Page 60 of Picking Up the Gauntlet

Jonathon awoke the next morning, hearing someone calling for Raven. It wasn’t until he saw Raven’s naked body pressed up next to him that he remembered what happened last night.

“Oh, hell,” he said, bolting up to a sitting position, quickly pulling on his trews. Brindy got up and stretched and yawned. Raven stirred in the bed.

“Raven?” Lark appeared at the door to the bedroom holding a lit candle in her hand. Copper, Raven’s apricot-colored dog was with her. “Oh, my!” exclaimed Lark, when she saw Jonathon get out of bed, half-dressed, and Raven still lying there under the covers.

“Lark?” came Raven’s sleepy voice from the bed. “What are you doing here?”

“Me? What are ye doin’ here?” asked Lark, looking back over her shoulder. “Yer father is lookin’ for ye. It’s already mornin’. When ye and Brindy weren’t there when I awoke, I thought ye might be with Jonathon. But I never thought ye’d be doin’ this!”

“Raven, get up,” said Jonathon, not bothering to use her title since they were more than familiar with each other now. He quickly pulled a tunic over his head and jammed his boots onto his feet. “Lady Lark, I’m sorry you had to see this.”

“I’m no’,” said Lark with a smile. Then her eyes opened wide and she shook her head. “I mean, I’m no’ sorry ye did it. Together. I mean–”

“Never mind, Cousin.” Raven sprang from bed, trying to pull her night rail over her head. “Father can’t see me like this. I need to hide. If he finds me in here in my night clothes, he’ll know what happened.”

“Here. I brought yer gown.” Lark put down the candle and pulled Raven’s gown out from a bag she carried over her shoulder.

“Raven? Where are you?” came Corbett’s bellow from just outside the blacksmith’s shop.

“Damn it,” spat Jonathon. “I knew this would happen.” He paced back and forth.

“Hurry, Raven,” said Lark, helping her dress. “Here, put the cloak back on and mayhap no one will notice yer messy hair.”

“Raven?” came Rook’s voice next. They were getting closer.

“That’s it.” Jonathon threw his hands in the air. “I’m going to tell them the truth and take my punishment like a man.” He started to leave the room, but Raven grabbed his arm and spun him around.

“You do that and I will never forgive you!” she spat.

“What? I don’t understand,” he said. “We both knew this might happen.”

“We knew, and it did, but that is no reason to act stupid!” She pushed him out the door. “Get over to the forge and crank it up. Fast.”

“But –”

“Do it,” she spat, and Jonathon didn’t argue.

“Raven, ye need to get out of the man’s bedchamber,” said Lark. “Oh, I’m so frightened for ye.”

“Don’t be,” she said, spying the bone on the ground and scooping it up. “This isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last.”

“What?” asked Lark. “Are ye sayin’ ye –”

“Shush, Lark. Now, follow me and let me do all the talking.” Raven grabbed Lark by the arm and pulled her into the other room where Jonathon was working the bellows, bringing the flames to life.

“Oh, no. Hide the armor,” said Raven, not wanting her father to see it.

“Nay, it’s fine,” Jonathon told her, making no sense at all.

“Raven? Are you in here?” Rook pushed open the door to the blacksmith’s shop.

“Here, Brindy,” said Raven, throwing the bone on the ground. The dog sniffed it but did nothing to chew on it. Thankfully, Copper decided she wanted it, and lay down and gnawed on the bone instead.

“I found her,” Rook called over his shoulder, entering the shop, leaving the door wide open. The sun streamed in, lighting up the dark room.

“Raven?” Corbett walked in next with Devon at his side. “Where the hell were you? I came to your room this morning and Lark said she hadn’t seen you.”

Devon, Raven’s mother, walked in, keeping to the back of the room and not saying a word.