teeth," Camille said with a shudder.
"Neither would I," Genny agreed.
"What of you, Atticus?" Camille asked.
Relief filled him as he smiled at the young woman and she returned it. He had no doubt that she had meant what she'd said but for now she seemed willing to call a truce. "I wouldn't choose to do that either," he told her. Genny's hand tightened in his, her gaze shot back and forth between them before she smiled at him.
Atticus kissed her forehead and pulled her to a stop beside the ribbon cart. She frowned at him when he ordered the blue ribbon that she'd been admiring while she thought he wasn't paying attention. He gave the woman behind the cart the money before turning to Genny. "Turn around," he told her.
She shook her head and held up her hands. "Atticus, I can't accept that," she whispered.
"You can."
"No, I'm not… No."
Her lips pressed firmly together as she met his gaze. "I expect nothing in return for it; it's only a simple ribbon that I would like to give to you."
Her raven colored eyes darted around the crowd, he didn't know what she was looking for or hoping to find amongst the people, but she didn't look at him for a long while. "Genny, it's only a small gift," Camille said quietly from beside her.
Genny bit on her bottom lip and finally focused on him again. The look in her eyes made him wish he'd never offered it to her. He'd only meant to give her something pretty to replace the faded ribbon in her hair, but her reaction to it made him think he'd made her feel dirty or wrong in some way. She gave a brief bow of her head in acquiescence though and turned around.
He slid the faded ribbon from the end of her hair and tied the colorful new one into place. The deep blue color of the ribbon stood out vividly against her black hair. She smiled at him over her shoulder and gave him a kiss but he still sensed a small hint of reticence in her. Camille had a sad look on her face when they turned away from the town and slipped into the woods. While they walked, Atticus vowed that one day he would get her something far nicer than the ribbon, and she wouldn't feel any hesitation about taking it from him because she would know that she deserved it.
Without thinking, he slid her old ribbon into his pocket.
CHAPTER 9
"Genny." She looked up as Camille stepped through the doorway of their small room.
She slid the hidden bottom into place inside the chest and neatly returned her clothes on top of it. Sitting back on her heels, she looked up at her sister again and tiredly rose to her feet. Though the bruises and bloody nose she'd received from the beating she'd taken last night had faded, her muscles were still cramped and sore. With the journey into town, and the fact that Camille and Atticus had seemed to call a truce, she'd lost track of time and they'd been late to return. She'd been made to pay for their tardiness.
"Why don't you tell him?" Camille asked.
Genny lifted her cloak from where she'd placed it on the floor. "Tell who?"
"Atticus. Tell him what is going on here, what Felix is doing to you."
"No."
"Genny…"
"You didn't even like him yesterday afternoon and now you're asking me to tell him about this. No."
Camille held her hands before her in an effort to placate Genny as she stared up at her pleadingly. It was normally a look that Genny capitulated to every time Camille gave it to her, this time it only made her more determined to refuse her sister. "I didn't dis like him, I just didn't trust him."
"You talked to him for five minutes and now you trust him?"
"No. I mean yes!" she blurted. Her arms folded over her chest, her foot tapped on the ground as she took a minute to gather her thoughts. "I'm not sure what this is between you, or where it will go and I'm frightened that it will all end badly, but I think he cares for you. There is no faking the way he looks at you; you're the only one he sees no matter who else is around. If you tell him about Felix, he'll help you, I know he
"Neither would I," Genny agreed.
"What of you, Atticus?" Camille asked.
Relief filled him as he smiled at the young woman and she returned it. He had no doubt that she had meant what she'd said but for now she seemed willing to call a truce. "I wouldn't choose to do that either," he told her. Genny's hand tightened in his, her gaze shot back and forth between them before she smiled at him.
Atticus kissed her forehead and pulled her to a stop beside the ribbon cart. She frowned at him when he ordered the blue ribbon that she'd been admiring while she thought he wasn't paying attention. He gave the woman behind the cart the money before turning to Genny. "Turn around," he told her.
She shook her head and held up her hands. "Atticus, I can't accept that," she whispered.
"You can."
"No, I'm not… No."
Her lips pressed firmly together as she met his gaze. "I expect nothing in return for it; it's only a simple ribbon that I would like to give to you."
Her raven colored eyes darted around the crowd, he didn't know what she was looking for or hoping to find amongst the people, but she didn't look at him for a long while. "Genny, it's only a small gift," Camille said quietly from beside her.
Genny bit on her bottom lip and finally focused on him again. The look in her eyes made him wish he'd never offered it to her. He'd only meant to give her something pretty to replace the faded ribbon in her hair, but her reaction to it made him think he'd made her feel dirty or wrong in some way. She gave a brief bow of her head in acquiescence though and turned around.
He slid the faded ribbon from the end of her hair and tied the colorful new one into place. The deep blue color of the ribbon stood out vividly against her black hair. She smiled at him over her shoulder and gave him a kiss but he still sensed a small hint of reticence in her. Camille had a sad look on her face when they turned away from the town and slipped into the woods. While they walked, Atticus vowed that one day he would get her something far nicer than the ribbon, and she wouldn't feel any hesitation about taking it from him because she would know that she deserved it.
Without thinking, he slid her old ribbon into his pocket.
CHAPTER 9
"Genny." She looked up as Camille stepped through the doorway of their small room.
She slid the hidden bottom into place inside the chest and neatly returned her clothes on top of it. Sitting back on her heels, she looked up at her sister again and tiredly rose to her feet. Though the bruises and bloody nose she'd received from the beating she'd taken last night had faded, her muscles were still cramped and sore. With the journey into town, and the fact that Camille and Atticus had seemed to call a truce, she'd lost track of time and they'd been late to return. She'd been made to pay for their tardiness.
"Why don't you tell him?" Camille asked.
Genny lifted her cloak from where she'd placed it on the floor. "Tell who?"
"Atticus. Tell him what is going on here, what Felix is doing to you."
"No."
"Genny…"
"You didn't even like him yesterday afternoon and now you're asking me to tell him about this. No."
Camille held her hands before her in an effort to placate Genny as she stared up at her pleadingly. It was normally a look that Genny capitulated to every time Camille gave it to her, this time it only made her more determined to refuse her sister. "I didn't dis like him, I just didn't trust him."
"You talked to him for five minutes and now you trust him?"
"No. I mean yes!" she blurted. Her arms folded over her chest, her foot tapped on the ground as she took a minute to gather her thoughts. "I'm not sure what this is between you, or where it will go and I'm frightened that it will all end badly, but I think he cares for you. There is no faking the way he looks at you; you're the only one he sees no matter who else is around. If you tell him about Felix, he'll help you, I know he
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