No one knew where Ivan Swensen had gone. When Tristen returned from Quentins he and Victor spent a lot of their free time looking for him. Port Vantage was where they had found Olys horse but no one had a clue where he had gone after that.

Victor and Tristen decided there was nothing they could do and despite the maliase that seemed to rest heavily on the town.

"I have to admit, we are beaten, Ivan does not wish to be found and we do not have the time to find him, we might as well go back to our lives as they are." Victor said sadly.

Tristen had to agree. He would miss Ivan, but what could they do, neither had the money or time to do much more searching.

The two young men were best of friends they often met for tea before Victor went to work for Swensen and Sons and Tristen opened the pub officially.

Thoren was unhappy he had applied at the seminary and parsons Dubiouse and Clive Martin had written him glowing letters as well as his own mother, but he had heard nothing.

He consoled himself with long walks and physical labour helping his friend Randel Chastain clean stables at Swensen at Sons. He kept clear of his father which was easy as he was gone most of the time. His mother seemed to feel better.

Betsy Coats, Ava Maria Keene, Tess and Tamara Martin, and Josephine Timberlane were invited to tea these girls were all childhood friends of Maurisa and now were young ladies.

Maurisa and her friends were having a tea and talking about the Harvest Ball, it was a big event in Amberly the last chance the girls would have to find a gentlemen caller to see them over the winter when social functions would be very infrequent.

Thoren lingered and listened he liked a couple of Maurisa's friends. They were pretty and he wished he could ask one of them to the ball, but he was not blessed with his fathers good looks or his grandfathers or his uncles good looks, he was a toad not a prince and he feared he would never find a mate. He loathed himself and this town he wanted to leave go to seminary and then maybe he could find a good pious woman like his mother or aunt Olga.

"Oh I am so happy that Tristen asked me," Ava Maria said smiling.

"Really that is wonderful I wished he would have asked me," Tess said smiling.

"We are just friends. Tristen is wonderful, I wish it were more," Ava sighed.

"Well I am going with Victor Swensen," Tamara said proudly.

"Oh my Tamara, I envy you," Betsy said smiling.

"Betsy I bet I could get my brother to ask you if your really want an escort." Maurisa said.

Good for you sis, Thoren thought daring not to move from his spot in the bushes.

"No thank you Maurisa," Betsy said polietly.

"She would probably rather be shackled to a wild bear." Ava giggled.

Thoren scowled and stormed off.

"Oh I can't believe you said that Ava Maria Keene," Josephine Timberlane scolded, "Thoren is not that bad."

Betsy giggled too, because it was funny, and she would rather have almost any youth in Amberly escort her but Thoren, even though Maurisa was her best friend.

"Did you hear Tristen beat him up?" Ava asked asked.

"That is not something one should brag about," Tess said.

"He did not brag, my brother over heard Mr. Warwick talking about it with Maurisa's father, and he got Tristen to tell him what happened," Ava said.

"Thoren is very disagreeable," Tamara sighed.

"He called Tristens sister unlady like names and that sparked the fight," Ava said honestly.

Tamara sighed, "It would be wonderful to have a boy fight for me, not that I would like someone who enjoys fights, but to know he would defend me would be wonderfu."

"Which sister, Maylissa rides like a man, I could not see calling her names though, the other sisters are beyond reproach," Betsy said smiling. She liked Delilah and Annabelle as well as Monique, of the four she knew less about Maylissa there was some kind of scandal there though, she thought it was probably just her horse racing or something, she knew how old gossips were.

"Probably Delilah, her husband mysteriously left you know," Tess said.

"My father thinks Mr. Warwick killed him, but that is nonsense," Betsy said.

"Surely it is," Tamara sighed.

"I love our new gazebo father had built but I despise what Mr. Amberly has done cutting down all the trees on his property so we have to look at his servants quarters,' Maurisa said wishing to change the subject.

"That is a shame," Tamara agreed.

Thoren saw that his fathers horse was home, and her mother was out in the paddock with the dog.

"Mother why does everyone hate me?" he asked feeling if his heart would break.

"Oh Lord son, you are a wonderful young man, no one could hate you," Astrid said.

"They do, those girls, those friends of Maurisa's none of them will allow me to escort them to the dance," he cried.

"Oh my son, yours is not to be an easy life. I love you and I know some good hearted girl will love you too. Look at Alan Keene if I were to meet him on a dark night he would be sure to scare me, but he has found a wonderful and beautiful wife, and so shall you son, be patient, it is so hard I know," she said smiling at him.

"How could you know, you are beautiful, and father is handsome, I am ugly and girls laugh at me," Thoren sniffed.

"I love you son," She hugged him, and said, "Not really, I was an awkward shy girl and your grandfather was intimdating so I had no callers until I met John Landers at a dance after a friend convinced me to go. Having her with me made all the difference. Maybe you could get a friend to go with you, or your cousin Victor."

"Victor hates me, and it didn't help I got in a fight with Tristen," Thoren said shamefully.

"Surely you have friends what about that young man you went riding with?" Astrid asked.

"Randal," Thoren said, and then though why not Randal was his only friend, hadn't he helped him a lot. Randal was not in his class but who cared he was a true friend. Besides his grandmothers daughter married a clerk.

That night as Astrid helped Maurisa clean up she chatted to her daughter about Thoren.

Alan might be uglier then Thoren, but Alan was nice, Thoren was mean spirited and girls just did not like him. Her mother was in complete denial about Thoren she never saw the bad in him. Thoren had been a sweet tempered child, but something had happened to him that had twisted him darkly and her mother saw none of his mean streak. She was glad Tristen had whipped him that was why he was slinking around and not tormenting Richard as much. Thoren was ugly on the inside where Alan was sweet and kind, she never will forget the time she had skinned her knee at school and Alan and taken her to the kitchen at the Inn and had bandaged it and how he had sent the servant boy to fetch her mother or father to come for her. Thoren had just laughed at her.

Bram regretted going to Delilah's new home, the smell of her, and the silky smoothness of her lips haunted him. He feared he would never get redemption for the sin of lusting after her. He could not get her out of his mind.

When he had been young the third son of his father had sent him to become a priest as tradition demanded, and at the monastery they had set him to work helping a farmer, who had a very lovely daughter, what an ordinary plot to some drummers joke, but it had been true. He had fell from grace after lusting for her and being caught.

The brothers had cast him out and he had came with another to this land where he found another way, if he could not be a priest he would become a parson. It was easier then priesthood. He was welcomed to seminary.

Some day perhaps he could marry, but not if he continued to lust after Delilah why did she so remind him of the farmers daughter, her hair was raven not the colour of ripe wheat, her eyes were dark as a storm on the sea, not blue as a summer sky. It was temptation and the opportunity to sin. No! Oh no, he could not. He lusted after her so much, he could not ever go back there or see her again.

There was a rapping at his door, it was death, but not for him, and he shivered as his fathers voice whispered, "You are a sinner and a wicked lad."

Go away, Bram thought, and called, "Come in it is not locked.

A woman started talking excitedly in French, he found himself calming her in the same language.

"My husband has died, sir I need you to come at once and see to his funeral," Maryetta Amberly cried.

"Yes madam at once would you like to go to the church and pray first," Bram asked.

"The servants are bringing his body to the church." she said.

"Good then," Bram said.

"My husband was not Catholic but I was do you know any priest that could say the words over him before the funeral it would make me feel better." she said.

"Madam, my father was a Catholic and French, I can do them for you the only priest I know is in Portland," Bram said softly.

"Good do not worry it shall be our secret," she said, then winked.

He thought he had imagined it but death did odd things to one.

Amberlys sons had a big wake, and hired Philip to be the barman and furnish the spirits from Warwicks Inn. The Amberlys had never gotten on so well with the Warwicks and Casper never thought much of Lewis so it was Philip or none.

At the wake Maryetta got a bit drunk and started singing dirty limericks in French but since no one understood French parson DuBiouse had went home. No one knew what they were. But Casper was not amused. Amberly had forbidden her to speak French so her children had never learned. Unlike Octavia's children who could all speak it to a degree. But the Warwicks had not been invited.

When it came time to pay Philip, he gave him some money and said the rest of his pay was in the wagon. He had given Philip a servant boy for the rest the pay.

Philip was a loss what to do the boy was crying, and begging him not to take him back so he took him home and made him a bed in the stable he would talk to Lissa about it in the morning.

The next morning Rafe came out and saw the boy standing by the pile of dirt.

"Hello what are you doing here?" Rafe asked.

"Hello, filling up this hole," he said.

"Why?" Rafe asked.

"I need to work so your father keep me not sell me," the boy said.

"Sell you," Rafe laughed, "What is your name?"

"Luke," Luke said.

"Hi Luke, good to meet you," Rafe said, noticing his parents, "There is my mother and father now."

"Yes the man who brought me," Luke said.

"I am Rafe, our dog dug that hole and if you fill it up she will just dig it out again." Rave said.

"Where did that child come from?" Lissa asked.

"Last night when I took spirits to the wake Casper Amberly paid me with some money and this boy." Philip said.

"Casper Amberly gave you a child as payment," Lissa said angrily

"Your mother seems angry," Luke said looking a bit scared. "She is, father will calm her down, do not worry," Rafe said, he liked the boy, he thought it would be nice to have a boy to help him do chores and play with on days that Joseph was off with Richard and Nicholas was too busy with his boats.

"Indeed he did, but Maylissa listen to me . . ." Philip started.

"That man, he thinks humans are chatteral, he should have known better. We are not slave holders, I should go smack Casper Amberly upside that thick head of his." Lissa shouted causing both Rafe and Luke to jump.

"I know but listen to me darling," Philip said calmly.

"Quentin said those poor people barely have food and clothes enough to sustain their life my horses are kept better," Lissa yelled.

"I know that, is that not a good reason to keep him? Besides, this poor boy Luke does not know his mother and he was crying and begging me not to take him back there, what was I to do darling?" Philip

"Yes it is those Amberlys make my blood boil, Quentin had to allow our stallion to cover the old mans horses once to get his friends wife away from there." Lissa said somewhat calmly.

"The old man died Lissa," Philip said, "The boy needs a home, and Rafe would probably like some help in the stable it is about all we can do to keep up with the horses even with Angeliques help, she should be learning to cook and more womanly skills, so we need the help."

"But he will be our ward not our slave, we will educate him and teach him skills," Lissa said.

"Of course I only intended that, I want no slaves," Philip agreed.

"Are they going to keep me?" Luke asked.

"I think so," Rafe said smiling.

"What are they doing?" Luke asked.

"It is called kissing," Rafe said smiling, it would be fun having Luke around for once he could be the teacher instead of Nicholas or Richard.

Luke smiled, as Rafe explained it was something adults did to show their affection. Luke said, "You can just pat me on the back."

Rafe grinned and said, "Me too."

When Lewis came to the Inn Jamie was upset Lewis immediately wondered if he had visited Delilah and knew she was with child.

"Damned Casper Amberly's eyes," Jamie growled.

"What has Casper done?" Lewis asked trying not to show his relief.

"He is turning this town into a circus, he is selling all his fathers slaves at an auction in the town square and there is nothing the council can do to stop it." Jamie said agrily.

"Wouldn't he have better auction in Rivers Edge?" Lewis asked.

"Probably," Jamie said, "Paul tried to get him to take it there, but there is nothing Paul can do he is very upset about the whole thing." Jamie sighed.

"Paul set all his slaves he inherited free, either employed them or set them up with small farms, cut from his own land," Lewis said, thinking Paul had told him this was his plan last night when he had came by after the wake.

"Yes and I feel this is not right, no human should own another," Jamie said.

"I am torn Astrid and Justin wish to buy some then allow them to work their freedom," Lewis said.

Jamie nodded, he could see that was a good thing but at the same time it was lining Caspers pockets.

Despite his fear, with his mothers encouragement he got Randal Chastain to come over and try one os his suits on. He had lost weight but Randal was still smaller then he so he could wear the one suit that had been his before he started filling out as his mother called it. "You look good, but younger some how," Thoren told his friend.

"I am not sure this is such a good idea Thoren," Randal sighed.

"Sure it is, you will do really well," Thoren said smiling, at least if he could not get any of the ladies to dance with him he would have Randal to talk to.

"I sure don't look like a stable lad, but Thoren, what will I say to the ladies?" Randal asked nevously.

"Just be calm and pretend you do this sort of thing all the time," he said repeating what his mother had told him. After a bit of practicing his mother came in.

"Go greet my mother," Thoren said.

Randal sucked in his breath, and go introduced himself to Astrid.

He did just as Thoren had shown him, and Astrid smiled and thought what a nice young man, and was glad that Thoren had such nice well groomed friends. She had no clue it had taken Thoren all morning to get his friend to look this way.

"See it was easy," Thoren said smiling.

"Thoren you make it seem so easy," Randal sighed.

Tomorrow night I will pick you up at Swensens do not forget to bathe," Thoren said.

"What? I just took two baths today," Randal sighed.

"Girls don't like malodoirus young men," Thoren reminded him.

The night of the ball Maurisa was very insulted when they had to stop and pick up Randal, she could not believe her brother would bring him along.

She decided she would do as she promised her mother and try to find a girl to dance with her brother, not an easy task.

"Olaf so good to see you," Tristen said smiling at the younger teen.

"Good to be here, I am going to stay in town for the winter, with my uncle Victor, I am going to be giving your sister a hand at the school."Olaf said smiling.

"Well this is wonderful news. You remember my little sister Ava Maria," Adam said smiling.

"I sure do, I am in the greatest of moods, I have brought my dancing shoes." Olaf announced doing a little jig.

Victor was trying to get a dance or two with Tamara Martin, who he fancied very much.

"Tell me Ava, would you fancy me filling in a few of the dances on your card," Olaf asked cheerfully.

"I will see what I have left," she said teasingly.

Olaf smiled, she was a jolly girl, and she had became friends with him while she was helping his father buy goats, as the Keenes had some nice goats and she had good knowledge of them. As Maylissa had of horses Olaf guessed.

"Well will one be enough," she asked.

"Oh no," he sighed, "I really would like more."

So he really liked her not just in a friendly way, she smiled, Olaf was so sweet and handsome how could she resist.

Betsy showed up with such a horrid sunburn.

"Oh my dear that is dreadful, what happened?" Tess Martin asked.

"I thought if I sat out reading for a bit I would get a little colour, but I got roasted," she sobbed.

"I just came to give my appology, my dress is hurting me where it touches my shoulders," Betsy sighed.

"Would you like me to drive you home?" Tristen offered.

"So kind but no, I have a servant waiting," she sighed, "Goodnight all."

"Tristen that was real nice of you to offer," Maurisa said.

"Yes it was really nice and sweet, would you sign my card?" Josephine asked.

"It would be a pleasure," Tristen said.

Maurisa sighed she wanted a dance with him too but she would never get the nerve to ask, she thought she had a few dances signed for some with Timothy Martin, he was so shy but very easy on the eyes.

After a couple of dances Tristen and Josephine found themselves back in the shadowy corner of the reception room.

"I would not mind if you kissed me," she whispered.

He smiled and they kissed, he had always liked Josephine, she often came to the inn to get one of Alans roasted chickens or something else on her cooks night off. He had always shown her into the meeting room so she would not have to wait in the public room, she seemed to apprechiate that. They had chatted when the pub was not busy or Philip and Lewis were about.

To the surprise of Thoren, and even more to the surprise of Randal, he found a girl to dance with, someone Thoren did not know, probably a maids daughter who had grown up with one of the girls here, and the girl had brought her along.

Thoren saw Tristen and part of him wanted to go up and punch him, but he resisted the urge, he understood why Tristen had gotten angry if someone would have said that about Maurisa or Ingrid he would have been upset as well.

He feared he would be alone for the rest of his life, a bachelor a loner, he hoped the acceptance came soon from the seminary.

He was standing alone when saw one of the dancers had caught her heel in anothers skirt but neither girl were aware and they were stepping perfectly to avoid tearing the hem. He chuckled aloud.

"Oh my that is funny, I hope they do not trip," a girl said softly.

He blushed, knowing he was impoliete to point and laugh, she smiled.

"My name is Roweena," she said.

"Thoren. Would you like to dance,?" He asked thinking he must be dreaming.

"I know no one here our family just moved here, so my dance card is empty," she said.

Thoren thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world. Somehow the other dancers had distangled themselves, and were forgotten as he held her in his arms.

"You are so sweet Thoren, and what a nice name," she said smiling.

"Roweena is nice as well," Thoren said wishing he could think of something brilliant to say.

Tristen had a burning question for Josephine, and he decided to ask her before the last dance.

"Josephine, will you allow me to call on you? I know you have no father to ask, so I will go see your uncle, but I wish your approval first," Tristen said.

"OH YES!" Josephine shreiked with joy. Her girlfriends giggled knowing what that meant. All envied her or him, all except Thoren who in Roweena's arms knew nothing but paradise.

END OF BOOK THREE