Wake up

Dante woke up with the early morning sun shining in the openings in the barn. It looked about an hour after sunrise by the look of it. He looked around and saw that Jenna was gone. He felt where she had slept, and it was cold. She must have woken up before him and went back to the house. He hoped she wasn't discovered by her father at that time. Now that he thought about it though, if he had found out, Dante was sure Bart would have attacked him or chased him off his land at the least. So, she must have snuck in quietly enough to avoid detection.

Dante put his clothes back on and climbed out of the hay loft. He saddled his horse and led it out to the water trough. Walking toward the house, he saw Bart hitching up the plow horse near one of the other barns and Jenna feeding the chickens near the house. He walked past Jenna, who looked around to make sure her father couldn't see her and then kissed him hard on the lips.

"Good morning, Dante," she said with a twinkle in her eye. "Did you sleep well?" She grinned like the cat that ate the sparrow.

"Good morning, Jenna. I slept wonderfully after I got a little exercise before bed. Did you sleep well?" he replied, just as sexily.

"Oh, yes, though when I went inside to my bed, I touched myself where you touched me and exploded again. I almost didn't wake up in time to make breakfast for Daddy. There's some left on the wood stove."

"Thank you, my sweet," Dante said, and he headed into the house. He found eggs and toast still warm in a metal dish on the stove, kept that way by the banked coals inside. He put homemade butter and jam on the toast and used it to push the eggs onto his fork.

Just as he was finishing, Jenna and Bart came back in the house. Bart stepped forward, extending his hand to shake Dante's. Dante grasped the farmer's arm below the elbow in the standard way. Both men grinned at each other.

"It was a pleasure to have you here. Your stories were very entertaining, though I don't know how much of them to believe. You tell a good tale," Bart said. Jenna stood behind her father smiling and licking her lips at Dante.

"Well, you have a real nice farm here, and a beautiful daughter. You are a very lucky man," Dante replied. He winked at Jenna when Bart wasn't looking. "Thank you for your hospitality. Here is a small recompense for your hearty food and insect-free hay loft. Take it as a token of my appreciation." He held two silver coins in his fingers, far more than he had offered the day before.

"I can't accept your generousity. Your stories are thanks enough," Bart responded, eyeing the silver.

"Are you sure? It really is a just amount for the pleasures of your company." Dante grinned again, mostly at Jenna. Bart didn't see anything unusual with his attentions.

"Yes, I'm sure. Perhaps, you would donate it to the next religious shrine down the road. They can use the money more than I."

"I might just do that. Thanks again. Good day. And good day to you, Jenna. You and your father flatter me." Dante bowed low to her, but kept an eye on her. She secretly blew him a kiss, out of her father's view. With that flourish, he picked up his bags and walked out the door. As he passed the farmer's daughter, slipped slipped the coins into the pocket of her dress unnoticed by either of them. Once out the door, he went to his horse and put the bags over the saddle. Dante rode off down the road toward Neverwinter.