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She tsked at herself, fearing that the cat’s reaction wasof what her father would say if he heard of her unladylike gibe at Sir Dirick She couldn’t keep fro area, where he was likely sprawled out on his pallet

For awhere he rested his head, his pleasing face lax and smooth in his rest Mayhap an aratop the woolen blanket whilst the rest of hirey-blue eyes would be closed in sleep--those eyes that looked at her with such intensity that her heart dodged about in her chest Yet, when they were not focused on her, she’d noticed that they were a soft, cloud like grey, flecked with blue The color of Languest, darkest lashes she’d ever seen, or noticed, on ain confusion that she had paused in the hall and stood, staring toward the sleeping area as these thoughts danced through her h no one was about to see her actions, her cheeks warh there was no harainstthat it felt odd for her to relish the thought of knowing all aspects of a athered up her heavy wool tunic and draped it over her arm as she stepped over an up ended bench

The kitchen was deserted except for Bit, the daughter of the cook, who slept in the corner on ee blue eye opened as Maris approached, and a yawn cracked across the pudgy, dirty face

"Milady!" she started awake and jerked to her feet

"Go back to your bed, Bit," Maris told her "’Tis well beforesoundly but myself and the cat"

She turned to root about in an apple barrel, and, finding a barely bruised one, she polished it against the soft blue wool still draped over her wrist She broke her fast with a piece of day old bread, found wrapped in cloth under a board, and a large satered down ale

Shethe apple It was nearly as dark as the night she’d trudged home from Thomas the cooper’s wretched hoein their midst Despite the cold, Maris stopped for a hter about her shoulders as she stood in the center of the silent bailey The only other creatures stirring were her father’s ht watch, posted on the north and south walls of the bailey Sir Richard, on the north wall, saw Maris and waved in greeting and recognition

She waved back, and, finishing the last of her apple, pocketed the core for Hickory A shiver took her by surprise, and she hurried on her way to the stable where the presence of the horses would , but much darker It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but then she could just rey shapes of the horses Maris clicked her tongue hello and th of the stable to where her

She buried her hands in Hickory’s war the ly to her as the horse poked her velvety nose into the folds of Maris’s cloak Her mistress never visited without a treat, and the rest of her apple was discovered and quickly ?" Maris asked her friend softly, kneeling in the stall She pushed the hood of her cloak back fro The s to find the swelling nearly gone

"Ah, you are feeling much better," she crooned "We’ll be off to hunt the wild boar on the morroeet Hickory," Maris whispered as she stood to caress the velvety nose that bumped her head "We’ll tear the beastie into little pieces, aye, e not?"

"And what says your father of this plan to snare the wild boar?" The voice behind startled her and she whirled about, heart lodging in her throat

"Sir Dirick, that was not very nice," she told hi heart "I could have been talking about you!"

He gave a short laugh "And ht if you had," he said with better humor than she’d expected

Awakeneddreams of his father’s death, Dirick had been in the corner of the hall and seen Maris slip fro for an excuse to escape from the darkness of those dreams, Dirick had taken the opportunity to follow her

He umont while he waited for word as to whether Bon de Savrille was in Breakston, and Dirick intended to keep his mind and body occupied so that he didn’t fall into the despair of grief and anger over his need to find Father’sto keep his body active, and the puzzle of his daughter would serve to intrigue his ’s business…and then to his own matters