Page 42 of Ladybird

“It sounds important, William. I think you should tell me.”

“If you insist.” He still squirmed, moving his sewing basket from one arm to the other.

“I insist. Now please, tell me. What has taken your concern?”

William ran a hand over his basket and let out a deep sigh before continuing. “Right before my cat disappeared, my daughter said two boys were hanging out in front of the shop in a suspicious manner.”

“Really.” Hunter didn’t want to hear this. “William, if my nephew has done anything wrong, I swear I will punish him and correct the situation. If he has your cat, as you say, I will make sure she is returned to you.”

“Nay, nay.” William raised his hand in the air. “I don’t want the cat back. I can get another. I just noticed that your relations with your nephew seem a little…shall I say, rocky?”

Hunter blew out a deep breath and collapsed atop the bed. “Mayhap stormy is a better word to describe it. It is like I don’t even know who the boy is anymore. Please tell me that raising a child gets easier because this isn’t going well at all.”

“I can’t say it does, unfortunately. Then again, Bernadette and I had girls, not a boy. I’m sure it is much different.”

“William, you are easy to talk to. I feel comfortable around you.”

“Thank you,” said the man, slowly lowering himself atop a chair. “Does that mean there is something you need to discuss but can’t find the right person to talk to about it?”

“You are a wise man as well,” said Hunter with a smile, sitting up on the bed. “It’s about Lady Regina.”

“Ah, I thought so.” The man put his sewing basket on his lap and chuckled. “You have feelings for her but you can’t tell Robin because you are a commoner and she is his brother. Is that right?”

“Damn, you are good at this. How did you know that?”

“I grew up in a much different lifestyle than Robin, you realize. It was more like yours I’d guess. I may be good at my craft, but I don’t have book knowledge. I learned all that I know on the streets.”

“Is it hard having a brother who is now a noble?”

“We’re not really brothers,” he said. “But the answer is no. I felt as if Madoc were my true brother even though he wasn’t. I know it is proper to treat nobles differently, but honestly, they are no different from commoners in my opinion. They just have a title attached to their name.”

“Not to mention a lot of wealth and status.”

“Have you told Regina your feelings for her?”

“I have.”

“How did she react?”

“Lady Regina is…complicated.”

“She is, indeed!”

Hunter and William both chuckled.

“I didn’t think she cared for me at first,” admitted Hunter. “Then things changed recently and now I think that mayhap she does. I might just be fooling myself though. We don’t belong together, and I know it. I am sure nothing will ever come of any feelings that we have for each other.”

“Don’t give up hope, Hunter. If you want something…or someone bad enough, there is always a way to get what you want.”

“That’s just it. I’m not really sure where I want our relationship to go.” Now Hunter was the one fidgeting and feeling uncomfortable. He didn’t know William well but was opening up to him about his personal feelings. Mayhap he shouldn’t be talking to him. After all, William was Madoc’s brother and Madoc was Regina’s father. His mind became even more confused.

“So, are you saying you don’t want to get married and settle down and have a family someday?” asked William.

“Nay, I’m not saying that at all. I am just saying that I’m not sure I’d be any good at it. I don’t have any admirable skills like you do with sewing or like Regina does with falconry. How could she ever be proud of me?”

“Leave that up to her to decide,” was William’s wise advice. “Don’t you have some kind of skill you are proud of? I mean, you are a thief-taker, right?”

“Phiff,” he said, blowing air from his mouth. “I don’t think any woman, noble or not, would brag about her husband being nothing more than a blasted bounty hunter.”