“No,” the courier said. He dug his heels into his horse’s side. “I am not here for your sweetbreads and ales.”
The horse stepped forward, pressing against Ian’s hold on the bridle. Ian held firm, twisting his body to stand more in front of the horse. He swayed a little to sell the movement and stroked the horse’s forehead.
“Perhaps you should be,” Robin said.
From his new angle in front of the horse, Ian could see Robin place one hand on the man’s knee.
This got the courier’s attention. The man looked down at her. His eyes no longer held the annoyance from moments before as he took in Robin’s eager, upturned face. Then he dropped his eyes down the rest of her body.
She was clad in trousers, as usual, but Ian did not think that made her any less appealing.
“Sweetbread?” the courier asked, but the tone of his voice did not match the simplicity of the word. His horse stilled beneath him, sensing the change in energy.
Robin lifted a piece of the loaf.
“For a half coin?” the man asked, taking it from her hand and lifting it to his nose.
“For you?” Robin said. “No coin.”
Watching the exchange, Ian wanted to step around the horse and slap its backside until it carried this leering man far, far away from Robin.
“Join me for a drink?” Robin asked, gesturing with her head toward an inn further down the road.
The man looked down the road. His eyes appeared to spot the inn, then lifted farther toward the horizon.
“Surely you can enjoy the festival for a few moments before whatever journey is pulling you away?” Robin’s hand slid further up the man’s knee.
Ian wished they had come up with any plan other than this.
“A quick drink, then,” the man said. He slid from the horse, dropping down onto the road beside Robin, his eyes once again scanning her body.
Summoning a strength of will that he was far too used to relying on, Ian stepped away from the horse. He swayed gently as he slipped into the crowd.
The man did not even spare him a second glance.
Imagining himself besting the courier in the sparring ring, Ian let the crowd surge around him. He kept his eyes on the back of the horse as he trailed Robin and the courier to the inn.
The man may have been shirking his duties, but he was no fool. After tying his horse to a post outside the inn, he gathered the leather pack containing the correspondence and carried it with him after Robin into the inn.
Ian had expected that, but he had hoped the man would have been distracted enough to leave it on the horse. Or, perhaps, Ian reminded himself, he should be thankful that the man was not that distracted.
Giving them a few minutes, Ian waited outside the inn before following a crowd through the door.
Robin and the courier were seated at a far table. Ian could see all of Robin’s face, as she had situated herself to be facing the door, forcing the man to put his back to the rest of the room.
Robin was all smiles, her eyes shining bright, as she leaned across the table giving the man her full attention.
Ian cursed himself for ever having suggested this stupid plan. He had been elated when Robin had agreed to it, saying it was well thought out.
But looking at her now, even knowing that she was just playing a part, he realized it was clearly not thought out at all. Next time, he would let her come up with the stupid plans.
She laughed.
Ian fought the urge to walk up behind the courier and forcibly remove him from the establishment.
He needed to focus. The sooner he got those papers, the sooner this would all be over.
The courier still wore the leather satchel around his shoulder.
