A week passed by and I was just starting to get the hang of my new chores. Momma had even let me make dinner by myself, although she stepped in a couple of times. And even though I was busier than normal I still couldn't stop thinking about the two boys that I had met. When I asked Momma what she thought of them, she gave me a smile and told me that I was still too young for them. I frowned and sulked for the rest of the day and no matter how hard Jacob tried to cheer me up, I just didn't feel happy. The next day, I stopped bleeding.
"Momma! I'm not a woman anymore." I said rushing to her as she was hanging laundry outside. She looked at me with confusion.
"What is it now Susanna?" She asked.
"I stopped bleeding." I said, feeling tears in my eyes. I was looking forward to being a woman. Momma looked at me and then laughed.
"Oh honey. The bleeding only lasts for a couple of days. It'll come back in a couple of weeks but it only last a few days. Oh you were really scared weren't you?" She said pulling me into her arms. I let the few tears fall from my face as I felt that familiar comfort of my mother's embrace.
"What's happened?" Papa said from behind me.
"Nothing, just a little fright, that's all." She said, without releasing me. Then I felt something hit my chest. I froze unsure what had happened and then looked up at Momma. She smiled back down at me and gave me a wink.
"What was that?" I asked and her smile grew.
"Remember when you were 4?" She laughed. "That was a silly question. But do you remember when David was in my stomach? And you could feel him move when I laid with you at night?" She asked me and I struggled to remember the days before David, the days when I would run around in my night gown and Papa would laugh where as Momma would chase after me, trying to get me to put some clothes on. I shook my head.
"Well…" She looked up at Papa who was smiling slightly. "I'm going to have a baby." I stared at her like she had been speaking a different language. And then I realized what she said and my face broke out into a huge grin.
"REALLY?" I shouted and she smiled. "Oh Momma! That's wonderful!" I hugged her tightly, and realized that the roundness of my mother's stomach was a baby. "When will it come?"
"In the early fall." She said, smiling over at Papa. He smiled at us and then turned, walking back to where he was cutting the wood for the fireplace.
"What's wrong with Papa? Is he not excited for the new baby?" I asked, feeling a bit hurt.
"He's just worried that's all. He always gets worried when I become with child." She wrapped an arm tightly around me and sat down on a fall down log beside the house.
"So I'll finally get a sister?" I asked, day dreaming about a little girl who looked like me and idolized me. We would sit and talk for hours and do each other's hair.
"I hope so, but don't tell your father. He says w could use another boy." I cringed.
"But we have so many already. I think three boys is enough." Momma chuckled at me statement.
"Some families have six boys." She said.
"SIX? Oh my." I shook my head.
"Susanna." She grabbed my hands and looked at me, all cheeriness gone. "Having this baby will be difficult for me and your really going to need to help me."
"Ok Momma."
"That's why you have been working with me in the kitchen." She said, somewhat sadly.
"Why are you sad Momma?" I asked touching her cheek gently.
"Because, at the age of 12 you should still be a child, running around and having fun." A tear rolled down her cheek and I laughed.
"Oh Momma. I don't mind. I think it's better working with you then working with the boys." I lied, but I knew it would make Momma feel better. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly. I looked over her shoulder and spotted Papa watching us. He smiled slightly, then went back to cutting the wood. As I sat consoling my mother I wondered why Papa was so worried? What was the worst thing that a baby could do?
I sat on the edge of the creek, letting my feet dangle in the cold running water, staring at the pink sky as the sunset. I was humming to myself and thinking of what Momma had explained to me about giving birth. It sounded horrible, but in the end you got to hold a tiny baby that was just yours, that looked just like you. I started daydreaming about my baby, and how it would have dark curly hair like me only have bright blue eyes. My heart fluttered as I thought about having a baby with Jesse. I felt embarrassed for even thinking of that and wondered where I even got the idea. He was noble and I was poor.
"Hey sis." Jacob said, splashing water onto me as he sat down on the creek beside me. "Great supper you made."
"Thanks." I said blushing. "You know Momma's going to have a baby?" I asked him, without even having to look I knew that he did.
"Papa told me weeks ago." Jacob sighed. "He's worried."
"Why? I thought having a baby is a good thing?" I said, frowning at him. He gave me a sad smile and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.
"It just means he'll have another mouth to feed."
"But Momma said that the baby will eat from her milk, like a cow." Jacob laughed.
"Yes, but when the baby gets bigger like you and me, or David, it'll need more than Momma's milk." He smiled and I shrugged. I kicked at the water gently and thought about my dream baby again.
"Do you think I'll ever have children?" I asked. He coughed uncomfortably and when I looked at him his cheeks were pink. I smiled and nudged him.
"I suppose so, when you get married of course." He said, rather sternly. I smiled at him.
"Do you want to have children Jacob?" His face went pinker.
"I guess so. Everyone wants to have children."
"Not me!" Bradley said, startling us. He slumped over and sat beside Jacob.
"Why not?" I asked him, slightly agitated that he interrupted our conversation.
"Because who wants to look out for a screaming whining brat?" He snapped.
"Brad!" Jacob said, rolling his eyes.
"Well its true. Don't you remember when David was born. Man he screamed all the time."
"DID NOT!" Came a small voice from the other side of the bushes. David's bright red hair appeared over the green shrubs and he scowled at Bradley. "Take it back or I'll…" His fists were clenched and his face was purple with anger. I couldn't help but to smile at my 8-year-old brother.
"You'll what? Punch me?" Bradley teased.
"Enough! Davie come and sit." Jacob said, nodding to the spot of grass beside me. David pouted, which I think was supposed to be a scowl and dropped onto the grass beside me. He peeled off his shoes and stockings and stuck his feet in the water.
"It's going to be different with a baby around." I said.
"We'll get used to it." Jacob said and Bradley nodded.
"But who's room will the baby sleep in?" David asked.
"It'll sleep with Momma and Papa in the beginning." Jacob explained. "But eventually it will be moved in with you and Susanna." David looked at me and frowned slightly.
"Or bed barely fits both of us." He said, clearly not willing to share. I smiled.
"Don't worry Davie, will make room. Maybe Momma and Papa will build you your own bed." I said.
"Don't lie to him Susanna." Bradley snapped and I scowled at him.
"I'm not!"
"You're giving him false hope then."
"Brad, enough." Jacob scolded again.
"No! I'm tired of this! She's always pretending that she knows everything and is the smartest one!" His face went purple and the wind whipped his dark hair as he stood up. "The truth is David, that this baby will appear one day, after Momma screams so loud that you run as far away as possible so that you cant hear it. This baby will take your spot and you'll end up being just another kid like the rest of us; not special, not loved, not seen." He shouted and just as he turned to leave I noticed a tear in his eye. Even though I was furious with Bradley, I still felt pain in my heart for him. When he was out of ear shot Jacob turned to us.
"He's upset." I said.
"He never adjusted to you being born. That's why he's so hard on you." Jacob said to me.
"He hates me."
"He doesn't hate you Susanna, he's just jealous." I stared at him with my mouth hanging open.
"Why would he be jealous of Susanna?" David asked.
"Because Susanna is the only girl and apart from you, she gets a lot of attention from Momma."
"But…why aren't you jealous then?" I asked him, playing with the coarse material of my dress.
"I am sometimes. But I make sure that I spend time with Momma in my own way. During prayers I always kneel next to Momma, and we sit and talk at night, while she does her knitting. Bradley hasn't realized that he needs to seek his own attention instead of waiting for it to come to him." Jacob said scowling at the water. I looked at David and he shrugged, his grey eyes searching mine carefully. We fell silent and listened to the sound of night falling around us. The crickets were out creating a peaceful song, and the frogs joined in with their usual croaks.
"I want to be a knight when I grow up." David said.
"Where did that idea come from?" I asked laughing along with Jacob.
"I…I thought about it when the Prince was here. I saw him and his friend in town the other day and they were wearing amour, like knights."
"They came back?" I asked, feeling that jittery feeling again.
"They were in town. They talked to Papa for a second, but I was too far away to hear."
"When? What did they say?" Jacob laughed beside me.
"Susanna, holding a little flame for someone special?" He teased and I felt my face go red.
"N-No. I was just curious that's all." Both Jacob and David laughed this time. "Don't laugh. I see the way you look at Debra Mancuso down the road." This time he went pink.
"Are you going to marry her?" David asked, joining in on the teasing.
"Will you have babies with her?" I asked.
"Alright you two, give it a rest!" He said making both David and I burst into giggles. He smiled at us but then his face went serious.
"What is it?" I asked as we both stopped laughing.
"I'm going to marry her soon."
"You've asked her already?" I said, my eyes so wide that they hurt.
"No, but I've asked Momma and Papa and they told me to ask her parents."
"But you're not…you are still young." I said, feeling sad.
"Momma and Papa need the extra room now with the new baby and I'm not that young. They were a little older than I was when they got married." He said.
'Where will you live? You don't have your own land yet?" David asked.
"Papa said, if we get married that I can have a quarter of his land to build my house on and we'll spilt the profit of the crops when we bring them to the market to sell.
"Split the profit?" I stared at the water and shook my head. "But you'll be so far away."
"It's not that far. Just on the other side of the cornfield. He's got a place set up for each of us boys to build our houses." He said smiling.
"Why not for me?" I asked pouting.
"Because that will be your husbands job." He said, blushing again. I wondered why he blushed so much when he thought of marriage and having babies. He cleared his throat and jumped up.
"Want to see?"
"See what?"
"Where we'll build our house." He beamed down at us. I looked at David and he shrugged back.
"Ok." I said and Jacob helped me onto my feet.
"Come on, follow me." He said taking off at a run. I looked at David and both of us laughed as we chased after our excited brother.
When we got back home, after Jacob had shown us how the house was going to look, Momma scolded us for staying out after dark. Then she sent us straight to bed without a story or a kiss good night. David and I lay side-by-side listening to the wind rush against the house.
"Everything's going to change." I said.
"How so?" he whispered turning to me.
"Jacob's getting married, which mean that he won't be living here any more and Mom's having a baby. Basically the baby is replacing Jacob." I sighed and felt tears in my eyes. David was quiet beside me, barely even breathing.
"Momma would never do that." David finally said.
"I don't think she means to do it, she just is." David never said anything else after that, so I assumed he had fallen asleep. I turned on my side and drifted off to sleep.
The next day Jacob woke us up. He was smiling down at me brightly and he was shaking me.
"Come on Susanna wake up."
"What is it?" I asked rubbing my eyes.
"I need you to come into town with me."
"Me? Why?"
"I'm going to get a ring."
"A ring? What for? Men don't wear rings unless they're noble or married, or both." I said looking up at him.
"No silly. I'm going to buy an engagement ring, for Debra." He looked at me with wide eyes amused that I didn't understand. Finally I blinked at him and laughed.
"Oh! I understand!" I bursted out laughing, which caused David to give me a grumpy snort and roll on to his other side.
"So…will you come with me?"
"S-Sure, but don't you want Momma to come with you?"
"I want Momma to be surprised. Besides if Momma comes she'll try to pay for it and I want to do this myself." He said stubbornly. I smiled up at my big brother and nodded.
"Ok. I'll get dressed and be ready in 10 minutes." He kissed my cheek roughly and smiled.
"Thanks!" He said before skipping out of the room. I looked after him like he had three heads. That boy was completely different from the boy I was used to.
I slowly climbed out of bed and grabbed my wool dress off of the chair. I hated how it was so scratchy and rough against your skin when you pulled it on for the first time. But it kept you very warm in the winter, yet cool enough in the summer. I grabbed my white cap and wrapped my curly hair into a neat bun, before putting on my cap. I pinched my cheeks, after seeing Momma do it and went down stairs.
Momma was in the kitchen humming away as she cut up pieces of potatoes. She looked up when I entered the room and smiled at me.
"Is it ok if I go with Jacob into town?" I asked, trying to make it sound like it wasn't a matter to fuss about. Yet the fact was that Momma and Papa only took me into town around Christmas time, other than that I was forced to explore the fields around my house and go to church, which was just up the road. Momma continued to smile down at the potatoes.
"He's buying the ring?" She asked, well she said it more as a statement but I nodded anyways. "Make sure he buys a nice one. Something round, but not to big and make sure that its gold." She said looking at me with the corner of her eye. "Every girl loves gold."
"How did you know?" I asked her, shocked. She turned and grabbed a grey wool shall that hung from a peg by the back door.
"A mother always knows." She said as she wrapped the shall around my shoulders. "You'll see." I smiled up at her and she kissed my cheek. "Be polite remember your manners and have fun."
"I will Momma. Thank you." I kissed her again and then skipped out of the house, almost as excited as Jacob was. The wagon was waiting outside of the house, Jacob was tightening the last harness to our horse, Runner.
"Ready to go?" I asked him and he smiled at me.
"Where are you two going?" Papa said as he came walking out of the barn. His shirt was covered in blood and he looked as if he'd been up all night. I remembered that one of the cows had looked very swollen, as Momma had. There was most likely a new baby calf in the barn.
"Susanna and I are going into town for a bit." Jacob said, nervously.
"Why? Christmas shopping already?" He said, smiling at me; the first smile I'd seen in a while.
"No, well maybe." I said, not really sure if I wanted to spend the little money that I had saved up. He pinched my cheek and then winked.
"Take care of him." He whispered to me. "He's a nervous wreck, almost as if he's about to go and ask her." He chuckled.
"I'll look after him Papa." I shook my head at the fact that both of my parents knew that he was on his way to go and buy the ring, when Jacob wanted to keep it a secret.
Papa helped me into the wagon seat, beside Jacob then stepped back as Jacob whipped the horse.
"Good bye!" I called as we rode down the driveway. Papa stood on the porch and waved until the house was barely seen through the trees.
2 hours later, I knew we were getting close to town because the roads became busier. People were walking with large baskets under their arms and there were a couple of buggies that passed the in opposite direction. When I saw the large tower of the Cathedral I felt butterflies. I was so excited to get out a see more people, buy sweets and just see the different ways people lived compared to us farmers.
We pulled the wagon into a barn that was now used to storing wagons and Jacob paid the boys tending the horses. After that he grabbed my hand and pulled me out threw the streets. The first thing you did was smell the air, for it smelt of salted pork. The next thing you did was see all the different colours. Some people wore brown woolen tunics and dresses like Jacob and I, but others wore different colours to their wool, or they wore different material that flowed in the wind. One girl passed by, smiling at both of us, in a light blue dress like the colour of the sky. I watched her walk, mesmerized by the colour.
"Over here Susanna." Jacob said pulling me towards a small wooden table. The table was full of bits and pieces of jewelry; some cheap and some expensive. A smiling old woman sat on the other side, holding tightly to a silver handled cane.
"What can I help you with my dear boy?" She asked, her white hair loose, covered by a purple silk hooded cape.
"I want to buy a ring."
"A ring? For a girl?" The old woman winked at me and I smiled back.
"No not for her. She's my sister. It's for another girl." Jacob spoke in a low voice and was blushing.
"He's going to ask her to marry him." I said, smiling brightly.
"Oh I see. Well then…" She turned and disappeared behind a black sheet. I looked at Jacob and he shrugged. Just as we were about to leave she reappeared with a small box in her hand. "I have this very special ring, made by jewelers in France."
"France? Really?" I said shocked.
"Can we see it?" he asked, his eyes staring at the box hungrily.
"Of course. But I warn you it is a fair price." Jacob never registered what the hold woman said, just stared at the box. She handed it to him and he slowly opened it. He held it up to close to his face so I couldn't see. I pulled on his sleeve and begged him to let me see it. When he lowered it to me I blinked by the flash of the large diamond. I smiled at him and then studied it. I turned it sideways to see the way it caught the light. It was beautiful and big and I thought Momma would be happy if he bought this ring, yet there was something wrong with it. I frowned and Jacob bent down.
"What's wrong?" He asked me.
"It's silver." I said finally realizing it. His eyebrows creased together and he shrugged.
"So?"
"So…every girl loves gold, not silver." I said.
"I assure you young lady that not every woman like gold and silver is just as good as gold."
"Yet its not worth the same, so therefore not just as good." I said without even speaking. With my sharp tone the old lady shrunk back onto the seat. I picked the ring out of the box and felt it. It was very light to have such a big diamond. I turned it sideways again and looked at the old lady's worried expression.
"What is it made of?" I asked her. She looked at me with a vacant expression.
"I beg your pardon?"
"This isn't silver. It's not real Jacob." I said looking at him and he gave me the same blank expression.
"How do you know?"
"Feel it." I put it into his hands and the old lady jumped up.
"How dare you accuse me of selling fake jewelry." She shouted.
"I'm not accusing you of anything. I'm just stating that it's not real." Jacob sighed and looked at me again. I shook my head and he frowned.
"I think I'll look around before I decide." He passed the ring back to the old lady and I could see she was panicking as she realized that she was losing our interest, and worse our money.
"I have many other rings. Bigger rings with more diamonds." She called after us desperately, but we never looked back.
"How did you know?"
"That it was fake?" I asked and he nodded. "I didn't, I just guessed." He thought about his for a second and then laughed out loud, causing people to look over.
"I'm glad I brought you along, or I would've bought that old thing." I smiled, feeling proud.
Half an hour later we found the ring. It was a smaller diamond, cut in a circular shape and attached to a round gold band. The man who sold it to us gave us a bargain after Jacob explained about the old lady who tried to sell us the fake. Jacob bought the ring for 12 pounds as apposed to 20. Jacob has used only a quarter of his money and decided to treat me to lunch in one of the local taverns.
It was called the Hunting Horse and it was shabby place that smelt of old, smelly men and feces. We walked into the place and people were laughing and shouting. There were men kissing women that my mother told me never to talk to, and there were others who were fast asleep with their heads on the tables.
"Jacob Simon. What do we owe this pleasure?" The big man on the other side of the counter shouted at us. He was tall, and very wide with a red beard and red curly hair that was tied back into a ponytail.
"Just taking my little sister into town, Pat." Jacob said smiling at me, as I watched a man fall off his chair and stagger to his feet.
"First time?" The man Jacob called Pat said, nodding at me.
"Easy to tell, huh?" Pat laughed and bent towards me.
"Don't worry miss, no one will bother ya while I'm here." He said giving me a wink and I smiled back.
"I'm not worried." I said and he chuckled.
"So what can I get ya? Couple of sandwiches and a pint?"
"Please. Oh a sweet tea for Susanna as well."
"Comin right up." Pat said smiling at me again. " 'Oi Mel, I need two sandwiches and a sweet tea."
"Sweet tea?" came a woman's voice from the half door that Pat had shouted over. "That must be Jacob Simon?" The half door swung open and a tiny woman, with blonde curly hair appeared. She clasped her hands together and beamed. "I told yea, didn't I?" She said knocking Pat in the ribs. "How are you doing honey?"
"Fine thanks Melanie." Jacob turned to me. "Susanna, this is Melanie McDonald, Pat's wife. She's the best cook in the entire world." Melanie blushed and chuckled.
"You're quite the flatterer, mister. That poor Debra's in for a rough time." Melanie said, tucking a wide curl behind her ear. Her brown eyes flicked to mine and she smiled brightly.
"You look so much alike." She said looking from Jacob to me and back again.
"We all look alike." Jacob said, taking a sip of the overflowing pint that Pat placed in front of him.
"Except for David." I said to Jacob.
"David, our youngest brother, had got red hair." At this Melanie laughed and Pat shook his head.
"Ain't that always the way. Take my family. Every single one of my seven sisters had black hair, darker than the sky at nighttime, and I've got red." He shook his head again.
"I like it." I said automatically and he smiled at me.
"Two charmers!" Melanie exclaimed laughing, causing her belly and breast to jiggle. "Family trait?"
"Must be." Jacob grinned as he placed money on the counter and picked up his pint.
"Well, I'll bring your sandwiches over to you Honey." She smiled at us again and I followed Jacob to a wooden table by the fireplace that happened to be deserted.
We sat down and I looked around the place. In the far corner there was a group of men playing different instruments such as a flute and a fiddle. One man was hitting a barrel where as another man was hitting spoons off of his knees. The music made me want to dance around the room and I found my feet tapping along to the beat. As my eyes roamed the sea of people I spotted a face that was very familiar to me. I blinked twice to make sure that it was in fact him before turning away. When I looked back I noticed that both Jesse and Adam were in the same tavern. Adam was talking to Pat and Jesse was talking to a young woman, dressed in dark red, with long curly brown hair. She was one of the women you don't talk to. I scowled and looked away as she lead him to the dance floor and they started dancing.
Melanie brought over our plates as I looked back at Jesse. She looked over her shoulder and then back at me and smiled.
"Don't you pay any attention to them honey. Their too old for you." She whispered as she placed my sandwich in front of me. I nodded and looked down at my plate. I wasn't hungry anymore, and I picked at my bread. "Come on now. I made it special." She coaxed and Jacob looked at me with a stern eye.
"Oh sorry. Thank you." I said taking a bite. She looked at me with raised eyebrows and I smiled at her. I made a sound to suggest that the sandwich was delicious. She clapped her hands and went to get my sweet tea. The fact was that seeing Jesse with this other woman, seeing him bend down and whisper in her ear made me feel nauseous. I could barely taste anything but my disappointment. I sighed and placed my head in my palms picking at the bread.
"What's wrong Sis? You don't like it?" Jacob asked.
"No, it's great. I think I'll save it for the ride home. I'm not very hungry." I was afraid to look at Jacob because I knew he was angry, but I knew that if I didn't look at him I wouldn't see his anger and he wasn't about to say anything. He sighed and took and angry bite of his own sandwich. "If this is because they are here then you're being ridiculous. You're a 12 year-old girl and they are 20-year-old men! Get over it." He snapped surprising me. Then he pushed back from the table and mumbled something about getting another pint, yet brining his sandwich with him. I felt tears in my eyes.
"Oh honey." Melanie appeared again, this time she sat beside me and rubbed my back. "Don't cry."
"I feel like an idiot." I said and Melanie smiled.
"You know my Pat is ten years younger than I am." She said with a slight chuckle. When I looked at her shocked she nodded her head. "That was quite the scandal in my house when I married a younger man."
"But at least you weren't too young for him."
"No honey, I was too old." She chuckled. "But it never stopped me. Age is just a number. If you're meant to be together then it will happen." She gave me a wink. "Now would you like me to wrap up that sandwich or are you going to eat it now?" I stared at the sandwich and then looked up at Jesse. "I'll wrap it up shall I?" She chuckled as she took my plate. "Drink the tea though. You'll like it."
"Thank you." I said and she winked again before leaving. I took a sip from the cold glass and instantly sighed. It was cold tea but it was sweeter than anything I've tasted and it had a mint taste too. I picked out the plant that was floating in the glass and the smell of peppermint hit me. I smiled and placed in back into the drink, finishing it in one long gulp.
"Thirsty?" his voice made me jump. I wiped my mouth with my sleeve and looked over my shoulder.
"Hello." I said politely and he smiled back down at me.
"I saw you walk in. Here with your brother?" He asked.
"Yes." I answered unable to think of anything else to say. We both went quiet and he looked over his shoulder at the girl who was now talking with Adam.
"Well I just wanted to say hello." He said smiling at me the way old people smile at children. "I'll let you…finish." He said looking at my empty glass. I smiled slightly and watched him turn. As he took his first step I remembered what Melanie had said. I reached out and grabbed his tunic.
"Wait." I said and he looked at me shocked. "Would you mind sitting with me till my brother comes back?" I asked. Jesse smiled at me and nodded.
"It would be my pleasure." He sat across from me and stared at me.
"My brother said you are a knight?" I said.
"Yes." He said nodding. "I have been training for a very long time."
"Is Adam, I mean his highness, is he a knight too?" Jesse smiled.
"Yes, well, because he is the King's son, he is naturally trained in combat."
"Interesting." I said looking over at Adam.
"Do you really find it interesting?" He said leaning close, causing me too look directly into his eyes.
"No." I said blushing and Jesse let out a loud laugh. I smiled to my lap, afraid to look up. A second later Adam was at my side.
"Look who I've found Adam." Jesse said. I smiled at him and then looked up at Adam.
"Your highness." I said bowing my head. Adam laughed and sat beside me.
"She's gotten some manners I see." I frowned slightly. "Still a long way to go but you could just end up being a lady."
"Better than the ones you keep in your company." I said without thinking. Jesse smirked and Adam blinked at me.
"I was just talking to her." He defended. "And what are you smirking at you're the one who kissed her." I looked at Jesse revolted and he smiled.
"A kiss means nothing from them." He said with a shrug.
"Then why did you kiss her if it meant nothing?" I asked.
"Because you see little girl, kisses from men mean that they want something else." I blinked at Adam as he moved closer.
"Adam…"Jesse warned.
"Wh-What do they want?" I gulped.
"They want to have sex with you." I shivered as his breath tickled my face.
"I-I don't know…" Adam smiled and looked at Jesse.
"Cute." He said and then smiled back at me. "Would you like me to show you?" Adam whispered.
"I-I…" I stammered. Between my rapid heart beat and the goose bumps on my arms I couldn't think.
"Susanna, we have to go." Jacob's sharp voice was in my other ear, causing me to jump. I looked into his furious face and nodded.
"You're highness," Jacob nodded to Adam and then to Jesse. "Sorry we must be going. Chores to do." He lied.
"Of course." Adam said. "It was nice seeing you again…"
"Susanna." Jesse whispered and Adam beamed. I cringed and nodded my head to each of them. Without another word Jacob pushed me out of the tavern and into the darkening streets.
"What were you thinking?" He snapped as he rushed to the barn where the wagon was kept.
"Me? You brought me there!" I snapped back. He looked at me startled, as if he had forgotten that I was there.
"I didn't mean…I meant me. I don't know what I was thinking bringing you to that place." Jacob went quiet as he re-harnessed the wagon and didn't speak again until we were on our way back home. "I'm sorry I took you there, and then left you alone. It was horrible and irresponsible."
"It's ok Jacob." I said.
"No it's not ok. If I hadn't happened to look over at that moment…I don't know what would have happen." He blinked at the road, not really seeing it. I slipped my arm through his and rested my head on his shoulder. Nothing else needed to be said because both of us knew that every thing was ok and that no one would say a word to Momma and Papa about seeing Adam and Jesse at the tavern.
