Page 45 of The Starling and the Hatter

We walked along in silence, and I couldn’t help wondering what girl it was who had captured Hatcher’s attention. And what did attraction mean anyway? Did he just think this girl was pretty? Had they spoken? Were they friends? A twinge of jealousy twisted in my gut, along with strong feelings of dislike for whatever girl it was. I did my best to shove both feelings aside. “Thanks for coming to find me.” I said, realizing how lucky I was that he’d been willing to come look for me. “I don’t know what I would have done if I’d been on my own.”

“Of course,” he said, adjusting his grip.

“I hope I’m not keeping you from something important,” I said reluctantly.

“This is important,” was all he said and helped me all the way back to the Hatchers’ tent.

After we’d made it back, I changed while standing on one foot with Hatcher waiting like an anxious mama outside the curtain. I managed just fine, thanks to my stubbornness. Then Hatcher helped me find a spot close by where I could sing. It was right next to a tree that I could lean against for balance if needed.

“Will this be all right?” Hatcher asked.

I gave him my most reassuring smile. “It’s perfect. Now go, you have pretty costumes to sell.”

He looked reluctant but went on his way, leaving me to focus on selling my own wares.

I’d wasted more than half a day looking for and crying over Robert, so it was well past time for me to get down to business. It wasn’t just today that had been wasted. I’d wasted a great deal of time this week, and I was sure that my purse would be woefully under-filled when I went to count my earnings tomorrow morning before we packed up to move on.

15

Elise

We were packing up to leave the next morning when Ludly came by to see me. “How’s my favorite songbird?” he asked.

“Busy,” I answered. “What can I do for you?”

“Ah,” he said with a mysterious smile. “It’s not what you can do for me, but what I”—he put a hand up with a dramatic flare—“can do for you.”

I was intrigued enough that I gave him my full attention. Ludly didn’t usually perform unless he was actually performing. “Well, let’s have it.”

“I’ve been asked to pass on a riddle.”

My brow furrowed. “I don’t like riddles.”

He shrugged. “It’s not a particularly good one. Nonetheless, I must recite it.” He cleared his throat. “When the entertainer of kings is the color of clouds and blows away just as swiftly, does the songbird follow or stay in its nest?”

I blinked at him. “What?”

He grinned and said, “Good luck!” before cheerily turning away.

“Wait.” I stopped him. “Say it again.”

He turned back and patiently recited it again.

I was befuddled. “The entertainer of kings? A jester?”

He nodded.

“A jester the color of clouds,” I muttered, then frowned. “White. Robert?” I looked up at Ludly, hope bursting forth. “Is this Robert’s riddle?”

He grinned, gave me a little salute, and was off.

Robert had left me a message…in a riddle? So he hadn’t completely abandoned me. He’d left a message.

Running the riddle through my head, I had to agree that Robert had certainly blown away swiftly, but “Does the songbird follow?” That must be referring to me. He wanted me to follow after him! The large stone that had been sitting inside my chest since his departure finally eased up. He hadn’t forgotten me. He wanted me to follow. Yet, on the heels of that elation came confusion. How was I to do such a thing? Was it a challenge to see how I would respond? If he wanted me to follow, why not just tell me before he left? And ask me to come with him? Was this his way of encouraging me to be more adventurous? I knew how important that was to him, and I’d had a wonderful time finding the excitement in the festivals through his eyes.

But I couldn’t just leave. I couldn’t go chasing after him on my own. That would be foolish. Completely foolish. Wouldn’t it?

Yes, I determined. Chasing after Robert on my own would be the height of pathetic stupidity, especially when he’d left me so confused. So I refocused my efforts on preparing to leave. Just because he’d left me a riddle didn’t mean his departure hadn’t been cruel.