Chapter 26

Eleanor was not quite sure how it had happened. There had been a lot of yelling, then suddenly she’d been pulled from her horse to lie face down across Fann’s lap. Then just as suddenly, and not at all gently, she had been deposited on the floor of the carriage. For a split second after registering what had happened Eleanor thought Fann had thrown another tantrum, but then she’d looked up at Claire. The terror on her friend’s face was matched on the nanny’s. The children were pale and clinging to them.

“What has happened?” She demanded. The carriage jolted, knocking everyone sideways for a moment. The horses were speeding up and the driver was still cracking the whip to make them go faster. Eleanor struggled with her skirts, trying to get up off of her hands and knees so she could sit on her bottom.

“An arrow. Someone shot an arrow at us!” Claire said, the panic in her voice making the children even more upset. Eyes wide, Eleanor glanced around at all the carriage windows. This wasn’t