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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 3182545" data-attributes="member: 3448">Kit put her hand on Alistair’s arm.  He smiled back.  “I’m as well as I can be.  I miss my grandmother, but don’t worry about my show back there.  That was for the people to see… my own mourning is the private grief you’ve already seen.  And we don’t have time for more of that now.”Kit might have said something in response, but a small group of guards saluted their party and gestured at a middle-aged merchant, standing there with three children who ranged from young to very young.  The children mostly looked confused, but it was clear they had been crying.“Dame Katherine, this is the man you wished to see.”The merchant bowed deeply.  “Dame Katherine, I am honored to meet you.  I am Gary Weighthand.  I didn’t know that that was going to happen, but…”“Master Weighthand, I wonder if we could speak in private?”He nodded, and Kit signaled to Abigail, who quickly led the children away and began distracting them.“I assume that she was your wife?”  Getting a nod in response, Kit continued.  “Do you know how she served the Archduchess?”“Not exactly, no.  I knew she was a confidante of the Archduchess, but I assumed that was from how she was purchased out of slavery.  On a state visit, Archduchess Amelia saw a strom-- that’s one of the Hanalian earls-- beating a slave girl.  The Archduchess was indignant and insisted that the strom either sell the girl to her or face the Archducal champion.  Well, the champion was famed throughout Drucien for skill at arms, until he took his life after the Archduchess died, so the strom had no choice.  My wife was devoted to the Archduchess for saving her.”“What did your wife do?’“Oh, she was also a merchant.  She traveled extensively with her trade, but never made much money.”  His face lit up with realization.  “Oh… was she trading on the Archduchy’s account?”“I think so.”“That would explain it.  The Archducal trade never makes much money.”“We’ll see about that,” muttered Mahler.“Do you know who she worked with?”“Not per se.  We had many polite but strange visitors, though.”“What about her records?  Did she keep any?”“Oh, yes.  She kept quite an extensive collection of notes, ledgers, and journals in her study.”“If I may, I think I’ll send some people to pick those up.”“If you think it would be helpful…”Kit nodded vigorously.“Send over someone whenever you want, then...”  Master Weighthand paused.  “I should probably go soon.  The children don’t really understand, but they know something terrible has happened.”Alistair stepped around the corner from where he had been waiting to avoid unduly flustering the merchant.  “Which of your children is the eldest?”Weighthand began genuflecting, stopping only at a gesture from Alistair.  “Bridget, m’lord.  She’s ten.”“When she comes of age, send a message to the palace.  We will remember your wife’s service.”“Thank you, m’lord.”Weighthand quickly left.Alistair said to Dame Brionna, “Make a note about Bridget.  If her mother served with distinction, we will make Bridget a baronet when she comes of age.”Dame Brionna nodded, pleased with the decision.  “We should send some guards with whoever you send to get the documents.  They may be valuable.”“And we should post guards to protect the family,” added Mahler.  “If we can figure out the connection, there will be other people who can as well.  Some of them may not be as friendly.”Dame Brionna nodded and quickly gave the orders.  A small detachment of guards headed to Weighthand’s house immediately, while a second group accompanied Kit’s secretary and a few of her people who were experts in searching homes to recover the documents.</blockquote>

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