you. I thought I saw it in your eyes. Best you no longer lie for our little mistress if you cannot bear the weight of your sin, lad. Now come. It's time we were for home."
Home. Despair washed over Rob. Would that he could go home.
As his eyes teared, Helewise's gaze softened. She freed his chin to finger-comb his hair back from his brow. Her touch was so much like Mama's that Rob's lips quivered.
"Tell me." It was a soft command.
"Blacklea is home," he whispered, the corners of his mouth drooping.
"And, you are sick with longing for it." She sighed, her voice as low as his. "So was it for me when I first came to Stanrudde. Lad, let us chaffer a bit here. You give me your vow to stay, swearing that you'll run no more until the master has returned. In turn I will vow to beg Master Walter to release you from his service, should your sickness not have abated by that time."
She paused to point a warning finger at him. "However, you must vow to try your best to like it here until that time."
Rob's pain abated somewhat as the possibility of escape opened up before him. September was only two and a half months distant. More important to his heart was the discovery that Helewise did not hate him at all. He nodded his assent.
"Good," she said in brisk acceptance, then levered herself to her feet "Now we must be going, else we'll be out and about after all honest folk should be within their own walls."
Stepping from the water, she shook the moisture from her legs and thrust her bare feet into her shoes. After she'd stuffed her stockings into her belt, she caught up her veil and band. Tilting her head upward to a sky now streaked with mauve and orange, she fastened on the head covering. When the veil once again shrouded her soft cheeks, she looked down at him.
Rob's heart quirked in fear's return. Gone was warm and laughing Helewise, leaving only the cold housekeeper in her place. She held out a hand to him. It was a friendly enough invitation. He looked up at her again, squinting against the dying light to study her. Behind the cool expression, glimmers of the other Helewise remained.
"Why do you make your face blank like this?" he asked as he rose to his feet.
Helewise's brows peaked in surprise, her face warming back into its previous softness. "Do I? I didn't know."
Rob nodded in new understanding. So it had been with Mama. When his dam was busy at her work, her face lost the special expression she saved for him.
His heart at peace, he took her hand and let Helewise lead him around the warehouse's corner. As they passed the now quiet mill and started across the short grassy stretch before the tower's mound, he asked, "Will I be punished for running?"
"Nay, you did not know what you did was wrong," Helewise replied, leading him down a lane. Folk hurried past them, intent on finishing their last chore of the day before retreating to their homes and suppers.
"Is Johanna being punished?" Rob shot her a worried look. It would be unfair if Johanna was punished and he was not.
"She is, but not for aiding you. She should never have spoken so to a merchant, even if he is no more than a regrater."
"What will happen to her?"
The corners of the housekeeper's mouth lifted. "A terrible thing indeed. It's the chamber pots she must empty on the morrow. A rude and filthy job given to a rude lass with a filthy mouth."
Rob shuddered in pity for Johanna, but his easiness grew. If Helewise treated the master's daughter so, she would only ever be fair with him. Then, a new worry woke in him. Even Johanna had aught to do on the morrow while he had no job to his name. "What will I do for Master Walter if Tom is to be the scullery lad?"
Helewise glanced down at him. "Do you know, I think the master will be glad of Tom's suggestion that you work with Master Colin in the apothecary's shop. It is a great honor, this. You will be the youngest servant ever within those walls."
Although Rob wasn't certain what an apothecary's shop was, he
Home. Despair washed over Rob. Would that he could go home.
As his eyes teared, Helewise's gaze softened. She freed his chin to finger-comb his hair back from his brow. Her touch was so much like Mama's that Rob's lips quivered.
"Tell me." It was a soft command.
"Blacklea is home," he whispered, the corners of his mouth drooping.
"And, you are sick with longing for it." She sighed, her voice as low as his. "So was it for me when I first came to Stanrudde. Lad, let us chaffer a bit here. You give me your vow to stay, swearing that you'll run no more until the master has returned. In turn I will vow to beg Master Walter to release you from his service, should your sickness not have abated by that time."
She paused to point a warning finger at him. "However, you must vow to try your best to like it here until that time."
Rob's pain abated somewhat as the possibility of escape opened up before him. September was only two and a half months distant. More important to his heart was the discovery that Helewise did not hate him at all. He nodded his assent.
"Good," she said in brisk acceptance, then levered herself to her feet "Now we must be going, else we'll be out and about after all honest folk should be within their own walls."
Stepping from the water, she shook the moisture from her legs and thrust her bare feet into her shoes. After she'd stuffed her stockings into her belt, she caught up her veil and band. Tilting her head upward to a sky now streaked with mauve and orange, she fastened on the head covering. When the veil once again shrouded her soft cheeks, she looked down at him.
Rob's heart quirked in fear's return. Gone was warm and laughing Helewise, leaving only the cold housekeeper in her place. She held out a hand to him. It was a friendly enough invitation. He looked up at her again, squinting against the dying light to study her. Behind the cool expression, glimmers of the other Helewise remained.
"Why do you make your face blank like this?" he asked as he rose to his feet.
Helewise's brows peaked in surprise, her face warming back into its previous softness. "Do I? I didn't know."
Rob nodded in new understanding. So it had been with Mama. When his dam was busy at her work, her face lost the special expression she saved for him.
His heart at peace, he took her hand and let Helewise lead him around the warehouse's corner. As they passed the now quiet mill and started across the short grassy stretch before the tower's mound, he asked, "Will I be punished for running?"
"Nay, you did not know what you did was wrong," Helewise replied, leading him down a lane. Folk hurried past them, intent on finishing their last chore of the day before retreating to their homes and suppers.
"Is Johanna being punished?" Rob shot her a worried look. It would be unfair if Johanna was punished and he was not.
"She is, but not for aiding you. She should never have spoken so to a merchant, even if he is no more than a regrater."
"What will happen to her?"
The corners of the housekeeper's mouth lifted. "A terrible thing indeed. It's the chamber pots she must empty on the morrow. A rude and filthy job given to a rude lass with a filthy mouth."
Rob shuddered in pity for Johanna, but his easiness grew. If Helewise treated the master's daughter so, she would only ever be fair with him. Then, a new worry woke in him. Even Johanna had aught to do on the morrow while he had no job to his name. "What will I do for Master Walter if Tom is to be the scullery lad?"
Helewise glanced down at him. "Do you know, I think the master will be glad of Tom's suggestion that you work with Master Colin in the apothecary's shop. It is a great honor, this. You will be the youngest servant ever within those walls."
Although Rob wasn't certain what an apothecary's shop was, he
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