As much as she hated to admit it, she understood him. Wiggling her toes in the water, she asked, “Do you get the feeling that everything is about to change?”

He studied her for an uncomfortable minute before answering. “Ever since Eldon became king, I’ve had an ominous feeling. I can’t say what it is exactly, but I fear something bad is coming.”

“Every time I think I have a handle on things, something happens to throw me off.” Like being taken to the Knights’ headquarters and then meeting her grandparents. “I don’t know why, but I think I’m supposed to be here. I think I can help save Axian.”

“Colbert keeps telling me that you’re on our side.”

“I am,” she answered without hesitation.

He scanned the area again. “How’s the water?”

“Cold.” It felt fantastic on her toes.

To her delight, he removed his boots and socks, then rolled his pants up. After he stuck his feet in the water next to hers, they sat in companionable silence, the setting sun casting them in a soft glow.

Reid stood in the middle of her mother’s bedchamber. Constance had escorted Reid there, leaving her alone to freshen up for supper. Her grandmother had said no one had moved anything—except to clean—since the day Brianna left for Ellington. Reid trailed her hand over the dresser, the bed. She wanted to find something that revealed the type of person her mother had been.

Going over to the armoire, she opened it, expecting to find dresses. Instead, pants and tunics filled it. The thought of her mother wearing clothes similar to Reid’s own made her smile. After closing the armoire, she went to the window to gaze at the beautiful view of the property. Shifting to face the room again, she noticed a target on the back of the door. Made from wood, it was riddled with dozens of arrow holes. Had Brianna known how to shoot?

Reid rushed over to the closet, then threw the door open. Four swords, a handful of daggers, two bows, and a quiver with a dozen arrows filled the space. She froze, feeling as if she’d stumbled upon a hidden treasure. Had Brianna been a soldier before she married Duke Ellington? Or did she just have a passion for weapons?

Reid closed the door and examined the room again, seeing it in a different light. If her mother had been a soldier, what would she think of her daughters? Would she be proud of or disappointed in the women they’d become? Reid’s four older sisters always wore dresses, and none had even touched a weapon.

Brianna had left here at the age of eighteen to marry Duke Ellington. She’d had Reid at twenty-five. Reid supposed a lot could change during that time. Especially considering that during those seven years, Brianna had lived in Ellington, where there were restrictions on women’s rights.