Page 46 of Waking Roslyn

“Trust me, he is. Right, Miriam?” she called to someone behind me.

I turned to see John walking toward us, alongside a beautiful woman with fiery red hair. A quiver was strapped to her back and she held a bow in her hand.

“Certainly,” the redhead answered Gretchen. “What am I agreeing to?”

“That John is a show-off!” She tossed the insult with a grin.

John just shook his head, but the redhead looked at him as though actually considering how to answer. “Yes,” she concluded. “I suppose he is a bit of a show-off.”

“What?” he asked, offended. “I am not.”

“We all have our weaknesses,” she teased.

He narrowed his eyes at her, and I started to feel like I was intruding. “Like being a pickpocket?”

She looked aghast and amused at the same time. “Really, John?”

“Tell me I’m wrong,” he challenged.

She rolled her eyes. Their easy banter made my heart squeeze a bit. Who exactly was this girl?

When John turned to look at me, he saw the confusion on my face and started making quick introductions. “Miss Rose, this is Miri.”

“Miriam,” she corrected. “Nice to meet you.”

“You as well,” I said with less confidence than I should have had.

“Miri works with Emeline in the kitchens,” John explained, twirling his staff. “We all tried to convince her to learn the sword, but she decided she prefers archery.”

I tried not to dwell on the fact that John had a nickname for Miriam, and instead marveled at the fact that so many of the servants had taught themselves to fight. The combined strength of the Sutton and Bridgefield servants might have been considered a small army. I smiled at that idea.

Miriam started heading away from us. “I do prefer archery, and I have to get in my practice now, before Emeline has her baby and I have to take over in the kitchen.”

“And I’m certain your instructor has nothing to do with the appeal of ‘practicing,’” John said with a raised brow.

She laughed as she walked off, hollering back to us, “They’re equally appealing.”

I looked over at Gretchen, a question on my face.

“Rowan is the one that teaches her,” she said with a cheeky smile. “They’re sweethearts.”

“Oh.” What a relief. But it shouldn’t have been a relief, because I needed to convince my insides that they should not object to seeing John with other girls. If he wanted to spend time with and show off for Miri and Nellie and anyone else, I needn’t have an opinion on it.

Unfortunately, my heart felt like it had a very strong opinion about it. What a mess.

“How are things going here?” John asked.

Gretchen put one hand on her hip and cocked it to the side as she gave her brother a critical look. “They’re going very well since I’m not showing off.”

John narrowed his eyes as her. “Why the sudden accusation that I’m a show-off?”

John

I truly wanted to know. Gretchen had meant it, and while I’d admit to showing off on occasion, I didn’t think that warranted the accusation that I was a show-off. Especially not when she was saying it in front of Rose.

“Because, you halfwit, you’ve been trying to get Rose to strike at you without blocking first.”

“What…are you talking about?”