Page 26 of The Good Daughter

Cautiously, I sidled Autumn up closer to Devon.

“You could have been killed.”

“Yes.” He didn’t bother looking over at me.

“That begs the question: why are you helping us?”

He didn’t meet my eyes directly, continuing to look up ahead as he replied, “I’ve been paid already. The job is over. What I do now is on my own time and by my own choice.”

Which didn’t exactly answer the question, but at that moment, riding beside Devon toward freedom, I couldn’t say I cared.

Chapter Nine

Family Life

Once we were out of Border Wood, Devon turned Siegfried towards the hills.

“It would be in your best interests if you stick with me for now,” Devon said.

“Why is that?”

He shrugged. “When that squad doesn’t show up, Latran’s going to come looking and they’re not going to like what they find. By this afternoon, I reckon there will already be squads out looking for you. You’ll need a place to hide with people who are trustworthy, and, I might be wrong, but I don’t suppose that you or his Majesty have many friends out in the wilderness.”

He wasn’t wrong about that. Back when I was still a Princess of Wincham, living in Farringcourt, then most of my friends had been ladies of court (although, when you’re a princess, it’s hard to tell ifanyoneis a real friend). There were people I knew farther afield, maybe even a few this far out, but they were all nobility, and when I was disowned by my father, they disowned me too. Now I wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them. I had friends in the mountains—truer friends I liked to hope—but the mountains were many days ride away.

“We will stay with you. If we may.”

Devon nodded. “Good. I’ll be glad for the company.”

“I can’t thank you enough,” I said, sincerely. “You didn’t have to help us.”

I expected the shrug and the smile but Devon’s face remained uncharacteristically serious and he looked away from me. “I suppose you inevitably get to know someone a little when you’re tethered to them.”

“Yes.”

“You don’t deserve to be used as a pawn in someone else’s game, but we don’t always get what we deserve.” He breathed out a long sigh. “You say I didn’t have to do this and you’re right I didn’t have to. But here I am.”

As with a lot of things about Devon, I didn’t really know what to make of his little speech, but I was just grateful for his help and continued protection.

“You know somewhere we can hide out?”

The smile returned. “I have a friend high in the hills.”

***

With everything else that had been going on, I’d completely forgotten about the woman whom Devon had met in the hills on the day I tried to escape, but I recognized her instantly when, late that afternoon, we rode up to a rough little homestead set high on a windswept slope, and she came out to meet us.

Devon jumped from his horse and went to embrace her, setting off the same flares of jealousy I’d felt before. Now that I could see her close up, I could see that she was a very attractive woman. Though I placed her a good ten years older than me, and though the wind and weather had tanned her skin, she had a beauty that went beyond the skin deep.

“This is Selena,” Devon announced, bringing the woman over as Uther and I dismounted. “And Uther.”

“Charmed.” My father gave the woman a courtly bow.

She answered with a curtsey. “Pleased to meet you.”

“This is Martha,” Devon went on, and I found myself stupidly irritated by how well the faintly rustic name suited her. “And… where are they? Ah, here they come. These are Jem, Hob, and little Daisy.”

A trio of children tore out of the house, screaming in excitement, heading right for us and throwing themselves at Devon with such force that they nearly knocked him over, hugging him, begging for his attention, tugging at his clothes and hands, eager to show him something or other.

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