A serious crime - snippet from #Medieval Romance for #Wewriwa

Welcome to another Sunday with Weekend Writing Warriors . Meet writers in various genres and read 8-10 sentence snippets of their stories. Find a new author and sample their work. Enjoy!

I am continuing snippets from my new medieval romance set in fourteenth century England in and around my hometown of Reading. The book is on pre-order for release on the 27th.
My heroine, Audrey, countered a robber’s attack and met the hero, Selwyn Drake. He is acting as the sheriff’s bailiff to maintain peace in the town. His men have captured the thief and Selwyn has skillfully handled a group of alleged victims.  
You can read last week’s snippet here – https://auroraspringer.blogspot.com/2019/08/i-will-grant-no-exceptions-snippet-from.html
Here are the last lines for context: One of the men slunk away, as did the dubious slattern. Please excuse my slight abuse of punctuation to fit 8-10 sentences.      The bailiff watched her sidle toward the alley; he frowned, but said nothing. Did he let her go free from lack of proof of her complicity in the crime or was he inclined to be lenient to a woman? Either way, his merciful act did not dampen my good opinion of him.      “Do you wish me to testify?” I asked.      He gave me a swift, thoughtful look, before replying, “If you please, Dame Audrey; he attempted to assault you, which is more serious a crime than stealing a purse.”      Lowering my gaze to the muddy street, I pondered the consequences. The reeve’s justice was harsh; my testimony might send the man to the gallows, while a convicted thief would merely lose a hand.      Pursing my lips, I nodded; I had to tell the truth, despite my regret for the severity of the punishment. Exasperation ate at me for agreeing to another delay in my preparations for the fair. Yet, I was curious to learn more about Selwyn Drake; I was impressed by his acute judgment and attractive smile.   

Blurb:
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