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Lia’s heart fluttered Her stouer comes, do your best to hide him

As innocently as she could, she asked, "How many shall we cook for, my lord?"

"Tell Pasqua that the retinue is at least twenty men"

"What does retinue mean?" she asked

"They are those e a noble lord their allegiance They do his bidding and travel with him There will be , and she will be loathe to relinquish her stores If you iven our hospitality"

The sound of footsteps cae opened it His naes for the Alderrounds He was ten

"Riders froasped "We told thereet them in person in due ti theirthem! One of them asked me… he deed to his feet, his face livid with anger "Takerush of panic Her ears burned hot, her stoared the hot pan off the serving table accidentally It could only ’s men had come to search the abbey What if they were already at the kitchen doors? What if she was too late?

CHAPTER EIGHT:

The Cider Orchard

Worries swirled through Lia’s mind, and most of them ended up in her stoit She had faith in her own cleverness, but events unfolded differently than her plans A single thought blazed in her et the squire out of the kitchen Pasqua ht not be able to climb the loft ladder, but she had no doubts that soldiers could No one would believe her if she pretended not to know that he was hiding in their ine the trouble that would hound her then Where could she hide hih?

Lia rushed As she turned the corner of the squat, square building, she dreaded that she ht have arrived too late

No horses or soldiers could be seen, but she could hear the of steeds, the jangle of spurs, and voices filled the void Even the air had a strange smell to it – a coppery scent that clashed with the aro into the kitchen, Lia found Pasqua by the preparing table, asping Sowe’s eyes blazed with fear at the words and her face became chalky

Pasqua looked up irritably "What nonsense are you talking about, child?"

Lia knew she had to get Pasqua out of the kitchen ie They just arrived The…the Alder’s men I think one is a nobleman He wants us to prepare a meal for them"

"A meal for…? And they just arrived? I have aDoes he realize how long it takes for bread to rise? The nuisance"

Lia sed, straining the hear the sound of hooves approaching in the ht away He just sent ht away and I will blister his ears Right away and I will shake et working! Start some soup That will feed more in a trice We have soetables Quickly! Quickly!" She bustled out theher hands on her apron as she left

"Lia?" Sowe said desperately She tre for the kitchen," she said in a loud voice "We ed, clutching Lia’s hands

The young s His face was draorry, but his reflexes were sharp He bounded down the ladder in a blink "How many?"

Lia looked him in the eye "Twenty, I think No one knows you are here I have told no one But if the entire abbey hunts for you, then there is only one place we can hide you The ruins of the old cerounds where the landslide happened Only Sowe and I knohat is there"