Jack Richards frequented the Rivers’ home. Whenever he was in Boston, he made a point of stopping in. He quickly won the friendship of Sovay, Ben, Jacob, and Alice. Robyn avoided him as much as possible, but often, it was impossible. This particular afternoon, he was taking coffee with the five youths and Agent Chaplen, who was drinking his tea. To Robyn’s annoyance, Sovay had invited him.
She glumly refilled Jack’s cup for the third time.
“You know,” he was saying, “I have to admit, I miss tea.”
From behind his newspaper, Chaplen offered, “You are welcome to some of mine.”
Jack took one look at Robyn’s arched eyebrow, and declined. “I am afraid I am fighting for a cause that looks down on tea-drinking.”
Sovay chuckled. “This coffee is not bad, though. You seem to be enjoying it.”
Robyn peered morosely into the empty pot. Sighing, she rose and disappeared into the kitchen. A few minutes later, she reappeared with a full pot. She had wisely prepared a back up pot of coffee.
Jack graciously downed a fifth cup. “You make delicious coffee, Robyn.”
Robyn ignored him. Sovay aimed a kick at her cousin, but Robyn had been expecting this, and quickly moved her legs out of reach. Alice also attempted to kick her, but only succeeded in kicking her brother.
“Owch! Alice, what was that for?”
Alice scowled. “If you hadn’t had your big legs in the way, I would not have kicked you!”
Sovay sighed. Alice would never understand that the art of under-the-table-kicking was meant to be executed in a surreptitious manner.
Jack was also not good at being surreptitious. He was more of an up-front sort of man. “Robyn, why don’t you like me?”
Six pairs of eyes turned on her—even Agent Chaplen had turned down the tip of his newspaper to eye her. Robyn did not appreciate this attention. She always felt very exposed without a cloak on.
She glared venomously at him. “You are pompous and over-confident. You think everyone should like you. That is why it annoys you so that I do not.” She lifted a plate of muffins. “Would you like another muffin?”
He blinked at her, then the plate, slightly thrown at the sudden change in behavior. Chaplen chuckled and flipped up his newspaper. Ben sighed. Sovay tried kicking her again. Jacob shrugged mentally.
Alice, however, was always the vocal one. “Honestly, Robyn. A nice man finally takes notice of you, and you spurn him. No wonder you have so few friends.”
Robyn peered at Alice over her cup in a rather unnerving way. The other girl shifted uncomfortably. Sighing again, Robyn rose and began to clear the dishes. Sovay and Alice rose to aid her, and all three disappeared into the kitchen.
Jack turned to Ben. “Why does your sister detest me?”
Ben sighed. “Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. She can be a bit of an enigma, at times. I don’t think she quite likes your cavalier attitude.” He held up his hand to stop Jack from protesting. “I know, I know. There’s nothing particularly wrong with it. However, Robyn often is confronted by people who are sure they can,” he paused, thinking of the best way to put his sister’s reasons without mentioning her escapades, “well, defeat her, if you catch my meaning.”
Jack leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. “So, she’s prideful, you’re saying.”
Chaplen peeled his newspaper down just in time to see Robyn step from the kitchen and frown at her brother, then glare at the back of Jack’s head.
Ben also saw his sister. “Not without cause.”
This was interesting to Chaplen. What would cause a seemingly silly girl to have a justified sort of pride?
“So,” continued Jack, unaware of Robyn’s presence. “You’re saying that she dislikes me because we’re the same?”
Robyn chose that moment to reach around Jack and claim his empty cup.
Ben sighed.
Jack turned his head and watched her retreating form. “How long were you behind me?”
“Long enough,” she called over her shoulder just as the kitchen door closed behind her.
Jack blew a strand of hair from his face. “Well, I guess I’d better go make amends.”
He rose from his chair and disappeared into the kitchen. Only Sovay and Alice were there. They informed him that she had stomped outside. Sovay said that he would most likely find her in the barn.
Jack followed her advice and pushed the barn door open. He found her stroking the Shadow Fox’s horse. He leaned on the doorway. “I thought only the Shadow Fox could approach her.”
Robyn didn’t bother to turn. Midnight had warned her of his approach. “She lives in my barn. I frequent it, and she has grown used to me. She just needs a soft speaking person and a gentle hand.”
“Look, Robyn, I’m sorry my attitude offends you.”
She ignored him.
Sighing, he approached her. Remembering the oats, Midnight perked up her ears and watched him. He patted her nose. “Sorry, old girl, I’m fresh out of oats.”
The black mare snorted disappointedly.
“Really, Robyn. I don’t want you to be annoyed at me.”
“Then go away,” Robyn sighed.
However, Jack Richards was stubborn. Frowning, he said, “You know, it’s not very polite to turn your back on someone who’s speaking to you.”
She turned to face him, and leaned against her horse. She arched an eyebrow at him.
“What can I do to make you stop disliking me?”
Robyn really wanted to say something about his departure, however, her good manners won over. “You can quiet strutting like a peacock, for one. Second, you can earn my friendship, instead of thinking you deserve it.”
“Alright. How can I do that?”
“Well, you can walk like this.” She moved at the easy long-stepped gait that most young men in Boston used.
He laughed. “That’s not what I was referring to, but you walk rather well in a boy’s gait.” He grinned. “I bet you could even pass as a boy if you took to wearing breeches.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Well, I’m not that unladylike,” she replied with a slight smile.
He grinned. “Success! There’s a smile!”
“Don’t get too excited.”
Jack took her hand, and bowing, kissed it before she had time to reclaim it from his grasp. “Well then, Miss Rivers, I must be off. Unfortunately, duty calls. I have other matters that call me away from winning the friendship of a lovely young lady.” And with that, he swept from the barn, striding out quite like a gallant peacock.
Robyn tried to frown, but a smile kept escaping.
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Nooooo! Robyn! Don't do it! Jack's an annoyingly lovable jerk! Sigh. Oh well. Now she's got a new ally, right? What do you all think of him? Like him, hate him, love/hate? I love/hate him.
Sorry is like 3,000,000 light years late. I'm too sleepy to think up a passable excuse. I really have none.
Anyway, here it is. Enjoy and have a great week!
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