“Really?” she said with a grin. “I hadn’t noticed.” She cocked her head. “You...didn’t seem yourself last night, Emeric. You seemed...tense. Is everything okay?”
Emeric looked away, not sure how he could answer that question. There was so much emotion tangled up inside him that he couldn’t even begin to unravel it. Guilt. Anger. Shame. And underneath it all, that restlessness, that itch, that need to get away. And that made him feel guilty all over again.
“Just tired,” he said with a shrug. “It was a long ride to get here.”
She studied him and it was clear she didn’t believe him. “Does it have something to do with your father?” she asked suddenly.
The question caught him off guard and he took a step back. “Why do ye ask that?”
“Aislinn told me what happened to him. With her wedding coming up she’s missing him. I thought you might be too.”
Emeric cursed himself for an insensitive fool. Of course Aislinn would miss their da at a time like this. Of course she would wish he was here. Of course she would be thinking about...what happened. Or what they all believed happened.
His father was a topic he didn’t dare venture near, not even in his own thoughts. The memories were too raw and painful.
He swallowed hard before speaking again. “My father’s not here. Let’s leave it at that, shall we?”
Anna nodded, accepting his evasion. She glanced up at the roof where the sound of the rain thumped incessantly against the thatch. “You think it will clear up by tomorrow? It’s the games isn’t it?”
“Aye.” Emeric had not forgotten. How could he forget when everyone in Dun Achmore seemed to think he would win everything? After all, how could he not? He was the prodigal son wasn’t he? The vaunted Order of the Osprey warrior, the hero who could beat any odds.
He snorted softly. What nonsense. If they had lived his life, done the things he’d done, perhaps they’d not be so quick to put him on a pedestal.
Anna sighed. “Ugh. I have to get out of these wet things.” She quirked an eyebrow. “Sure you wouldn’t like to come and peel me out of this dress?”
Emeric’s cheeks flushed crimson and Anna laughed delightedly. “I’m joking!” She turned to the door, the swish of her skirts echoing in the stillness.
Emeric watched her go, fighting against the urge to go after her, to tell her yes, he would very much like to peel her out of that dress.
She paused at the door and looked back. “And Emeric? If there’s something on your mind and you want to talk. Well...I’ve been told I can be a half-decent listener on occasion.”
Her words hung in the air long after she had disappeared into the rain, leaving Emeric alone with his thoughts and the soft whinnying of the horses.
Chapter 13
Anna had never thought that she would end up missing an alarm clock. Getting out of bed in the morning had never been one of her strong suits and now, without anything to wake her, she found she was usually up way after everyone else. It was embarrassing. She was a guest here so how must it look when she was lounging in bed while everyone else was up at first light?
The following morning was no exception and by the time she was out of bed and dressed, she found that the sun was already climbing the sky. Anna yawned as she walked along the corridor to the stairs. Glancing through one of the narrow windows, she saw that the day had dawned bright and clear, yesterday’s stormy weather having blown through. That was good. She wanted the games to go well today. It meant a lot to Emeric and his family.
But when she reached the great hall, she found it empty, with nobody seated at the benches and not even a servant in sight. She frowned. Where was everybody?
