I looked at Madame Claire with some surprise. Gladys had mentioned Madame Claire with much warmth before she died. "I was told you were quite close to Gladys Brightgarden, in fact, I'd come here with some offers in her name. But now you say you are not her friend? Why?"
She turned away from me on the pew we were sitting on. There was a long pause and then she said quietly, "I have my reasons."
I thought for a moment as to what might be the reason and decided to shelve my offer of sainthood and a wing. Gladys had told me a few stories of an unnamed friend who'd been a wild woman when Gladys had lived in Aluraparine. Perhaps Madame Claire was that friend and the story somehow spread through Gladys's fault?
No. Gladys wasn't a gossip. She often quoted Socrates by saying only weak minds discussed people. I pressed further, "Did Gladys cause you embarrassment? I would like to know what happened. If it is awful, it would be good for the church to know."
Madame Claire turned around again, this time looking more like someone about to explode, "What's the matter with you? Why are you interrogating me?" She trembled as she glared at me, then suddenly coughed into a handkerchief.
Janicen patted Madame Claire on the back, making soothing sounds until the older woman's fit had passed. Then she said, "The priest means to give us something in Gladys' memory. I don't believe he meant to upset us by bringing up any bad memories."
Madame Claire harrumphed. Though it was but a brief glance, I noted there was blood on the handkerchief.
I was eyeing her carefully, looking for any other signs of illness in her. She had not been this ill when I'd met her nearly a year before. I retreated in my questioning for now. "Head Librarian is correct. The Techknight that had loved Gladys wanted you and Madame Claire to have these." I presented them with the beautiful jewelry that I'd set aside from the gifts meant for the church.
Madame Claire stared at the beautiful gold and diamond necklace while Janicen gently took the earrings, which were made of rubies. She carefully placed one of the earrings in the palm of each hand.
"The earrings play musical notes, and the necklace has a device that screams if it's stolen. "
Madame Claire's mouth opened as she admired the exquisite diamond on the necklace. She closed her fist around it and brought it to her face to look closer. "Thank you," she looked dumbfounded, but soon her expression closed again. "Kovalan would never..."
Xavier? So that was the name of the old lover that Gladys told me about in Aluraparine. "Why would he ever give you jewelry? Of course, you must have meant a lot to him since you were Gladys's friend."
Did she? I wasn't sure, but I was getting good information from going this route.
Madame Claire's looked annoyed, "And she is not my friend."
"Then, is he the reason you are no longer Gladys' friend?"
She banged her fist against the wooden pew. "No, that's not it! After she sent that girl, all sorts of soldiers came here questioning us about our fealty!"
That was interesting. Why did the empire send their soldiers if the emperor was keeping his mistress here?
"I had heard rumors... well... as a man of the cloth, I would be sinning if I shared them." I sighed, and hoped they would chomp on that tidbit like a dragon bass.
Janicen chomped, "Any rumors you might have heard are false." She fidgeted uncomfortably, then leaned forward. "What rumors? Please, we must know. It would help us."
My internal grin stretched out as wide as the aforementioned dragon bass mouth. All I was missing was the satisfied curl of mist from its icy breath after feeding on a most delectable meal. My outward expression was all piousness. "If it would help you, then... I heard that the emperor kept his mistress here."
"His mistress? How ridiculous. The only women on this rock are me and Madame Claire. And could you see either of us as a mistress to the emperor?" Janicen scoffed, then folded her arms.
I wasn't sure why, but her vehemence was only making me more suspicious.
Janicen waved her hand over her face and body. She resembled a sparrow, small, compact, and nervous. Her sandy brown hair was wispy and short, and she had narrow gray eyes.
I smiled like the kind priest I was supposed to be. "I can't imagine such a virtuous woman being in such a profession, but I see a certain charm in you."
She blinked then her thin eyes narrowed. "I am not happy to receive compliments or assurances from men."
"I do apologize."
"Just as long as you are aware."
Father Candletree bore an apology in his expression. He hadn't said anything during our exchange, content to listen. I hoped to glean some information from him as well.
"What of you, Father Candletree. Have you also heard of a secret lover on this rock?"
"I have only been a priest here a year, so I don't have anything useful to share."
A pity. I hadn't known he was new, but then I hadn't paid much attention the last time I was in Janesport.
Madame Claire sighed deeply and ran her fingers through her hair, causing loose, graying strands to fall over her eyes and temples. "Thank you, Father, for the gifts. They will be useful to us."
"I will be leaving in the morning, but I find myself quite famished. I was hoping to have dinner with all of you at that inn I saw not far from the church. Would that be agreeable?"
Janicen nodded. "Yes, that sounds lovely. I will need to go home to pack a bag for a trip I am making, but I will gladly join you when I'm done."
Uh oh. This news was not good. She wanted to return home and I wasn't sure if Ursula would still be in her house. "Ah, wouldn't a meal first make your packing less arduous? I am most interested in hearing of how a young lady like yourself decided to reside in this quiet island village."
Both of the women looked reluctant, but then Father Candletree said, "I'd be most interested to learn as well!"
Finally, Madame Claire relented. "Very well. We'll go to the inn."
"I am looking forward to the cuisine here," I said jovially while patting my stomach. Once we were at the inn, I quickly rented a room for two from the innkeeper, then found a seat with the ladies and father Candletree.
The inn was rather quiet, just a few patrons were sitting here and there. Most of them were soldiers. The men seemed more interested in their glasses of ale, than with a priest sitting with two ladies. I was impressed that it was clean, but the smell of alcohol made my nose itch a bit. I had never drunk, so I was not used to the astringent assault on my sense of smell.
When I was settled, I turned to the ladies, hoping they would share their tale.
Madame Claire started first. "I was given a large allotment of property after I retired from the service, and Janicen followed me here. We have lived here since the Peridot Riot days."
That was ten years ago. I was just a small child of six during the riots, but I knew it had to do with the gem sellers in the Lows. The Low gem sellers felt they were being cheated by the Wellborn jewelers, and they likely were. Such things commonly happened. It came to a head when a Low seller was forced to sell a mage jeweler her peridots for mere pennies because they weren't the perfect shade of green. When she refused and left, she was found later, bludgeoned to death with her peridots all gone.
The riots created some change, all gem prices became regulated by the crown so neither noble nor low could argue a price. The prices were paltry enough to satisfy the nobles, but not so much that the lows would starve. An uneasy peace had settled until now.
"But Gladys was in Aluraparine in those days, was she not? Wouldn't you have been there as well?"
"Janicen and I should have been, but our business had dwindled considerably. Our ventures required a great deal of money, so I went to Sanfelton to cash in on some favors. I found myself in the midst of the riots when we got there." The older woman grimaced at that recollection. She shook her head lightly, trying to clear it. "Gladys helped us settle here to provide a fresh start."
Yet she was no longer a friend. I felt there was a lie here someplace. Either Gladys never helped her, or she was in Sanfelton for another reason.
"You and Janicen were declared as spies for Beltrit not long after."
Janicen twisted a small, silver ring on her finger. "Yes. We were very lucky that we received a pardon from the emperor for that scandal."
The emperor himself had pardoned them? Interesting. Was it to protect Melusine?
"How did the both of you grow so close to the emperor to get a special pardon?"
"A lady must keep some of her mystery," Madame Claire said with a sniff.
A dead end there. I tried to circle around. "So, there's no truth to the mistress rumor?"
They both chuckled. "No, the emperor loves his empress," Madame Claire said with a snort. "If anyone was to have been a mistress, I would place my marker on Gladys."
Janicen jostled Madame Claire, "That is unkind to say, Claire. Gladys was not having relations with the emperor!" She sounded indignant.
Madame Claire seemed to deflate at her tone of voice. Then she turned to her companion, "You saw her in Aluraparine. She mesmerized those of either sex. Xavier wasn't the only man she led around. And who wouldn't be mesmerized? She had a zest for life that others couldn't resist, a sparkling personality, a sultry voice, and the face and body of an ancient goddess."
"Regardless of her assets, Claire, you know what you surmised was untrue. Gladys only cared about her duty to the empire."
Madame Claire waved her hand, done with the conversation.
This was most interesting, and I decided that Madame Claire held some resentments for Gladys that were older than my previous visit to the island.
I also learned that she was a weak person. A weak person could be broken.
"Tell me why you thought Gladys was involved with the emperor?" I prodded with a gentle smile.
Madame Claire looked uncomfortable. "I was wrong to say that. Janicen is correct that Gladys was married to her duty."
Janicen gave her a look of approval, and I realized she was the boss.
But there was one thing that none of us had considered at this point. "The current empress is the emperor's second wife. Adeline, the first empress, died shortly after Altair, the second prince, was born, and not even a year after, he married Empress Erzebet."
Empress Erzebet was Kohl's mother, which might explain his reasons for outing any hints of mistresses. If his mother had done away with the first empress, then the same could be done to her.
Father Candletree spoke up with a weak stammer, clearly trying to swerve the conversation away from such treasonous musings, "I'd heard a different rumor about that girl she sent here - what was her name, Solace? The guards on the island say that they'd grilled everyone about that child. Even had a prince questioning folks."
Janicen shivered, "Yes, the third prince. He's a frightful young man. He brought those sniveling, big eyed empaths with him. I'd never seen such cowering wretches."
The priest nodded. "Yes, it was quite alarming how obsessed he was. I came only a short time ago, but I heard he came back several times looking for information and even resorted to torturing the main constable."
I felt my heart squeeze with alarm. "Is that so? But he'd already set the empaths on you. Why would he..." I gave the ladies a sharp stare. "Did he hurt you, ladies?"
Janicen paled. "Yes. I would rather not speak of it." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with a shaky hand.
Madame Claire grimaced, and my fury rose. "A man like that is no man, Imperial or not. Faluel must repay his crimes," I said. Then I leaned forward, putting a small plan into place. "As a main priest of the Faithheld Mission. I do have the power to take you to Aluraparine. If Father Candletree is amenable to signing the decree with me, I could have you on our boat by tomorrow."
Janicen gasped and looked around with panic. None of the drunkards in the inn seemed to have heard me. She rose slightly in her chair and leaned towards me. "Don't say things like that. You'll be sent to Tegyrin!"
I put waved my palm up and down to soothe her. "Why would anyone dare hurt a man of Faluel?"
The women grew silent and pale, and Father Candletree spoke up. "Why, no one would. I agree, Father Faria." He opened his satchel and took out a sheet of stationary with the church's insignia stamped on it. After quickly writing his permission, I signed as well.
"Please, this is not good..." Janicen whispered.
Madame Claire, on the other hand, was looking more hopeful. "No, no this might be a great hope!"
Janicen patted Madame Claire with a nervous urgency, "Perhaps we've troubled the Father en-
I cut her off wanting to get more information. "Who started the rumor of a mistress? Was it perhaps a rival that wants to usurp the crown?"
"It wasn't any individual, Father," Madame Claire explained. "But it was spread by a group of Wellborns. They wanted to take away the emperor's right to rule, but in doing so they were harming themselves."
I noticed that Madame Claire was getting far looser with her tongue in her giddiness of escaping the island. Janicen kept tapping her, but the older woman kept on going. So, I asked the most obvious question: "Madame Claire, you seem to know so much about life in Sanfelton when you're on this remote island. How is it possible for you to know all this?"
She waved her hand airily, "From the letters that Gladys would send of course! We still get some from other Librarians. We have to keep in the know, after all, us Seekers, or we wither... ouch! Janicen, stop stepping on my foot! That hurt!"
Janicen looked wan and pale. "She's just a silly drunk woman. We aren't doing any spying or anything like that. Please ignore all this."
I took a bite of my roast cavel, which was warm, and savory in a rich gravy. Then I smiled. There were letters. Hopefully Madame Claire was a sentimental sort that saved them all. I was sure that she was. "It's all forgotten, I won't say a word of it to anyone else. I'm just here to pass on the gifts after all, then back to Aluraparine for me tomorrow. I hope to see both of you ladies at the docks!"
Ursula walked into the inn limping, and I groaned. What now?