“Still harder to hide than people think,” he said with confidence. “Besides, think about what we know. This wasn’t just one old miser hiding his hoard forever. This was a place the lord of the house regularly put money into and took money out of. He couldn’t just keep burying it and digging it up again. Because even if he had been stupid enough to do that, someone was going to notice before too long and there would go his hiding place. No, this was an actual, built-in spot designed for access, probably quick, easy access. Something that’s been here ever since the house was built. If it’s in this house, we’ll find it.”

“And if it’s not in this house?” She had the feeling that she was more anxious about this than Sussena.

“Then maybe the answer is it was never here at all; maybe he had an account with the Goldsmith Guild instead. The King can order them to look. And if we still don’t find anything, well, I think we should recruit Wrenmarsh to help us talk her into selling the place and using the money to buy a snug little cottage in Haven. She can still keep Tobin and Hansa, and their children can get jobs in Haven.” Perry shrugged his shoulders. “It’s pretty clear to me that she can’t stay here much longer. I should think even in the shape it’s in now, this place could provide enough money to keep her.”

But Abi knew what the answer to that would be—for surely Wrenmarsh had tried to persuade her to do just that for years. And there was no guarantee that Sussena would net enough money to keep her in Haven, not with her needs. So what other solution could there be that would still satisfy her and satisfy the need to provide for her very loyal servants?

She didn’t have any answers. Maybe there weren’t any.

•   •   •

Two days later, it was a very dejected group that gathered together in the kitchen. Supper, eaten in an atmosphere of gloom was over. Even Tobin refrained from making carping comments. “I just don’t have any answer except the bad one,” Abi said, finally. “Short of tearing down the entire building—” She felt as if she was about to cry. There was a knot in her throat, and a lump in her stomach.

“And then where would we live?” Sussena said, with a little laugh, but a laugh that sounded altogether too much like a sob. “I have to thank you and you, too, Perry. You certainly did everything possible to try to find my lost inheritance. I can’t imagine anyone else who would have done as much. Well, we’ll just have to go on as we have, I suppose. We’ve managed all right so far.”