“I understand about Frey. He’s curious and wants to join in whatever activity we’re engaging in. But what was that you did before?”
“Our kiss? I’m sure you know what a kiss is for. It was most enjoyable, wasn’t it?” he said, and his hand suddenly lifted to fondle a lock of my hair.
My hair shouldn’t be undone. I’d fastened it tightly into its usual braid, but the tumble or else the water fight with Frey had loosened it enough that I’d lost my leather tie, and my hair, which must be a mess of twisted curls and knots, was falling down into my face and, apparently underneath the officer’s body because I found I couldn’t move without tugging at it.
“Officer Krugel,” I said, “Please could you move off my hair?”
“No. I like you captive, and you will remain that way until you call me Frank instead of Officer Krugel. That is too formal. I think we’re far beyond that, my dear.”
“We’re not beyond that. You’re, you’re . . .”
Again my words fled as I played back the last of his sentences.
“Don’t call me dear. And we’re not . . . not . . .”
“I’d like to woo you, my sweet girl.”
Woo. That was marriage talk. Witches didn’t marry. Or, at least Old Mother hadn’t. Besides, marriage meant that I’d have to give him my hand, whatever that meant. And then there was the lie, or the thing I hadn’t told him and couldn’t.
I shook my head. “I can’t,” I said.
Frey got bored and stood up, moving away in search of grass. There wasn’t any in the corral, but the gate wasn’t shut. I supposed he’d find some in the yard where the other horse was standing, his reins dropped to the ground, which for some reason, stopped horses cold.
“Whose house is this? Are they going to come back and wonder what we’re doing here?”
His lips were smiling. “Avoidance?” he asked. “Sometimes a criminal does that to get out of mischief, but I think you’re just scared.”
“Of course, I’m scared. Whose house is this?”
“It doesn’t matter, Shama. They left. They moved away. Someone will buy it, but they haven’t yet. So you don’t need to worry over being in trouble for trespassing. Now answer me. What are you really afraid of? Are you too scared of me to call me Frank?”