Page 9 of The Starling and the Hatter

She was lucky that her voice was so enchanting; otherwise, people wouldn’t have been so content to listen. Though the fact that she was a songstress singing in the dark was no doubt part of the intrigue.

I edged closer to her.

As the song drew to a close, the energy from the crowd seemed to loosen her nerves, allowing her to lean into the climactic crescendo and end with confidence.

The crowd applauded with enthusiasm, and several people stepped forward to drop coins into the nest at her feet while she curtseyed.

As her audience dispersed, I noticed several who lingered, but Ludly made it to her first. He spoke with energy and was soon joined by the two women I’d seen whispering earlier. Fortunately, both women looked excited and jumped into the conversation with Elise and Ludly, making me wonder what that was about. Elise smiled and nodded but seemed less excited than the fire dancers. I drew even closer, hoping to hear the conversation, and noticed that Jacobi was lingering nearby, his eyes fixed on Elise.

When Ludly and his fellow dancers turned to go, I hurried my steps, arriving at her side before Jacobi was able to steal her attention. “That was magnificent,” I said, boldly taking her hand and wrapping it over my arm so that I could escort her away.

Her hand was tense on my arm. She looked surprised and a little nervous but allowed me to tug her away from the crowd. I glanced up to see Jacobi’s lip curl before he walked away.

“I didn’t expect to be escorted away like a queen.” The words were meant to be teasing, but I could hear her uncertainty.

“Sorry if I’m being overbearing,” I said as we came to a stop. “The night crowd is different than the day crowd.”

She sucked in a breath. “I gathered that as I was singing.”

“You don’t usually perform after dark?” I asked, hoping she’d tell me why she was doing so now without my having to pry.

She looked away, busying herself with removing and folding her cape. “I was watching the fire dancers perform, and when they were finished, the crowd was yelling for more. They wanted more entertainment, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make a little extra.”

The moment she said it, I wanted to smack my forehead against a tree. “Saints, Elise, I’m sorry. I completely forgot to pay you what I promised for watching the tent. I can get it for you right now if you’d like.”

She shook her head. “You really don’t have to, it wasn’t a problem.”

The fact that she was here working in the dark suggested otherwise. “I do have to. We had an agreement and I’ll honor it. Can you walk back with me now before going…” Going where? Where would she go tonight? Where had she slept last night? She didn’t have a stall or a wagon. She certainly didn’t have a home here.

“I’ll walk with you,” she answered. “I need to head in that direction anyway.”

The only thing in that direction other than tents and wagons was woods, and the idea of her wandering in the dark woods to find someplace safe to bed down, especially when it would be easy for someone to follow her…

I knew it wasn’t my place to protect her, but my gut instincts didn’t seem to care what my place was. “Shall we?” I asked, tipping my head in the direction of my tent. She fell into step beside me but didn’t speak. So I had to ask, “Do you expect you’ll continue to perform at night?”

I could see her chewing her lip in the faint light. “I don’t know. The man who leads the fire dance troupe—” She looked up at me, as if questioning if I knew who she spoke of.

“Ludly.”

“Yes. Ludly said that he’d love to incorporate my singing with their fire dancing. Especially if there was a song about a dragon or some such.”

My eyebrows rose. “It’s a clever idea.”

“I do think that the combination of my song and the fire dancers’ artistry could be quite brilliant, and could be lucrative. But as you said, the night crowd…”

I wanted to jump in with my observations, but I held back, hoping she would keep talking.

She finally let out a sigh. “It’s just different.”

“Did the crowd make you nervous?”

She tipped her head back and forth, considering. “A little…and honestly, the fire-breather…”

I was grateful she was observant enough to notice. “Jacobi is one to watch out for.”

“He is?”

I nodded. “He is quick to fight, and quick to take what he wants. He works with Ludly and the Starfire troupe some of the time, but he doesn’t really play well with others.”