Chapter 6
Ambrose answered my call.
Calm.
Too calm.
“Aldric.”
“Briar House.”
Silence.
Then:
“I assume Corisande told you.”
“No.”
That bothered him.
Good.
“My mother heard you.”
Longer silence.
Then:
“Is Merewyn well?”
I almost laughed.
“You arranged for her not to hear.”
“I arranged nothing of the kind.”
Interesting.
“What did you tell Nathaniel?”
Ambrose sighed.
“To keep her away from the departure.”
“Why?”
“Because she would stop you.”
Straight.
At least.
“Why would she?”
“Because Merewyn knows what your father did.”
There.
Ambrose had built the entire plan around a secret he knew my mother carried.
He expected her objection.
So he intended to move me before she could speak.
“You used Corisande.”
“No.”
He sounded offended.
“I trusted my daughter.”
“Did she know the car would go dark?”
Silence.
Good.
“Did she know men were waiting at the west gate?”
Nothing.
“Did she know you had Nathaniel monitoring my mother?”
Ambrose finally said:
“She knew enough.”
I looked at Corisande.
She heard that through speaker.
Her face broke.
Not because he admitted conspiracy.
Because her father had just defined her usefulness.
Enough.
I said:
“I’m not coming to Briar House tonight.”
Ambrose answered quietly:
“Then Jonah comes to you.”
That was a threat only if I chose to hear it as one.
I didn’t.
“Good.”
Ambrose paused.
“What?”
“Bring him.”
Silence.
“You wanted a hearing.”
May you like
I looked toward Mother.
“Now it happens on my ground.”
