Page 36 of Peregrine's Call
Robin interrupted his thoughts. “What was all the talk about the cat?”
He explained, “Pierce confirmed he’s the person with the information the king needs, and he’ll talk, but only when it’s safe to do so. You should ask him to allow you to go riding tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“Because he wants to get one or both of us in a place where he can speak freely, and speaking to a lady will probably be easier for him to do.” He didn’t want Robin to be alone with Pierce in the middle of the woods, but he also knew that Robin was very capable of defending herself.
“If you think that’s best. But I still don’t trust him. Or anyone in this place.” She looked over and smiled. “Except for you, of course.”
Tav wished her words and her smile didn’t affect him so much. He was beginning to need Robin close to him, in the same way that he needed food to eat and air to breathe.
“What is it?” she asked, looking at him curiously.
“Nothing. Just be careful tomorrow.”
“I will. And what will you be doing?”
“Just lazing around Willesden,” he said. In truth, he intended to investigate every possible avenue of escape, from the castle walls to the front gate to the well. He didn’t like being hemmed in, and he definitely didn’t like being held against his will, no matter how generous the meals were.
“You’ve never lazed around anywhere,” she retorted. “But I won’t ask more questions. You carry out your mission, and I’ll carry out mine. Shall we meet here again tomorrow after supper, in case we can’t speak earlier?”
“I was just about to suggest that.”
She grinned. “I’m learning how you think.”
He hoped not, because if Robin knew how he thought about her, he’d have no defenses left.
Chapter 15
The next morning, Robin brokeher fast in a sunny ground floor room close to the kitchens. The bread was still warm, and the butter was rich and yellow. There was even honey, which she drizzled on her bread with pure pleasure and a little too much generosity. She sucked the extra off her fingers happily, up till the moment she caught one of the guards staring at her as if she were something he’d like to eat.
“What? Have you nothing better to do than look at me?” she asked.
He grinned. “I can think of better things to do than look, my lady.”
“Stop wasting time and go about your duties,” Robin said sharply, just as Cecily would have commanded a servant to do. She ignored the innuendo entirely—to admit she noticed would be giving in.
She glared at him until he sidled out of the room, but the simple joy of the morning meal was spoiled for her. Robin hated being watched, especially by churls who thought she existed for their entertainment.
Afterward, Robin found Pierce. This time though, he wasn’t seated in the high-backed chair by the fire. He was leaning over a table, frowning at a map, his arms braced on the edge.
Pierce looked up as she stepped closer and covered the map with another document on the table. “Good morning, my lady,” he said. “I trust the accommodations were up to your standards.”
“I slept well,” said Robin. “Though I’ve no idea how to spend my day.” At Cleobury, she had a number of tasks related to learning how to run a household, or just aiding Cecily and the other women with whatever they needed. She might help gather herbs in the gardens one morning, or go fishing on a summer afternoon, or—ugh—mend and sew clothing as needed. Here at Willesden, all the castle’s activities were focused on military matters. Men were hard at work rebuilding the curtain wall, or deepening the ditch outside the gates. Servants bustled about the bakehouse and the kitchens, of course, but Robin had no business among them since she was ostensibly a noble guest. There were no tasks for ladies. Except…
“My horse will need to be exercised,” she said. “And there’s not enough room within the walls.” Even the largest space—the north ward between the keep and the walls—was long and narrow, and hardly offered enough room to turn a beast around at the ends of the ward. “I should like to ride him for a brief time.”
Before Pierce could respond, the guard named Estmar shook his head. “Far too dangerous. The lady cannot possibly be allowed out alone.”
The look Pierce gave his guard was deadly, but his next words were deceptively mild. “I am the lord here, Estmar. If the lady wishes to go riding, I say she shall. I’ll ride with her, and armed grooms can follow to preserve the lady’s peace of mind. We wouldn’t want her to worry.”
The guard stared back at the lord, and then dropped his eyes. “Yes, my lord.” He then ordered one of the footmen standing by the door to go to the stables and tell the boys to prepare the horses.
Robin tried to understand what just happened. A guard should never speak so impudently. Was Estmar really going to insist that his own lord couldn’t do as he wished?
“Is it so dangerous around here that your guards are afraid of the woods just outside the gates?” she asked.
“Estmar is overprotective,” Pierce said smoothly, clapping a hand to his guard’s back, a gesture that seemed more violent than friendly. “He knows his job is to keep me alive! But a morning ride will be safe enough, my lady. You have my word.”
