Bloodied Lilies

Chapter 14

Kade's cottage was a half an hour's carriage ride plus two hours of walking from Rainford manor. The exercise did Adelia some good after being cooped up in her room for a few days. Peony had promised to cover for her and Reeves was on board to help. He convinced a reluctant Alcoy to agree too. It appeared that he was weak to Reeves' insistence.

The tiny cottage was sitting on the edge of the woods. It was a homely little place, far from any nearby towns and surrounded by nature. The window boxes had miniature pink roses growing in them and there was a woodcutting stump nearby with neat logs settled beside it.

The cluck of chickens came from the back and a vegetable garden was being grown on the side of the cottage, fenced off with wire. It seemed that Kade was building himself an isolated life out here.

Adelia was dressed in the yellow sundress she had worn during the riding hunt. Peony had braided her hair to the side and tied it with a dark blue ribbon. She had a sunhat with lilies around the brim sitting atop her head. It was unintimidating and unassuming, dressed to make people put their guard down.

It'd been awhile she had coordinated her dresses with her own intentions. Back when she was killing for bounty, she would often dress to suit her mark's tastes and visit them much like this. Alone and lost, looking for aid. They never noticed her hidden blade.

Adelia knocked on the wooden door. Seconds later she heard footsteps and a middle-aged man opened the door. He would've been at least twenty years older than her but she could see that his age had not blunted his handsomeness. There was kindness in his pale blue eyes and discipline in the way he held himself. He didn't seem like someone who would concoct a plan to kill the duke.

"May I help you?"

"Are you Mister Kade?" She kept her tone demure.

"Yes, I am," he confirmed.

"My name is Adelia Rainford."

"Duchess Rainford," Kade said in alarm, lowering his eyes and bowing. "What brings you here? And on your own?"

"I wanted to speak with you about Rowena De'fel."

Kade became as rigid as stone. "Of – of course, Duchess Rainford."

He moved from the doorway to let her in.

The cottage was decorated in warm colours. A hearth fire burned in the front room. The building was small and seemed only to have two rooms, the living area and a closed off bedroom. Hunting rifles were hung on the wall and wild berry baskets sat around the potbelly stove. However there was little else in the house. A wooden bench sat in one corner, beside a low table and a Terithan rug laid on the floor beside it.

"I apologise that there's not much here." Kade placed a folded cotton blanket on the bench so Adelia could sit.

She wouldn't have minded sitting on the rug but she accepted his hospitality. He handed her a cup of tea in a cheap ceramic cup. The tea had an herbal smell. The home-grown kind. He put a hearty helping of wild berries into a bowl and placed them on the low table beside her.

Kade sat himself down on the rug with a cup of his own.

"I suppose it's rather lowly of me, serving wild berries and tea without milk. I haven't been to town in a really long time so there really isn't much I can offer you."

"This is fine," Adelia reassured him.

Kade seemed a straightforward and earnest man. Nothing at all like Duke Rainford or what people had said Rowena De'fel was like. He was not a schemer or a usurper. He was generous and kind. So what had happened?