motioned Dien inside. "Take a break, get a drink, and grab something to eat. Be back in half a bell, all right?"
As Otlee left, Dien lumbered into the office and Lars followed.
* * *
Nella finished her collections with minimal fuss. This phase had gleaned her an extra six crown three scepters from her odd jobs. She smiled. It had been a productive phase, and she'd had no deadbeats. She found a quiet, cold table near a sleet-spattered window in the great hall and ignored the people around her. While most gossiped about the murders and ate their supper, Nella stacked and sorted the coins, counted them twice, and tallied the numbers against last phase's total, just as her father had taught her. Smiling at the money, she pushed a wayward strand of dark brown hair behind her ear. She'd netted over eleven crown this phase. Perhaps, if she was lucky, she had only one more phase of debt ahead of her. Only one more phase until freedom. She sighed and watched the sleet for a moment.
She arranged and folded the money in a scrap of cloth, tied it tight, and slipped the whole bundle into her pocket. A bounce in her step and a smile on her face, she pressed through the crowded hall again and went in search of Risley.
She found him on the third floor of the west wing. Risley was tall, dark-haired, and self-assured, understandably popular among the ladies. He headed to the main hall for supper and grinned as soon as he saw her. She smiled back and hurried toward him. She only met him on wage day, and only in public. The comments and gossip were bad enough without adding private meetings to the fire.
Clotting the flow of traffic, they stood facing each other in a crowded hall and the angry glances and comments of the crowd disappeared.
"I have the payment," she said, holding out her parcel.
He accepted the money, slipping it into the pocket of his cloak without giving it a second glance. "Can you join me for dinner in the great hall?"
"No, I can't. Not tonight. I have a huge pile of mending I need to finish before bed." She had agreed several phases ago to meet him for dinner once her debt was done, after she was truly free. She often wondered whether it was anticipation of freedom or the dinner feeding her hurry to pay him back. In her heart she knew it was the dinner. Just him, just her.
"Are you certain?" he asked and eased closer to her. A cook glared at them then hurried on, shaking her head.
Nella lowered her eyes and blushed, fighting the urge to back away. "Yes, I'm sure. I'll finish paying in another phase or two. Surely you can wait that long." His familiar scent, of horses and leather and pipe smoke, made her heart dance.
"I don't want to wait," he whispered in her ear. "Dine with me. Tonight." His breath warmed her cheek. Two young ladies shot dagger glances at Nella and raised their noses in the air, then they, too, were lost to the crowd.
"Oh, Risley," she laughed. "You do this every phase."
"I keep hoping you'll accept," he replied, grinning.
She smiled back. "I will, when my debt's done."
"Promise?"
"I promise. But I have to get this done, really."
"All right." Risley started to take her hand, then seemed to change his mind. "I guess I'll see you next wage day, then, right?"
Nothing could keep her from meeting him again. "Yes."
This time he did take her hand. "I need you to do something for me," he said as he stroked her fingers. It was the first time he had touched her since the journey from Pyrinn.
"What?" she asked, still oblivious to the unpleasant glances and mumbled comments. She could see nothing but him, and that was fine with her.
His fingers stroked hers. They were warm and gentle. Just like she remembered. "Be careful. Please.
Extra
careful."
Everyone had heard about the two dead girls. "I will be careful, don't worry. I promise." As much as she wanted to stay, she had to leave before she added more wood to the rumor fire. "I'll see you next phase, all right?"
He dropped her hand and she
As Otlee left, Dien lumbered into the office and Lars followed.
* * *
Nella finished her collections with minimal fuss. This phase had gleaned her an extra six crown three scepters from her odd jobs. She smiled. It had been a productive phase, and she'd had no deadbeats. She found a quiet, cold table near a sleet-spattered window in the great hall and ignored the people around her. While most gossiped about the murders and ate their supper, Nella stacked and sorted the coins, counted them twice, and tallied the numbers against last phase's total, just as her father had taught her. Smiling at the money, she pushed a wayward strand of dark brown hair behind her ear. She'd netted over eleven crown this phase. Perhaps, if she was lucky, she had only one more phase of debt ahead of her. Only one more phase until freedom. She sighed and watched the sleet for a moment.
She arranged and folded the money in a scrap of cloth, tied it tight, and slipped the whole bundle into her pocket. A bounce in her step and a smile on her face, she pressed through the crowded hall again and went in search of Risley.
She found him on the third floor of the west wing. Risley was tall, dark-haired, and self-assured, understandably popular among the ladies. He headed to the main hall for supper and grinned as soon as he saw her. She smiled back and hurried toward him. She only met him on wage day, and only in public. The comments and gossip were bad enough without adding private meetings to the fire.
Clotting the flow of traffic, they stood facing each other in a crowded hall and the angry glances and comments of the crowd disappeared.
"I have the payment," she said, holding out her parcel.
He accepted the money, slipping it into the pocket of his cloak without giving it a second glance. "Can you join me for dinner in the great hall?"
"No, I can't. Not tonight. I have a huge pile of mending I need to finish before bed." She had agreed several phases ago to meet him for dinner once her debt was done, after she was truly free. She often wondered whether it was anticipation of freedom or the dinner feeding her hurry to pay him back. In her heart she knew it was the dinner. Just him, just her.
"Are you certain?" he asked and eased closer to her. A cook glared at them then hurried on, shaking her head.
Nella lowered her eyes and blushed, fighting the urge to back away. "Yes, I'm sure. I'll finish paying in another phase or two. Surely you can wait that long." His familiar scent, of horses and leather and pipe smoke, made her heart dance.
"I don't want to wait," he whispered in her ear. "Dine with me. Tonight." His breath warmed her cheek. Two young ladies shot dagger glances at Nella and raised their noses in the air, then they, too, were lost to the crowd.
"Oh, Risley," she laughed. "You do this every phase."
"I keep hoping you'll accept," he replied, grinning.
She smiled back. "I will, when my debt's done."
"Promise?"
"I promise. But I have to get this done, really."
"All right." Risley started to take her hand, then seemed to change his mind. "I guess I'll see you next wage day, then, right?"
Nothing could keep her from meeting him again. "Yes."
This time he did take her hand. "I need you to do something for me," he said as he stroked her fingers. It was the first time he had touched her since the journey from Pyrinn.
"What?" she asked, still oblivious to the unpleasant glances and mumbled comments. She could see nothing but him, and that was fine with her.
His fingers stroked hers. They were warm and gentle. Just like she remembered. "Be careful. Please.
Extra
careful."
Everyone had heard about the two dead girls. "I will be careful, don't worry. I promise." As much as she wanted to stay, she had to leave before she added more wood to the rumor fire. "I'll see you next phase, all right?"
He dropped her hand and she
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