guilt she had originally felt about leaving him, knowing how much he would have worried.
Victor suggested entering the camp the same way they had left, by the rarely used route direct to the stables to avoid the main entrance. It was more than likely that the entire camp already knew about the death of Chemora. News like that travelled fast. Whether or not it was known who precisely had undertaken the task remained to be seen.
As the group approached the stables Yoinakuwa came out to greet them. Victor never ceased to be amazed how that man knew about things before anyone else did. His sons ran to him and after embracing they walked off together, the sons evidently gabbling on about the explosion they had seen and the carnage it had caused.
Louisa lifted off the children who’d been riding on her horse and saw that they were escorted to the main camp. As she unbuckled the animal’s saddle she noticed the white stallion running around the corral in an agitated fashion, which was most unlike it. A sudden fear coursed through her - the horse was Sebastian’s and such animals were sensitive to a much-loved master’s feelings.
As she walked to the top of the track Stratton sensed her concern and watched her. Suddenly she broke into a sprint, and he hurried after her towards the cabins. Sebastian’s had a large hole in the side with burn marks around it and the roof had been badly charred.
Louisa reached the front door, pushed it open and hurried inside. The room had been almost destroyed by what appeared to have been a blast of some kind.‘Father?’ she shouted, clambering over broken furniture to the room at the back. She pushed open the door to find it looking normal other than the bed being dishevelled. The maid always made it up while her father had his breakfast.
Panic gripped her heart and she ran out of the room and back to the front door as Stratton arrived. She hurried past him and raced outside, filled with dread that something had happened to Sebastian. Reaching the door of the smaller cabin she flung it open. Sebastian was seated at a table, calmly writing something. ‘Father!’ she cried. He got to his feet and she fell into his arms. They hugged tightly.
‘I was very worried about you,’ Sebastian said.
‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you,’ Louisa said. ‘Are you all right?’ she asked.
‘I’m fine,’ he said, happy to see her. ‘What about you?’
She nodded, almost overcome with relief. ‘I’m fine too.’
They laughed and embraced again.
Stratton stepped into the doorway and, seeing them together, turned away as Victor came running over. ‘Where’s Sebastian?’ he asked with urgency.
‘He’s in there. Everything is fine,’ Stratton said, taking Victor’s arm to lead him away. ‘Give them a moment together,’ he said.
Victor understood and exhaled deeply as his tension eased. He looked back at the main cabin and the damage that had been done to it. ‘They tried to kill him. I’m sure of it.’
In their cabin Stratton and Victor ate a meal by the light of a hurricane lamp and some candles. Victor was lost in thought and stared at one of the candle flames.
He looked at Stratton, who also appeared to be deep in thought, and held the wine jug over the Englishman’s mug. Stratton did not react and Victor started to pour before realising that Stratton’s mug was still full. ‘You’re not drinking tonight?’ he asked.
Stratton shook his head.
‘What are you thinking about?’ Victor asked.
Stratton did not say.
‘I think I know. You’re going home tomorrow, for sure this time.’
‘For sure.’
‘Maybe you’ll be lucky and something else will stop you.’ Victor inspected the palms of his hands. ‘Can I ask you something?’
Stratton didn’t seem to care either way.
‘If you knew something . . . maybe I should say, if you strongly suspected something that no one else did, and you wanted to reveal it, but if you did it would mean risking ridicule, would you still say it or would you stay silent?’
‘What are you talking about?’ Stratton asked tiredly.
‘I know. It doesn’t make sense. But I can’t say anything without saying what I don’t want to say. Ah, forget it.’
Stratton felt a twinge of guilt about not being of help to the Frenchman. ‘I suppose that would depend on how important it was.’
‘It’s very important. Life-threatening.’
‘Then why would you be ridiculed?’
‘Because people don’t take me seriously. Have you ever wondered why Sebastian made me his second in command? Everyone