The Falcon in the Barn (Book 4 Forest at the Edge series) Read Online Free Page B

man
she pictured she’d spend her life with. She could see herself with
a soldier, but marrying Thorne would most likely mean a life away
from Edge.
    As Jaytsy listened to the girls in the class
at midday meal speculating on the supposed merits of Captain
Thorne, she became more unsettled and shuddered to find herself
thinking so far in the future about men and marriage—until she
remembered it wasn’t that far. Two of her older friends had
already become engaged and would be married at age seventeen.
    By the end of the midday meal break the
conversation had mercifully shifted away from the captain, and
Jaytsy was sure that was the last she would hear about him.
    Until it was time to go home, because he was
waiting for her.
    A girl sitting next to a window let out a
small squeal. “Guess who’s outside!”
    Before the teacher could remind them that
they still had five minutes, the mass of females rushed the window
to ogle the young officer leaning against the split-rail fence that
encircled the school grounds. Everyone, that is, except for Jaytsy.
Even the teacher had to check out the view just in case it might be
“trouble.”
    “ I think the only one who
might have any trouble would be ‘Miss Jaytsy,’” one of her friends
snickered. “And if you don’t want the ‘trouble,’ would you hand him
along to me?”
    Jaytsy sat stewing in mortification. “Maybe
something’s come up and he needs to relay some information,” she
said lamely.
    “ Ah,” said another girl, “a
captain that’s a messenger. I thought that was reserved for hunky
enlisted men like Zenos.”
    When their teacher dismissed them, too
distracted to work anymore, the girls hurried out of the building
so that they could slowly file past Captain Thorne.
    Jaytsy watched from the window as she
leisurely put away her slate and books. The girls paced their
passing in front of him so that he had to tip his hat to each one.
He seemed entertained by the parade of young women. Jaytsy glanced
at her teacher and saw the older woman send a satisfied sigh to the
window.
    When Jaytsy finally made her way outside, the
captain promptly left his post and headed straight for her.
    Dreading his answer, she asked, “Is something
wrong, Captain?”
    “ There’s always something wrong—that’s why I’m
here: to make sure no trouble comes to you.” He held out his arm
for her.
    Before she could formulate a reason why she
shouldn’t, she politely slipped her hand into the crook of his arm.
“Some would say trouble has already come to me.”
    Captain Thorne frowned as he tried to puzzle
out her response.
    “ And we are going . .
.?”
    “ To your home,” the captain
informed her. “Considering these troubled times, I thought it best
to see you there safely.”
    Jaytsy was aware of her schoolmates watching
them, and she worried that the captain could hear their
tittering.
    “ I’m sure there’s nothing
to fret about now. The towers are quiet, and so are the roads,” she
said.“I can make it home myself. I usually go to meet my mother and
brother at their school anyway,” and she released his
arm.
    He took her hand back. “Miss Jaytsy,” he said
with a gentleness that sounded more rehearsed than sincere, “I’m
concerned about your father . He still seems greatly affected
by what happened in Idumea.”
    Jaytsy cringed. So the fort knew something
was wrong, too.
    “ I happened to be near the
hospital when my father and grandfather brought him to see his
parents. Miss Jaytsy, I don’t think he’s quite over that
experience. His eyes were nearly dead that day, and in many ways
they still are. It’ll take him some time to recover, so I’m here to
watch out for your family.” His tone was so smooth and slick that
it made Jaytsy think of snakes. “In case he’s unable to help you,
know that I will. So, if you want to go to your mother’s school,
then I’ll walk you there instead.”
    Jaytsy tried not to groan too loudly as she
squirmed in