Right now there was a hint that she was the Alice who didn’t care for such lavish banquets because it didn’t help those less fortunate. His lips curved at her impatience and disapproval.
Maybe when this was all over and he returned to the King, he could forget the Alice at Court who laughed too loud and wore extravagant dresses. Maybe he could continue to remember her as he had always done. Helping children, and frowning at banquet waste.
She gave another glance over her sister’s shoulder. He saw her more clearly now. Her eyes were wide, with a line deeply drawn between her brows. Her mouth was downturned, her bottom lip clamped by her teeth. This wasn’t impatience...it was something like worry or...fear.
He shook his head and put the goblet down. This wasn’t right. Her tapping foot no longer looked impatient. It looked restless with nerves.
This wasn’t the Alice with her projects either.
Alice was not as she should be, or what he thought she should be.
Maybe...she put on a facade. Perhaps he saw the contrasts with her because one wasn’ther. But which one, and why the contrasts?
He had nothing to go on but her conversations regarding the King in the garden and at the market. Her questions regarding his presence and neatly not answering his own. Her disappearing at every party and in every home they attended together.
He had dismissed all those moments because he hadn’t seen her in six years. Dismissed their connection, his awareness of her, because he hadn’t wanted to look too closely. Hadn’t wanted to feel the ache. Because he had been jealous when he had no right to be.
But now he did. Now he saw her nervousness, the façade slip. Now he saw her craning her neck to observe the mummers approaching the stage.
When she slipped away he couldn’t dismiss anything.
She was up to something, and he aimed to find out what it was.
Chapter Eleven
‘Ithought I’d find you here,’ he said.
‘Spindles!’ Alice jumped, the candle in her hand sputtering, sputtering. She watched in horror as the flame bent again and went out.
Utter darkness.
‘What are you doing here?’
Hugh’s voice...coming from the far corner. The one behind the desk she had momentarily and gratefully spied when she’d entered the room before closing the door behind her.
Hugh was here, in a room where he had no right to be. But then neither did she.
‘I was looking for...’
‘Yes?’
‘I was looking for the garderobe.’
‘When you poked your head in here and raised your candle you knew it wasn’t the garderobe because you entered it and closed the door behind you.’
And then the light went out, and she couldn’t see.
Don’t think about the darkness.
‘You’ve been caught, Alice, it’s best to be truthful now,’ he said silkily. ‘What did the King say to you that day?’
‘Why are you asking me about the King now?’
‘Because you never answered my question.’
Don’t talk about the King... Don’t think about the darkness.What was she left with? Hugh and his voice which seemed closer.
‘There was never anything to answer.’
