I had no problem waking early, having slept but fitfully. Alys was pleased to have the bed to herself, and made no protest at being left behind. I would not wear the homespun, for I imagined it still smelled of roast meat; so I had to put on the blue dress, and my sturdy outdoor boots. It was early enough to be chill, and I wrapped a cloak around myself and went out, with a very strange feeling in my stomach. Nerves? Foreboding? Maybe it was just the aftermath of retching on an empty gut. It was quiet. The house was still sleeping.

By the gate were three horses, and two men in cloaks, with weapons by their sides. Red put a hand to his lips, to signal quiet; there was hardly a need for this with me. Ben helped me onto the mare, and we rode off in silence, keeping to grass and earth where the horses’ feet would make less noise. Before the sun rose, we had traveled over the rim of the valley and into a dense woodland, riding on paths visible only to an experienced woodsman. Harrowfield was far behind us, and the day dawning bright. I was quivering with frustration, bursting with questions I could not ask. They stopped briefly to pass around a flask of water. I seized the opportunity.

Where are we going? What is this? Today—you—wedding! Today—you—home! Where?

There was a ghost of a smile on Red’s face, though he looked as if he, too, had gone without sleep.

“So many questions! It’s all right, Jenny. We have quite a long ride ahead of us, until midmorning at least. I want to show you something. We’ll make sure you get back safe. And I have—arranged—for your work to be well guarded. That fierce hound of yours will assist, no doubt. Now, can you ride further? Not too tired?”

I shook my head, but I was not finished. He had not answered me, not really.

Today—you—wedding? The message was surely clear on my face, if the gestures were not sufficient. How could you do this? How could you do this to them?

Red shrugged, not meeting my eyes. “It’s of no concern,” he said. “It’s under control.” That was all. We rode on, and I found that despite my confusion and anxiety, despite my deep shock at his action, I was enjoying the freedom of this ride, the sweet scent of the woodlands, the thud of hooves on a soft carpet of fern and moss, the silent company of the two men. It was almost like—it was almost like the time we had made a journey together before, Red and I, when we had rested under an apple tree and shared its fruit. When we had sheltered in a cave and seen more than we bargained for. Despite the fear and the uncertainty, there had been a bond between us even then, when I had scarcely known him. Red glanced at me and looked away, and I believed he shared my thoughts.