Nathan wound up the rope, to be taken back to the stable later.  And hung it up on a hook next to the door.  Maybe a less than subtle reminder that the rope was close at hand.<br/><br/>"Want something to eat . . . . . Erin?"  he asked gruffly.  The pause was both because he was trying to remember what she called herself and because he wasn't really sure whether to believe anything she said, including her name.  He ladled out a plate of beef stew from a pot simmering on a low fire, handing the plate to the girl.  And since his meal had been delicious, but less than filling, he ladled out another plate for himself.<br/><br/>"Let's go out to the tavern and find a table to sit and talk."  If she was going to bolt, now was the time, while he had a plate of food in his hand and she had a plate of her own to throw at him.