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"Maybe that sore belly will remind you to think better next ti tone

Soed her head to hide her blushing "Yes, Pasqua," she whispered

"Drink another cup of valerianuly, the cook cleaned her hands on the apron while looking around the preparation table "Lia, grind so, ar, and butter for the Aldermaston I wish it were the season for apples, but we have some other fruit so ill use e have"

"Yes, Pasqua," Lia said with an exaggerated yawn

"You should very well be tired I hope you both learn to be wiser, or the Aldermaston will make you wait another year to let you dance around thearound the kitchen once"Secure the door when I a her cloak froloomy darkness and the door thumped shut

Lia dusted her hands and drew the crossbar in place and turned back to Sowe "Cohosted froeting to use the garderobe again, so she will not walk back through the mud unless she sees the kitchen on fire"

"Where is my shirt?"

Lia walked to the basket beneath the loft poles and touched it "Still damp I could not dry it in front of Pasqua, but I can dry it now It will not take long by the fire Coe it" A thin cord was already stretched taut on the corner wall by the bread oven, the wooden pins still fastened there The dresses she had washed earlier were already dried and folded, so she withdrew and unfolded the shirt, taking aside the sprig of purple mint in the basket, and fastened both to the line She stared at the Leering carved into the wall at the rear of the oven The walls were caked with soot and se black, the mouth twisted open like a screaht The eyes blazed orange and fire engulfed the oven fro her s, it did not need wood to burn

"What are you doing?" Sohispered after rushing over She looked over her shoulder at the squire cli down the ladder "You never do that in front of people Lia, he will see it!"

"And who is he going to tell?" Lia asked shtened the fabric

He reached the bottoer "How did you start a fire so quickly?"

She ignored the question but saw that he had noticed the bright flames "It will dry your shirt faster," Lia said, but he walked past her and planted his hand on the stone above the fireplace, looking at it then at her, then back at it again The flaain," he ordered He had a look on his face, a er

She scratched the side of her neck, stared into the tortured eyes, and the flaht, she h that he had to retreat or be burned His chaen shirt gliht As his eyes were locked on hers, the flaaze wandered down to her neck "You wear a char around her neck since the storo "It is just a trinket Why?"

"Letfroown He squinted at it, his face filled with a terrible look The blood was black against his eyebrow, the bandage askew For a ht hefrom her

"May I handle it?" he asked

"I never take it off," she replied "But you can see it" She held it up so that the firelight played off its sulped, her eyes ith nervousness

The squire reached out tentatively, cocking his head as he exaold band?"

She slid it on and off her sle With a little thought, without the Leering in her direct sight, the fire flared up again and he ju the Mediu into the flames