to the right and left in search of an
alternative. Another quick glance told her she’d already passed the
only crossing between her and the men. She would not be able to
pretend she’d had another destination in mind. Finally, in
desperation, she turned and walked up to a cottage. She rapped on
the oak panel door, hoping the cottage was occupied and that
someone would open the door.
To her relief, she heard the shuffle of
footsteps inside.
“Who’s there?” a gravelly voice called
from within.
Aslyn bit her lip. It hadn’t occurred
to her that the occupant might not open the door. If she had to
yell through it, she might just as well forget about any
possibility of escaping the soldiers’ notice. She leaned close to
the door. “I’m looking for Jim and Enid McCraney. Do you know
them?”
The latch clicked and the door opened
inward a sliver. “What’s yer business with them?”
Aslyn stared at the old woman, taken
aback. “I wanted to check to see how Jim was fairing since his
accident.”
The old woman looked her up and down.
“Enid’d not take kindly to yer interest in ‘er man,” she said
bluntly and slammed the door.
Aslyn was left staring at the vibrating
panel while color climbed into her cheeks, chasing the cold away.
“Thank you,” she mumbled. “Would you mind very much if I cut across
your yard to the next road over?”
“Me dog’ll take a chunk outta yer arse
if he gits a whiff of ye.”
It took Aslyn a couple of moments to
recover from that forthright statement. Finally, deciding, just in
case anyone could overhear her end of the conversation, that she
should at least pretend she’d had a pleasant conversation with the
old termagant, Aslyn forced a smile. “Thank you very much. I’ll be
sure to tell them.”
She had not heard the horses leave.
There was nothing for it, she was going to have to turn back toward
home and pretend she’d only gone up the street to see the hateful
old woman who’d slammed the door in her face and threatened her
with her dog.
As she turned to walk back to the road,
however, she discovered Kale was propped against a tree at the edge
of the road, not two yards from her. She jumped in surprise, nearly
dropping her pot.
A slow smile curled his lips. “I take
it she didn’t have any to spare.”
Aslyn blinked at him. “I beg your
pardon?”
He nodded toward the pot she held
clutched in her hands.
Aslyn looked down at the pot, stared at
it for several long, long moments trying to think of what she might
say that wouldn’t sound like a lie. Finally, she decided she might
as well go along with his assumption since she could think of
nothing else. “No. I thought it worth a try,” she said, trying to
command her complexion to cease fluctuating in pulsing red and
white. She would almost have preferred to tell him the truth than
to have to claim to have been begging.
He stood away from the tree and walked
toward her, his eyes gleaming in a way Aslyn didn’t quite like.
Taking the pot from her limp hands, he tucked one of her hands in
the crook of his arm and guided her toward the road. “It was just
as well, I expect.”
Aslyn, still too stunned to think very
clearly, merely nodded. It occurred to her quite suddenly to wonder
where he was taking her and she glanced quickly around. She didn’t
know whether to be relieved, chagrined, or unnerved when she saw he
was leading her toward the well.
“I’ve not tried it myself, but I’ve
been told it tends to be stringy.”
“What?” Aslyn asked blankly.
“Dog.”
“Dog?”
“I did hear the old woman mention her
dog, didn’t I?”
Aslyn glanced quickly at his face and
then away, feeling blood flood her cheeks in a crimson tide. “You
heard…,” she said faintly. She realized quite suddenly that he was
teasing her, and, despite the fact that she had absolutely no
desire to have Kale, of all men, flirting with her, she began to
see the humor of the situation. She bit back a chuckle, threw
alternative. Another quick glance told her she’d already passed the
only crossing between her and the men. She would not be able to
pretend she’d had another destination in mind. Finally, in
desperation, she turned and walked up to a cottage. She rapped on
the oak panel door, hoping the cottage was occupied and that
someone would open the door.
To her relief, she heard the shuffle of
footsteps inside.
“Who’s there?” a gravelly voice called
from within.
Aslyn bit her lip. It hadn’t occurred
to her that the occupant might not open the door. If she had to
yell through it, she might just as well forget about any
possibility of escaping the soldiers’ notice. She leaned close to
the door. “I’m looking for Jim and Enid McCraney. Do you know
them?”
The latch clicked and the door opened
inward a sliver. “What’s yer business with them?”
Aslyn stared at the old woman, taken
aback. “I wanted to check to see how Jim was fairing since his
accident.”
The old woman looked her up and down.
“Enid’d not take kindly to yer interest in ‘er man,” she said
bluntly and slammed the door.
Aslyn was left staring at the vibrating
panel while color climbed into her cheeks, chasing the cold away.
“Thank you,” she mumbled. “Would you mind very much if I cut across
your yard to the next road over?”
“Me dog’ll take a chunk outta yer arse
if he gits a whiff of ye.”
It took Aslyn a couple of moments to
recover from that forthright statement. Finally, deciding, just in
case anyone could overhear her end of the conversation, that she
should at least pretend she’d had a pleasant conversation with the
old termagant, Aslyn forced a smile. “Thank you very much. I’ll be
sure to tell them.”
She had not heard the horses leave.
There was nothing for it, she was going to have to turn back toward
home and pretend she’d only gone up the street to see the hateful
old woman who’d slammed the door in her face and threatened her
with her dog.
As she turned to walk back to the road,
however, she discovered Kale was propped against a tree at the edge
of the road, not two yards from her. She jumped in surprise, nearly
dropping her pot.
A slow smile curled his lips. “I take
it she didn’t have any to spare.”
Aslyn blinked at him. “I beg your
pardon?”
He nodded toward the pot she held
clutched in her hands.
Aslyn looked down at the pot, stared at
it for several long, long moments trying to think of what she might
say that wouldn’t sound like a lie. Finally, she decided she might
as well go along with his assumption since she could think of
nothing else. “No. I thought it worth a try,” she said, trying to
command her complexion to cease fluctuating in pulsing red and
white. She would almost have preferred to tell him the truth than
to have to claim to have been begging.
He stood away from the tree and walked
toward her, his eyes gleaming in a way Aslyn didn’t quite like.
Taking the pot from her limp hands, he tucked one of her hands in
the crook of his arm and guided her toward the road. “It was just
as well, I expect.”
Aslyn, still too stunned to think very
clearly, merely nodded. It occurred to her quite suddenly to wonder
where he was taking her and she glanced quickly around. She didn’t
know whether to be relieved, chagrined, or unnerved when she saw he
was leading her toward the well.
“I’ve not tried it myself, but I’ve
been told it tends to be stringy.”
“What?” Aslyn asked blankly.
“Dog.”
“Dog?”
“I did hear the old woman mention her
dog, didn’t I?”
Aslyn glanced quickly at his face and
then away, feeling blood flood her cheeks in a crimson tide. “You
heard…,” she said faintly. She realized quite suddenly that he was
teasing her, and, despite the fact that she had absolutely no
desire to have Kale, of all men, flirting with her, she began to
see the humor of the situation. She bit back a chuckle, threw
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