Page 27 of Peregrine's Call
She surveyed the fence with a critical eye, then took hold of the railings and tried to shake them. Without warning, she jumped up onto the highest railing, testing its strength. “It should do,” she said, balancing atop it. “Though it may be for naught. We’ll have to take the girl somewhere else, and who knows if she’ll ever return?”
“If she doesn’t, someone else can use the farm,” Tav said, his gaze locked on Robin’s feet as she cavalierly walked along the railing. “And please come down from there.”
Robin only laughed. “It’s not even that high! And I have excellent balance.” She swung around on one foot, then flailed her arms as she seemed about to topple over. Tav rushed forward, but she bounced back from his grasp quite nimbly. “Just kidding!”
“Don’tdothat,” he muttered.
“What? I’m not going to fall.” She bent her knees to bring herself to his eye level. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
“That’s what people say just before something goes wrong,” he told her.
She hopped off the fence and landed lightly on the ground. She really did have excellent balance. “Go eat, Octavian. I’ll deal with the animals. And then we need to plan where to go next.”
There was no hint in her manner of what had happened the night before.For the best, he told himself, even as he remembered how sweet she’d tasted.
* * * *
After breakfast, Robin spoke with Ada, learning that the nearest town actually was west, not north along the road they’d been traveling. Ada called the town Sutton, a name that Robin remembered.
She told Octavian, “From Ada’s description, it should be large enough to have someone in authority who can care for her while a message is sent to her family.”
“You’re certain she knows the way? A little girl as a guide might get us lost.”
“I’m the guide,” Robin said. “She knows where the trail starts from the farm—that’s all I need. I can keep us on the right path once we find it.”
Octavian looked around the yard and at the buildings. “We leave at first light tomorrow.”
“And…we have to bring the animals.”
“What?” He swiveled back to her. “I’m not hauling along a menagerie.”
“It could be weeks until someone returns to this place, and the animals may make the difference between poverty and wealth for Ada. Who knows if her other family members can provide for another mouth? A cow or a goat might save the girl’s life. And the chickens will at least provide some meals.”
“All right, you’ve made your case. God willing, even traveling at a cow’s pace, we’ll make it to the town eventually. Just make sure there are no other surprises. We’ve been delayed enough already.”
Robin took his warning seriously and prepared everything for the journey that evening, staying up rather later than she ought to while she rechecked the supplies and the now winter-ready farm buildings.
Finally, Octavian stood in front of the door when she announced that she would go out once more. “Go to bed, Robin. We’re ready to go in the morning. You’re no good as a guide if you’re sleeping in your saddle.”
“Just one more thing,” she wheedled.
Tav put one hand on the door frame, his body blocking the space. “No.”
Moving past the knight would be a physical impossibility. Robin sighed, tiredness suddenly washing over her. “Then will you check that the well is covered? I can’t remember if I did so last time.”
“I will undertake this sacred mission,” he replied, the sarcasm tempered with sympathy, “provided yougo to sleep. Now.”
She turned and walked to the bed, where Ada was already curled up. She glanced back toward Octavian before she began to undress, but he’d already politely turned away. Since the kiss the previous night, he’d maintained his distance, seemingly determined to forget it ever happened.
She stripped down to the loose-fitting shirt that doubled as her nightshift. The men’s shirt was shorter than a woman’s shift, but the hem fell to her thighs, so it protected her modesty.
Not that it would matter, she thought as she climbed into the bed. She was still an unmarried woman keeping company with a man for days on end. At some point, her indiscretion would be punished. Even if they’d done nothing more than kiss once. Or twice.
Robin pulled the blanket over her head, as if that could conceal the wickedness of her thoughts. The one time she and Tav gave in to that temptation, they’d both agreed that they shouldn’t ever do it again. Or let it go further. And yet, that was exactly what she wanted to do.
She heard the door open and close softly. Octavian going out to check on the well, just as she’d asked. The knight always did as she asked—ever since they first met, Robin couldn’t recall a time when he let her down. She flipped onto her side, her back to the door. Pursuing any silly romantic notion with Tav would hurt him as much as her. If Robin cared about him at all, she ought to respect that.
“Mary, Queen of Heaven,” she prayed in a whisper. “Help me. Send me the strength to be good. I am full of sinful thought—verysinful thought—and I never knew I was so weak. Please help me to do what’s right.”
