There was a texture to silence, different qualities and sensations to it, uses for it he would never have guessed if he did not put his own reactions aside and consider, instead, why she so rarely spoke. He had begun to understand it as they were preparing to leave Lincoln. She had stood before Hal with a small purse of coins in her hand and asked how she might have it safely conveyed to Bargate Bettie.

“I will see that it is done,” said Hal.

She nodded, satisfied, and handed over the coins. “I would have her told this is payment for the debt owed to her, so there’s no need to come looking for them that owed it.”

“Is there no other message you would send?” asked Hal, who had seen her embrace Bettie and weep with happiness to find her. His voice held a faint concern, an incredulity that she intended such a cold exchange as her parting with her sister.

Instead of shaking her head, or answering no, Nan only let her silence speak. There was something in it, in the way she stood still and did not raise her eyes to Hal, that was a clear rebuke. It was a silence calculated to silence him, to make him understand that whatever was between the sisters was not his to question, that she would not have any words put in her mouth or forced from her lips. She had nothing more to say to her sister, and his judgment on that was not welcome.

She would never say these things aloud, because she was too aware of her station in relation to Hal and too grateful to him for his hospitality. But she achieved the same thing by saying nothing at all for exactly the right length of time, before thanking him most humbly for his aid.

Moments later, as Gryff said his farewell to his friend, she seemed to disappear entirely. It was only later that he reflected on how she had cloaked herself in silence to give the illusion she was not there at all. In fact she had been near enough to hear his promise to send word from Aderinyth when he was settled there, so that Hal might send Tiffin to him. Nan had stood in plain sight, but the quality of her silence made him forget she was there, and so he had said the name of his home. He had not meant to let her hear it until she must.