Instead, we talked, and then something else happened.

Her hair was rust-colored with a few strands of gray in it. I guessed she was under thirty, though. Eyes, very blue. Slightly pointed chin. Clean, even teeth inside a mouth that smiled at me a lot. Her voice was somewhat nasal, her hair was too long, her make-up laid on too heavily over too much tiredness, her complexion too freckled, her choice in clothing too bright and tight. But I liked her. I did not think I’d actually feel that way when I asked her out that night because, as I said, liking her was not what I had in mind.

There was no place to go but my chamber, so we had gone there. I had become a captain, and I took advantage of my rank by having dinner brought to us, and an extra bottle of wine.

“The men are afraid of you,” she said. “They say you never grow tired.”

“I do,” I said, “believe me.”

“Of course,” she said, shaking her too-long locks and smiling. “Don’t we all?”

“I daresay,” I replied.

“How old are you?”

“How old are you?”

“A gentleman would not ask that question.”

“Neither would a lady?”

“When you first came here, they thought you were over fifty.”

“And…?”

“And now they have no idea. Forty-five? Forty?”

“No,” I said.

“I didn’t think so. But your beard fooled everyone.”

“Beards often do that.”

“You look better every day. Bigger…”

“Thanks. I feel better than I did when I arrived.”

“Sir Corey of Cabra,” she said. “Where’s Cabra? What’s Cabra? Will you take me there with you, if I ask you nicely?”

“I’d tell you so,” I said, “but I’d be lying.”

“I know. But it would be nice to hear.”