants to buy his freedom. Just an ordinary boy, nothing unusual about him that I can remember.”
    “But now Secundus says he’s disappeared. He left here very early before anyone was up, and so did one of Terentius’ horses.”
    Margarita’s pale face turned ashen. “You’re saying he could have killed his master in the night? But he was hardly more than a child. And he was in my kitchen? How dreadful!” She looked round for somewhere to sit, but the bed had no mattress and the stool was covered with the ruined pillows. She leaned against the wall, as white as marble, and I realised she was struggling to keep from fainting.
    I pushed the pillows off the stool, which was luckily clean of blood, and helped her to sit down. “Try not to worry, Margarita. None of this is your fault.”
    “I know. But I feel there must be something we could have done to prevent it.”
    “I don’t see what. I’m sure nobody from the Oak Tree was involved in it. Aren’t you, Lucius?”
    “Yes, I am. The man only arrived yesterday. I suppose it might possibly have been one of the other overnight guests.”
    She said thoughtfully “From the way they were talking, they hadn’t met before, so if there was a quarrel, it was a very sudden one. I saw no sign of it. And there wasn’t a trace of blood on either of them this morning, I’d swear to that.”
    “What about their rooms?” Lucius interrupted.
    “Nothing. The maids who cleaned them would have told me.”
    “That pretty well settles it,” I said. “His boy killed him, and then ran away, or rode away, rather. And for what comfort it’s worth, it could have happened at any time and in any place.”
    Lucius, predictably, was more cautious. “We must do a thorough check. I’ll have to report his death to the army, and they’ll expect a proper investigation. Margarita, could you organise a search of the mansio—all rooms, including our private wing, and the baths. And would you ask Secundus and Ursulus to do the same with the outbuildings? If the lad isn’t anywhere to be found, we’ll be forced to conclude he’s run away.”
    “I’ll see to it straight away.” Her relieved expression showed how much she wanted to get away from that ghastly room. “If we do find him, you want him caught, presumably? But if he’s armed…”
    “Good point. Tell everyone to search in pairs, at least one of each pair to be a man.”
    “Right.”
    “And we could ask Hawk whether he’s seen anything unusual in the woods,” I suggested. Hawk is the best of the native huntsmen in the Oak Bridges area. What’s more, he’s a friend, and would help if he could. “I’ll send for him if we find the boy’s run off. Now, just one more thing, Margarita. Which of the maids found Terentius here like this?”
    “It was Baca.”
    “Is she all right?”
    “More or less, though she was quite shaken. A couple of the other girls are with her. I told them not to leave her on her own for a while, and Cook is warming up some wine for them. Then I’ll make sure they keep busy.”
    “Good,” Lucius said. “Tell her we’ll need to talk to her later. And,” he added, “have some of that warm wine yourself, Margarita. You look as if you need it.”
    “You’re right, I do.” She hurried away.
    Lucius said softly, “I can manage here, Sis, if you want to go and help Margarita.”
    I was tempted. Sitting in the kitchen with a comforting wine-mug, or even searching for the missing slave, would be preferable to being here. But I knew Lucius needed me to stay. The murder itself was grim enough, but the violent death of a guest under our own mansio roof turned the whole situation into a nightmare.