Page 89 of Circle of Days
She was thrilled. “We could meet every day!”
“Or every night.”
She considered. Could she manage that secretly?
He noticed her hesitation. “Can you get away at night?”
“My mother won’t mind. But she’s been forced to partner with Stam, the son of Troon.”
“That thug! Is he a light sleeper?”
“The opposite.” She recalled stealing the boat. She had been out all night without Stam noticing. He never woke before dawn. “But if one night he should wake and notice my absence, what would I say?”
“Say you have a lover.”
Actually, that was a good idea. There was generally a certain amount of romantic movement at night in Farmplace. It would not occur to the unimaginative Stam that her lover might be a herder.
Which raised a question. “Where will we meet?”
“In the wood,” said Han. “The weather is warm enough. When autumn comes we may have to think again.”
Autumn! she thought. That gives us a quarter of a year of seeing one another every night. Bliss! “We need to choose a place.”
“I can’t leave the herd. In fact, look at that stupid heifer wandering into the wood. She’ll get her leg caught in a tree root and die there if I don’t rescue her.”
“I’ll look for somewhere.”
“And how will I find you?”
“I’ll meet you here and take you there.”
“When?”
“I’ll come as soon as Stam is asleep.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“Now go and catch that wandering heifer.”
They kissed again, and parted.
In the middle of a thicket was a space big enough for two to lie down. She saw the white flowers of yarrow among the bushes, and smelled its characteristic scent of fresh-cut herbs. The ground there was covered with soft dry leaves. A passer-by would not see them—not that there was likely to be a passer-by in daytime or night.
The blue sky was visible above.
She hoped Han would like it.
Of course he would like it. What was she worrying about? It was a nice place to lie down with someone you loved, and that was all that mattered.
She got home with a few berries and Stam ate them all.
She carried water and pulled weeds all day. At suppertime she was too tense to eat, despite being hungry. Her mother noticed and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
After supper Stam went to see his mother. Pia suspected she gave him a second supper. He came home at nightfall, had sex with Yana, and went to sleep.
Pia waited a little longer, to make sure he was fast asleep, then she got up. Her mother watched silently. Pia lifted the wickerwork gate that stood in the doorway, stepped outside, and replaced it carefully, making almost no noise.
Stam did not stir.
