Ewan had not forgotten with everything else that troubled his mind that he had a visit with Eva to make. Gaerwyn could not have picked a worse time, though, it was not as if his cousin could have known. The long walk into town from Yearling Brook helped to focus his mind on the task at hand, think through options to the troubles abroad, and arrive at the warehouse with the ability to grant the workers congenial smiles.

Those smiles in return to him held double glances and whispered words out of the sides of their mouths. Ewan had no desire to investigate which trouble they were whispering over, but headed up to the offices to see if Eva was in at that hour.

Looking up from a draft of a letter, Hudson heard the tread of footsteps with a longer stride than Eva?s. A slight frown drew his brows together ? he hadn?t been expecting anyone for several hours. Standing and rounding his desk, he reached the door to his office just as Ewan was passing it. Dark brows lifted with surprise, but that didn?t hamper the habitual courtesy of his voice. ?Latha math tae ye, Ewan. I?d no? heard ye were back in town. What brings ye by here??

Ewan paused and turned to face the fellow with a bow of his head. "Good day to you, Hudson. I have come to have a meeting with Eva if she is in at the hour, and if not, to leave a message that I am instructed to speak with her."

Maintaining something of a lighter air to his business like manner, he granted a smile to the general view of the warehouse. "Things go well here, I have been informed, even short handed as you are. We shall hope to remedy that soon, or has it been handled in my absence?" A tilt of his head towards Eva's office indicated what short handedness he meant.

?Ye just missed her then ? she?s on a run tae th? Market, and I dinnae ken how long ?twill take her. I passed th? word ye?d ha?e tae meet wi? her but I didnae ken when ye?d be back in RhyDin for it.? Black eyes followed the track of Ewan?s gaze over the warehouse and then to Eva?s office ? and beyond it, to the empty one Rhys had used. Hudson shook his head and then looked back at the younger man with a faint turn up of his mouth. ?Aye, wi? th? Spring, business picks up again, and we?re managing well enow. But unfortunately, we still dae run short-manned.?

The hint of levity vanished then, leaving his features serious. ?Wi? ships coming in more frequently, we?re hearing more o? tales and rumors, tae. Would ye step in and gi?e me th? truth ye ken o? them?? Hudson stepped back, inviting Ewan into his office. There were few changes since Rhys? departure, except for the inevitable multiplication of papers and files that had been moved from one room to the other.

"Be glad to aid you in what way I can, Hudson." He stepped past and inside, but he did not take any seat. It was easy to maintain a confident and congenial smile. There were certain things in his favor, and he focused on them. "Of course, one must always take rumors that travel by sea with as much salt as catches in her sails and her beams. Is there any particular rumor that troubles you?"

Shutting the door behind Ewan, Hudson then crossed ? not back to his desk, but over to his window. Between the buildings in the way, there was a view of the harbor ? and past that, out of sight of the keenest eye, was the portal to Yransea. Black gaze lingered on the distance for a moment before he turned and leaned against the window, net-scarred hands gripping the sill. ?Aye, I ken th? tall tales men come tae at sea, and th? way they take a breath o? whisper and turn it tae embroidered fact by th? end o? th? journey. But what we hear be troubling ? mutterings o? trouble, anything from another invasion o? Yransea, tae th? King coming tae whisk th? Baroness away for hanging as a traitor.?

"An invasion I can almost," his eyes looked up to the ceiling, but it was not to examine it but examine the information in his mind, "promise you there is no invasion." It was a mild nod, but with the other words, he did move to sit, not because he felt weariness, but to cut away the angle of those who could see his face from below. He went so far as to lean forward, elbows on his knees as his hands rubbed slowly palm to palm. "The King has not whisked the Baroness away. She is being held in Seansloe manor. Her trial to come."

There was no reason not to tell the man. There was little more he could do that would cause harm in this instance. Little more except one. "I would rather we kept this to rumor as long as possible. Some Yransea folk still work here and as at Yearling Brook. I need their focus on their tasks."

Dark brows lifted again, and then pulled together as Hudson took in Ewan?s words. His hands tightened on the windowsill, skin pulling white over his knuckles. Still, apart from that he kept his expression composed, dealing with the information in reverse order. ?Aye, ye?ll nae be th? only one at that. I?ll dae what I can tae keep things quiet here, but th? talk still spreads.?

Again his hands tightened on the sill as he went on, ?But th? Baroness is being held then, and charged wi? treason ? tae be tried? On what charges, Ewan??

In empathy for Hudson, Ewan let some of his own frustration show. His palms rubbed together again as he shook his head. "Treason indeed. Maelgwn has found fault in her guidance of the barony and the Baron. Choices made that broke with tradition and custom. It was a good thing we found Jolyon in time to send him back early. Hints at my own wife's unusual nature. The close ties with Kiema's kind. The Sedlaral. How she handled the attack at Yearling Brook." More bitterness crept in his voice with each allegation of supposed wrong doing. He felt the cage rattle, his temper wanting to gain the upper ground. The desire to pace fought with his will to remain seated.

"Too many ties to the outside worlds," he whispered as if it were an empty conclusion.