Shadows and Light

but neither she nor Brooke were emotionally old enough to hear the things he’d had to say.
    And he wasn’t sure what was causing the undercurrents between Elinore, Nuala, and Breanna. They weren’t newly acquainted; there was too much familiarity for that. But something new had been added recently that had changed things between them. The baron, perhaps? Elinore had mentioned that she was the mother of the Baron of Willowsbrook, so the man was probably in his twenties. Had his attentions suddenly turned toward Breanna? Her face was strong rather than pretty, but it was the kind of face that any but the shallowest man would find attractive.
    Wasn’t his business, but he found himself wanting to find a way to tell Breanna not to settle for less than she deserved. So he ended up singing “Love’s Jewels” as the first song, wondering if she would understand the message.
    Then, giving Lyrra a wicked grin, he sang the mouse song. His lady was in fine form, singing her part with just enough pique he could tell she was itching to smack him with the tambourine.
    During that song, he learned what it felt like to have an audience die on him, despite his best efforts. Clay and Edgar, who had been invited to listen to the singing, sat with their arms across their chests and their heads down. Keely and Brooke grinned a little, but neither of them could appreciate all the lyrics. Nuala, Elinore, and Breanna just stared at him.
    The two older women sat with a hand lightly circling their throats. Breanna had her fingers pressed against her mouth.
    He got to the end of the song, wondering if he’d just convinced them all that he really couldn’t earn enough coppers to pay his way, when the laughter started. Coughing chuckles from Clay and Edgar as they glanced at the ladies. Then a sputtering from the ladies that ended with all three women holding their sides because they’d laughed so hard and the men guffawing and slapping their thighs.
    “Oh, my,” Elinore said when she finally caught her breath. “Oh, my.” She dabbed her streaming eyes with a handkerchief, then grinned at Lyrra. “I’m sure there must be compensations for him singing that song in public.”
    That produced another round of laughter when Lyrra’s cheeks flamed with color.
    Aiden was feeling a bit warm, too, especially seeing the way Breanna grinned at him.
    “I’m sure the next time they travel this way, there will be a poem to complement that song,” Breanna said sweetly. “ ‘Ode to a Bath,’ perhaps?”
    Aiden choked.
    Lyrra looked at him, then looked at Breanna. “Oh? Perhaps we should talk.”
    “Perhaps we should,” Breanna agreed.
    Perhaps he should just find a hole and hide in it.
    Clearing his throat, he played a quiet tune that had no words since he wasn’t sure how well he could sing at the moment anyway. By the time Lyrra told a story and the two of them had sung another song, the daylight was waning and it was time for Elinore and Brooke to go home.
    “I’ll saddle the horses and see you home,” Clay said.
    “Oh, there’s no need for you to do that,” Elinore said. “There’s enough light. We’ll be fine.”
    Aiden saw the grimness in Clay’s expression and knew the man wouldn’t forget what he’d said.
    “I’ll see you home,” Clay said again before he left to saddle the horses.
    That reminder sobered all of them, but not enough to spoil the evening. After Elinore and Brooke left, they all lingered in the parlor, talking about small things and politely hiding yawns. No one mentioned that they were waiting for Clay to return before closing the house and seeking their beds.
    When he and Lyrra finally bid good night to the others and went up to their room, he loved her well before they both drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Nine
    Liam stared with dismay at the empty spaces on the bookshelves. Nolan’s Book Salon was smaller than the other establishments in Durham that sold books, but Nolan was a man who clearly loved books, and there was almost nothing that couldn’t be found in his store.
    Something’s happened here, he thought, feeling a chill run down his spine as he walked over to the shelves. He scanned titles for a few minutes, looking for Moira’s new book. He didn’t find her new book. He didn’t find any of her books.
    He started scanning names instead of titles. All men. Where were the women authors? Was Nolan in the process of rearranging shelves? Why would he move the female novelists and leave