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"What friend?"

"Thesquire blinked, regarding her coolly "What was his naive me one"

"Of course," he said "And neither shall I You uessed – but if not, let me tell you that I am a man of no small wealth My presence at Muirwood…it must not be noticed Can you…can you hide me then? Even from the Aldermaston? If I evade capture, I will a, with a flagon She handed it to hi fast and hard His breath was horrible

After finishing the drink, he wiped his mouth, still bent double His body shook with spasain," he whispered "No one can know I a this secret," Lia said, looking into his eyes "Pasqua notices everything So do the other helpers If you wantperfectly," he said, his ain, that your reill be sufficiently bold"

"You misunderstood me, sir…I…"

"I understand you very well You are a wretched and risk a good deal sheltering me Eviction from the abbey, from your trade, from those who have raised you…despite how they have pitied you You desire et it with sufficient coin I can appreciate that, and my proladly pay it Do we understand one another? Do not pretend co other than very selfish reasons As I said, I can understand that Let us be honest in this at least"

The look he gave her challenged her to defy his conclusion But he was right She did want – no, she expected a reward They both knew it

"We do, sir" She rose and reached for his elbow to help hi, and stood by his oer He treain "Where…where can I hide?" He looked around the kitchen

"Can you cli her head, feeling a bit iain?"

CHAPTER FOUR:

Pasqua’s Kitchen

The abbey kitchen was near the manor house where the Alderrounds, it orked of large blocks of heavy, sculpted stone It was a spacious square building di from the walls and a steepled roof The interior was not square because of four ovens, one in each corner and the flues inset into the stone so the sh that Lia or Sowe could stand within and sweep away the ashes The other tere s

Two sets of wide double-doors serviced the kitchen, one set facing the abbey itself, the other directly opposite in the rear, but it was seldom used The wood and iron doors had s in their upper portions, but only someone very tall like the Aldermaston would have been able to look in, not someone short like Pasqua or h into the stone walls to allow sunlight to brighten the space The roof was held up by eight giant stays that rose high above the loft, and sloped steeply to the cupola There was no way down from that point except a direct drop to the stone-paved kitchen floor below

The shape of the kitchen made it possible for the ovens to heat the rooirls to live Lia and Sowe slept in a loft constructed of wooden beams and rails, a sturdy floor, and a ladder connected it to the ground below Stores of spices – nut with sacks of rain, sheaves of oats, pumpkins, and small vats of treacle crowded most of the space The heavier barrels and sacks were stored beneath them on the floor

The beautiful abbey rose up beyond the Aldermaston’s residence and could be seen fro in the loft The abbey was enory oak trees, was the famous Cider Orchard where the apples ca a favorite drink in the kingdom Past the orchard, the fish pond Directly to the north of the abbey kitchen, across a small park, lay the learner kitchen and those who cooked and provided for the learners and the rest of the abbey help, but not for the Alderuests