The Silent Songbird (Hagenheim #7)(48)

He walked toward the barn where she had practiced archery with Reeve Folsham that morning.

He turned and said over his shoulder, “Are you coming?”

She started to follow him and pulled a knife out of her pocket.

When they reached the barn, he showed her how to hold the knife properly for throwing. He demonstrated, throwing his own knife and driving the point straight into the side of the barn. Eva tried it. The side of her blade hit the wooden wall and bounced off.

“This is more difficult than it looks.” Eva bit her lip.

“After a bit of practice, you will be as good at it as you are at archery.”

She was preparing to try again when Reeve Folsham approached.

“I see your teacher has returned. I shall go. I need to speak with my father. And I’m glad your ankle is better.”

“It is much better. I thank you.” Her smile was captivating. He actually stumbled as he walked away.



Evangeline hid her amusement behind her hand as Westley stumbled. He was nearly as clumsy as she was.

Reeve Folsham began his instruction by saying, “I am going to teach you how to defend yourself the way I taught my own daughters. Knife throwing is a good skill to know, but it is no good if your attacker is in your face, grabbing your hands, or if you cannot reach your knife.”

Evangeline nodded.

“Now, if you don’t have a knife, look around for something to use as a weapon—a rock or a block of wood or something else heavy or sharp or hard. If you find something, strike your attacker in the head or the throat or between the legs. If you don’t have a weapon, use your knuckles to attack his eyes or his throat. Strike hard and fast, then run. And always scream as loud as you can to raise the hue and cry.”

Evangeline nodded.

“Now, if I were to attack you from behind, like this—” He went behind her and put an arm around her neck. “You can try to elbow me”—she tried but missed, as he was standing too far back—“but that won’t work, so you have to stomp on the middle of my foot.”

Instead of stomping his foot, Evangeline stomped beside it. “Then what?”

“Then when your attacker loosens his hold, you can take a step back and reach his midsection with your elbow. Slam him a good one to his ribs. That should loosen his grip enough so you can get free. Then turn around and ram your knee between his legs. Or if that doesn’t work, strike his throat with your knuckles.”

Evangeline followed his every word and move. They practiced several moves until Evangeline almost wished someone would attack her so she could use her new skills.

“Thank you for teaching me, Reeve Folsham. Here are your bow and arrows back.”

“You may keep them. I insist. Every peasant maiden should be able to defend herself against violent men or unwanted attention.”

“Every peasant maiden,” he said. But did his rule apply to every maiden who was not a peasant, but a ward of the king, told she must marry a man she found loathsome? Yes, Evangeline needed these skills even more if she was ever found by Lord Shiveley.



Westley discovered his father sitting at his desk in his study, a small room next to the family’s library.

“Father, I need to speak to you.”

He turned his attention from his task to Westley. “What is it, son?”

“Eva, the new servant girl—”

“The one who claimed to be mute and was accused of trying to poison everyone?”

“Yes, she said she saw John strike me and push me into the river.”

“And you still do not remember what happened?”

“I remember walking to the river to fish but nothing after that until I woke up in bed with Mother hovering over me.”

“Perhaps this girl is lying. What do we know of her?” The brow over Father’s one good eye lowered.

“She and her friend Mildred joined the men and me when we left Berkhamsted Castle on our way back here. Mildred claimed Eva was mute after being beaten by her former mistress. But Eva has admitted that was a lie. She said she was trying to get away from a man who wanted to marry her, and it was her way of disguising herself.” He decided not to tell Father that he suspected the man she did not want to marry was the Earl of Shiveley or one of his men.

“I thought it was Sabina who found you after you fell in the river. Did she say anything about seeing John push you in?”

“At first Sabina said nothing about anyone pushing me in. Eva said nothing because she was still pretending to be mute. But then Sabina said she saw two men running away after I fell in.”

“What else?”

“Eva said Sabina was lying, that she wasn’t there when I fell in. She said she was the only one around when John and his man, Roger Cox, approached me at the river. She said John and I exchanged angry words, then he struck me with a block of wood and pushed me in.”

“This is a grave matter. Why did she did not tell us this right away?”

“She said she asked Sabina to tell me that she saw two men running away after I fell in so I would be on my guard. But she did not know who the man was who struck me until she saw John and Roger Cox at the well two days ago. And then he showed up again this morning.”

“What did John want?”

“I don’t know.” Westley rubbed his temple, trying to bring back the memory that had flashed through his mind when he saw John scowling at Eva and her raised bow and arrow. “But it is strange that I have hardly seen John these past three years and now he is showing up so often. And John behaved strangely when she accused him.”