Eliza descended upon the women who had been casually sharing gossip and untoward comments about Alvery as he stood innocently nearby, her eyes hardened

“In what swamp were you all raised that you think the filth from your mouths is acceptable to smear in public!” She demanded, her face growing red and her eyes flashing dangerously.

“Our conversation isn’t any of your busi-” the woman with her back to Alvery began to say, but Eliza took another step forward.

If she weren’t carrying boxes filled with baked goods, Alvery would’ve thought she was about to start a fist fight. He never would’ve thought the sweet woman he had come to know was capable of exuding such a dominating presence…

“If the rest of the cafe can hear you, it’s everyone’s business, and I’ll have you know that Robin is a brilliant teacher who is just helping on the farm for the summer! Shame on you ladies acting like foolish school girls instead of the advanced ages you are.”

The women at the table were looking collectively outraged, save for Fion who was covering her face that was bright red with embarrassment.

Alvery empathized strongly with the sentiment as he dropped his gaze and made his way around the short, black wrought iron fence with purple and white flowers overflowing the boxes hung along its top, and over to Eliza.

“Come on now, it’s alright,” he murmured while gently tapping her upper arm. “Would you like me to carry those for you?”

Eliza looked like she was far from through with wiping the street using the women in front of her; replacing the rag she typically used for such a job. However the way Alvery was starting to herd her away helped her pull free, especially as he carefully took the boxes from her with one hand, and gently nudged her back with the other.

Meanwhile, he was doing his best to not make eye contact with any of the women present. He sincerely hoped none of them were nobles that could possibly recognize him…

“Well, I never! I’ll have to speak with Chief Balon about this!” one of the women huffed.

Alvery had to be quick about wrapping his arm around Eliza’s shoulders and propelling her away as he felt her right arm turn rigid beneath his touch as though she meant to turn right back around and continue giving her tongue lashing.

Diolla smiled upon Alvery then, as both he and Eliza could hear Fiona addressing the women next. “Honestly, that woman was absolutely right! Lower your voices! They are just going about their lives and it wasn’t very kind to talk about him like that!”

Hoping that hearing that last little tidbit would aid in calming Eliza down, Alvery hurried her along so that nothing more could be heard.

Once out of earshot, and when they were a respectable distance from the cafe, only then did he drop his arm from Eliza’s shoulders.

“Oh this city ninnies boil my blood sometimes,” the older woman breathed with a frustrated shake of her head.

“I appreciate that you were trying to defend me, but it really wasn’t a big deal,” Robin smiled kindly at the woman who still sported pinkened cheeks.

“They breeze into our town and think they get to sit atop all of us, and insult people as they please…”

“Honestly, my mother’s friends used to say actual nasty things, those women are easy to forget about.”

Alvery had been trying to continue soothing his hostess, however his words had the opposite effect as Eliza stopped and rounded on him.

“Where was your mother when they were insulting you?!”

Alvery stopped and blinked, utterly baffled. “Er… usually she was the one who started it. Mostly when I happened to forget they were in the drawing room and had interrupted them by going in to read.”

As soon as he had finished speaking, it dawned on Alvery that he had just inadvertently revealed a piece of information about himself.

Luckily for him, it seemed Eliza was more fixated on the other piece of information he had relayed to her.

“What kind of things would your mother say?” she insisted, her gloved hands finding her hips.

Alvery cleared his throat and glanced up and down the road they had stopped on.

Fortunately the shops that interested the tourists the most were farther down, and so only the occasional passerby was anywhere near them.

“Oh well… I… I…” Alvery struggled to try and come up with a lie, but all that wanted to come out was the truth. “W-Well I… I didn’t… wasn’t… really suited to the role she had in mind for me.”

Eliza’s brows lowered. “Robin, did you run off from home? Is it your family that is looking for you?”

Alvery backed up a step.

She was too close to the truth. He needed to throw her off his scent… he needed a lie… Maybe one mixed with the truth? No. If Gestov’s men questioned her one day any piece of the truth could land her in trouble…

He swallowed. “My… My parents wanted me to marry a girl in our town, and I wanted to find my own wife so I… I decided to travel.”

Eliza’s shoulders relaxed and she stared at him disappointed.

It was written all over her face; she knew he had lied.

Shaking her head, her eyes growing sad, Eliza’s toes began to turn from him.

“Robin, dear, I know you are hiding from someone… and I know I don't know you that well, but you just seem so alone. I… I’m sorry, I don’t know how else to say it, but you just give me the impression that… that you’ve never had anyone on your side the way you act around people. Eugene and I, we… We have really appreciated having you around. So if you need to stay a while, be it a year, or more… please don’t hesitate to lean on us, alright?”

Alvery wanted to make a polite skirt around words, but… he found he couldn’t.

In fact, there was emotion shrinking his throat.

His eyebrows twitched as his gaze moved to the cobbled road and he cleared his throat.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Thank you, I… I appreciate the offer.”

Eliza kept staring at him in the way only a mother could; with tender, loving worry.

“Well… we’ve dropped off Eugene’s shoes, and gotten our after dinner treats. Shall we go home?”

The casual use of the word ‘home’ dealt additional damage to Alvery’s cracked mask of control.

He nodded, his chin turned downward, and his eyes suspiciously wet.

He had never ever had an outing with his own mother…

He had barely even been alone in a room with her.

The lure of the warmth and comfort that both Eliza and Eugene offered was incredibly effective at breaking something in Alvery he hadn’t realized to be fragile in the first place.

Even though it had only been a few short weeks since he’d arrived there and he’d met them.

He needed to change the subject as the threat of emotion clouding his mind and senses continued to steadily build.

“Was Leonor Tia’s mother?”

Eliza jolted, as though shocked that he had figured out and dared to bring up such a thing.

Taking her moment of surprise to straighten himself and regain control, Alvery proceeded to take a slow step forward to continue their journey back to the farm.

“Yes… Leonor was her mother.” Eliza followed his movement.

Alvery tried to keep his attention fixed ahead to help create the air of casualness.

“I heard she died when Tia was young.”

“She did, yes. It was a hard winter, and she of course gave all she had to Tia to help her survive.”

There was a softness in Eliza’s voice that goaded Alvery’s curiosity. “Why didn’t anyone adopt Tia?”

Eliza halted in her tracks yet again. “We couldn’t. We wished we could… Theo… If he hadn’t had his wife and their first babe on the way back then…” Eliza shook her head mournfully.

“Theo… Theo the cobbler?”

Eliza’s grip on the handle of her purse tightened. “I’ve said too much.”

“Pardon me, but… you of all people are a kind, generous, caring person. Tia raising herself from the sounds of it in a rotting caravan…? Something doesn’t add up.”

Glancing around them nervously, Eliza reached out and gently tugged Alvery closer.

“No one could go near her. Or else. In a way, she was safer after her mother had died… but none of us here have enough power to protect Tia in our homes, nor could we leave with her,” her voice was a warbling whisper. A secret pent up in her heart for over a decade.

“What does Tia need protecting from?” Alvery couldn’t stop himself.

Eliza took in a sharp breath, and he worried she would stop talking. “The viscount. If he is ever in town… and you happen to know where Tia is… keep him from her at all costs. That’s all I can say on this matter, and please… Robin. Tell no one, or we risk all of our lives.”

Falling into a stunned silence, Alvery forced himself to nod.

Why would a viscount threaten an entire town over a lone peri girl?

Furthermore… if the viscount had been after her since she was a child, then that meant he was after her long before the fire in the tavern.

How did Theo the cobbler tie into everything? Was he perhaps her father? Was the viscount her father? Or was there no family relation, and instead just a very peculiar situation that had spent its time haphazardly unfolding for all of Tiaznia’s life?

Despite getting more answers about the peri girl, Alvery found himself developing a dull headache near his temple.

He was becoming more than a little tempted to go ask the woman herself just what in the world her story was, but then… Well then it’d only be fair if she asked him his own history. Though she had never really prodded him before aside from assuming he was a professor…

Alvery let out an unconscious sigh that had Eliza looking at him with an unreadable expression.

With his thoughts whirling around the mystery of the peri girl, Alvery had to belatedly admit that it at least did help lessen the stress of constantly worrying about getting himself caught. Even if it was beginning to grow more and more infuriating the more he learned of her and her life…

A small tug on his elbow drew Alvery’s attention back to the present. Looking over ot his right, he found that Eliza Cremont had gingerly reached her gloved hand around his elbow, and hung on to him as though nervous he would shrug her off.

He smiled down at the woman who was undoubtedly one of the kindest he had ever met, and she smiled back at him.

“Do you think we’ll get back in time to stop Eugene from cooking dinner?” Alvery asked while allowing a small amount of tension to ease free from his chest.

“Diolla, I hope so for both our sakes. The last time he cooked I could’ve sworn he accidentally used the water I used to dye his coat in…”

Alvery grimaced. “Well, at the very least we know that dessert is edible.”

Eliza nodded, her expression quite serious. “Oh, and we will have Eugene’s strawberry wine. He makes it because it is my favorite, and for all the money it costs to buy a bottle? We can make several of our own for the same cost– if not less!”

Alvery grinned even though he himself found strawberry wine to be too sweet. “Very well. We shall dine like the empress herself on desserts and strawberry wine this evening if Eugene takes it upon himself to cook.”

Eliza beamed, the former warm mood of the day returning to them.

“It sounds devine, Robin dear.” She then proceeded to lean her head over so that the top of her hat leaned against his shoulder.

Alvery’s hands were full between the boxes of pastries and leading his hostess back out of town, but if he did have a free hand? He would’ve been tempted to give Eliza’s hand a squeeze of unspoken appreciation.