He could barely hear the last. The fear was back in her eyes.
"Do you know what he wants?"
"Yes." The brown curls drooped.
Cole stood up. "So that's the reason—well, I'll not do it, do you hear? Garth Bidgrass is an evil, greedy old man and maybe it runs in the blood."
She jumped up, eyes more angry now than fearful. "He is not! He's trying to save you! He's good and noble and ... and great! If you only knew the truth—Morwenna forgive me!" She clapped her hand to her mouth.
"Tell me the truth then, since I'm still being made a Belconti fool of. What is the truth?"
"I've said too much. Now I'll have to tell Uncle Garth—" She began crying.
"Tell him what? That I know he's a liar? That you failed as a—" He could not quite say the word.
"It's true I was supposed to make you love me and I tried and I can't because ... because ..." she ended in incoherent sobbing.
Cole stroked her hair and comforted her. "I've been hasty again," he apologized. "I'm still running in the dark, and that makes for stumbles. Let's go back, and I'll talk to your great-uncle again."