Adam sipped his porridge. He ran a sleeve across his mouth. “What did he want? Did he come to take you to the dungeon?”
“No, no, nothing like that.”
“Then what did he want? Why was he out there in the middle of the night? Why didn’t he just come and talk to Uncle Bruce?”
Justina took a deep breath. “It’s nothing for you to worry about. He won’t be back.” She sipped some porridge from her bowl.
“He’s the captain of the guard! Are you in trouble for bumping into Lady Aurora? Are you going to be arrested?”
Justina shook her head. “Everything will be fine, Adam. Don’t worry. Where is Uncle Bruce?”
“He is out with the geese and pigs.” Adam sat back in his chair, his meal forgotten as his mind raced with horrible possibilities. “He found out where you live. They’re going to come back and arrest you. You were right! We have to –”
“He’s not going to arrest me.”
“What else could it…?” He lifted his gaze to hers. His brown eyes were wide and alarmed. “You’ll be thrown in the dungeon and then what shall I do?”
“Adam! I will not be thrown in the dungeon.”
Adam scowled and stared at his porridge quietly for a moment, thinking. Then, his eyebrows shot up. He leaned forward in his chair. “Maybe Uncle Bruce can’t pay the tithe. Maybe they won’t come for you, but for him!”
“Adam!” At Uncle Bruce’s name, panic flared inside her. She reached across the table to grab Adam’s arm. “You can’t tell Uncle Bruce about this.”
Adam’s brow furrowed. “Why not?”
“I don’t want Uncle Bruce to be alarmed. He has enough on his mind. He doesn’t need to know about this.”
“If the captain of the guard came to arrest him --”
Justina knew Adam would keep asking about the captain of the guard, like a gnat festering a wound, until he received an answer. She had no choice. “He didn’t come to arrest anyone!”
“Maybe Uncle Bruce is in trouble. Maybe --”
She had to tell him. She sighed heavily. “He asked us to dine at the castle.”
Silence. It was almost worse than the constant questions. Adam’s eyes widened. Bigger. Brighter. Filled with excitement. “We’re going to dine at the castle?”
“No.”
“No?”
“I told him no.”
His shoulders slouched in disappointment. “Why? Why would you do that?”
“Adam,” Justina said quietly, with as much patience as she could muster. “We were gone for two days. We can’t do that to Uncle Bruce again. It’s too much work for him. He’s getting old. He needs us.” She sipped the porridge from her bowl again. “We had our time to visit the city and to see your princess. It was kind of Uncle Bruce to allow us to go. But it is our responsibility to help him on the farm.”
“You didn’t even ask him if it was okay.”
“Adam, I said no. I don’t want to leave Uncle Bruce alone. Not with the raids on the farms so close. I’m worried about the Hungars coming to harm him.”
Adam sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. His lower lip pouted.
“I’m sorry, Adam. It’s just not a good idea.” She would never tell him the real reason she didn’t want to go. Their father’s killer was a friend of the captain of the guard. She never wanted to see that monster again. And she never wanted Adam to be near him. Never.
Later that day, as the sun was coming down in the sky, Justina was working in the garden, picking the fresh peas, and placing the pods in the basket.
A thundering noise started low from down the road and grew louder. Justina looked up. Over the trees a large cloud of dust rose. For a moment, she thought it was fire, but couldn’t understand what the loud rumble was. She glanced back at the field where Adam was feeding the ox. He had stopped working and was turned in the direction of the road.
