The Spell of Rosette - Kim Falconer [76]
Mozzie coiled about the rafter in front of the door, tongue scenting. Nell washed her cup in the sink and set it carefully on the rack. She picked up her staff that leaned against the wall. Mozzie followed, but Nell held out a hand to stop him.
Let’s see who it is first, shall we?
The knock startled them, though they knew it was coming.
‘Nellion Paree?’ A young man’s voice called out. ‘Rosette?’
‘Who’s there?’ Nell asked. She ran her thumb over the carvings etched into her staff.
‘It’s Jarrod.’
The hairs on the back of her neck rose. ‘Say again?’
‘Jarrod Cossica; I’m a friend of Rosette’s. I’ve come from Lividica. I have news.’
Nell opened the door to a tall man with broad shoulders and a wry smile. He swept off his hat, revealing a mass of dark curls, and bowed—his eyes never leaving hers, his grin beaming.
‘Jarrod Cossica, ready to serve.’
After a moment his gaze shot past her and into the cottage, searching.
Nell restrained a smile. ‘Rosette said you were short.’ She tilted her head to take in his full height.
‘I grew.’
‘So you did!’ She clasped his hands affectionately. ‘What took you so long?’
‘Long?’
‘Six years is quite a long time to be away, don’t you think? It’s only six days by clipper from Lividica. What did you do with the other two thousand?’
‘I was…I thought…’ He stumbled over his words.
Nell laughed, long and deep. ‘Get in here, lad.’
He slid his pack from his shoulders as he stepped through the doorway. ‘Where’s Rosette? Is she…Whoa! What’s that?’
Jarrod stepped back as Mosaic uncoiled to hang right in front of his face, scenting him with his flickering red tongue.
‘It’s all right, Mozzie. He’s a friend of Rosette’s.’
Jarrod backed up, bumping into the door behind him.
‘That’s Mozzie,’ Nell answered him as she rummaged through her pantry, bringing out food and clean cups. ‘Come in! He won’t bite you, now that you’ve been introduced. Take off your boots and hang up your coat.’ She laughed at the expression on his face. ‘I was about to eat. You hungry?’
Jarrod swallowed as he inched around the python. ‘Thanks. I’m starved.’ He unlaced his boots and put them by the door, taking in the row of footwear and stack of swords and bows. ‘Rosette isn’t here, is she?’
‘She’s been training at Treeon Temple for almost a year.’
He crossed the room, pulled out a chair, and sat near the fire, warming his hands. Nell cleared her books and charts away and set out a plate of bread, butter and soft cheese.
‘Start on that.’ She pointed to the food.
‘Thanks, Nell,’ he said, reaching for a thick slice of bread. ‘I didn’t come sooner because I’d promised I wouldn’t. We’d agreed it’d be too risky.’
‘She told me.’
‘She did?’ Jarrod smiled.
Nell swung the cast-iron pot over the coals and prodded them with an iron rod. ‘Tell me, Jarrod, why’d you risk it now?’
He swallowed before answering, sipping the cup of mulled wine she offered. ‘Because until last week, the deception was working. The entire Matosh family was believed dead, the youngest daughter included. I wanted to write to Rosette, to let her know it was safe, to see if I could visit, but I kept my promise. I protected her with silence, just in case someone was still watching. Then, last week, a bard came to the bay—I never discovered where he was from. He played at the pubs and asked a lot of questions.’
‘What kinds of questions?’
‘He was looking for the de Santo family, particularly the parents of a woman in her early twenties named Rosette, who’d grown up on an estate near Lividica. He let it be known that he was courting her and wanted to meet the family, to surprise them. Of course, no-one knew of her and said so. But people started talking about it and the Matosh murders came up. I don’t know what he was told. The bard disappeared before I could confront him.’
‘And did you learn the name of this bard?’
Jarrod shook his head. ‘No, but he was young, had shocking red hair and was a remarkable guitarist—clearly temple-trained.’
‘Sounds to me like Rosette has herself a beau. I wonder how much she told him?’
‘Too much, I think,’ Jarrod scowled.