He’d gone off to Normandie, something he’d done four times a year since his marriage to Devona. He’d never offered to take her with him, and his absences usually lasted about three sennights. He never spoke about whom he saw or what he did there, nor did they know what part of Normandie he visited. They didn’t care. They only wished he took Torod with him, but unfortunately the monster was left behind to oversee the manor in Renouf’s absence. They tried to stay out of Torod’s way. Devona was never afraid he would touch her—Renouf would kill him, but he was showing more and more interest in Bemia. Whenever possible they sought refuge on their beach, though that sanctuary was dependent on tides and weather. Tides in that area of the south coast could be deadly, high tide coming in quickly. The girls kept a weather eye out and climbed back up the steps as soon as the tide started to come in. They were emerging from the top of the winding steps one sunny afternoon when Devona espied Hugh de Montbryce in the distance, riding toward the manor.
