“Father,” she said with a bow of her head and then turned to her mother, her smile growing. “And mother, I am so pleased that you are here. Please come in out of the cold. Food and drink await you.”
“I hope you had chambers prepared, Lucerne,” Gerwan said as if he scolded. “It has been an arduous journey and I will need to rest after I eat.”
“Everything is ready for you, Father,” Lucerne confirmed with a confident nod. “I’m sure you will enjoy the visit.”
Not quite, Cree thought and wondered what the man would do when his world came crashing down around him.
~~~
The more Dawn talked with Kirk McClusky the more she liked him. He was a caring man and loved his children deeply. It was obvious by the way he talked with such pride about the daughter he had lost or the way he proudly boasted about his son. She had often wondered about her father, having been too young when he died to remember him, though now she wondered if perhaps the man her mum had told her about had ever existed. Or had he? Had her mum described her true dad? Had she known all along whom her true father had been?
“I hear that a cleric, sent by the King, will arrive soon to wed Cree and Lucrene,” Kirk said and Dawn nodded. He reached out and took her hand. “I will not leave here until all of this is settled and I know that you are content with your decision. Though if you so choose to go home with me, then we can leave here whenever you want. The choice is yours.”
Dawn smiled, nodded, and tapped her chest showing her appreciation.
Kirk squeezed her hand. “I am your father and I will always be there for you whenever you need me.”
Comforting warmth ran through Dawn and her smile grew. It was nice to have a father after all these years and such a loving one. She suddenly recalled Old Mary’s warning… trust no one. Was she wrong in believing Kirk to be a good man? The thought rattled her and she suddenly felt unnerved.
“Something upset you, I can see it on your face,” he said concerned.
She shook her head, but he would not have it.
“Please, Dawn, trust me, I mean you no harm. I only want what is best for you.”
He seemed sincere enough and it was probably Old Mary’s warning that had doubts and fears suddenly nagging at her. And for some reason they poked hard at her, to the point that she abruptly stood and gestured that they should go for a walk.
“Splendid idea, a brisk walk can help clear a burdened mind.”
Dawn nodded, hoping he was right, since at the moment her mind was overly burdened with worry.
Kirk retrieved her cloak off the peg and draped it over her shoulders and pulled the hood up over her head. “The weather has turned colder. Do you have gloves?”
Dawn reached for Cree’s gloves on the table and slipped them on, his familiar scent drifting up to tickle not only her nose but her senses. He wasn’t even here and he could excite her. She chased the thought away, though it kept creeping back to remind her just how much she missed him when they were parted from each other. That made her think about just how much she loved him and how she wished she was free to go and find him and…
She shook her head. How could she be in a perpetual state of desire for him? It was wicked. She was wicked and what was even more wicked was that she didn’t care.
Kirk explained to Elwin that they were going for a much needed walk. Elwin signaled two nearby warriors over and instructed them to follow the pair. She wondered why he and the other guard that had been added to her cottage hadn’t followed, but she dismissed it soon enough.
Dawn was grateful that they walked along in silence. She had no desire for conversation. She much preferred to simply feel the cold air sting her cheeks and catch her breath. They meandered through the plowed paths and Dawn felt her mind easing. They walked all the way to the entrance of the village and stopped when they spotted a small caravan guarded by several warriors approaching. Neither of them had to say anything. They had both heard snippets of chatter about the uneventful arrival of Roland Gerwan as they had walked. That would leave this arrival to be only one person… the cleric.
Dawn’s unease returned and a muscle tightened in Kirk’s arm. It seemed that they both had grown anxious with his arrival. Kirk ushered her off the path and they both stood watching the enclosed wagon roll toward them.
Villagers began to gather, word having spread about the King’s cleric being due to arrive and while some were eager to have a look, others hurried off. Many believed that clerics brought the wrath of God with them and wanted nothing to do with any supposed holy man.