I cried. “Has he taken her away?”“Hush,” Sazia hissed. “Plazi, is the friar here?”My elder srre was too shaken to speak. Sazia laid her hands on Plazensa’s shoulders. Plazi took a slow breath.“He’s here now. In the back bedroom, alongside Dolssa’s.”The room tilted.Here.Plazensa threw a log onto the fire. She took a broom and pretended to sweep, making noise to cover our conversation. Her whispers shook.“I told him we had no suitable room.” Her speech was no louder than breath. “He offered to sleep on the hearth of the tavern. I told him he should stay at the church, in Dominus Bernard’s quarters. But he didn’t want to show up at a late hour, unannounced, with a storm on the way. He wanted to pay to sleep here tonight, then make what plans he would, tomorrow.”But, Plazi, I wanted to scream, why did you let him stay? No man can ever get past you. You’re more cunning than them all.She knew my thoughts.“He was determined, Botille,” she whispered. “I’d attract his attention more by refusing than by simply renting him a room.
