Page 129 of Stardust Child

“I do have some small learning,” said Lady Verr, looking up from her notes. She was conscientious about documenting Ophele’s appointments. “Do you think we will be needed to assist in that capacity?”

“Maybe,” Ophele replied, at the same moment Edemir refused.

“My lady, His Grace wouldn’t like it,” Leonin said from behind her, where he, Davi, and Elodie were standing along the wall.

“Why not?” Ophele asked, confused. “There might be a great many of them, mightn’t there? His Grace said there might be three hundred coming from Meinhem, and more in Nandre, and almost seven hundred coming with Sir Huber. And I am supposed to look after them, if they are hurt and starved and cold—”

“The Duchess of Andelin commands the hands of others,” said Lady Verr gently, holding up her own hands as if in evidence.

“And Remin said we will use our hands wherever they are needed, so I will,” Ophele replied stubbornly. “Will you see how many helpers Genon will need, Edemir? Oh, and we ought to warn Wen, he will be cooking for everyone…”

She trailed off, oblivious to the startled silence around her. It was on the tip of her tongue to propose a feast to welcome the refugees, but some instinct made her hesitate. She knew what it was to be denied, to see the banquet table spread out and know that she would never be allowed to partake. These people would be cold, tired, hungry, wounded, maybe sick, and frightened to death. It would not do to thrust the limited luxuryof Tresingale in their faces.

Sir Edemir busied himself with the teakettle as she considered it. By now, he was accustomed to presenting a problem, then giving her time to think about it. Later, onceeveryonewas home safe, they could celebrate. For now, she would offer comfort, quiet, and consolation, to show the survivors that they were safe. She knew how much that meant, and how hard it could be to believe that the danger was truly past.

“Have Master Balad and Madam Sanai warned to expect them,” she said aloud. “And Brother Oleare to offer them a blessing. It would be good to have someone to show them around the town, once they’ve rested, and help them to settle…”

But that person could not be the Duchess of Andelin. Ophele had already learned that lesson.

“Elodie,” she said, turning to the girl, who was standing between Leonin and Davi like a third small guard. “Do you think your mother would mind, if we asked for her help? Or is she too busy? It’s quite all right if she is.”

“Oh, no, my lady,” Elodie replied instantly. “She was wondering who was coming to live in all those cottages.”

“I’ll go home with you today and ask, then,” Ophele said, quailing at the thought of facing Elodie’s formidable mother again. The memory of their last meeting still stung. “But only if she wants to, I wouldn’t want to disrupt her other work, at all.”

“No, I heard her tell Papa the other day that if she had to spend one more minute with her sewing basket, she was going to scream,” Elodie explained. “So, I bet she’ll like it.”

There was a small, suppressed explosion from Davi, but Ophele felt only deepest sympathy for Elodie’s mother. Her own sewing was the most excruciatingly tedious thing she had ever done in her life.

“Elodie, you ought not tell such tales,” Lady Verr said reprovingly. “But clothes might be another concern, Your Grace. If there is spare clothing to be had, it may be a good idea to have it on hand, just in case.”

“I can spare a few of my gowns,” Ophele agreed. She had more gowns now than she’d ever had. “Only…maybe they won’t fit. Could we get more from somewhere?”

“If nothing else, they could be tailored or cut down, Your Grace,” said Lady Verr, which was a tactful way of saying Ophele’s wardrobemight do for children. “I’ll gather what I can from the house.”

“We have some homespun put by in the storehouse,” said Sir Edemir, making rapid notes on his paper. “We have plenty of clothing for men, but not much for women and children. We’ll have to remedy that.”

“And it will give them some small work, over the winter, once they are better,” Ophele added. “I am sure they will want to feel useful. Please tell me when they arrive, I want to come and welcome them.”

“That…may not be a good idea, my lady,” Sir Edemir said with obvious reluctance, and glanced pointedly at Elodie.

“Lady Verr,” Ophele said after a moment. “Would you take Elodie and see which of my gowns can be spared?”

As soon as the heavy door shut behind them, she looked expectantly at the knight.

“They might not be terribly grateful,” Sir Edemir admitted. “They won’t be their best after such a journey, and they will have had a very hard time of it. They are likely to be angry. They might feel as if they were…abandoned.”

She hadn’t thought of that. Back in July, she and Remin had talked about the other villages, when his men had been testing and refining the caravan and mobile palisade. She had worried for them then, and felt guilty that Remin hesitated to go, because of her. But there had been so many other things to think about since.

“Were they abandoned?” she asked quietly.

“No.” He said it sharp and flat, but she had never seen the stolid Sir Edemir look so uncomfortable. “I swear it to every star, my lady. Jinmin tried to go, and he said it would be suicide. We tried anyway in June and lost thirty men. Six lost arms or legs. Rem still would’ve tried to go himself if we hadn’t argued him out of it. That many devils would’ve swarmed anything less than an army, and our army was needed on the border with Valleth. No. We could not go.”

But his broad face was red, and when Ophele glanced back at Davi and Leonin, she saw the same angry shame. They had known, too. They would have been involved in all those plans and attempts at rescue; they had understood all of this when she hadn’t even thought to question it. She had been busy hiding under her blankets, too silly to be grateful for the small army that stood between her and the devils.

None of that would matter to the people of Isigne, Selgin, Meinhem,and Nandre.

“I—I still want to go,” Ophele said. If Remin was not here to face them himself, then she would have to stand in his place. “They have a right to be unhappy, if they needed help and no one came. Or at least, no one came quickly. Sir Huber, Sir Ortaire, and Sir Rollon did go, as soon as they could. And it was very dangerous, wasn’t it?”

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