Robin and the Red Crow

Chapter Twenty-One ~ Autumn Barn Dance

The Adel courthouse stood out vibrantly against the night sky, the town square bustling with more people than Robin had expected to live in this sleepy town. He had no idea Adel had so many residents, let alone who would attend a barn dance on such a chilly night.

The event was held in the courthouse ballroom, where lively music mingled with laughter and chatter that could be heard from the small park surrounding the tall castle-like building. As the three entered, all eyes briefly turned to stare before slowly resuming their conversations, though some eyes seemed to linger a bit longer on Robin than he was comfortable with. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Robin hesitated to remove his coat.

"Hey, Jo!" a young boy, whom Robin recognized from the day in the shop, shouted over the din as he rushed over to them. The other boys followed, with a few unfamiliar girls trailing behind them. Robin wondered if these were the girlfriends they had boasted about buying something for.

"Gee, Jo, that dress is swell," one of the girls said, pushing her way to the front. "I've always wanted a vest like that." She quickly reached out to touch Jo's dress, but Jo quickly swatted her hand away.

"It can be yours for the right price," Jo said cheekily, taking off her coat and handing it to Robin as if he were her servant. "I have some cards for a friend's discount, but only for my best friends. So, don't go telling everyone." Jo said as she pulled a card from her pocket and gave Holly a sly wink before handing it to the girl.

Holly had given Robin and Jo a stack of business cards to hand out if anyone asked about their outfits. Each card offered a small discount if they came to the shop in the next week and with the small card in hand. Robin was impressed that Jo had already managed to distribute one within the few seconds of their arrival.

The other girls stepped forward eagerly, hoping for cards, prompting Jo to step back.

"Whoah, I only have a few of these, so I should probably hang on to them a bit longer. I want to make sure they get into the right hands. Let's all go get some food," Jo said, turning on her heel and leading the entourage away.

"If she doesn't become a great sorceress, she'll definitely be a great businesswoman," Holly observed, watching them go. "Some years, I think she single-handedly keeps me in business."

Robin chuckled and adjusted the coats in his arms. "Can I take yours as well?"

"Oh, right," Holly said, unclasping the jeweled cape draped over her coat. She handed him her coat and re-clasped the bejeweled cape over her dress.

She hurriedly removed the flat topped hat she was wearing to give to him as well, revealing a headband with a similar web pattern to her cape, adorned with beaded strands that wove seamlessly into her braided updo.

Tonight, Holly looked like a thing made of pure magic and fantasy, which he guessed she was, in more ways than Robin could possibly imagine.

A small smile played on his lips as she adjusted the cape and tidied the strands of hair that had come loose.

Holly noticed him watching her, and her eyes widened. "What's the matter? Did my hair come undone?" she whispered in horror, frantically patting her hair to find the cause of his staring.

"No, it's just that..." Robin reached his gloved hand out to hers to stop her from searching. "You are the most lovely woman in all of Adel. I thought it before, but now I'm sure of it." He said, mimicking her words from earlier.

Holly froze, processing his words. "Ah," she said awkwardly, shifting her focus back to her cape. "Th-Thank you, Robin."

Robin gave her a small nod. He, too, was a bit taken aback by what he had just said. He had only meant to tease her, throwing her words back at her from earlier in the day. But... had he been teasing? It wasn't as if he didn't mean it.