Gamesmanship

Chapter 5: Knight's Gambit

Aurora flinched when Gerbert slapped her face but she quickly recovered her poise. He expected no less. She was his daughter. She would naturally expect him to be furious at the botched assignment. She'd traveled to his castle in Auvergne to deliver the unwelcome news.

"Your dalliance with the Duke of Somerset was a costly mistake," he said, letting anger darken his voice.

"I couldn't have known the queen and Reichenberg would happen along," she protested. "The Duke of Somerset is a rising star among the Whigs. Through him, we would have acquired even greater access to the leaders in Parliament."

She could be correct. The fact they'd come so close to achieving their objective made her failure that much more painful.

"What's your assessment of Freyja de Clermont? Will her whelp provide the wedge we need?"

"Possibly. It's difficult to know how estranged she is from the de Clermonts because of him."

To what degree was Freyja executing Philippe's orders? The head of the de Clermonts could take a dim view of her scandalous behavior. A potential opening that shouldn't be squandered until the time was right.

He turned to his daughter. Her head was bowed submissively. The red mark of his palm on her cheek had almost completely disappeared.

"You will go to Prague," he said. "Keep a low profile. Establish yourself in a comfortable but non-ostentatious manner."

"I live to serve," she said dutifully. "What is my assignment?"

"Keep an eye on Benjamin. He's currently living there. Persuade him to tone down his attacks on witches. Some of his recent actions have been sufficiently extreme that local authorities have taken notice. By targeting witches, Benjamin may expose us, and that cannot be allowed to happen. If his actions become too flagrant, inform me at once."

Benjamin was a difficult case. As a renegade de Clermont, his potential usefulness was enormous but his obsession with fathering a child by a witch threatened to bring ruin upon them all. This would be a chance for Aurora to redeem herself.

Before long, he intended to send Juliette to her for further instruction. The two hadn't met yet. Aurora of course knew there was another manjasang in the castle, but Juliette was kept in a separate wing where he could train her personally for her upcoming role. Matthew wouldn't be easy to charm, but by the time Gerbert was done with Juliette, she'd be irresistible to him.

* * * * *

Annick smiled at the antics of the children as they bobbed for apples. This All Hallows' Eve was the most festive one she could remember at the Dog and Whistle. The tavern had closed to the public earlier than normal so that the adults could enjoy the festivities as well. Even Andrew showed up well in advance to help with preparations. As for Jack and Leonard, they'd returned from Hampton Court the day before. An immense banner of Corra, painted by Jack, was now flying over the courtyard.

Annick, Susanna, and Goody Alsop had appropriated a bench in a corner. Annick's granddaughter Rachel had reserved the section for Norman ghosts. Some of them only visited on this night. Most of the revelers were unaware of them. Even witches might not realize they were there. Rachel could see Susanna and Goody, but her memories of Annick were so strong they blocked her from seeing Annick as a ghost.

Earlier in the evening, Jack had visited them when no other living souls were nearby. His nostrils flared slightly as he approached. Annick suspected he smelled at least one of them. Goody was convinced he had a bit of witch blood in him.

"I think I've sensed Corra a few times," he murmured to them. "If you see her, please give her my thanks." He grinned. "And tell her I'd love to see her again."