Camilla rode the horse quietly through the back streets. She kept her dull brown cap pulled low over her face. She avoided the main roads and the busy markets. She moved like a shadow.
When she reached the high stone walls of the Benson estate, she did not go to the main gates. She rode around to the small, hidden side entrance near the stables. She slipped off the horse and quickly tied the leather reins to a wooden post. She left the horse for the stable boys to find later.
Camilla moved silently through the gardens. She stayed in the dark shadows of the tall green hedges. She was still wearing the dirty male clothing. Her loose grey tunic was stained with dirt and small drops of blood from the tavern fight.
She reached the thick bushes directly beneath her private bedroom balcony.
She knelt down in the dirt. She reached her hands deep into the green leaves and pulled out the tight bundle of dark green silk. It was the day gown she had hidden earlier.
