AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His visitor put a hand on his arm. “If you thought otherwise, you are wrong.” All trace of timidity had disappeared from her voice and stance.
“Umm,” said Jack. He would have to learn more about this.
“Nothing is wrong between you? Nothing about the banns?” The small woman looked ready to shake an answer out of him.
“What?”
“They will be calling the banns in church on Sunday. Sarah seemed to think… I didn’t understand why she should care about that. It is all settled.”
“Banns. Ah, that is an official announcement of the engagement. To the whole neighborhood.”
Mrs. Finch nodded, frowning at him.
“No denying things after that,” Jack noted.
Her fingers tightened on his arm, an iron grip. “Why would you wish to do so? Tell me you do not!”
He needed time, Jack concluded. There were matters to explore. He shook his head, allowing her to take it as a denial. “Allow me to introduce you to Mistress Elena,” he said as a distraction.
“Who?”
“The leader of the Travelers.” He gestured toward her caravan.
“That’s an old woman,” said Mrs. Finch.
“Yes.”
“She can’t be the leader.”
“They look to her to make decisions,” Jack replied.
Mrs. Finch stared. She seemed both fascinated and scandalized by the idea. “My father says Travelers are filthy thieves,” she said.
“He is wrong.”
She glanced up at him, startled and perhaps pleased, and then back at Mistress Elena. “I shouldn’t.”
“It would be courteous to say hello as you have come to their camp.”
The threat of rudeness swayed her. She followed Jack to the caravan, and he performed the introductions.
“Are you really the leader?” Mrs. Finch looked around, her gaze pausing at various large, muscular men as if expecting one of them to come up and contradict the claim.
“They look to me for counsel,” said Mistress Elena. “Wisdom comes with years.”
“Not for me,” said Mrs. Finch.
“Maybe you aren’t old enough,” said Samia.
The visitor looked down at her in astonishment, whether because a small child had expressed this opinion or at the notion itself, Jack could not tell. “I feel old,” said Mrs. Finch.
“Wait until you are four score and see,” replied Mistress Elena.
“Four score! I can’t imagine it.”
“You will find much happiness at that age,” said the old Traveler.
“How can you…?”
