He was halfway across the great hall when he stopped in amazement The high arched windows sparkled in the late-morning sunlight. The flagstone floor was not only swept, but scrubbed clean of its crusted filth. The twin fireplaces on opposite walls had been cleared of their accumulated ashes. Even the high rafters looked a little lighter in color than before. The cobwebs in the corners had disappeared. The family’s battle flag was…missing from its pole! “Stokes!” he roared. The steward appeared immediately as if conjured by magic. “My lord?” Thomas pointed to the empty spot above the fireplace. “Where?” he snapped. Stokes grinned. “Mistress Alicia took it down, my lord. She—” “What!” he bellowed. “How dare she meddle with my family’s most prized possession!” “To clean and mend it,” the steward explained in a rush. Thomas felt as if someone had punched the wind out of his stomach. “Oh.” To hide his embarrassment, he glanced around the hall once more.
