The next morning, Ginia did not arrive at work.

Hannah had heard no news since sending her message to Macks, but she was sure now that Raul had been captured. Had Ginia found out already? She must be devastated, Hannah thought guiltily.

She wouldn't try to kill herself, would she? The thought made her panic.

Still, she kept her mouth shut, telling herself to wait until she knew more. But even so, everything in her soul cried for her to find out what had happened to her friend, to see if she was alright.

"That damn girl," Jono cursed rudely, seeing that the first of the breakfast crowd was coming in. "I'm going to have a good word with her when she finally comes in."

"Something must have happened," Deedee said, on her way to the kitchen. "What if she was attacked?"

"In broad daylight?"

"You know it's not like her, Jono."

Nervously, Hannah cleared her throat. "I could go see her. I know where she lives."

"Yes, you'd like that, wouldn't you? Well, no. I need you all here. She'll show her face sooner or later, I'm sure."

"And if she's in some sort of trouble?" Deedee asked.

"Then it's useless for us to try and help, isn't it? Probably too late anyway."

Deedee turned away, disgusted.

Hannah meanwhile, was becoming a mess. She mixed up two orders, and once almost dropped a whole tray full of plates. How could anyone not see her guilt?

At one point, Deedee came to her, taking hold of her shoulder. "Hannah," the girl said, her voice assuring. "I know you're worried about Ginia, but try not to let it affect you."

"I'm ... I'm not."

Deedee smiled, shaking her head. "You're a good friend to care about her so much."

No, I'm not. She bit her lip, relieved as Deedee walked away. Above her head, the clock struck noon, and her worry deepened.

Now, the morning crowd was trading itself for the lunch one – hungry laborers and merchants and visitors to Dalen, bearing big laughs and throwing their money around. Then in the middle of them, a soldier came, standing watchfully in the doorway.

Macks! Hannah thought, her heart rising. She longed to run to him and ask him what had happened, but she held herself back, practising control.

As she stood there, expectant, his eye roamed, resting on her. She saw a twitch in his mouth, but nothing more as he crossed the room and went to speak to Jono.

Hannah bent her head, her cheeks feeling warm. She was sure Sora and Deedee had seen him, and were wondering why he hadn't come to her. But of course, their thoughts were all wrong. She wanted information, not attention.

She focused on her customers, finding no chance to get near the bar and hear Macks' conversation with Jono. At last, he turned away, nodding goodbye to Jono as he made his way out again. Once more, he glanced at Hannah, but she had no idea what the look meant. She watched intently through a window as he took off on his fine wintry horse.

Right away, Deedee raced to her side, clutching her arm. "What in the world just happened! My god, Hannah, are you alright? I can't believe what I just saw."

Lightly, Hannah pulled herself from the girl's grasp. "I'm fine."

"Jono," Deedee called. "What did he say to you?"

"What?"

"The Captain."

Jono shifted, resting a hand on his hip. "He said Ginia won't be coming in today."

Both Deedee and Hannah gasped. "How ... ?" Deedee sounded confused. "How would he know that?"

"I don't know. Some important guard matter. I didn't really understand any of it."

"But she's alright?" Hannah asked.

"Alright?" Deedee repeated, surprised. "Why, Hannah. I do think she's taken up with your Captain! And I thought she loved Raul."

"Don't be silly."

"Do you know what's going on with all this, Hannah?" Jono asked her.

She paused, hesitating under their gaze. "No," she lied quietly. "I've not a clue."

"Well," Jono said. "At least we know she's not in any trouble after all. She should be in tomorrow, according to the Captain."

"Fishy business, this," Deedee muttered, moving away.

Hannah went off too, afraid to hear any more questions from Jono. She wondered exactly what had happened to Ginia, and how much she knew. Macks must have told her something, but hopefully not about Hannah's part in all this.

You're a traitor, and a coward. She's just lost the love of her life, and all you care about is yourself.

That night after work, she was halfway down the road to Mrs. Baines' when she heard the sound of a horse nearby. She paused, not surprised to see the Captain riding slowly towards her. He brought the mare to a stop, sighing down at her. "Hannah," he breathed, sounding exhausted.

She said nothing, waiting as he dismounted.

"Are you alright?" he asked, standing before her.

"Me? How is Ginia?"

"Your friend is unhurt. Emotionally however ... "

"What happened?"

"We raided the address you gave us last night," he started. "We found him in a room together with your friend, in a very ... well, intimate way."

Hannah kept quiet, fascinated.

"It was an easy capture. We caught most of his friends as well."

"And Ginia?"

"We brought her to the station, tried to question her for awhile, but she was terribly upset. I spent hours just trying to get her to speak. In the end, Stefan said he didn't believe she'd known about any of Raul's doings, so we let her go. I had some guards send her home – it was very late by then, almost morning. I felt sorry for her, so I offered to explain to Jono what had happened."

"Did you?"

"I didn't tell him everything, just enough so he wouldn't blame her absence."

Hannah was quiet for awhile. "So she knows about Raul now? She knows his history?"

"Yes. We told her everything."

"And what I did?"

"No. That I kept secret for you, of course."

She shook her head miserably.

"You did the right thing, Hannah."

"Funny, it doesn't feel right at all."

"Perhaps not now. But you'll see it in time. You helped us to finally catch this man. You must know I respect you ever more for it."

"I don't want your respect."

He blinked, taken aback by her words.

"I hope you never put me in such a position again, Captain."

"It was not my plan to get you involved."

"But you didn't care, did you? You didn't care what it would do to me, or my friendship with her." She pushed past him, and for a minute, he didn't know what to say.

"Wait. Let me walk you home," he offered.

"No."

"Please don't be like that."

"Go away!" she cried, not caring if she woke anyone up. "Or I will never speak to you again."

He clamped his mouth shut to that threat, standing stonily beside his horse.

So much for friendship, whether with Ginia or with him. Perhaps it was easier not to have any friends. Better to be a loner like her mother.

The next day at Jono's, Ginia was already there when Hannah came in. She found her friend together with the other girls, speaking hushedly over breakfast.

For a startling moment, she imagined them leaping up, turning accusing fingers on her. Betrayer! They'd run her out, and she'd never work in Jono's again.

But it was only her imagination. Ginia and Deedee nodded and said good morning to her, looking ordinary for the most part.

"Ginia was telling us what happened yesterday," Deedee explained.

"It's quite a story," even Sora shared their interest. "Did you know Raul was this great outlaw?"

Hannah blinked. "Oh … ?"

"I was so afraid," Ginia related quietly. "I thought the guard might have me put in jail too, but fortunately, no." She raised her head, looking at Hannah. "You must thank Captain Droy for me. He was very kind."

Kind to a pretty girl? That was hardly a surprise.

"But Raul!" Deedee lamented. "How could he have done such things? He seemed the perfect man."

"Forget him," Sora advised Ginia. "That's not the kind of man we'd want you marrying. I'm glad you escaped him before anything worse could happen."

Ginia pressed a hand over her lips, and Hannah couldn't help remembering the moment she'd seen them kiss. She hid her eyes, ashamed.

Later that night, during her dinner break, Ginia appeared next to her. "Mind if I join you, Hannah?"

She wavered a minute, then nodded. Ginia sat down, carrying a plate of leftovers from Stephanie.

"How are you feeling?" Hannah asked earnestly.

"I'm alright."

"Are you sure? If there's anything I can do for you, please just tell me."

"Thank you. You're very kind."

"Anything for a friend," she whispered.

Ginia sighed, the sound of it shaky. "I'm such a fool."

"Of course not. None of this was your fault."

"The thing is ... I miss him, Hannah."

She straightened up. "You mean you still love him? Even after everything?"

Ginia gazed at her, not answering.

"But, Ginia, he's not the man you thought he was."

Her friend sighed, looking away. "It's alright. I don't expect you to understand."

That hurt, but Hannah tried not to let it bother her too much. "We're just worried about you, that's all."

"Thank you. But you don't know what it's like, having the one you love taken away from you."

"Sometimes, it is better," she said quietly. "Rather than they hurt you."

"Raul would never hurt me."

"He already has."

Ginia stood up sharply, even though she'd barely eaten any of her food. She walked away, and Hannah had the sense her words had meant nothing to the girl at all.