Masterful Trickery

VII. The Chase

Three years ago...

"I was hoping you would come, really, but I figured you would not risk it!" Ysabella uttered with excitement as she wrapped her arms around Alex.

"I believe it is not proper to embrace with such intimacy in such social event as this one, even if you are embracing a good friend," Alex said with a laugh.

Emma joined in, saying, "And you talk like us! Marvellous!"

"Hello, Ned, hello Barto," Ysabella said to Alex's cousins. They simply grunted with a nod.

"They refuse to talk beyond what they are used to," Alex said with a wink. "Perhaps I found the best way to shut them up, eh?"

Ysabella and Emma laughed.

"Ysabella had told me of your second meeting and I envy it!" Emma said.

"Ah, you can always visit us," Alex said. "And you shall not meet any rope. Am I right, Barto? Ned?"

Her cousins grunted in answer.

"You look beautiful, Alex," Ysabella stated with awe. "I barely recognized you!"

Alex rolled her grey eyes and leaned closer to her friend, "Am wearing me breeches underneath, me friends. This bleeding gown's not comf'table at all!"

The twins roared in laughter.

"Is the Guard brother of yours here?" Alex asked, hoping her anxiety did not show.

"Of course!"

Alex blinked and let out a dramatic sigh. "Ah, too bad then." She turned to her cousins. "No gold for tonight, cousins."

Ysabella and Emma rumbled with laughter once again.

From the corner of her eye she saw the same brother coming toward them, his eyes on her.

Bloody hell, she never dreamed to ever catch an Everard's attention!

*****

Alex was smiling, perhaps allowing a chuckle every now and then.

She closed her eyes as Siege ran down the dim road away from Beechworth.

It did not go as well as she had hoped and she had not seen her friends because their brother took it upon himself to intimidate her simply because she was not one of them. And perhaps, well, she was a bandit.

She had robbed from countless people in the past and should one base a hanging on the number of robbery she had committed, she was quite certain she would find herself hanging dead in the middle of a burning pyre.

She could not blame Ralph Everard for being a Guard. He could blame her for being a bandit. Sometimes she blamed herself too, but not this time.

She came with good intentions.

And she had done the best she could.

She told someone and that someone went to tell someone else. If Ralph went to wherever Nicholas Everard was, then it would have been better.

Forest Lady's message was delivered.

She must be at peace now, yes?

But something nagged in one tiny corner of Alex's mind.

Why did the Guards follow her? She had not sensed them when she left Meriwether. Where did they start following her? She had been careful not to be followed.