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Shaking her head, Idalia walked toward the stables.

“I have not. Have you seen Mother?”

“Idalia, look.”

There was nothing there but ribbons. She glanced at her sister in confusion.

“At?”

“You answered before you even looked at it. Will you be like this much longer? ’Tis frustrating.”

“Be like what, my dear?” their mother said, joining them.

“Moving through life as if she is not a part of it.”

Idalia rolled her eyes.

“You will give Mother a headache with your riddles,” she scolded.

Thankfully, her mother had experienced no further head pain since she’d stopped taking the skullcap. Just as the physician had predicted, Mother’s ailments had abated within days. Though she still appeared frail, her coloring had improved. And most importantly, she felt wonderful. As if she’d woken from a horrible nightmare.

Ironically, though her father had refused to do so before, Father Sica’s apparent disbelief that her mother was healed without his intervention was his undoing. He sent the priest away with enough coin to placate him after the harsh words Idalia had long hoped would precede his departure.

“’Tis not so much a riddle but a fact. Since Lance left, you have not been yourself.”

Tilly, it seemed, knew more than expected. Idalia avoided her mother’s eyes. Her mother had tried to speak with her about Lance, but she refused to discuss what had happened with him.

She was embarrassed. Hurt. Angry. But most of all, so very, very sad.

“I asked you not to speak of him.”

“And I would gladly listen if I had my sister back.”

“Perhaps she would come back if someone would stop reminding her of a certain smith.”

“Come.” Mother took each of them by the hand. “We will go back to the keep and sit in the garden. The weather is too beautiful for such arguments.”

Indeed, the sun was showing itself for the first time in three days.

“There’ll be no more talk of headaches,” Mother continued, looking at her, “or men.”

Which suited her well. If she never again heard the name Lance in her lifetime, it would be too soon. He was gone, never to return.

Unfortunately, he’d taken her heart with him.

Chapter 26

“Idalia.” Her father stopped her as she made her way from the hall. “I would speak to you in the solar.”

She looked back to where her mother and sister were seated. Still at the head table. Still finishing their meal. She hadn’t even noticed her father behind her.

“But your meal . . .”

“I would speak to you now,” he repeated.

What could she do but follow him?

He led the way to his solar, and she fell in beside him, deep in thought about her problem.