Page 54 of A Thief to Die For

I should find Marian.

‘The water is wonderful,’ she says, still holding on, even though I’ve let her go. ‘Oh, you’ve got some soot on your face.’ Her fingers brush my forehead.

I try to rub it off.

She giggles. ‘You made it so much worse.’

I glance at my hands. Yeah, I’m a mess. Reluctantly, I untie my boots and roll up my trouser legs. The water draws the heat from my skin as I wade up to my knees and wash as much of my body as I can. My shirt melts to my chest after splashing my face and head. Agatha’s gaze jerks away when I turn back around.

It’s obvious what she wants from me, and that’s not a conversation I’m eager for. Now or in the future. ‘I’m not very good company at the moment. I should go.’

Her lips press together. ‘Not yet.’

‘You’re not letting me leave?’ I huff a small laugh. I’ve met my share of persistent women, but I didn’t think Agatha was one of them.

‘I’m not leaving you alone. Yet.’ She lowers herself to a boulder and pulls her long hair over one shoulder. ‘You don’t have to tell me what’s going on, but … I know you’re going through something. I also know what that’s like.’

My jaw tenses.

Her fingers comb through her hair. ‘I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but my father doesn’t like me very much. Sometimes.’

‘I may have seen some things.’ With a squint, I count the people. Three in the water. Four on the sandy part across the way. ‘I wasn’t sure if it’s always like that, though.’

‘It is. Well, when we’re not alone, that is.’ Her hands stop moving. ‘As predictable as the clouds running out of rain.’

I should probably respond, but my mind is dragged back in time to old conversations. I try to think of the exact wording Mum had used to answer my questions. Did she explicitly lie, or just omit information, leaving me to come up with my own conclusions?

It hits me that the reason no one remembers my father isn’t just because he was always gone as a trader. No one knew him. And the ring! Did that keep coming up in my nightmares because Rufus actually proposed with one? I exhale harshly … until I remember I’m not alone.

Agatha meets my gaze, or maybe she was waiting for it. ‘Don’t you wish you could run away from your problems sometimes?’

The water laps against the rocks from the light breeze, and I turn to watch it.

She chuckles humourlessly. ‘But I guess if you can’t escape it, you find a way to endure it. Or even join in the game. Unless, of course, you’re you, who gets to leave whenever he wants.’ She sniffs. ‘Would you ever …’ She pauses, biting her bottom lip. It reminds me of her sister. ‘Would you ever consider taking me with you? When you leave?’

Oh. I bow my head. Truthfully, it’s crossed my mind for a lot of people. Marian. Little John and his mum. Some of the other Dresden. But the logistics of travelling and defending that many people would be a nightmare. Not to mention the fallout of stealing the Commander’s daughter from here. Also, with the population hitting six hundred, Kingsland isn’t taking in strangers. Not without a marriage.

She laughs nervously when I don’t answer. ‘Never mind. That was a stupid question. That could ruin your coal deal, especially if you’re caught.’

There’s that too. ‘It’s pretty dangerous out there. Leaving would mean risking your life.’

‘Oh, I know.’

I can’t tell what danger she’s referring to – her father or vagabonds. But if she’s dead set on trying again, she should take an escort of real soldiers. ‘Maybe if Marian –’

‘I don’t want to talk about Marian.’ She takes a steadying breath. ‘I actually … want to ask you another question.’

‘You’re making me nervous,’ I say truthfully.

She laughs. ‘This one’s easy. Or should be, because it’s hypothetical.’ Her eyes roll to the sky. ‘Can a man be attracted to a woman who isn’t classically beautiful? Or is that a myth?’

I resist a curse under my breath. How do I get myself into these situations? ‘Not sure I should be speaking on behalf of every man.’

‘Then speak for yourself.’

I pick up a flat rock and fling it across the water. ‘I’d rather not.’

‘Why?’