In truth, she’d never thought about a future beyond what was expected of her. She’d assumed she would have children, but she hadn’t considered the matter very deeply. Could she trundle her babies around like a peddler’s wife—?
The carriage leaned as Kit climbed in. “This is for you,” he said. “Tamsyn and I found it.” He offered the feather from a jay’s wing. He twirled the black-and-white feather with its cap of vivid blue between two fingers. “For your hat.”
When she didn’t move toward it, he added, “You adorn your hats with feathers, no? Isn’t that what you and your sisters do?”
For a moment, Elise feared she would break down into tears. This was a perfect gift. A feather, a simple, humble, beautiful feather from a man who would soon fly away. “I think you are a fool, Kit Cox.”
He looked down at the feather. “I might agree with you.”
“But that doesn’t change anything, does it?”
“It can’t.” He held up the feather, offering it again. This time she took it. He picked up the reins.
While he snapped the reins to send the horses forward, she removed her hat. The feather was five inches long. She wove the quill into the straw until she believed it was attached securely. What was needed was a hat band. Then she could sew the ribbon and always keep the feather secure. Just as she wished to hold Kit forever.
She ran a finger along the feather’s edge, admiring its complex pattern. She would probably wear this feather on every hat she owned from now on.
Elise put on the straw bonnet. Last night, Kit had said they would each have to return to their lives. She pondered his words a moment before saying, “Three questions?”
“The game again.” He didn’t sound happy.
She didn’t care. “We have to pass the time.”
“You can do that humming thing you do. You know, where you don’t have any melody.”
Elise tilted her head in mock offense. “I’ll have you know I’ve been humming an extremely popular Irish jig.”
“Now I know why they kept it in Ireland,” he quipped, and in spite of herself, she laughed.
The reserve between them broke. First the feather, then the teasing...
“Three questions,” she pressed, holding up three fingers like a promise.
“Nothing about last night.” It was a statement, not a question.
She nodded her assent.
“Go on then.” He sounded like a man facing the gallows.
“I asked this question yesterday. You never answered so, I’ll ask again—have you learned any lessons while pretending to be Prince Hal?”
“I wasn’t pretending to be a prince,” he said. “I was following his example.”
“I understand. But wasn’t it Prince Hal’s experiences that made him a good king? So, I’m asking if you gained any insight into your own life.”
He was quiet for so long, she began to believe he was going to ignore her, and then he said, “I learned there are good people in all walks of life. I’ve met yeomen who were more noble-minded than their lords. I’ve also come to realize that for every good person, there is a cheat, a trickster, or an unscrupulous lawyer lying in wait.”
Kit fell silent and she thought he was done when he said, “I learned I don’t want to be one of the latter.”
“Was there a danger in that?”
“Your second question, Miss Lanscarr,” he pointed out. “Wasthere a danger? Yes. I’d become selfish. A selfish man is an unpleasant soul.”
Such honesty. How could she not love such a man?
“One more question,” she said, her voice quiet. “Last night, you said we would both haveto return to our lives. Where will you return, Kit? Who will you be?”
***
