don’t overdo it, will you? I’m sure she’s not a bad kid at heart.’
‘Well, I’m trying to remember how Halt treated me,’ Will said, ‘and I’m being guided by that.’
‘You said at the time that he treated you horribly,’ she said with a smile. ‘And you weren’t even a princess.’
‘Neither is she now. And that’s what I have to remember. She’s my apprentice and she has no more rights orprivileges than any other apprentice. She gets no special treatment.’
‘Just make sure that while you’re not giving her any special treatment you’re not leaning too far in the other direction,’ Jenny warned him. ‘Where is she now, by the way?’
‘She’s with Mistress Buttersby, being fitted for her uniforms,’ Will said, jerking a thumb down the high street. ‘At least, Mistress Buttersby is showing her how to alter the clothes so they fit. Maddie’s going to have to do the job herself. She could be some time,’ he added wryly.
Jenny looked at him. It was the first trace of humour she’d seen from her old friend for months. But she was wise enough not to mention it. She filed the thought away. She’d share it with Gilan when next he visited Redmont Fief – something he did more than was strictly necessary. She knew how much Will was hurting over the loss of Alyss and she thought it was a stroke of genius to assign Maddie to him as an apprentice. She glanced along the high street and pointed.
‘Looks like she’s coming now.’
Maddie was trudging up the shallow hill towards them, her arms encumbered with a pile of garments. Draped awkwardly over her shoulder was a familiar item – the mottled grey and green cloak that was standard wear for all Rangers and their apprentices.
‘She looks a little overwhelmed,’ Jenny added, smiling, as Maddie managed to drop a pair of boots and a leather vest into the dust. As she bent to retrieve them, she spilled more garments. She’d received three uniforms – woollen shirts and breeches, the leather jerkin and two pairs ofboots – along with the cloak, and the mass of clothes was proving hard to manage.
‘It’s been an overwhelming day,’ Will said. But he made no attempt to rise and move to her assistance. As Maddie came closer, boots, shirts and breeches balanced precariously, Jenny took pity and stood to move quickly to her side.
‘Let me help,’ she said. Maddie looked up gratefully and relinquished half the load. She followed Jenny into the restaurant and dropped the remaining bundle on a nearby table.
‘She gave me the smallest sizes she had, but they’re all way too big,’ she said a little breathlessly.
Jenny smiled. ‘Not surprising. After all, you’re the first girl Ranger.’
‘Did she show you how to take them in?’ Will asked.
Maddie nodded. ‘It’s going to take me hours to get them all done.’
‘Well, you only need one set for starters. That shouldn’t take too long. You can get that done this evening after dinner,’ Will told her. He wasn’t sure if she’d been looking for sympathy, but if she had, she wasn’t getting any from him.
Jenny and Will had been drinking pressed fruit juice. She signed to her waiter now to bring a third glass for Maddie, who accepted it eagerly and took a deep sip.
‘Aaaah. That’s lovely. Thanks,’ Maddie said.
‘It must be all very different and confusing for you,’ Jenny said kindly. ‘I hope Will isn’t being too mean to you, Maddie. I’m Jenny, by the way.’
She held out her hand, smiling. Maddie regarded it uncertainly for a moment. She’d more or less come toterms with the strange relationship that now existed between her and Will. After all, as he’d pointed out, he was a senior officer of the realm and technically outranked her. But Jenny was different. Jenny was a commoner. She was a cook – really with no greater status than a servant at Castle Araluen might enjoy. Maddie wasn’t sure that first-name terms were quite proper between them.
But Jenny
‘Well, I’m trying to remember how Halt treated me,’ Will said, ‘and I’m being guided by that.’
‘You said at the time that he treated you horribly,’ she said with a smile. ‘And you weren’t even a princess.’
‘Neither is she now. And that’s what I have to remember. She’s my apprentice and she has no more rights orprivileges than any other apprentice. She gets no special treatment.’
‘Just make sure that while you’re not giving her any special treatment you’re not leaning too far in the other direction,’ Jenny warned him. ‘Where is she now, by the way?’
‘She’s with Mistress Buttersby, being fitted for her uniforms,’ Will said, jerking a thumb down the high street. ‘At least, Mistress Buttersby is showing her how to alter the clothes so they fit. Maddie’s going to have to do the job herself. She could be some time,’ he added wryly.
Jenny looked at him. It was the first trace of humour she’d seen from her old friend for months. But she was wise enough not to mention it. She filed the thought away. She’d share it with Gilan when next he visited Redmont Fief – something he did more than was strictly necessary. She knew how much Will was hurting over the loss of Alyss and she thought it was a stroke of genius to assign Maddie to him as an apprentice. She glanced along the high street and pointed.
‘Looks like she’s coming now.’
Maddie was trudging up the shallow hill towards them, her arms encumbered with a pile of garments. Draped awkwardly over her shoulder was a familiar item – the mottled grey and green cloak that was standard wear for all Rangers and their apprentices.
‘She looks a little overwhelmed,’ Jenny added, smiling, as Maddie managed to drop a pair of boots and a leather vest into the dust. As she bent to retrieve them, she spilled more garments. She’d received three uniforms – woollen shirts and breeches, the leather jerkin and two pairs ofboots – along with the cloak, and the mass of clothes was proving hard to manage.
‘It’s been an overwhelming day,’ Will said. But he made no attempt to rise and move to her assistance. As Maddie came closer, boots, shirts and breeches balanced precariously, Jenny took pity and stood to move quickly to her side.
‘Let me help,’ she said. Maddie looked up gratefully and relinquished half the load. She followed Jenny into the restaurant and dropped the remaining bundle on a nearby table.
‘She gave me the smallest sizes she had, but they’re all way too big,’ she said a little breathlessly.
Jenny smiled. ‘Not surprising. After all, you’re the first girl Ranger.’
‘Did she show you how to take them in?’ Will asked.
Maddie nodded. ‘It’s going to take me hours to get them all done.’
‘Well, you only need one set for starters. That shouldn’t take too long. You can get that done this evening after dinner,’ Will told her. He wasn’t sure if she’d been looking for sympathy, but if she had, she wasn’t getting any from him.
Jenny and Will had been drinking pressed fruit juice. She signed to her waiter now to bring a third glass for Maddie, who accepted it eagerly and took a deep sip.
‘Aaaah. That’s lovely. Thanks,’ Maddie said.
‘It must be all very different and confusing for you,’ Jenny said kindly. ‘I hope Will isn’t being too mean to you, Maddie. I’m Jenny, by the way.’
She held out her hand, smiling. Maddie regarded it uncertainly for a moment. She’d more or less come toterms with the strange relationship that now existed between her and Will. After all, as he’d pointed out, he was a senior officer of the realm and technically outranked her. But Jenny was different. Jenny was a commoner. She was a cook – really with no greater status than a servant at Castle Araluen might enjoy. Maddie wasn’t sure that first-name terms were quite proper between them.
But Jenny
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