The Rose of the World Read Online Free PDF Page A

as if by this effort she would make herself remember more. Suddenly, she relaxed, slumping against him. ‘That’s all,’ she said. ‘I saw someone, Rosamund said it was you, I believed her. I didn’t really study him. He was among the trees and I didn’t have a clear view of him, and I—’
    Gently, he took hold of her hand. ‘Enough,’ he said softly.
    He had the clear impression she was about to start piling blame on herself again and that wasn’t going to help. Still holding her hand, he got to his feet and pulled her up beside him.
    â€˜Come on,’ he said.
    Her eyes in the dim light were huge, the pupils wide. ‘Where are we going?’
    â€˜I’m taking you to the House in the Woods. Then I’m going to look for Rosamund.’
    â€˜I don’t need you to take me anywhere!’ she snapped. ‘I know my way through this forest far better than you do and I won’t go astray.’ She was reaching down into the corner as she spoke, and he thought she was picking up the bag of provisions and clean linen that she always took with her when she went to stay in the hut.
    â€˜Indeed you do,’ he agreed, ‘but Rosamund is missing, perhaps taken by this stranger who looks like me. I won’t risk the safety of another of the family, so I—’
    She did not let him finish. She spun round, and he saw that, far from picking up her old leather bag, she had a sword in her hands. It was only a short sword, little more than a long knife, but the candle light glinted off its edge and he could see she kept it very well honed.
    He took an involuntary step back. ‘You don’t—’
    Again, she interrupted him. ‘I don’t know how to use this? Don’t patronize me, Ninian. My mother and I lived here in the wilds for years together, and I didn’t know about this weapon until long after she’d gone. She would have been able to use it, make no mistake, and I can too.’ She held the sword firmly in front of her, the knuckles of her hands white as she gripped the hilt.
    She saw his face, and slowly she lowered her blade. He said, so quietly that he was surprised she heard, ‘She was my mother too.’
    The sword fell on the floor. She was in his arms, and he felt her shake as she sobbed. Then she pulled away, picked up the sword again and said, ‘Go. I’ll make for the house, and I’ll use all my senses to search for any traces of her. Come back when you can.’
    He looked at her set expression and realized there was no point in arguing with her. Usually, she looked like Josse, but as she stood there in the little hut there was so much of their mother in her that Ninian felt his heart tear.
    He turned away, let himself out of the hut and raced back up the track to where he had left his horse.
    Josse could not remember when he had last felt so weary. He and Gus had split up soon after leaving the house, and they had been searching all night. Occasionally, Josse had heard Gus in the distance, crashing through the undergrowth and always calling, calling, her name. Once or twice they had bumped into each other.
    Now dawn was beginning to brighten the sky in the east. He and Gus were riding, slowly and with their heads down, back to the House in the Woods. Neither of them had seen any sign of Rosamund.
    They were approaching from the forest and, as the area of cleared trees around the house came into view, Josse saw a cloaked figure standing perfectly still on the edge of the path. He did not for an instant believe they had found Rosamund, for he had immediately recognized his daughter. He and Gus drew rein, and Josse slipped off Alfred’s back. He was about to run to Meggie and take her in his arms, but something in the quality of her stillness stopped him.
    He handed Alfred’s reins to Gus, exchanging a warning glance with him. Gus, who, like all the household, was well used to Meggie and her