Page 14 (1/2)
"That’s the point," Henry said, growling
"But won’t it bother you, ging with the wrong man’s name in conjunction with our lovely Madaen said s Henry’s arm a squeeze "No one here even knows me, much less should they care on whose arm I walk"
"The caravan is a very small faoes unnoticed" He bowed to her and doffed his hat With a snap of his fingers, a sray moth appeared to flutter in the air before her face She reached out, enchanted but confused The second her fingers touched it, the littery dust
"It wasn’t real?" she said, disappoint," Cri and a bow "Better to enjoy it while it lasts, rather than look behind the curtain too early"
Flipping his topper back onto his head, Cri around a spotlight Ien was curious about which act the people waited to see, if perhaps it was the ringician hi They walked the line of lanterns delineating the caravan’s perion She had lost track of time and space and finally realized that it was quite late--and that Henry was farther away than he had ever been The tender affection and clever repartee of the tent had fled, and she felt as if he ht bolt away from her if she let him
"What does trouble you so?" she asked
"If I could say, it wouldn’t trouble me"
"Will you kiss ht, then?"
"Of course not Not here Your reputation is at stake"
"And it is mine to decide what those stakes will be," she said peevishly She stood on the bottoon so that they would be evenly ht and so she could see as much of his face as possible In the shadow, her eyes couldn’t penetrate the sht into where his eyes should have been
"I don’t want you to regret me," he said
She snorted "Then don’t lass of his goggle lens before disappearing into her wagon and slae of a body denting the thin mattress of her bed
"What abouta bare arht and all-too-fe, holding the tatty blanket up to her chin The lights were on, and E She wore yet another of her horridly bright get-ups, a short, doll-like dress and leggings of spring green, all covered with buttons
"What on earth are you doing here?" Ien said, and Abilene appeared in the doorway in her dressing gown, tugging nervously on her beard
"Had to let her in" She shrugged in half-apology
"Into the wagon, yes But into ht, it opens" Elove on the ruffles at her neck "Me an’ the horse-faced girl who used to bunk in here had a deal"
I that what few things she owned had escaped the tightrope walker’s snooping She had cause yet again to thank Master Stain for sending her to Henry, considering that his wagon was one of the only places in Sang where her butterflies and other secrets would be safe fro we have no such agreement, would you care to explain why you’ve let yourself in?"
Emerlie leaned close, and Abilene checked the door to the outside before rushing close to huddle at the foot of the bed
"We have to know" Eed blue eyes darted back and forth "What is it you do in Mr Murdoch’s wagon?"