Thieves at Heart Read Online Free PDF Page B

a slight roll of her eyes, Derk giving Tavi a quick squeeze on the shoulder before they entered.
    “I’s hoping that the rumors were just that,” the woman said, her back turned towards them. Tavi gazed around the two roomed home, various belongings piled and set around in a way that said it was in fact a home and not another room above a bar. A table and two chairs were the focus of the front room, an embroidered cloth draped over the tabletop. The chairs didn’t match in style but the wood was the same hue. One of them was pulled out and a bit of sewing lay on the seat, half done. Quilts hung on the wall across from the only window and a small fire burned in the fireplace, no doubt keeping whatever was in the black pot warm.
    Derk closed the door behind them and locked it, pulling off his hat and the face he was making at Tavera suggesting that she take off her outdoor clothes. “Rumors are always founded on some bit of truth, you should know that. You of all people.”
    “So what are the lies and what are the truths, Derk?” Tavera decided that Celeel had a warm smile but that it was weary and the little girl felt as if it was a smile she only had for Derk. “Have you eaten?” she asked them both, not waiting for him to answer. “It ain’t good to not eat, ‘specially when you’re little.” She looked over at Tavera over her shoulder as she fiddled with something on a smaller table that was kept by the fire. “How old are you?”
    Tavera just shrugged. She looked at Derk to see what he thought of the answer she had given and he just scratched his head, visibly uncomfortable. Celeel laughed, something between a chuckle and a cackle. “The two of you…eh?” She shook her head.
    “Aye, the two of us.” He pulled off his cloak and hung it on the back of the door before he moved the sewing and sat on the chair. The smile he tried to give Tavera was probably meant to be reassuring but all she could do was stand there and frown, not sure what to do.
    Old Gam looked at her again. “What, is she mute? I’ve heard otherwise but as long as she ain’t deaf, no harm done.”
    “She’s not mute,” Derk sighed. Blue eyes looked over the bit of sewing he had put on the table and he poked at it, grimacing at the stain he left with his finger. He tried to rub it out and shot a glance at Tavi, looking guilty and amused at the same time. Tavi pressed her lips together and tried not to laugh as well, her small hands covering her mouth.
    “You ain’t going to throw up, right? I hear small ones do that.” Old Gam said. She walked to the table with three plates, setting them down before she noticed the bit of stitching, Derk looking to the side as he tried to avoid what was soon turning into a glare on her face. The woman just sighed and shook her head, disappearing into the other room while Tavi finally decided to take off her cloak. She had to jump to get it up on the peg but reached it on her third try, glad she didn’t tear the garment on the peg as her feet hit the floor. Tavera heard Old Gam walking back into the room and the little girl felt her ears burn while she walked to the empty seat, sitting in front of the plate the woman had been kind enough to make for her.
    “An apprentice,” Old Gam said. She almost sang it and it made Tavera stare into her plate harder. It was cold roasted fish and barley cakes, with sweet onion paste to moisten the bread. Her stomach rumbled.
    “What, food and no drink?” Derk asked. For a second there was silence in the room, though the sounds of Portsmouth could be heard beyond the walls, keeping it from being too quiet. Whatever Old Gam was sitting on scraped against the wooden floor as she pushed it back, Tavera stealing a glance at her pa. He was smiling at her again and he winked, tearing a bit of bread and fish and dipping it into the jelly before he licked his fingers. Old Gam returned to the table with a jug and two mugs.
    “I only have the two,” she said, setting