Sorry about not updating for awhile been really busy! Hope you enjoy the update though!
Even with Damian's advice Keith could not bring himself to apologize the same day that it had happened as he was still upset that Cecily had snuck off in the first place.
He waited till a few days later, though to him it seemed longer as he had barely gone a day without talking to Cecily at least a couple of times, by then he had some news to share with her as well.
Also he had waited to catch her alone and she had been purposefully been around either Katherine, Damian, or both and he knew that she had been ignoring him intentionally.
Finally he was able to catch her as she was making a trip to the well, definitely not the most ideal place as it would bring to mind that night, but at the moment he didn't care.
"Cece I really need to talk to ya," he said coming up behind her.
"About what?" she asked looking straight ahead as she walked, "And please don't call me Cece anymore, I think I am a little too old for that nickname now," she added.
"Alright Cecily I know that ya are upset about what happened at the well a few days ago an I just...." Keith trailed off losing courage for a minute as Cecily stopped walking to look at him.
"Just what?" she asked raising an eyebrow and waiting expectantly.
"Ye aren't going to make this easy on me are ya?" asked Keith with a sigh as he saw the glint of amusement in Cecily's eye.
"No not really," said Cecily with a smile.
"Fine, Sorry that I said those things ta ye the other night, twasn't right of me ta act like ye belonged ta me," Keith said, "But I was just afraid that ye were going ta be kidnapped by them gypsy's or somethin," he added.
"I accept your apology for that," said Cecily with a smile, "But I do think that you have a little explaining to do, and I really don't want to hear you talk about gypsy's like that ever again when I am around," she added sternly.
"Explanin for what?" asked Keith in surprise.
"Your midnight escapades," said Cecily, "You thought mine were bad, but yours are much worse I know."
Keith gulped, he had known that Cecily had suspected something and he figured he should have known she would find out as she seemed to know about everything going on in the village.
"How long have you been doing it and why?" she asked looking at him thoughtfully and waiting for an explanation.
"Just a few months," said Keith slowly, "An I am doin it for the village not meself."
"What do you mean?" asked Cecily, "The village isn't that badly off is it?"
"It was a hard year," said Keith, "An with a long an hard winter comin on the village was just not prepared like it should have been."
"I can understand your reasoning Keith, it's just that I don't agree that taking from others is right," said Cecily,"And besides how long are you planning on keeping this up?"
"Takin from a few rich people isna goin ta make a big difference specially ifin I am just givin it ta the people who really be needin it," said Keith, "An I don't know how long I may be doin it."
"I still think it is wrong and one of these days you will or someone else will get hurt and you will get caught," said Cecily.
"Does that mean that ya aren't turnin me in ta George right now?" asked Keith in surprise as he had been sure that was what Cecily would do.
"No I don't turn my friends in for anything and I don't plan on doing it now," said Cecily, "You could have gotten me in trouble so many times and I am just returning the favor."
"But I'm warning you don't get in over your head and don't go taking too many risks," said Cecily sternly, "And please be careful," she added quietly as an afterthought.
"Thanks Cecily," said Keith gratefully, "I won't forget this."
Keith still found it hard to believe that he was relying on a bunch of gypsy's and a 13 year old girl to keep a secret that would ruin the rest of his life if it was discovered.
"Oh," he added after a moments thought, "I forgot ta tell ye, the gypsy's packed up camp the other day an moved along."
With that he walked off leaving Cecily standing there to process the information.
Keith's announcement had definitely caught Cecily off guard, so much for giving the necklace back, she thought with a sigh.
She hoped that the altercation at the well the other night had not triggered the gypsy's decision to move on, but she doubted it, knowing that staying in one place for too long was not in their nature.
She felt the same feeling that they felt sometimes, just staying in the same village for her whole life though she had always wanted to travel and explore.
With a sigh she walked the rest of the way to the well, which of course brought back the memory of Rose and Ryan, she wondered if she would ever see them again.