Water sloshed in her boots, and her wet skirt caught on her bare legs. She tried not to let it slow her, but Harlan missed nothing. He slowed his pace, his hand tightening around hers. He had a way of making her feel invincible.
When they reached the dock, they joined the queue of merchants waiting to buy fish. Blake held Harlan’s arm and resisted the temptation to rest her head on him.
‘Tired?’ he asked as though reading her mind.
She had been exhausted for months. ‘I’m fine.’
His arm went around her, guiding her head to his side. ‘Liar.’
Her eyes sank shut. She knew even if she fell asleep in that moment, the defender standing at her side would never let her fall. ‘Sorry,’ she whispered.
He moved them forwards in the line and kissed the top of her head. ‘You don’t have to stand tall and strong when I’m around. I’ve got you.’
The faintest smile played on her lips as her mind drifted.
Epilogue
Lyndal closed the shop door and leaned against it. ‘I think that was our busiest day yet.’
Blake had already counted the day’s coin and was seated at the table filling in the ledger. The first few months of her marriage, she had taken the ledger home to Harlan each night but quickly realised he had no interest in seeing it—or any of the profits, for that matter.
Rising from the table, she wandered into the back room where Birtle was eating. ‘We’re leaving for the day. Eda will be in to help tomorrow. Do you need anything before we go?’
He smiled. ‘No. All sorted here.’
It had made sense to have Birtle move in when he was forced to sell his own home. He lived expense free in exchange for keeping an eye on the shop while they were away. It also meant they did not have to come in every day, because he was more than capable of managing things in their absence.
‘Eda will bring you some eggs in the morning,’ Blake said, waving and disappearing back into the shop.
‘The cart’s out front,’ Lyndal whispered, gathering her things.
Blake’s eyebrows came together. ‘Why are you whispering?’
‘Because Astin’s driving it.’ She rolled her eyes at Blake.
The defender had a special knack for winding Lyndal up, and her normally level-headed sister always took the bait.
Lyndal opened the shop door and breezed past Astin, who had just stepped up onto the veranda. ‘Don’t you ever work?’
‘And good afternoon to you too,’ he replied to her back.
Blake gave him an apologetic smile as she stepped past him and followed her sister. ‘Defender.’
He nodded a greeting. ‘I’m having dinner at the house, so I offered to collect you.’
‘Great,’ Lyndal said, settling herself on the bench. ‘Now we get to listen to your jokes for the entirety of the journeyandthrough dinner.’
Blake shook her head.
Astin climbed up into the driver’s seat. ‘I had no idea you were paying such close attention to everything I say.’
‘I’m still refining my ability to tune you out.’
Astin chuckled and slapped the reins on the horse’s back, and the cart lurched forwards.
At the gate, the women presented the letter they carried, written and signed by the warden. It ensured they could move between the two boroughs for the purpose of work. The defenders had gotten so used to them coming and going, they often waved them through without even checking it.
Blake looked up at the sky as the portcullis lowered behind them. The clouds were high, giving the illusion that they might dissipate and let the sun through. She would do anything to feel the sun on her face.
