Ververe 29th, 1513 – Outskirts of River Sulis, Lothianshire, Albion

Eric stood up as he heard the unfamiliar clatter of horse hooves stopping outside. He was used to hearing them continue on down the street toward Sara-Beth’s by now, but he wasn’t used to hearing the sound of a horse being tied up to his post box. His mouth was a little dry. Johnny might have been a bit more troublesome at home, but Anna-Marie was all spit and spark like her mother without her mother’s natural sense of when to cut it back.

She was absolutely fearless when she thought she was on the right track–and he worried for her so much. His heart leapt a bit higher into his throat when he heard the familiar clatter of slippers running across the front enterway, followed by a slower yet equally familiar gait–Darin’s–following.

About half a heartbeat later, he was sure it was a half, he was paying very close attention, Anna-Marie burst through the door and without even acknowledging him, tore off in the direction of her bedroom, the door shutting with a slam he hadn’t expected to hear for another five years yet.

Darin paused for a moment to shut the front door, but then turned toward Anna-Marie’s room. He glanced down at his hands, obviously avoiding Eric’s eyes, and muttered something that sounded like “Sorry, Mr. Osmont.”

Eric took a moment to remind himself to breath and hurried immediately to Anna-Marie’s door. He hesitated for a moment before knocking. Anna-Marie didn’t say anything, he looked over his shoulder at Darin who shrugged. Eric had always wanted to be a parent who could allow his children as much privacy as he could. But sometimes it was more important to be papa than to be polite.

If his baby-girl was in there crying, then obviously Papa was needed more than the manners his gram had beat into him one ruler across the knuckles at a time. He opened the door. Anna-Marie had flung herself across the bed, her hair like a black waterfall trickling over the edges and falling down toward the floor.

“Little bear?” Eric asked softly. It took about as much time as two blinks for her to push up off the bed and launch herself into his midsection with a thud that knocked the wind out of him. She clung for about an exhale before leaning her head against his torso. His daughter was shivering with reaction and if he was any judge just about to–

She covered her face with hands that shook like dry leaves in a windstorm and sobbed.

“Oh, baby. My little bear, my poor little bear.” He murmured into her soft hair as he squatted down to hold her. “Papa’s here.” He told her. “Whatever it is, it’s okay.”

“He’s dead, Papa! He’s dead!” Anna-Marie sobbed out.

—

Earlier that day.

“Anna-Marie, we can’t just ask!” Elias said tugging on her sleeve, pulling her around to face him. It was the first morning of Hybel break at school and it had dawned hot, muggy, sticky, and a general slice of something that just lacked a few cow demons to make it Hell. And everyone knew that the best way to spend hot, muggy, sticky summer days was fishin’–and everyone equally knew that the best fishin’ was at the pond in the big park that the nobles rode their horse ’round.

Only problem was they weren’t actually supposed to go fish there. It was the nobles park and that was just like the nobles, they didn’t even fish at that pond, but it was theirs and so nobody else was supposed to use it. But she knew–mostly because Sara-Beth had been griping to her mother as they’d done their washing–that Darry was supposed to be going riding at that very park with his friends today.

“What does it hurt to ask?” Anna-Marie asked, looking at Starla and Bronx for confirmation. Starla shrugged. She would, she was terribly wishy-washy, whatever way the tide goes, that was what her mama said. Bronx just looked sad–and scared–and like he was about to cry. She’d mostly invited him along because he looked like was going to cry. And Starla’s bleeding heart started bleeding all over the place as Anna-Marie’s mama liked to put it and she had insisted that they had to make him feel better.

Well, given that he wouldn’t talk about what was wrong–beyond the fact that he was Romeo’s brother–she’d probably be pretty sad if she were related to Romeo too.

“Who is that?” Starla whispered, pointing toward the blonde man who had his back toward them at the moment.

“I think that’s Darin’s friend, Joshua.”

“The baron’s son?” Elias squeaked.

“Don’t. Be. A. Chicken.” Anna-Marie said. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

“Huh?” All three of the others looked at her in puzzlement.

“I think it means if you don’t try, you won’t get anything.” Anna-Marie said after a long moment.

“Where did you hear it said that way though?” Bronx asked. Anna-Marie thought for a moment. Where did she hear that said? She just remembered hearing it somewhere and she thought some lady had said it.

“Dunno. Look, they’re done talking, now let’s ask before they leave. The worst that can happen is they say no. And ‘sides, Elias, the only way to get permission to go fish in the nobles’ pond is to ask a noble, and I dunno about you, but I don’t know that many nobles.” Elias didn’t look convinced, then again he usually didn’t look convinced by Anna-Marie’s logic, but they moved up toward where Darry and the blonde man that Anna-Marie thought was Lord Joshua stood.

“Hey, guys.” Darry said with a smile.

“So, um, are you gonna go ride horses?” Anna-Marie asked looking over at the two saddled horses picketed by the street.

“I believe that was the plan.” Darry told her. “Why?” Darry was probably one of those people that her mama would say knew her too well–whatever that meant.

“Cause I was wonderin’–we wanna go fishin’.” Anna-Marie offered.

“Uh-huh.” The corner of Darry’s lips was poking up as if he were starting to smile a little.

“An’ you know that the best fishin’ is at that pond on the riding grounds.” She added in a hurry.

“It is?” Lord Joshua asked, his voice bewildered. Darry nodded with a smirk. “And you know this how?”

“A holdover of a misspent youth.” Darry shrugged with a grin. “Anyway, your point?”

“Mama says we’re not ‘posed to go without permission of a noble–and Mister Lord Joshua is a nobleman, right?” Anna-Marie shot a look at Lord Joshua who–rather like Darry–looked like he was trying to keep from laughing.

“So what you want is permission to go fish there?” Darry asked, his eyebrow arched upward. Anna-Marie nodded so fast her hair bounced and made weird little noises when it hit the back of her dress.

“I don’t see why not.” Lord Joshua drawled. “Seems like you are the only people fishing that pond anyway.” He winked at Anna-Marie who blushed for some silly reason. “I’ll let the caretaker know that you and your friends have permission and not to run you off if they see you there.”

A whole summer of the best fishing in the whole town and even Anna-Marie’s mama couldn’t argue with it. Anna-Marie threw her arms around Lord Joshua’s middle and gave him a tight hug. It sorta felt like he had several rocks shoved into the front of his shirt, it was that firm.

“Anna-Marie!” Elias hissed. “You’re hugging the baron’s son!” Anna-Marie blushed again and quickly withdrew. Lord Joshua just laughed.

“Seeing as we’re all going the same direction.” Lord Joshua said after ruffling Anna-Marie’s hair. “Why don’t we all just go together.”

“I can’t walk as fast as a horse.” Elias muttered toward his shoes.

“We’ll walk the horses and you guys can ride.” Lord Joshua said as their eyes all lit up.

—

Anna-Marie grinned as she grabbed a worm and skewered the squirmy thing on her hook. Darry’s friend, Brandon shook his head. “What?” Lord Joshua asked from where he letting his horse drink out of the pond by where Anna-Marie stood.

“Just I have a little sister about Miss Anna-Marie’s age and I could never imagine her–ever–under any circumstances touching a worm, let alone skimming it onto a hook.”

“How does she fish?” Bronx asked.

“She’s a lady, I think my mother would have apoplexy and die if her daughters–any of them–ever fished.” Brandon said as Darry and Josh laughed.

“Well then, tell Marianne she needs to take up fishing, maybe between the poker and the fishing your mother will have that fit. Not that I wish her dead–but Sara-Beth says that sometimes apoplexy can cause people to be struck dumb–which I might wish on your mother–it would keep her from constantly calling me “the scholarship boy” like it’s my name.” Darin leaned against the black horse that Starla and Bronx had ridden up on.

“Somehow I don’t see it.” Brandon said. “But speaking of Marianne. She wanted me to tell you that she hoped Elizabet was feeling better.” Lord Joshua blinked and stared at Brandon.

“Feeling better?” Lord Joshua asked, sounding bewildered.

“Aye, your father sent over a servant that said that Elizabet was feeling under the weather and so they’d have to cancel their ride this morning.” Brandon told him.

“Bet was feeling fine, in fact she left at the same time I did.” Lord Joshua said.

“I saw the boy myself and heard the message. It was the little dark-haired boy your mother usually uses as a page.” Brandon said.

Obviously paying more attention to the conversation behind him than his fishing pole, Elias managed to hook his shirt collar with the hook and yank himself over. “Do not tell your brother about this.” He said, brushing off his butt and glaring at Bronx, who dropped his eyes to his shoes, looking about like he was going to cry again.

“I don’t tell my brother nothin’.” He muttered. “And I certainly wouldn’t tell him nothin’ that’d let him make fun of me or nobody else.” Elias glanced down at his own shoes and muttered something like “sorry” to them.

Starla, who actually was making the best accounting of herself–even if Anna-Marie would almost have pegged her the kind of lady that Brandon said his sister was–reached out and patted Bronx’s shoulder.

“Why would my father send a servant over to your house that Bet was sick, though, if she’s not?” Lord Joshua had about enough time to wonder before he heard it–they all heard it. The sound of a girl’s terrified scream and just the time to take a breath later, a sharp crack of thunder close, very, very close.

“Elizabet!” Lord Joshua screamed, a look of horror shot across his face as rain seemed to be ripped from the sky.

—

Later

“Who is dead?” Eric asked, stroking Anna-Marie’s hair and rubbing her shaking shoulders. One of her friends? Someone Darin knew? Who?

“The–the man from church.” Anna-Marie said. “On Sunday. The man who was with the Baron at church.”

Tyves 16th, 1513 – River Sulis, Lothianshire, Albion

The big iron gate squealed as Anna-Marie pushed against it, sending up a tortured sounding shriek. And of course with the dusk had come a summer storm, which was building up fog like some giant blowing smoke rings. She bit her lip and tried to orient herself. She didn’t come here very often. She didn’t have any reason to.

She knew–at least in daylight–how to get to where Cookie and Ayla were, Darry had brought her a couple of times. And once, just once, Elias had brought her to see his mama. Anna-Marie shivered as a cool breeze made it’s way up her back, or maybe it was the way that same breeze stirred the fog.

There was a lantern at every crossroads. And there was a statue of some sort, with lanterns by Elias’ mama, so, hopefully she wouldn’t lose her way. Oh, why couldn’t she have just told Mama or Papa where she thought Elias was and let them go try and find him. Because this was her fault and it was too like what Romeo’d do to just drop fixing it into someone else’s lap.

She sucked in a deep breath, her head twisting around. She wasn’t scared–or at least until an owl hooted, somewhere out there in the dark, and she jumped. Maybe a little scared. And grass rattled behind her and she was lost.

“Yer alright, sweetie.” A voice seemed to say from somewhere out there in the mist. But she didn’t see anything. “Just head up th’ rise there an ye’ll see the lanterns.” It was a strange voice, sorta like someone whispering in her ear, sorta like someone speaking in her head.

It couldn’t be anything too bad. This was a churchyard and the Lord Wright wouldn’t let anything bad happen to anyone in a churchyard. So, maybe–well, if the lady was right, there’d be light ahead and she could see, and if she wasn’t then Anna-Marie could just turn right around and walk back down the rise and find the path again.

Easy, right? Again there was a feeling of something out there in the mist, like an arm settling around her shoulder, a smell like warm baking bread and cinnamon and–floor wax? But she still couldn’t see anything. But she squared her shoulders and marched up the rise that voice had wanted her to climb and yes, right there, ahead was some sort of statue. A big crescent moon with lanterns hanging off it under a big old weeping willow tree. And just off in the mist she could see the statue of St. Vivian.

Anna-Marie thought she knew where she was now and the feeling, the smell started to float away into the mist, with one last ghostly sensation of someone smoothing her hair back. “Thank you.” She whispered to whatever it had been with her.

She walked a little closer to the moon-statue-thing. “Who’s there?” A suspicious voice called out, sharp and much more sim than what had been with her in the dark and the mist. And it was a familiar one.

“Elias?” She asked, peering around the moon statue.

“What do y’want?” He sounded near as sullen as Romeo. To make this right. She thought. Because nobody should be out here in the mist. Not when they could be home with their family snug in their house.

“I wanted to ‘pologize.” She told him, though he didn’t move.

“How’d you know I’d be here.” He asked, staring up at the sky.

“Cause your mama’s here?” Anna-Marie bit her lip. “I wanted my mama and papa tonight too an’ Romeo was a lot meaner to you.”

“My papa doesn’t care.” Elias said.

“Elias Butcher, don’t be a stupid-head. I knewed you were missin’ cause your papa came to our house looking for you, an’ your step-mama too.” Anna-Marie planted her hands on her hips and glared at him.

“My papa came to your house?” Elias said, his voice cracking a little. “I don’t believe you!” He added a moment later, loud, it seemed to bounce off the mist and the trees. Anna-Marie took a deep breath, getting ready to shout him down. Maybe she was dumb and this was her fault, but Elias was being dumb too.

“Anna-Marie!” Her mama called from somewhere in the mist behind us.

“Elias, oh, Wright you scared me.” Elias’ papa said, pounding up out of the fog, Mrs. Butcher hard on his heels. “What were you thinking?” If he still thought that his papa didn’t care about him, Anna-Marie would give him such a piece of her mind.

“‘M sorry, papa.” He said, face crumpling. “I didn’t mean to make you worry. Y’shouldn’t haveta worry ’bout me.”

“‘Course I’m gonna worry about ye, Elias.” Mr. Butcher knelt next to Elias who buried his face in his hands. Maybe this was what Romeo didn’t understand, maybe the Lord Wright had made it so people could cry for a reason. Because sometimes you were hurt and the hurt needed to get out somehow. “Ye’re my son.”

“But you have Kian now.” Elias whimpered.

“That doesn’t change what I have with ye, Elias. You will always be my son, even when I’m old and totterin’ around on a cane and ye are too.” Mr. Butcher pulled Elias against him as the sky started to cry too. “Ye’re stuck with me worrin’ ’bout you.”

“Papa,” He shook his head and started to try and pull away from his papa, but Elias’ papa was smarter than that, or maybe he’d just figured out he’d forgotten one too many hugs because he just pulled Elias closer.

“Why would you run off, Elias?” Mr. Butcher asked as Elias sniffled and sobbed into his hands.

“Cause Romeo said you don’t love me no more cause you’ve got the twins.” Elias sobbed out and that seemed all he could sob out because he became incoherent after that. Anna-Marie swallowed hard.

“Romeo? Romeo Rose from next door? Why would he tell you that?” Mr. Butcher asked.

“Cause I told his papa that he’d been teasing Elias an’ callin’ him a crybaby.” Anna-Marie said, dinner and guilt swirling together and trying to climb up her throat from her tummy. “An’ Guardsman Rose told Romeo he had to do double chores til Hybel cause he’d been being a bully an’ so Romeo come out and told us that of course we’d tattle cause you don’t love Elias no more with Kian and Violet ’round.”

“And he didn’t say anything to you?” Mr. Butcher asked.

“He didn’t get the chance, Anna-Marie punched him in the face ‘fore he could.” Elias muttered to his hands. Elias’ papa stared hard at Anna-Marie for a moment, before stroking Elias’ hair.

“Well, Romeo is wrong, Elias. I love ye so much and I wouldn’t never fergive m’self if anything happened to ye. Never.” Mr. Butcher said. “An’ I suppose I deserve ye thinkin’ ye couldn’t tell me ’bout Romeo.” He shook his head “But why didn’t ye tell Star. I thought–,” He trailed off looking at his wife.

“She isn’t my mama.” Elias reminded him.

“Well, no, she’s not. But.” Mr. Butcher sighed.

“An’ if I start thinkin’ about her like a mama, won’t I forget my mama?” Elias asked.

“Oh, Elias. No, ye won’t forget yer mama. She’s in here.” He put his hand over Elias’ heart. “An’ she’ll always be there. She’s there in ye an’ in Marina an’ she’ll be there whenever you need her. But sometimes…” He trailed off again.

“Sometimes you need a friend, eh?” Mrs. Butcher said, speaking for the first time. “An’ if you need a friend, you can come to me anytime, okay?” Elias nodded. Mrs. Butcher leaned down and gave him a quick hug. “Now, at the risk of sounding like a mama, it’s raining and this mist is getting mistier by the moment an’ we should all get home before we’re soaked to the bone.”

Mr. Butcher put an arm around Elias’ shoulder and lead him off into the gloom, Mrs. Butcher close by the other side. “Papa Bear is right.” Anna-Marie’s mama said. “We can’t fault your heart. But sometimes, me lass, I wonder ’bout your brains.” She ruffled Anna-Marie’s hair before they too walked off into the mist.

—

Tyves 18th, 1513

“Colby!” Eve gave him an enthusiastic, just shy of bone crushing hug. “I was beginning to think you were a figment of my imagination. Reggie says you come by, but it’s always when I’m at lessons.”

“Sorry, Eve. When you’re at lessons is when I can get away.” Colby told his baby sister.

“You could bring the kids with you. I can play with them while you talk with Reggie.” Eve told him with a light poke in the torso. While Eve was a ball of energy, a comet of laughter and warmth that could light up any room, attention pretty much always settled on the man on the other side of the desk.

Even just sitting casually, white shirt stretched taut over broad cafe au lait shoulders, energy seemed to pulse and swirl around him. There really was no question as to how Reggie could hold an empire the size he did, five minutes in his company would tell you that even if Miguel, Captain of the idiots as well as the Guard of River Sulis always wondered it.

Colby could have told him, of course, but he chose to not remind people that he and Reggie were related. Miguel would either question Colby’s loyalty–or he’d come up with some moronic plan for how to use Colby against his brother.

“So what does bring you here?” Eve flounced into one of the ornate chairs on this side of the desk.

“Well… I need advice.” Colby admitted to his hands. And he might be a man grown with four children, but he still came to his elder brother when he needed it.

“Divorce your wife and set your eldest son up as a cabin boy under a captain with a hard reputation, I know a few, if you’d like some recommendations.” Reggie said with a smirk.

“Ha. Ha. Ha.” Colby snorted sarcastically.

“Well, I think it’s good advice.” Reggie sending a wink to Eve.

“Romi would never forgive me if I sent Romeo away.” Colby said.

“He’d come back–hopefully with some sort of better perspective and a work ethic. And maybe not be such a little brat.” Reggie told him, thoughtfully. “But what did you need advice on?”

“Well, Romeo–actually. The Osmonts little girl, Anna?” Colby frowned that didn’t sound quite right.

“Anna-Marie.” He should have known that Reggie would know. He probably knew the name of every chicken in River Sulis, let alone ever child.

“Aye. Anna-Marie dragged the Butcher boy over to my house on Saturday. Romeo’s apparently been bullying the kid something fierce. And don’t say you told me so. I know you did.”

“When do I ever say I told you so?” Reggie asked with a quirked eyebrow. Okay, well, he didn’t say he told you so, even when he had. With Colby he didn’t have to. Colby was so used to hearing it from his wife that even if no one else said it, he still knew it.

“I made him apologize to the boy and gave him extra chores for a couple months in hopes that that might straighten him out–just a little.” Colby sighed. “But right after I gave him the punishment, he went outside and picked another fight with Elias.” Reggie shook his head. “But he might have bit off more than he could chew, because he did come back in the house with a bloody nose.”

“Elias Butcher gave Romeo a bloody nose?” Eve asked, sounding startled. How would–oh, yeah, Marina, Elias’s older sister was old enough to run in the same crowd that Eve did. She probably knew the kid enough to know that it was highly unlikely. Colby couldn’t claim to know either kid well, he didn’t have any children Marina’s age and quite obviously Elias wasn’t one of Romeo’s regular cronies.

“No. I’m pretty sure the bloody nose probably came from Anna-Marie.” Reggie said with a wry chuckle. “The Osmont girl is a spit-fire if nothing else.”

“Oh.” Eve said with a nod.

“So obviously taking the trash out every night isn’t going to solve the problem.” Colby sighed. “But hell if I know what to do with him that might make him see the error of his ways.”

“You could send him over here.” Reggie told him.

“Even if Romi wouldn’t flip, I’m not sure that Romeo would see that as a punishment.” Colby told him. Thinking back to all the times he had heard Romeo lording it over other children that his uncle was Reginald Rose.

“He’d probably get it soon enough if I have him helping old Ed spread manure in the flowerbeds and he gets stuck polishing the marble.” Reggie said.

“I dunno, Reg. Romeo seems to think that he’s gonna grow up to be just like you some day. Not me, slaving away at the city guard with nothing to show for it.”

“Because your wife doesn’t understand the concept of a budget.” It was Eve who said that, but still Colby winced.

“Still, he thinks being–what you are is–flashy.” Colby said with a sigh.

“He’ll never be what I am, unless he changes his personality entirely. And quite honestly I wouldn’t hire him, even as a grunt, with any personality I see him growing. But you’re right that we need to do something because I can think of a few people who would love to put one in your eye and mine by hiring him on.” Reggie folded his hands before standing up and heading over to pour himself some wine.

“I know what we do.” Eve said with a grin. “We do like Reggie suggested and have him come over to sweep floors and polish the marble and spread the manure and what not. And then we don’t bother hiding all the disreputable characters that Reggie has to deal with on a day to day basis from him like usual.”

“It’s partially our fault that he thinks it’s so glamorous to be–whatever Reggie is.” Eve sighed. “We have tried our best to hide the bad parts from the kids, you just still try and hide the worst parts from me when you can.” Colby and Reggie shared a shrug. “But if he sees some of the absolutely creepy guys who waltz in and out of this office, maybe he’ll see it’s not all sunshine and roses.”

“Maybe.” Colby said dubiously. “Romi won’t like it though.”

“Well, tell her if she’d discipline your kid then you wouldn’t have to send him to me.” Reggie told Colby flatly. Colby sighed. “It’s part of being a parent–or at least acting in a parental capacity.”

“Speaking of things parents have to do that aren’t fun, Reggie, you still haven’t told me if I can go to Lady Elizabet’s birthday party with Darin yet.”

“Darin–Sara-Beth’s Darin?”

“Aye.” Reggie and Eve nodded. “Darin seems to have gotten some sort of in with the baron’s son.” Reggie shrugged.

“Aye, I figured as much when Darin got caught on a pub crawl with Lord Joshua. But–still–Darin?”

“What’s wrong with Darin?” Eve asked planting her hands on her hips.

“Well, you’ve gotta admit, Eve, this family hasn’t had the best of luck, romantically speaking, with that family.  And Darin is Sara-Beth’s brother through and through.” Colby sighed.

“It’s an invitation to a fancy dress party not a marriage proposal.” Eve tossed her head.

“I don’t know why you’re waiting for me to say yes, even if I said no, you’d just poke me til I said yes, so aye, you can go with Darin to the party.”

“Goody. Tell Romeo to be over after school tomorrow.” Eve said skipping toward the painting that hid a door between Reggie’s office and the private family portion of the house.

“That girl.” Colby sighed.

“Meh, she keeps me on my toes.” Reggie said. “And she’s a good kid.” Colby nodded and wished, just for a moment, whatever magic Reggie possessed, that it would be enough to make his son into what anyone would call a good kid.

Tyves 16th, 1513 – Outskirts of River Sulis, Lothianshire, Albion

This is all my fault. Anna-Marie thought as she shoved the door open and spilled herself out into the dying summer sunlight. What if something happened to him? She thought she knew where Elias was, but what if he wasn’t there? She picked up her skirts to run just a little faster. She had to find him!

—

Earlier that morning…

“Climb up my apple tree. Slide down my rainbow into my cellar door.” Elias was better at clapping games than Gretchen was, but not quite as good as Starla. Of course there were all sorts of boys who would give him all sorts of hell if he ever played clapping games at school, so usually Anna-Marie had to make due with Gretchen. Boys were supposed to play boys games. And girls were supposed to play girl games. And the less they had to do with each other the better.

Which was dumb to Anna-Marie, all you had to do was look at the older kids, holding hands in the schoolyard or trying to sneak off to go snog in the woods to know that while apparently boys and girls were supposed to find each other icky, it would only be a few years before you went from supposedly gross boys trying to scare you with frogs (was it weird that Anna-Marie sorta liked frogs?) to no longer gross boys trying to stick their tongues in your mouth. That sounded a lot more icky than the frogs to Anna-Marie.

But the older girls didn’t mind, so as weird as the whole tongue thing seemed to be, apparently you got over it.

Anna-Marie was glad that Elias had come over to play today. Something was going on, she could see him at the edge of the boys’ area of the playground, by the “castle” and the monkey bars–which the Reman kids sometimes called the Albion bridge for whatever reason–hands clenched into fists, or slumped against a tree staring at his shoes.

But she couldn’t go over to the boy’s section and pester whatever it was out of him, even if Elias had been her friend since they were both in nappies. Even Anna-Marie had some basic idea of the playground rules, even if she didn’t like most of them.

Still, now they weren’t on the playground and she could pester him as much as she she wanted to. Now she just needed an opening.

Anna-Marie realized someone one was coming up behind her right before she heard shoes hitting the paving stones. Elias’ sorta cringed and took his eyes away from the game.

“Are you playing a clapping game?” Like a girl?” A sneering voice that made Anna-Marie’s teeth grit. “Like a baby?”

“I am a girl, Romeo.” Anna-Marie got to her feet and dusted back of her dress off.

“He ain’t.” Romeo Rose, the bane of the classroom and playground, was still sneering when he walked around Anna-Marie  and pushed Elias in the chest. “Unless you’re still in nappies under that.” He pushed Elias again.

“I’m not in nappies!” Elias protested.

“Of course you ain’t.” Anna-Marie agreed. What kinda butthead was Romeo anyway? How did it make you flashy to do something as stupid as accuse someone of still wearing diapers? “But Romeo might be.”

The two boys looked at Anna-Marie in near identical confusion. “He might?”

“Well, he probably hasn’t got the brains to hit the pot.” Anna-Marie crossed her arms over her chest. “My mama says some of the really addle-pated people at the hospitals wear nappies.”

“What do you know about brains, you’re a girl?” Romeo’s sneer returned.

“I know lotsa girls with brains, Romeo Rose. Enough to know if you got any, they’re drowning in stupid an’ mean.” Anna-Marie told the other boy.

“Leave Anna-Marie alone.” Elias said as Romeo reared back like he was about to hit her. “Nobody wants you here, Romeo.”

“Yeah, cause I’m a boy an’ all that’s ‘llowed around is girls an’ babies.” Romeo said, giving Elias another shove before putting moose ears above his head and wagging his butt back and forth like a dog. Anna-Marie was half tempted to tell him that–or to give him another Sminese burn–and still deciding which it was when he shoved Elias a third time. “Cry-crybaby-cry cry.” He sing-songed before running off the way he came.

“I ain’t a crybaby!” Elias called after him, though his voice was cracking all over the place and he sounded like he might cry any minute. Stupid Romeo. Anna-Marie scowled for a moment. She gave him a hug. Even if that was kinda a girl thing to do.

“Romeo’s got pigeon poop in his head.” Elias didn’t even smile at that. “Didja see it, last rainstorm, he was on the castle playin’ and he went and tried to run across the playground and slid on the mud under the monkey bars.”

“Yeah. I saw. But doesn’t matter how many times he shows he’s a big dummy, people still laugh at him.” Elias muttered toward his shoes.

“Aye, they laugh at him. My grampa says people do two kindsa laughin’ at people. They laugh with ‘em, cause they’re funny or clever or whatevernot, or they laugh at ‘em. Which is cause they think they’re all flashy an’ clever.” Anna-Marie told him. “I’m pretty sure that they’re mostly laughin’ at Romeo.” That got her no response other than a slight shrug of the shoulders. Okay, different tactic. She thought.

“Hey, Elias?”

“What?”

“You ever heard the Reman kids callin’ the monkey bars an Albion bridge?” He nodded. “You know why they call it that?” She bit her lip.

“No.”

“Phooey.” Anna-Marie said.

“They’re saying people from Albion aren’t smart enough to walk on their feet.” Anna-Marie’s mother said from behind her. “What was going on out here?” Anna Marie looked at Elias who ducked his head.

“It was jist big dumb Romeo, being a dummy.” Anna-Marie said.

“Elias?” Mama asked the boy. “Is something wrong?” He shook his head fast. “Would you like to stay for lunch?” He shook his head again. “My papa’ll expect me home for lunch.” He said. “I’ll see you later, Anna-Marie.” He said before he ran off toward his house.

—

“You should tell somebody.” Anna-Marie told Elias looking up at him from the front porch at the Butcher’s home.

“That’s tattling.” Elias kicked the base of one of the stone columns. “Besides, who would I tell?”

“What about your papa?” Anna-Marie asked. He shook his head.

“He’s too busy at the shop to bother with something as dumb as this.” Elias told her. “An–” he stopped with a shrug.

“Well, then what about your…” It occurred to her after it was half out of her mouth and too late to shove it back inside that it was the wrong thing to say. That that was what his eyes had been begging her not to bring up. He took off into the house. Her manners warred for a moment with her desire to fix what her mouth had gotten her into. She hadn’t, strictly speaking, been invited in, but she wasn’t gonna let that stop her as she clambered up onto the porch and tore off toward Elias’ room after him.

Elias was standing by the quilt that his mother had made him his head bowed and face buried in his hands.

“Elias?” Anna-Marie asked.

“She’s not my mama, Anna-Marie! I don’t got a mama no more!” He sobbed into his hands. “An’ Romeo’s right. I am a crybaby.”

“You ain’t. I’d cry to if my mama were gone.”

“You’re a girl.” 

“Y’think?” Anna-Marie growled at little tired of everyone pointing that out. Her being a girl had about as much relevance in this situation as the price of tea in Smina did. “Are you really gonna listen to a dummy like Romeo? An’ even if your step-mama ain’t your mama, she likes you. She’d help.”

“She’s too busy with the twins to care about me.” Elias told her. That didn’t sound right. His half brother and sister were about the same age as Johnny and as far as Anna-Marie could tell, about a quarter of the trouble. Not one in all the times she’d come and visited the Butchers had she seen either Kian or Violet running around naked as a jaybird swinging their braises over their head.

Mrs. Butcher always had time to offer Anna-Marie a shortbread and some tea and ask how things were going. But sometimes things looked different than they were. Darry and Sara-Beth were always happy when they’d come for dinner, but she knew that her mama was worried about Sara-Beth and that Darry and Sara-Beth fought a lot. Maybe this was kinda sorta the same thing.

Okay, if telling somebody wasn’t gonna help, she needed another plan.

“Well, if we can’t tell your mama and papa–” She leaned over and whispered her plan in Elias’ ear.

—

“I got a bad feeling about this,” Elias said.

“I don’t care if you’re a girl or a cry baby, but if you’re gonna be a chicken, we’re gonna have words.” Anna-Marie pushed open the heavy metal gate her slippers seeming to echo back at her from the walls of the little hallway that lead to a second metal gate.

“Anna-Marie.”

“Come! on!” Anna-Marie told him as they stepped into the courtyard of the house. Still, she did sort of wonder at her own daring as they approached the wooden door. “It is this one, isn’t it?”

“I dunno. Maybe we shouldn’t…”

“Unless some sort of wicked witch lives in the wrong side of the house an’ is gonna eat us if we knock on the wrong door, they’ll just tell us to go next door.” Anna Marie told him, squaring up her shoulders and rapping on the door. Her papa had told her that Romeo’s papa was a guardsman, that should’ve made him a good person. Hopefully he’d give them the chance to explain.

A moment later, a man in a dark suit opened the door and stepped out into the courtyard. “Mister–er–are you Guardsman Rose?”

“Aye.” Guardsman Rose looked puzzled for a short moment, then his face cleared. “You’d be Elias Butcher–and you’d be… Raven and Eric’s little girl, wouldn’t you?”

“Aye, sir.” Anna-Marie said. Elias didn’t say anything.

“Well, Miss Osmont, what can I do for you?” If that wasn’t an opening, she’d eat her best sunhat. And she told him. Told him about how Romeo had been bullying Elias–how he’d come over seemingly only to tease them–about how he was being a general jerk. And if her voice shook, just a little, as she told it. Well, she was a fairly newly minted eight.

“Please, come inside and sit. I’m going to go get Romeo.” Guardsman Rose said at the end of Anna-Marie’s recitation. Was that good or bad? Anna Marie bit her lip but headed into the cool interior of the house with Elias trailing reluctantly after her as Guardsman Rose headed up the stairs.

She moved over to the whitewashed wood sofa with the orange cushion and sat down with an experimental bounce. Elias, she noticed, was sitting on one of the chairs by the door.

“I’m pretty sure–cause we were invited in–that we can come in a bit further than that.” Anna-Marie told him. He hadn’t said a word since she’d opened the courtyard gate. That–wasn’t good was it?

He slid off the chair and–slunk–more than walked to the sofa before sitting down next to her with obvious reluctance.

“What do you think is gonna happen?” Elias whispered.

“Um, dunno.” Anna-Marie said, then a moment later, the door opened. Guardsman Rose walked in with Romeo trailing behind him rather as Elias had trailed behind Anna-Marie.

“These two children have just been telling me about your behavior at school, Romeo.”

“They’re lyin’.”

“I bet they’re not.” Romeo’s papa said with a shake of his head.

“Why would you believe them rather th’n me?” Romeo asked sullenly.

“Because I didn’t say what they’d been telling me. It could have been good. But if you’d been being good, you wouldn’t have immediately told me they were lying.” The guardsman told his son.

“Ma says you’re not ‘posed to use that trickery guardsman stuff on us.” Romeo said.

“Well, then I guess your mother will just yell at me.” Guardsman Rose said flatly. “Have you been bullying kids and teasing them, Romeo.”

“No! It ain’t bein’ a bully to tell a crybaby he’s bein’ one. That’s what ma calls speakin’ plain.”

“That may be what your mother calls speaking plain, but I call it being a bully and as long as you live under my roof you’ll abide my rules as well as your mother’s.”

“Ma says…” Romeo trailed off as he looked at his father’s face. “What do I haveta do?”

“Apologize to Elias and stop doing it for a start.” The guardsman said.

“‘M sorry.” Romeo said to Elias. “I won’t do that no more. G’me a shake on it?” Elias looked at Anna-Marie who nodded and slid off the couch. The two boys shook.

“Anna-Marie! Elias!” Romeo called as they were walking away from the house. He ran up the corridor after them. “Thanks, you stupid tattling crybabies! Now ‘m gonna have to do double chores until Hybel all cause you had to tell my pa cause you can’t take a joke.”

She probably should’ve guessed. As her gramama liked to say “a tabby cat can’t change it’s stripes.” A bully like Romeo would probably always be a bully.

“A course you’d come tell my pa, y’ain’t got no ma, no more an’ yer pa prob’ly don’t love you no more cause he gots yer sibs to love.” Romeo sneered at Elias. “An’ you–” he started to turn to Anna-Marie but got no further.

His eyes were huge as he touched under his nose where Anna-Marie had hit him and he stared at the blood on his finger tips.

“You hit me.” He whispered as if amazed that she would have done any such thing. “I’m gonna tell my ma.”

“Then you’ll be the tattler.” Anna-Marie did her best to match Romeo’s sneer, even though it sort of made her feel slimy on the inside. “Just go put a cold wet rag on it and you’ll be fine.”

He ran back in the house and Anna-Marie turned to see if Elias was alright. He’d run to the end of the house already, head and shoulders slumped.

“I’m sorry, Elias.” Anna-Marie said.

“I have to go.” Elias told her trudging away toward his house. Anna-Marie kicked herself and headed toward her house, this whole thing had gone bad.

She’d confessed her crimes to her father upon getting home. About dragging Elias to the Roses–about talking with Romeo–even about punching him in the nose. Papa had told her that her heart had been in the right place, but that she really needed to learn that not all problems could be solved with a Sminese burn or a punch in the nose and had forgiven her, just this once, for trying to solve it that way.

“You can’t fault her heart.” Papa had told her mama when her mama got home after work.

But then things went from bad to worse, because they hadn’t hardly gotten finished with supper when the Butchers knocked on the door asking if Anna-Marie knew where Elias was. And she betted she did. But the question was–was she right?

Darid 1, 1513 – River Sulis, Lothianshire, Albion

“Mama!” Raven tried to ignore her daughter for a moment as she juggled two bottles of hard cider and a plate of rarebit around the chair and onto the table. “Mama, he’s doing it again!”

“Is he still wearing clothes?” Raven asked cracking the cap off the bottle on the table.

“…Aye.” Anna-Marie said from her place somewhere behind Raven’s left shoulder.

“Unless he’s naked or the house is on fire, mama isn’t home right now, baby.” She handed the bottle to her companion with a sigh.

“Don’t chew on my dolls, Johnny.” Anna-Marie scolded. Johnny made a petulant whimper.

“Share your toys, Anna-Marie.” Raven told her without looking as she cracked open the second cider.

“Mama’s not home right now so I can be mean to my brother.” Anna-Marie told her smartly, before giving a little humph. “Here, take this one, you already chewed on it.” Raven shook her head and looked at Sara-Beth who was leaning back in her chair as if her back hurt. It probably did, if Sara-Beth was anything like her, her feet hurt, her back hurt, her shoulders and arms hurt. The nuns had run them both since before dawn that morning.

“Little brothers.” Sara-Beth took a long draw off the cider and sighed.

“Yours driving you nuts again?” Raven asked, taking a drink herself before settling the bottle between her knees and squirming down a little further into the chair.

“He told me last night that it’s better for him to quit school and start bringing in money before I work myself into an early grave than for him to keep on with his schooling.” Sara-Beth shook her head, a few more strands escaping her crown braids and falling into her face.

“Well, not to side with Darin, but you do sorta look like shit warmed over, SB.” Raven shrugged. Sara-Beth looked past her shoulder at the kids on the floor. “Don’t worry about it, they’re my kids. Nobody can yell at me.”

“Except your husband.” Sara-Beth pointed out.

“Okay, Eric can yell at me. But he won’t. I yell back and I’m louder.” Raven grinned at her friend. Sara-Beth’s smile was tired. She was only a couple of years older than Raven was, but right now the gap seemed larger. It only made sense though. Raven was lucky, while her mum and dad were up in Avilion, they were still both alive, she had sibs and so did Eric they could ship Anna-Marie and Johnny off to when they got to be too much or they just needed a holiday. With what Eric’s carpentry shop brought in, she could afford to take less hours at the hospital.

Sara-Beth’s parents and her step-father were all dead and she only had Darin, who pitched in as much as she would let him, but if Sara-Beth was anything, it was pig-headedly stubborn, and so as much as she would let him was not nearly as much as he was willing to do. Raven snuck a glance at Sara-Beth’s profile.

“I want him to get that education. Why doesn’t he understand that?” Sara-Beth sighed and drew another long swallow.

“Because he’s a boy.” Raven offered. “Even Anna-Marie knows at her age that boys can be dumb as rocks sometimes.” Anna-Marie giggled. “Seriously, though, Sara-Beth, you raised a good kid there. Good kids are not likely to sit on their thumbs when they can be doing more to help. And he wants to help you.”

“Well, he can help me more sticking it out one more year, getting his education finished, and getting a job doing something that pays well.” Sara-Beth picked up a toast corner and nibbling it.

“I don’t blame him for wanting out of there. He has to put up with Brother Loki every morning, I’d rather be stuck on morgue duty in high summer during a plague than have to face him very often.” Raven shrugged and reached for a toast corner herself.

“I could understand if his reasons were something like that.” Sara-Beth told her. “I wouldn’t let him quit, but I could understand. No, he wants to quit because of me. I am giving him a chance that not a lot of people get and he’s trying to throw it back in my face.”

“Oh, woe is you. You have a brother who cares about you. Who doesn’t want your gift of education, room, board and et cetera at the expense of your health. Whatever shall you do?” Sara-Beth looked at her sourly. “Most people can’t do it all on their own.”

“Well, I don’t have anyone to fall back on.” Sara-Beth said.

“You could.”

“Oh, do not.” Sara-Beth scowled. “Raven, I do not need the hassle of a love-affair on top of everything else.”

“What hassle, Sara-Beth?” Raven asked.

“Besides I don’t have enough time to sleep where would I find enough time for a romance?” Sara-Beth leaned back in her chair with a sound somewhere between a groan and a sigh.

“And you wonder why your brother wants to quit school.” Raven pointed out ruthlessly.

“Besides, guys aren’t exactly lining up around the block with roses for me. As you, yourself, pointed out, I look like shit warmed over.” Sara-Beth was perfectly capable of being equally ruthless back.

“I know somebody who’d love a chance with you, as long as you’re still breathing he’d take you back.”

“Raven, no, no. No.” The other woman folded her lips. “And a couple more nos for good measure.”

“Sara-Beth,” Raven began.

“No. What’s between Reggie and me is in the past. It’s history. And as the priests like to quote Father Hugh as having said “those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.” I like to think I’m smarter than that.”

“Sara-Beth, he loves you. He still loves you. He’ll love you when you’re both old and gray and crippled up on canes. No matter how many busty, beautiful women come in the intervening time.” Raven bit her lip. If Raven had been in possession of a magic wand that she could wave and suddenly fix all the things that she thought needed fixing, which would probably take more power than was possessed by the Emerys and even Morgan le Fay, she would start with fixing that.

“Except neither of us will live anywhere near that long. I’ll work myself to death and his ‘work’ will catch up with him.” Sara-Beth told her bluntly. Now it was Raven’s turn to make a sour face and glare across the distance between the two chairs.

“You wouldn’t have to work so hard if you had someone to fall back on, and maybe he could get out of the business if he had you.” Raven offered.

“The only way you get out of the business is by dying, besides, in case you’ve forgotten, he “had” me once.” Sara-Beth rubbed at her hand staring straight ahead of her.

“Yeah, but he was young and dumb then.” Raven offered.

“And he’s older and still dumb now.” Sara-Beth snapped. Sometimes watching Sara-Beth was like watching someone bricking themselves into a cellar. All of those walls weren’t going to protect her, they were just going to keep people out. And maybe those were people who she would miss or people that she would never get to know, but her life would have been so much richer for having known them. Shutting everyone out shut you in. How could she not see that?

The clock over her shoulder chimed, echoed a moment later by church bells from somewhere in town, signaling that her lazy time was more or less over and she needed to put the finishing touches on dinner.

“Where’s your brother?” Raven asked, noticing that Anna-Marie was alone at the dollhouse that Eric had carved for them.

“He went to his room.” Anna-Marie told her, disinterestedly.

“And you didn’t tell me?” Raven asked looking at the door, hoping for the wood piercing gaze that her mother always seemed to have.

“You didn’t tell me you were home.” Anna-Marie smiled up at her mother. “Besides, he wasn’t naked when he went and the house wasn’t on fire.” Smart-ass. Raven thought. Of course she’d take after my side of the family.

“Why don’t you go set the table and then keep Sara-Beth company.” Anna-Marie bounced to her feet after setting the dolls away inside the dollhouse without complaint. Well, that was different than she had been, especially at Anna-Marie’s age. Raven and her sibs might have done everything that her mum had told her to do, but it was delivered with a healthy dose of whining and more than a bit of back talk.

“So how is school for you,” Sara-Beth asked.

“Kinda boring. I learned you don’t want to wear plaits to class.” Raven noted, her eyebrow quirking upward. Why would she have learned that?

“And why’s that?” Sara-Beth asked.

“Cause Romeo tied the ribbons from Gretchen and Latisha’s plaits together during religions class then dipped the end of Serena’s plait in the ink well all through penmanship.” Anna-Marie said shaking her head. “Although I don’t think Romeo would do that to me.” Sara-Beth made an interested noise.

“He pulled my hair during recess last week and you can still see the Sminese burn I gave ‘im.” Anna-Marie grinned impishly. “He might be dumb, even for a boy, but I think mama’s right and pain teaches what mamas can’t.”

“You really shouldn’t be giving boys Sminese burns.” Sara-Beth scolded.

“He really shouldn’t tie girls plaits together or dip ‘em in the ink well or pull my hair.” Anna-Marie said with perfect eight-year-old’s logic. “If some stinky boy hurts me, why shouldn’t I hurt ‘im back?” Her bright green eyes were sparked with the same light that Raven had always been told her own sparked with when she was digging her heels in for a fight.

“Well, because some boys have annoying mamas and they tattle.” Sara-Beth spread her hands.

“Romeo prob’ly would tattle.” Anna-Marie thought for a moment. “Is Romeo’s mama annoying?”

“Didn’t you set a place for Sara-Beth?” Raven interjected before Sara-Beth had to struggle through the morality of telling someone else’s daughter that yes, Romeo’s mama was annoying. In fact given what Raven would call her usually, annoying was damned near a compliment.

“Was I ‘posed to?” Anna-Marie looked back and forth between Sara-Beth and Raven.

“Of course. And don’t protest.” Raven said to the back of Sara-Beth’s head. “Your brother is perfectly capable of cooking up something–or at least reheating some stew. And if he doesn’t want to, he probably has the pocket money to go to the Boar and get something.”

“I’d point out that the food at the Boar comes with it’s hazards.”

“But I’d just point out that Darin has an iron stomach and is more than a match for it.” Raven told her.

“Mama! Johnny’s in ‘is braises ‘gain.” Raven sighed, why was it that Anna-Marie was perfectly capable of taking any boy on the playground to task, but at home, she just tattled to Mama. Then again, I probably don’t want my eight year old practicing her Sminese burn technique on my three year old.

“He’s fine, now go call Papa Bear, this is ready.” Anna-Marie hurried to the back door as Raven dished up the three plates on the table and dumped Johnny, who true to form was running around in his braises just as Anna-Marie had said into his chair with a bowl of mush.

“Did Darry ever put a girl’s plaits in an inkwell?” Anna-Marie asked Sara-Beth curiously. Sara-Beth shook her head with a laugh.

“No, Darin’s never been much of one for pranks.” Raven glanced at Sara-Beth as something slipped into her voice.

“He wouldn’t have anyway, Darry’s too nice.” Raven said.

“He did get into a couple of fights cause other boys were being mean to girls, though.” Sara-Beth pointed out.

“Aren’t you gonna ask Papa if he ever dipped girls plaits?” Eric teased, his deep voice rumbling.

“They had ink when you were in school, papa?” Anna-Marie asked her eyes wide and innocent.

“Your daughter.” Eric shot a mock glare at Raven who gave her best impression of Anna-Marie’s innocent expression.

“Of course they had ink when Papa was in school.” Raven said. “He was just tired all the time from having to chase down the deer and stuff to write on cause it was before paper.” Anna-Marie covered her mouth with her hand and giggled.

“Done, mama!” Johnny announced. His bowl was still half full, Raven could see it from where she was sitting.

“Are you sure? Cause I still see supper in there.” Johnny picked up the bowl and dumped the rest of the mush onto the floor.

“Done, mama! Down!” Johnny told her.

“You get down when Mama finishes her dinner, you know the rules.” Johnny kicked his feet and pounded his fists for about as long as it took for Raven’s eyebrow to quirk upward and then the boy fell silent, though if that glint in his eye was any indication, this wasn’t over.

If you came right down to it, neither of her kids were Eric’s kids in personality. Eric was hound friendly and so kind and sweet it was really a surprise he didn’t melt in the rain. Nope, if Raven wanted someone to blame for her twisted little children, she’d have to look in the mirror.

It was really best not to give Johnny too much time to think about whatever it was that he was planning, so Raven tucked into her dinner, leaving the conversation to Sara-Beth, Eric, and Anna-Marie.

“Say good-night to Sara-Beth, Johnny.” Raven instructed from where she was cleaning up the wooden bowl and spilled mush as the boy toddled off in the direction of the toys.

“Night-night!” The little boy looked up at Sara-Beth with a grin. It was always good to remind her that kids weren’t always nightmares, even hers. And once the bowl and plates were in the sink with Eric helping Anna-Marie was them, Raven walked outside into the soft summer night with her friend.

“I love having dinner with your family.” Sara-Beth commented. Raven looked at her. “No, really. Your kids make me giggle. Darin’s too serious by a half. It’s good to be around people who don’t take life too seriously.”

“Well, maybe your kids will be pranksters.” Raven shrugged. “You need more laughs in your life.”

“Your kids are charmers, but I need a far better reason than just that kids might make me laugh to have a few.” Raven probably had a retort to that, but just then the door cracked open.

“Mama?” Anna-Marie asked.

“What? I’m trying to say good night to Sara-Beth.”

“You said to tell you if Johnny was naked. Papa’s chasing him all over the living room an’ he’s running ’round naked as a jaybird.” Anna-Marie said. Sara-Beth held up a hand to forestall whatever Raven was about to say.

“I really do need to go, I have to work tomorrow.” The other woman told her. “You go chase your son.”

“Thanks.” Raven said, somewhat sourly, pulling Sara-Beth into a hug. After Johnny was cornered and captured and forced to endure a bath–might as well add insult to injury–Raven handed Johnny over to Eric to be put to bed. Which wasn’t ever an easy task, in fact she finished helping Anna-Marie with her copywork and into bed herself before Eric emerged from Johnny’s room with a more than slightly harried expression on his face.

“So,” she asked over her shoulder. “How long do you suppose we have?”

“With that kid, maybe five minutes, maybe an hour, maybe five hours.” Eric shrugged. “I don’t remember Anna-Marie being quite this troublesome.”

“She was–differently troublesome.” Raven got up, ignoring her protesting feet for the moment. “All kids are, so far as I know. Even the not troublesome ones are troublesome in their not-troublesomeness.”

“Darin?” Raven nodded. “Same old, same old?”

“Yep.” Eric nodded. “If it would help any, have Sara-Beth tell Darin that if he finishes school and can’t find anything but sweeping stables for an apprenticeship, I’ll give him one.” Raven noted that away, it probably would help. “I would, I mean he’s a good kid and works hard, not that he’ll need it, though.”

“Yeah, try and convince him of that.” Raven agreed. “But thank you, anyway.”

“So, because I’m such a generous soul, do I get a reward?” He asked leaning in close to kiss her.

“I’ll think about it.”