Everybody knew about them now. She had shoved her worry about what her parents would say forward into the future and he had promised her he would protect her in whatever ordeal she might face back in Mucknamore. That had been the only time she seemed to waver in her belief in him, turning two gooseberry-green eyes on him, that were fogged over with questions. It wasn’t idle talk with him, he meant it all the way. He was quite prepared to marry her and keep her, or take her, from anything that might be trouble to her. But he was shy to say that out so soon, afraid he’d frighten her off.
It was a wonder she could sleep like that on that wooden chair. He pushed himself up on one elbow to get a better look at her. Her breathing was heavy, almost but not quite a snore. For comfort, she’d loose
