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Dora was crying quietly, tears running down her pale cheeks. Tommy was looking anxiously from Naffon to Kalpar. Naffon was scowling and Kalpar was looking more sardonic than usual, his eyes glowing white. Tommy jumped up as soon as he saw him, racing over to wrap his arms around Temel’s legs.
“You’ll fix it, won’t you? Promise me.”
“Of course I will,” he promised recklessly. “But what’s wrong?”
“Mama’s gone,” Dora and Tommy said at the same time, and the world literally swayed around him.
“Ida’s gone?”
“Yes. Your cook appears to have flown the coop.”
He could hear the concern beneath Kalpar’s mockery, but it didn’t stop him from rounding angrily on his friend.
“She is much more than that and you know it.”
Kalpar raised an eyebrow.
“Ah, but does she?”
She couldn’t possibly have left because of their argument, could she?No.No matter how angry she might have been with him, she would never have left her children behind.
“When was the last time anyone saw her?” he demanded.
“At breakfast.” Naffon looked as grim as he’d ever seen him. “We left after that and took Tommy over to the long meadow to see the new lambs.”
“I didn’t even say goodbye,” Tommy said, his mouth trembling.
He reached down and picked him up, patting the boy’s thin shoulders when he flung his arms around his neck.
“When did you see her last, Dora?”
She sniffed and wiped her eyes.
“Before that. But when I took Angel out for a walk, she’d already washed the dishes.”
Two hours, three at most. A thought suddenly struck him. He’d been in such a hurry to return to the house that he hadn’t really been paying attention, but he didn’t remember seeing the riding mare in the stall next to his horse.
“Naffon, can you check and see if the mare is gone?”
The male nodded and hurried off.
“She probably just went to visit Mary,” he said, doing his best to keep his voice calm for the boy’s sake. “I’ll contact Borgaz and ask.”
Kalpar frowned but didn’t comment. Tommy refused to let go of him so he carried him into the study with him. His chest ached at the sight of the tea tray on his desk—a tray with two cups. She’d come to talk to him and he hadn’t been there. The drawing he’d framed was lying on the desk as well. Had she understood the significance? And if she had, why had she left?
He quickly contacted Borgaz.
“Have you seen Ida?” he demanded as soon as the other male answered.
“No. We went on a picnic earlier and were away from the house.”
From the lazy satisfaction in Borgaz’s voice, he could guess that the picnic had entailed much more than food. Perhaps if he hadn’t been so foolish, he could have taken Ida on a similar picnic.
“Why?” Borgaz asked when he didn’t respond, his voice sharpening. “Is something wrong?”
“I’m sure everything is fine.” Aware of Tommy’s pale face, he kept his voice calm. “But Ida went out earlier and she hasn’t returned.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
