The Faithful Heart Read Online Free PDF

repaired all the damage from the fire
and it’s the nicest room in the castle now. We’ll have some dresses
made, but in the meantime I’m sure Joanna can find some for you to
borrow. Joanna?”
    “There’s that chest of your old things. I’m
sure I could get some of the pages to carry it up to the North
Room,” Joanna nodded, eyes sparkling. She curtsied to Madeline and
reassured her with a warm smile. “I’ll see to that bath right
away.”
    Madeline’s eyes flew wide as she remembered
her purpose. “Aubrey, where is Jack? Your one letter said he works
for Sir Crispin now?”
    “Yes he does, but-”
    “Dear God in heaven!” She pressed a trembling
hand to her heart. “What does Sir Crispin make him do? No! I don’t
want to know.”
    Aubrey swallowed the explanation she wanted
to give and smiled. It would take days to explain all the changes
in their lives. “I’m pretty sure that Jack is in the castle. We
could go find him.”
    “No!” Madeline pulled away, hands flying to
her hair then wiping across her brow and running along the grubby
mess of her clothes. “I can’t see him like this! I look dreadful!
What am I going to do?” She glanced around as if Jack would pop out
of the woodwork.
    It took all of Aubrey’s willpower not to
laugh at her friend. “Here.” She drew Madeline aside to a small
table at the foot of the stairs leading to the gallery. It
contained Livingston’s notebooks and ledgers. “Write him a note
telling him you’re here and that you’ll see him as soon as you can.
I’ll take it to him.”
    “Good idea.” Madeline tore a page from the
notebook and dipped a quill in ink then scrawled a long message.
“There.” She put the quill down and handed over the parchment.
    Aubrey hugged Madeline again. “Perfect. Now
go upstairs to the North Room. I’m sure Joanna will be there any
minute with your bath and all my old clothes. Something in there is
bound to fit. Go!”
    With a joyful giggle Madeline squeezed her
friend’s hand then dashed up the stairs to the gallery and out into
the hall. Aubrey held her laughter until she had disappeared. Her
friend was in for quite a shock when she met Lord John of
Kedleridge.
     
    Jack tipped back in his chair, his booted
feet up on the long table in the middle of what Crispin called the
War Room in the basement of Derby Castle. He tried to focus on
making out the words on the parchment he’d picked up from a pile in
the middle of the table, but it was like trying to make sense out
of chicken scratches.
    “Oy, I’m never gonna get the hang of this
readin’ stuff, mate,” he drawled when Crispin stormed into the
room.
    “You will if you apply yourself,” Crispin
grumbled as he approached the table and winced at the pile of
business that needed attention. “What new problem is being thrown
in our lap?” He nodded at the parchment in Jack’s hands.
    “Here,” Jack handed it over. “Oy, you don’t
look so good, mate.” He dropped his feet and pushed himself out of
the chair to stand by Crispin’s side. “Someone been keepin’ you up
nights?” He sent his friend a saucy grin.
    “I wish,” Crispin growled in reply. Jack felt
for the man, he really did. He finally had the love of his life in
his arms and in his bed, had gotten her with child even, and the
business of the shire wasn’t giving him a lick of time to enjoy it.
“Half the lords in the shire have shown up on our doorstep to pay a
‘social call’ since word of the London emissary’s approach got out.
Now we’ve got to feed and entertain them to keep them from
complaining behind our backs.”
    “So what else is new, mate?” Jack leaned
against the side of the table, bending back to pick handful of
dried apricots from a bowl on the table.
    Crispin shot him a sideways glance. “You do
know that there are a dozen noblemen at least just waiting for one
or the other of us to screw up so that they can cry foul to King
Richard about our appointment when he returns