that look of desolation that he felt all too closely .
He lay a hand on her shoulder . She jerked away and stood with a gasp.
“I’ll find shaving things.” Her voice cracked as she marched for the door.
“I’ll meet you downstairs,” he called after her, but she was already gone.
Once in the hall and out of sight of Madeline’s room, Joanna slumped against the wall . She squeezed her eyes shut and hugged herself. Pleading with Prince John and stealing from Pennington’s estate she could handle. Nothing had prepared her for the grief and guilt of Ethan . He was the one thing she could never do anything about . Toby handled him much better than she ever had. Her heart ached at the thought. She missed her brother. She missed Ethan.
She swallowed and pushed her tears down, straightening and pursing her lips over the pain. There was work to be done. She searched through the inn, avoiding people as long as she could without finding what she needed. When David stumbled upon her he was all too happy to find the tools she ne eded without asking questions.
By the time she entered the room off of the kitchen with scissors, a razor, and a bowl of steaming, soapy water Ethan was sitting at the table. He wore a distant look of melancholy, as if his thoughts had taken the same track as hers. Her heart rolled in her chest but had nowhere to go.
“Let’s get this taken care of,” he muttered.
Joanna nodded, crossed to the table and set the shaving things in a neat line. She couldn’t meet his eyes. “I’ll cut your hair first. ” She took up the scissors. “ It will be short because it’s so matted.”
“Do what you have to,” Ethan spoke.
She didn’t know where to begin. She had watched Toby cut Ethan’s hair at least a dozen times before. Every time he had worked the scissors deftly while she had sat in front of Ethan, laughing and joking at the process. She didn’t know what she was doing any more than Ethan did.
One by one she clipped the long matted locks weighing Ethan down . A s handfuls of dead fuzz came off , soft curls sprang to life. His hair had curled more when he was younger but had been heavier when he’d returned from the crusade. She remembered the warmth of her fingers in his curls .
“I’m surprised you don’t have lice,” she sniffed , sounding softer than she wanted to.
“So am I,” he answered in an equally hushed tone.
“Why cut your hair now? Why not find someone to do this earlier?”
For a moment the snip of the scissors was the only thing that answered her.
“I had to sneak into the Tower yesterday to follow you,” he half— explained in a mumble. “If I’m to go back I’ll have to look presentable.”
A tremor of hope caught in Joanna’s chest. She didn’t want to nurture it. “Go back? Why? ”
“To help you.”
She stepped away from him . It was suddenly hard to breath. All the hope she wanted to feel caught in her throat. After being alone for so long had Ethan finally come back to her?
“Turn the chair around, ” she croaked.
He did as she requested. Still she avoided his eyes, studying her work and the dense hair of his beard. Ethan couldn’t be trusted. He’d made sweet promises before and look where believing them had gotten her. She frowned and focused on the job in front of her .
Ethan tilted his head up and she used the scissors to cut the bulk of his shaggy beard away. She had to touch his face to do it. She knew every line and contour of his cheek and jaw so well. The heat of touch stirred the bi tter and the sweet in her gut.
“Why do yo u want to help me?” she asked.
“I’ve always wanted to help you.”
“You have some way of showing it,” she mumbled.
His eyes flickered up to her as he kept his head still. She caught his glance for a fraction of a second, her heart rate jumping.
“I’ll go to the Tower and find out where Crispin, Aubrey, and Jack are being held and if they are in any real danger .”
The temptation
He lay a hand on her shoulder . She jerked away and stood with a gasp.
“I’ll find shaving things.” Her voice cracked as she marched for the door.
“I’ll meet you downstairs,” he called after her, but she was already gone.
Once in the hall and out of sight of Madeline’s room, Joanna slumped against the wall . She squeezed her eyes shut and hugged herself. Pleading with Prince John and stealing from Pennington’s estate she could handle. Nothing had prepared her for the grief and guilt of Ethan . He was the one thing she could never do anything about . Toby handled him much better than she ever had. Her heart ached at the thought. She missed her brother. She missed Ethan.
She swallowed and pushed her tears down, straightening and pursing her lips over the pain. There was work to be done. She searched through the inn, avoiding people as long as she could without finding what she needed. When David stumbled upon her he was all too happy to find the tools she ne eded without asking questions.
By the time she entered the room off of the kitchen with scissors, a razor, and a bowl of steaming, soapy water Ethan was sitting at the table. He wore a distant look of melancholy, as if his thoughts had taken the same track as hers. Her heart rolled in her chest but had nowhere to go.
“Let’s get this taken care of,” he muttered.
Joanna nodded, crossed to the table and set the shaving things in a neat line. She couldn’t meet his eyes. “I’ll cut your hair first. ” She took up the scissors. “ It will be short because it’s so matted.”
“Do what you have to,” Ethan spoke.
She didn’t know where to begin. She had watched Toby cut Ethan’s hair at least a dozen times before. Every time he had worked the scissors deftly while she had sat in front of Ethan, laughing and joking at the process. She didn’t know what she was doing any more than Ethan did.
One by one she clipped the long matted locks weighing Ethan down . A s handfuls of dead fuzz came off , soft curls sprang to life. His hair had curled more when he was younger but had been heavier when he’d returned from the crusade. She remembered the warmth of her fingers in his curls .
“I’m surprised you don’t have lice,” she sniffed , sounding softer than she wanted to.
“So am I,” he answered in an equally hushed tone.
“Why cut your hair now? Why not find someone to do this earlier?”
For a moment the snip of the scissors was the only thing that answered her.
“I had to sneak into the Tower yesterday to follow you,” he half— explained in a mumble. “If I’m to go back I’ll have to look presentable.”
A tremor of hope caught in Joanna’s chest. She didn’t want to nurture it. “Go back? Why? ”
“To help you.”
She stepped away from him . It was suddenly hard to breath. All the hope she wanted to feel caught in her throat. After being alone for so long had Ethan finally come back to her?
“Turn the chair around, ” she croaked.
He did as she requested. Still she avoided his eyes, studying her work and the dense hair of his beard. Ethan couldn’t be trusted. He’d made sweet promises before and look where believing them had gotten her. She frowned and focused on the job in front of her .
Ethan tilted his head up and she used the scissors to cut the bulk of his shaggy beard away. She had to touch his face to do it. She knew every line and contour of his cheek and jaw so well. The heat of touch stirred the bi tter and the sweet in her gut.
“Why do yo u want to help me?” she asked.
“I’ve always wanted to help you.”
“You have some way of showing it,” she mumbled.
His eyes flickered up to her as he kept his head still. She caught his glance for a fraction of a second, her heart rate jumping.
“I’ll go to the Tower and find out where Crispin, Aubrey, and Jack are being held and if they are in any real danger .”
The temptation
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