Mayor Rose woke up bright and early to give Rusk a proposition over breakfast, which was just as extravagant as last night’s dinner. Rusk peeked over his toast. He had the strangest idea he was about to be in trouble for sneaking out last night, and then immediately felt foolish for thinking like a child.

“My daughter is in need of a body guard, now that Greil is gone.”

Turned out food and board wasn’t really free. “A body guard.”

“I think you’d fill the position swimmingly.”

“And precisely what gives you that idea? No offense, but maybe you shouldn’t judge people by their first impressions. And besides, I’m only passing through. I’m on my own journey for the time being.”

“That is unfortunate,” said Mayor Rose.

“Where’s Loretta?” Rusk spread butter on his bread to make it seem like this change of subject was whim instead of a purposeful misdirection to what he really wanted to know. “I haven’t seen her around all morning.”

“It seems she took it upon herself to have an excursion last night.” Mayor Rose heaved a sigh. “It’s been taken care of. She’s resting now.”

Rusk hadn’t blabbed. So who had? Felix? Something about that didn’t feel kosher. “Shame.” Rusk took a bite of the buttered bread and made a show of savoring it. “I would’ve liked to say goodbye. I’m leaving town the first chance I get after I replenish my supplies.”

“Why are you in such a hurry? Surely you don’t have another job to attend to.” Mayor Rose wrinkled his nose. His moustache lifted with the expression to show a wry mouth. “I’ve known since the start by your manner alone you aren’t from any civilized settlement.”

Rusk nearly choked on his bread.

“If you’ll forgive my saying so, the offer was my taking pity on you.”

“Pity?”

Mayor Rose nodded in a way he must’ve thought was sagely or knowledgeable, but Rusk just found it patronizing. He looked like a puffy fruit about to bob off a tree.

There was a gigantic pause of silence where they stared at each other.

Then Loretta came bounding into the room, her hair all in tangles and her dress seams askew. Felix wasn’t with her. Rusk didn’t know why that bothered him, but it did.

“Good morning,” said Rusk brightly. Okay, cheekily.

Loretta pulled at her hair, which made all the tangles worse. What had she done, rolled through the bushes? But when she made her way over to her place at the table, she was limping. That sent Rusk’s mood to a darker place.

“Are you alright?”

“She’s fine,” said Mayor Rose with a floppy waft of his giant wrist. “Though tardiness is unbecoming of you, my dear.”

“It’s not my fault I was held up this morning,” said Loretta. Her eyes made darts at her father and when she sat down, Rusk noticed a slight wobble in her posture. She settled in leaning slightly to the right, one arm cradled under the table. “Good morning, Rusk. I see you’ve yet to skip off.”

Rusk pushed away from the table, stood up, and crossed the distance to her. He stopped only when he was standing in a spot where he shadowed her.

Loretta looked up at him, a twinge of fear in her eyes.

He saw it now. She’d been crying.

Mayor Rose made an aggravated noise. He snapped twice and a servant, not Felix but a mousy slender girl of barely twelve, leaned down to be whispered something by the ear.

“Are you alright,” Rusk repeated, his voice lower so only Loretta could hear.

She began to dip her head down in a nod and then changed it into a shaky back and forth motion at the very last second. Yes. Maybe. No. No, definitely not. But she didn’t answer him vocally.

“Where’s Felix?”

Loretta choked on a sob and then forced it back down her throat. Not here. Not here.

Rusk could read enough into that desperate expression to stop questioning her. For the time being. He returned his attention to Mayor Rose. “I’ve changed my mind. I think I will take you up on that offer. You’re right. I’m not from around here, and perhaps my manner could use some adjusting. Teach me your ways, oh illustrious one.”

Mayor Rose’s mouth hung open.

And so did Loretta’s.

There certainly was a resemblance there, and Rusk for a split second actually found it a bit comical. Their faces were so different, and from what he could tell so were their personalities and perhaps values, but genetics had to count for something, right? Or maybe that was just the way Loretta had been raised.

“So what’s the pay? I assume I’ll be freelance.”

“What? Oh. Yes. Let me consolidate my funds. Be just one moment. Do make yourself comfortable. Get to know each other. Loretta dear, Mister Rusk is going to be your new bodyguard.”

The mousy servant girl stayed behind while Mayor Rose bumbled off somewhere into another room.

Rusk didn’t like having an ear in the vicinity, but he had to ask because he was legitimately concerned. “Where’s Felix? Is he alright? What happened? You look hurt.”

“I am hurt. But it’s…” Loretta looked at the servant girl.

The servant girl made a gesture across her own mouth and pulled her lips very thin. Then she smiled with this clever look in her watery wide eyes and Rusk knew she wasn’t much an ear at all. She’d be safe to talk around.

“Can you walk? I can get you out of here.”

“What?”

“It’s him, right? It’s gotta be your father. Or someone he’s directing.”

Loretta lowered her head.

“I can’t help you unless you tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s fine,” she forced out. “I deserved it.”

“No one deserves this!”

The mousy servant girl squeaked and made a frantic shushing arm wave. Very jittery. She glanced at the door Mayor Rose had left through.

“Felix, where is he? Maybe I’m wrong but I assumed he was protective of you.”

“No you’re right. He’s just… preoccupied. They took him.”

“Who’s they?”

“My father’s disciplinary staff. They found out he left the premises last night, and that led to them finding I did as well. Father is furious with both of us. He thinks we’re having an affair.”

“Are you?” Rusk caught himself going off track and shook that question out of the conversation with an actual shake of his head. “Never mind. That’s not the point. Even if you are, that doesn’t give your father the right to punish you for it. What’s his angle here anyway? Hiring me as a bodyguard, yet putting you two through hell for what? Disobeying? I hate shit like that.”

“It’s more complicated than a daughter simply not listening. His reputation is on the line. I knew the risks when I broke the rules. I saw this coming. I just thought I’d get away with it without being caught. If it were just me it’d be fine but, but… Felix…” Loretta erupted into sobs.

“Alright,” said Rusk. “I’m getting you both out of here.”

The little mousy servant girl came up to Loretta and patted her back. When Loretta’s sobbing ceased, the little servant girl smiled at the two of them and then with the most brilliant grin Rusk had ever seen handed Loretta a slip of fabric. It was blue, silken, and had an engraving sewn into it that resembled a mythical creature, but Rusk couldn’t make out the actual species depicted.

What he could make out, was that it was Mandy’s handiwork.

“A gift from the sneak,” said the mousy little servant girl. “Sneak says Felix can be free. Sneak says you can be free, Miss Loretta.”