Oswald paused, frowning, but continued saddling his horse with reaffirmed resolution.
"Then all the more reason I must be down there," he replied. Was that the reason why he had found himself so troubled by the news of Celia's disappearance? Had he overheard whispers of this alleged trouble rousing up in the streets and worried that his lady might have gone to a wrong place at the wrong time? They had searched, the maid had said, the entire castle. Admittedly, the castle was of a considerable size and the girl had more likely than not exaggerated the thoroughness of their search. It would take days, even weeks, for ten men to traverse every inch of the edifice. Still, the foreboding knot in his stomach could not be shaken off. If she was in the castle, then the Mother be thanked—but on the off chance that she was not, he was unwilling to take the risk.
He paused for a second time just before mounting. "I do appreciate your counsel," he added. This time his words were softened. "Truly. And I hope that you will understand that some things require discretion and therefore cannot be shared, even with a friend such as yourself.
"I swear to you, I have no intention of begrudging my children their father. If I had any doubt that serious harm may result from this journey, I would take heed to your advice. Frankly, I do not. I merely mean to find someone who may have gotten lost in their way.
"All the same, if it concerns you so, I would be humbly grateful if you could do me the favour of fetching Ser Hyram in the event that I should not return within three turns of the hour. Ask him to share a word with Emelyne, her ladyship's maid. She will know what to tell him."