Updated for grammar & spelling and checked for continuity: March 9, 2011.
Chapter Eight: You Dropped This Back There
"I beg your pardon, miss." Katrin heard a deep voice behind her as a hand tapped her shoulder. She hoped they belonged to the person she wanted them to belong to. She still could not believe she had been so bold as to purposely leave a personal item behind, but she figured that if he did not see it, one of her 'sworn protectors' would be sure it was returned.
Katrin stopped and turned, squinting her eyes against the sun. "Yes?"
Bill tried not to sound nervous. "Sorry to bother you, but you dropped this back at the alehouse after your performance." He held out the small leather pouch, then realized how ridiculous it was to expect her to grab hold of it, laden as she was with her instruments and bags. "Uh... actually, here... let me help you."
Blushing, Katrin relinquished her guitar and bag with the smaller pieces of Stuff in it. I cannot believe I am blushing... "Grammercy, kind sir." She bobbed a small curtsey and after each adjusted his or her load, they stood there staring at each other, not paying much attention to the crowd milling about them.
"Where are we-" "If you would just-"
"I beg your pardon-" "Oh sorry, go ahead-"
"No really, ladies first-" "Please, after you-"
Realizing they were not getting very far with this discussion, the pair started laughing. Bill noticed how the sound reminded him of the wind chime on his parents' back porch. He smiled at her and Katrin was taken with how his eyes fairly glowed with warmth. Knowing she was about to start blushing yet again, she rushed out, "Right this way, sir, if you please," and headed down the hill.
Bill grinned wide. "But of course, my lady." She smiled at him over her shoulder. "By the way, my name is Bill."
"Katrin," she said as she slowed a bit so they could walk side by side. "But most people around here call me Kati."
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
"And you. I'd offer to shake hands, but..." Katrin lifted her full hands. They both laughed again.
"So how did you come by the nickname?"
"Well, I have a cousin who couldn't pronounce my full name when he was learning how to talk so he just stuck with Kati. My father sometimes calls me that to tease. During my first year doing the faire circuit, he came to check it out and some people heard him call me that. It stuck ever since. It was strange, actually, because he usually only does it in private. I've always been Katrin everywhere else, which is a shortening itself of my full first name."
"Really? What's the full thing then?"
"It's nothing exciting, really. Just a family name, rather long and sometimes a mouthful," Katrin admitted, somewhat embarrassed.
Not wanting to seem like he was prying, Bill did not push it much further. "Well, at least your nicknames are still unique. There's nothing too exciting about Bill. It's short for Fitzwilliam, which is rather archaic. It isn't even a family name. My dad heard it before I was born and thought it was the perfect name. Mum wasn't too sure about it being perfect, but she liked it fine enough. But I haven't been called that in years, even when I would get in trouble. I think it got too much, especially with the rest of us kids getting in trouble together. It was easier to shorten all our names a bit." Realizing he was babbling, Bill grinned sheepishly at Katrin.
She laughed and shook her head, then paused. "Well, perhaps I'll tell you my full name. But not here, or someone might hear it and then I'd never hear the end of it! But only if you tell me the names of your siblings as well."
"But of course." They smiled at each other and continued on their way.
Once they had started talking, the watcher realized that he probably had best not interrupt them whilst they were standing on the Green. It might cause an unpleasant scene, and he wanted to avoid that at all cost. Not that he cared about the red haired stranger's comfort, but he would hate to cause Kati distress due to embarrassment.
What happened next, however, practically caused him to fall over in shock. The stranger had first made her blush, indeed she appeared to be much amused by him. Then, much to his disbelieving eyes, Kati handed some of her instruments to him. She never had done anything like that before, always politely refusing any offers of assistance to carry her load. This stranger must, indeed, be quite the charmer. The watcher noticed they had begun to head toward the camping area and, determined to get rid of this troublemaker, pursued the pair.
