“A word, my lady,” David said. “All I need is a word from your mouth and I will physically prevent him from following us.” He met Allan’s eyes. “Or walking.”
“A fool for beauty, that’s what I am. An utter fool. Never saw a pretty lass that couldn’t spin my head three ways till Sunday. God himself crafts the lines of a pretty face, I always say, and so how could you say no? You’re looking at God. God’s work, even—it’s like looking at Christ,” Allan prattled on.
“Am I supposed to be the lass?” I asked him. “Because I still don’t recall asking you to come.”
“There’s still time to send you home,” David added.
“You haven’t listened to a word I’ve said. Patriotic duty? Sworn to protect my king’s fair daughter, nay, his country? A man cannot say no to such things. It goes against my honor. The fiber of my being!” Allan proclaimed.
Rolling my eyes, I reminded him, “You’re Irish, Allan. Richard isn’t your king, and England isn’t your country. And I haven’t seen much of this honor you claim.”
He looked mortally wounded. “Have I ever acted dishonorably to you, fair thief?”
“It doesn’t count if you suspect she’d cut your hands off,” David grunted.
“It counts,” Allan and I said at once.
“What about men?” I asked him. “Are you saying men are not crafted by God?”
It might have been the sun, but I could have sworn he colored up a bit. And as someone who hid her blushes fair often, I figured I knew better than most. “Men are the crudest castoffs of God’s work, I must say,” Allan said.
David chuckled.
Allan frowned. “Are we there yet?”
I glared at him. “Does it look like we’re there yet?”
He looked round us, to the cow pastures beyond the dirt road we were riding down. Our horses were in a quick canter, and Allan were frowning along.
“Do you never ride?” David asked. “Even the lady is more accomplished than you.”
“I grew up riding,” I explained. “Even if I didn’t do it much for years after.”
“I ride very gracefully,” Allan said with a sniff. “You two just enjoy it more.” He leaned toward me on his horse. “We could leave him here, fair thief,” he confided in a none-too-quiet whisper. “If you can forgo your penchant for big, strong men.”
“He is required protection by the queen. And it has nothing to do with my penchants, Allan—I just tend to be in the same business as big, strong men, only they need to be twice as tall and twice as heavy to do what I can in half the time,” I snapped. “And if you’re coming along, I hope you’ll serve as much of a purpose as he does. Do you have any contacts in Bristol?”
“I have friends everywhere, my lady.”
“Well, then perhaps you’ll keep your ear to the ground and your mouth blessedly shut?” I said.
David chuckled.
Allan pouted. “You know that’s mostly through an extended network of people with ears to the ground, don’t you? I don’t like putting my ear to the ground.” He pouted further, brushing dust from his bright red cape. “In fact, I don’t much care for being dirty.”
“Allan, stop, for the love of God,” I asked him. “Just stop speaking for a while.”
David chuckled again at this, and I glared at him. He shrugged in return. “I didn’t comment when you called me required protection, did I?” he asked.
I sighed, but Allan weren’t speaking for the moment, so I rather thought I’d try to enjoy it.
I were surprised by how much I did enjoy it. I missed being outside, I missed being away from the city. The trees were in sap, and the smell were enough to get drunk on, to let my mind swirl back to Sherwood and Nottingham and kisses in the dark woods, the rough swipe of bark against my back, and the hot swipe of Rob’s hands on my front.
I shut my eyes. Forget him, forget him, forget him.
It didn’t seem near that easy.
CHAPTER
The three of us made Bristol three full days after leaving Eleanor. The port city seemed prospering and heaving, with Wales in sight across the narrow channel. It bristled the hair on my neck, having an enemy so close and my escape so near.
Escape.
It were quick work for Allan to find the next ship to Ireland that were leaving in three days’ time, and we went to an inn to stay for the in-between. Riding through the country hadn’t meant a lot of gentle nights, and all three of us were happy for a hot bath, even if it were expensive. I went first, and donned a set of men’s clothes over my hot, damp skin.
Tucking my growing hair up under a hat, I went down to the tavern without the boys. I just wanted time to myself, and they were growing happier with each other, even if I couldn’t much call their friendship fond.