me a Froggy field cannon tucked up under a tarp back of Vachel’s privy. Supposin’ you ain’t wantin’ one of them. Not a lot of call for cannon these days. Thinkin’ of meltin’ it down, Jasper is.”
“Jasper, you’re a bloody thief,” Rian said in true amusement.
The man pulled at the edges of his thick woolen jacket, tugging them across his chest, although no stretch of the material, or the imagination, could ever make the two sides come together. “Jasper is that, yes, sir, Lieutenant. Twice over, once he tells you how much a pistol and sword will put you back. Toss in the shot. Jasper isn’t heartless, seein’ as how you look like a man what needs protection.”
“Because of this?” Rian said, bristling, as he held up his shortened sleeve.
“No, never said that,” Jasper said, motioning to the bits of green glass and spilled wine on the table between them. “Because of that. Who were you expectin’, sir, Boney hisself?”
Rian had been prepared for just such a question. “No, Jasper, not Boney. An irate father. I’m eloping, taking my beloved Lisette to England to marry me, live with my family. Her father objects.”
Jasper nodded. “Because you’re English.”
“No, because Lisette is already promised to a fat old man she despises, but who has offered a bride price her father would be loathe to give back. I fear he is in hot pursuit even now. I felt the need to arm myself—not literally, of course. That’s not possible,” he ended, smiling at his use of words.
The big man thanked the innkeeper for the tankard he’d set down in front of him, and then waited until the man had also uncorked the bottle for Rian and left the room, closing the door behind him. “So it’s young love, is it? Jasper likes a good story. Do you have another one for him, or are you plannin’ to go on with that one?”
“I beg your pardon?”
Jasper lifted the tankard and drank for the space of six seconds. Rian knew this, because he counted.
“Ah! A fine start to a good evenin’, that, don’t you know. Takes a liar to know a liar, Lieutenant. You’re a liar.”
Rian propped his elbow on the table and rubbed at his mouth, hiding his smile. “Is that a fact? And how would Jasper—how would you know that?”
“‘Cause you told Jasper flat out. No protectin’ the lady. Just flat out said so. Coulda said she was your sister, but you didn’t. Bam! Got me a fine, pure lady upstairs, trying to make hell-bent for the coast with her. So what you really got, Jasper’s thinkin’, is a not so fine, pure lady upstairs, and another reason entirely for thinkin’ someone’s huntin’ you both.” He ran his tongue over his top lip, as if to capture any last taste of the ale. “You kill somebody? Won’t have no truck with that.”
“We killed no one,” Rian said, searching his mind for something plausible to say, something Jasper would believe. “But you’re correct, Jasper. I was lying to you. Partially. The woman traveling with me is less the daughter of the house than a servant in that house. And perhaps we availed ourselves of some personal items—jewelry, for example—before taking our leave.”
“Now, see, how hard was that? Availed, is it? That a fancy word for stealin’? Can Jasper see it?”
“The jewelry?” Damn, the man was persistent.
“That’s how you’ll be paying Jasper, right? Can’t be nothin’ too fancy, or else there’ll be questions Jasper can’t answer.”
Rian shook his head. “There’s no need. I’ve also got some gold. English coins. Three of them are yours, if you can produce what I need.”
“Three, is it? Very well,” the man said as he got to his feet. “Jasper would have said two, but three it is. You’ll wait here?”
“The morning will be soon enough, thank you,” Rian told him, once again thinking of Lisette waiting for him upstairs. “But before you go, Jasper, I have another proposition for you.”
Jasper lowered his huge frame into the
“Jasper, you’re a bloody thief,” Rian said in true amusement.
The man pulled at the edges of his thick woolen jacket, tugging them across his chest, although no stretch of the material, or the imagination, could ever make the two sides come together. “Jasper is that, yes, sir, Lieutenant. Twice over, once he tells you how much a pistol and sword will put you back. Toss in the shot. Jasper isn’t heartless, seein’ as how you look like a man what needs protection.”
“Because of this?” Rian said, bristling, as he held up his shortened sleeve.
“No, never said that,” Jasper said, motioning to the bits of green glass and spilled wine on the table between them. “Because of that. Who were you expectin’, sir, Boney hisself?”
Rian had been prepared for just such a question. “No, Jasper, not Boney. An irate father. I’m eloping, taking my beloved Lisette to England to marry me, live with my family. Her father objects.”
Jasper nodded. “Because you’re English.”
“No, because Lisette is already promised to a fat old man she despises, but who has offered a bride price her father would be loathe to give back. I fear he is in hot pursuit even now. I felt the need to arm myself—not literally, of course. That’s not possible,” he ended, smiling at his use of words.
The big man thanked the innkeeper for the tankard he’d set down in front of him, and then waited until the man had also uncorked the bottle for Rian and left the room, closing the door behind him. “So it’s young love, is it? Jasper likes a good story. Do you have another one for him, or are you plannin’ to go on with that one?”
“I beg your pardon?”
Jasper lifted the tankard and drank for the space of six seconds. Rian knew this, because he counted.
“Ah! A fine start to a good evenin’, that, don’t you know. Takes a liar to know a liar, Lieutenant. You’re a liar.”
Rian propped his elbow on the table and rubbed at his mouth, hiding his smile. “Is that a fact? And how would Jasper—how would you know that?”
“‘Cause you told Jasper flat out. No protectin’ the lady. Just flat out said so. Coulda said she was your sister, but you didn’t. Bam! Got me a fine, pure lady upstairs, trying to make hell-bent for the coast with her. So what you really got, Jasper’s thinkin’, is a not so fine, pure lady upstairs, and another reason entirely for thinkin’ someone’s huntin’ you both.” He ran his tongue over his top lip, as if to capture any last taste of the ale. “You kill somebody? Won’t have no truck with that.”
“We killed no one,” Rian said, searching his mind for something plausible to say, something Jasper would believe. “But you’re correct, Jasper. I was lying to you. Partially. The woman traveling with me is less the daughter of the house than a servant in that house. And perhaps we availed ourselves of some personal items—jewelry, for example—before taking our leave.”
“Now, see, how hard was that? Availed, is it? That a fancy word for stealin’? Can Jasper see it?”
“The jewelry?” Damn, the man was persistent.
“That’s how you’ll be paying Jasper, right? Can’t be nothin’ too fancy, or else there’ll be questions Jasper can’t answer.”
Rian shook his head. “There’s no need. I’ve also got some gold. English coins. Three of them are yours, if you can produce what I need.”
“Three, is it? Very well,” the man said as he got to his feet. “Jasper would have said two, but three it is. You’ll wait here?”
“The morning will be soon enough, thank you,” Rian told him, once again thinking of Lisette waiting for him upstairs. “But before you go, Jasper, I have another proposition for you.”
Jasper lowered his huge frame into the
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