Paul rose at the sight of Sophia entering, giving her a happy smile as she approached and a polite bow as she arrived at his table.  "Good morning, m'lady."

He knew she was not Nobility and -- in the eyes of the true Nobility -- was not worthy of the moniker, but Paul had never been that kind of Nobleman.  He respected all women of all classes -- which had been part of his guilt for having so improperly [i]felt up[/i] Sophia the night before -- so he would show her the utmost respect ... until and unless she ever showed she was unworthy of it.

They exchanged their pleasantries, and -- after giving the child a copper -- Paul asked the Innkeeper's youngest daughter to run his clothing up to his room.  But he didn't offer Sophia a seat at his table, instead offering her an elbow as he said, "I have a surprise for you ... an attempt, albeit not nearly enough, to make up for my transgression of last evening."

Less than a minute later, after a short walk toward the edge of town, they arrived in a grassy spot under a huge tree at which yet another of the Innkeeper's daughters had arranged a big blanket and an extravagant breakfast spread ... well, extravagant for a small town tavern's kitchen.  Paul gestured Sophia to one of the large, soft pillows laying on the blanket and asked, "Is this a good start toward getting me back into your good graces?"

He was thinking, of course, [i]Is this a good start toward getting me between your thighs[/i], but he couldn't ask that ... yet.

..................

Back at the Black Raven, Olivia's arrival caused an instant [i]brou ha ha[/i].  A quartet of the Count's men had heard rumors of the Lady's presence here the night before, and -- with the understanding that Paul Cranston was staying here and with Lars Barker's instructions -- they'd staked out tables flanking the doors to wait for her possible return.

Of course, Paul had known trouble was coming, so he'd stationed his own men about the tavern's interior and inconspicuously around the structure's exterior.  Winston himself had been sitting at a table near the fireplace, eye balling the Count's men with a conspicuous, hateful glare such that most of them couldn't stand to look his way.

Olivia's entrance, with her handmaiden in tow, was the spark that lit the fire.  One of the Count's men stood quickly upon seeing the girl and bowed politely -- his eyes cautiously on her -- as he declared, "M'lady, your father has requested that you come back to the castle immediately ... for your own safety." 

As Olivia and the man interacted, Winston's men jumped into action: they all rose and closed slowly on the four men from the Castle; and Winston's thumping of a big, strong fist upon inside of the tavern's wall alerted the men outside the tavern that the fun was about to begin.  Unfortunately, the fun [i]outside[/i] the Inn had already begun, when Crone and six additional Castle Guardsmen came into view on their trotting horses.  Winston caught sight of the reinforcements out a window...