by Rinelle Grey
His touch sent shivers up her spine, and she quickly withdrew her hand, nodded, and stepped back. She watched for a few moments as he wheeled the wheelbarrow over to the muck heap. His clothes were now considerably dirty and wrinkled, yet he looked even more appealing than he had earlier. To distract herself from that thought, she turned away to fork fresh hay for the horses.
He returned just as she was finishing. He’d even rinsed the wheelbarrow clean with a bucket of water from the well. When his eyes met hers, he said, “I’m a quick learner.”
“Apparently,” she agreed, disconcerted that his stare produced almost the same reaction as his hands did. “Now you just have to hope there is enough hot water left for you to have a bath.”
“Do I smell that bad?” he asked.
She stared at him for a moment, afraid she’d insulted him. But the twinkle in his eye said otherwise, and she burst out laughing. Was there no end to the surprises this man produced? He joined in, and as they walked back to the inn together, he asked, “What time do you get off?”
She’d known this was coming, but somehow, she was still surprised. Perhaps because she almost felt he was a friend.
And as a friend, she couldn’t leave him thinking anything could ever come of this. She took a deep breath. “Look, I appreciate your interest, really, I do, but I’m not looking to get involved with anyone.”
If she hadn’t felt so bad or wanted to deny the attraction she felt to him, she might have laughed at how surprised he looked. He’d stammered like a boy last night, but this morning, he’d been all too obviously the man. Right up until now.
“I’m sorry if I came on a bit strong, Brianna,” he recovered. “I wasn’t expecting anything, just wanting to talk. No strings attached, I promise.”
The offer was so tempting. Was he serious, or was this was an attempt to lull her concerns?
He looked down at her with an earnest expression that both completely disconcerted her and made her want to agree. The loneliness she’d felt since arriving in Bymere had surprised her. While Syrid and his wife had been very kind to her, she missed having someone to talk to more than anything. She’d always had Mianna to talk to, even after Kylis had died, she hadn’t been alone. Not like this.
Just because Mianna had wanted to marry someone else, didn’t mean she had to be completely alone the rest of her life. He’d said he just wanted to be friends, and if he deviated from that, she could remind him. Couldn’t she?
“All right.” She smiled before she changed her mind. “I have a couple of hours off for lunch.”
He smiled back at her, the look warming her belly. “Lunch it is.”
They walked into the kitchen and Brianna checked the cauldron. “Looks like just enough water for your bath,” she told him. Then, she immediately blocked out the image of him having a bath. “W-would you like me to bring it up for you?”
“No, you have it. I think I might go down to the harbour for a swim.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Do what?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t play coy with me. You don’t have to leave the bath water for me. I’m perfectly capable of getting more water.”
He smiled and gave a small bow. It would have looked strange from anyone else, but he somehow made it look natural. “It is very kind of you to ascribe me such noble motivation, but in all truth, I prefer the harbour. Swimming is far more invigorating than a tepid bath.”
Brianna was at a loss for words. Would she ever be able to predict this man’s actions?
He laughed softly. “I shall meet you near the stables then?”
She found her voice. “Near the stables,” she agreed. “At eleven?”
He nodded. “Eleven it is.”
And as Syrid’s wife, Elsian, came into the room, he nodded to her and left.
The woman glanced from Lyall’s dirty clothes to Brianna’s and then gave her a searching look. Brianna turned away quickly to dip a bucket of water from the cauldron. She had nothing to be embarrassed about. But she found herself blushing anyway.
*****
Come eleven o’clock, she was almost regretting her hasty decision to meet with Lyall, and not just because the way he made her feel, almost making her forget her decision to not get involved with anyone.
She’d gone through her entire wardrobe, which hadn’t taken long considering she had only brought two outfits with her, and nothing came even close to matching his neat attire. She’d chosen the cleaner of the two, but the skirt and blouse was serviceable, rather than attractive, and did nothing to inspire her confidence. She thought longingly of the wardrobe of dresses she had left behind.
And when Lyall walked across the stable yard, dressed immaculately in trousers and a clean, starched shirt, she felt even worse. Glancing up, she saw Elsian peeping through the kitchen window at them. What was she doing? She was uncomfortably aware that while Lyall had said he just wanted to be friends, it certainly didn’t look that way to anyone else.
“Hi, Brianna,” he said as he came up to her.
“Hi,” she answered, trying to sound cheerful.
He wasn’t fooled. “Are you all right?”
She couldn’t even begin to explain. And she didn’t want the attempt to mar their excursion. She was itching to get out of the inn for at least a few hours. “Sure. Let’s go.” At least once they were out of the inn yards she was unlikely to be seen by anyone she knew.
“Where are we going?” Up until that point, she’d been too busy worrying about what to wear, and how their meeting would be perceived. It hadn’t even occurred to her to wonder what he had in mind.
“You’ll see,” he said mysteriously.
His words just served to make her more curious, but the light dancing in his eyes said he was waiting for her to ask more, so Brianna muffled a sigh, causing him to laugh.
They walked down the cobblestone street, close, but not quite touching. The sea wind lifted her hair that had felt like it had been stuck to her neck the whole time she’d been in the inn. Brianna looked around the city, taking a moment to really see the stone buildings and the people hurrying along. It was all so different from Eryvale. After all her desire to get here, she’d seen very little of the city. Somehow, it had seemed depressing to do it without Kylis or Mianna.
Was it disloyal to do it with this pleasant stranger instead?
“Here we are.”
Brianna glanced up at Lyall as he spoke the words, and one look into his face dispelled any doubts. But it was his look of expectation that made her turn away to see where they were.
The small shop in front of her was squeezed between two taller buildings, it’s windows dirty and hazy. She could just make out something piled behind them. A wooden sign, hanging from two chains, displayed a stack of books. Her eyes widened. Was this...
Lyall smiled and pushed open the door. A bell tinkled somewhere within, and he guided Brianna inside.
Once her eyes became accustomed to the dim light after the bright sunshine outside, she gasped. Shelves lined every wall, from floor to ceiling, and every spare inch of every shelf was covered in books. They were jammed into the shelves every which way, leaving no gaps at all. They were even stacked up, covering the windows. Brianna had never seen this many books before in her life.
She glanced over at Lyall who was watching her with a smile on his face.
“What is this place?” she asked.
“A bookstore.”
The idea was incomprehensible. “You mean all these books are for sale?” she asked in disbelief.
She’d owned two books in her life. A book of stories, with real colour ink illustrations, and a book depicting the different plants and animals that grew in the area. In a town where most homes had no books, she had thought herself lucky.
This display left her wordless.
A small bent man shuffled in from a room at the back of the store. He pushed his glasses further up on his nose and stared at both of them.
“Hello, Petar,” Lyall said.
“Lyall.” The man beamed. “It’s been a long time, friend.”
“It certainly has.” Lyall reached forward to shake the man’s hand.
“I have put aside a few books that I thought you might be interested in,” the man offered.
“Not today,” Lyall answered, just a little too quickly. “Today, I was wondering if I could borrow your balcony?”
“My balcony?” the man asked in surprise. He shoved his glasses up on his nose again, then stared at Brianna. His expression cleared. “Oh, my balcony. Of course.”
He led them through another room, full of even more books and up narrow, twisting stairs. Obviously he lived up here, for some vestiges of comfort could be seen in an old armchair and a small table, but the furnishings seemed to fade into the background of books.
Lyall walked across the room to a pair of narrow doors and ushered Brianna through. The small balcony was only just wide enough for the tiny table and two chairs—but the view was amazing. Through a small gap between two buildings, Brianna could see all the way to the harbour and the open water of the ocean.
Barely able to pull her eyes away from the sight, Brianna sat in the seat Lyall pulled out for her. As he sat down next to her, she met his eyes, and he smiled.
“Better than sitting in the inn for the next few hours?” Lyall asked.
“Much better,” Brianna agreed. “So how did you discover this place?”
Lyall shrugged. “I’ve done a bit of exploring around the place. Some stores are worth coming back to.”
“So I gather,” Brianna said. “What sort of books does he have for you?”
“Oh, I’m interested in all kinds of old books, history, geography, that sort of thing,” Lyall replied. “Petar keeps a few of the rarer books aside for me.”
“Rare books?” Brianna laughed. “Up until today, I thought all books were rare!”
Lyall smiled. “Not all, although I guess most are. To see a collection like Petar’s is unusual.”
“It certainly is. I thought I was lucky having two books growing up, and I shared those with my sister.”
She hadn’t meant to mention Mianna, but it was done now. And the mere thought of her was enough to bring up a torrent of loneliness. She turned away, not wanting Lyall to see the tears that sprang to her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” he asked her softly.
“Nothing,” she insisted, rubbing a hand across her eyes. “I’m fine.”
“I’m guessing you’re a long way from home?”
His gentle tone just made the ache worse. “Just a little,” she managed to get out. Then to her embarrassment, she burst into tears.
She turned away, not wanting to embarrass him, but he just reached out and squeezed her hand across the table, offering his silent company as she struggled to get her sobs under control. Then, as her tears lessened, he offered her a clean and neatly folded handkerchief.
She wiped her eyes and managed a rueful smile. “Sorry about that. I guess I hadn’t realised how much I missed them… uh, home.”
If Lyall noticed her change of words, he didn’t say anything. “The first time away from home is always the hardest. I found it a little difficult myself, all alone in the big city for the first time. Where are you from?”
The question was casual enough, but Brianna hesitated over answering it. Her whole village thought she was dead, someone walking into town and mentioning seeing her could cause quite a furore.
“So far away it doesn’t matter,” she said evasively.
Lyall nodded. “How long have you been here in the city?”
Brianna shrugged. “A couple of months now.”
“Have you had much of a chance to see the sights?”
“Not really,” she admitted. “I spent my childhood dreaming of coming here and seeing everything, but somehow, now that I’m here, I can’t work up the enthusiasm.”
As though reading her mind, he said, “It can be a bit daunting, to be all alone in such a large city. Especially when it’s your first time away from your family as well.”
Brianna nodded, relieved not to have to explain. “I had thought to see the sights, well, with someone. And now I can’t.” She had no idea why she had offered that piece of information. She hadn’t intended to talk about Kylis, but somehow, it just came out.
“A husband perhaps?” Lyall asked, openly curious.
“I had hoped so,” Brianna said softly. “Unfortunately he did not live to see our wedding day.”
“I’m sorry,” Lyall said gravely.
“It was a while ago.” Brianna attempted to lighten the mood.
“Time can dull the pain, but it will never remove it,” Lyall said softly.
“No, nothing can remove it,” Brianna agreed.
Both were silent for a while, then Brianna gave herself a shake. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to talk about that.” She looked up at him, and his expression was so understanding that she felt she couldn’t help explaining further. “I’ve just felt so lonely since I arrived here. At home, I knew everybody. Here, I know no-one. And I’m not really sure how to get to know them. It’s all so different and strange.” She felt tears prick at the back of her eyelids again and blinked furiously.
Lyall reached out across the table, his hand closing over hers. “Well, now you know me.”
His words warmed her far more than the comfort should have. “You are right. I do know you. But I get the feeling you’re not from around here either, are you?”
“No,” Lyall admitted. “I’m just visiting. But I’ll be here for a few weeks, and I’d love to keep you company for that time at least?” His words ended on a questioning note, as if asking her permission.
Brianna hesitated. She’d made it clear, she thought, that she was not interested in that kind of friendship. But she didn’t want him to mistake her desire for company for something more. Especially not given how she felt in his presence.
“As friends,” Lyall added as though realising her concerns.
She hesitated only a few moments more, but the desire for company overrode her concerns. It had nothing to do with wanting more of the strange thrills she felt whenever he touched her. Nothing at all.
“All right,” she agreed. “I’d like that.”
5
Touché
They met for lunch every day for the next week. Lyall knew he should be home by now. His father would be wondering what was keeping him, and his mother would be quietly worried.
But he couldn’t make himself leave Brianna. The more he talked to her, the more certain he was that she had no idea of her magical power. He didn’t see any hint of her using it, or detect any sniff of magical power besides his own ever being used in the inn.
He told himself that he had to stay that long, to be sure before he reported to his father. For he knew he would have to report this.
That was what he told himself. But it was more than that. She fascinated him in a way no other woman he had ever met had. She was young and fresh, and old and wise, all rolled into the one bundle.
But finally, he could delay no longer. His boat was ready and waiting at the harbour, and he dreaded having to tell Brianna he was leaving.
He arranged with Syrid for Brianna to have the whole afternoon off. He even sweet talked Elsian into packing a picnic lunch for him. The older couple shook their heads, but participated in his surprise in good humour.
While he waited for Brianna to finish her morning shift though, Syrid pulled him aside. “What are you up to Lyall? She’s just a young country girl, not used to the way things work here in the city. I hope you don’t have any dishonourable intentions towards her.”
Lyall sighed. “I have no idea what my intentions are. Only that I want to see her.”
“You planning on sticking around then?” Syrid asked.
“I leave on the morning tide,” Lyall admitted.
Syrid frowned. “Why do this to her then?
”
“I’m going to tell her today that I have to go. She knows I wasn’t staying forever.” Lyall tried to excuse himself, but it sounded lame, even to his own ears.
“It’s still going to hurt, Lyall,” Syrid said gently.
“I know.” It hurt already.
“Are you planning on coming back?”
“I don’t know.”
Syrid shook his head again, but said nothing more. Elsian handed him the packed picnic basket without a word.
Their lack of confidence wasn’t helping Lyall any. He wanted to be able to say he would be back, but the truth was, it wasn’t up to him. He would do his best to convince his father that he had to come back for her, hopefully that he had to bring her to the Isla de Magi with him, but ultimately, the decision rested with his father, not him.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t tossed up the idea of staying here and not going back. He’d told himself that it was a stupid idea, that his father would find him in no time, and his mother would be worried sick. And all because of a girl who had insisted she wasn’t interested in a relationship.
But the idea persisted, even now.
He thanked Syrid and Elsian and went outside. He leaned against a post, waiting for Brianna in their usual spot near the stables. For a moment, anxiety gripped when he realised she was running late, but just as he was wondering if Syrid and Elsian had decided to have a ‘chat’ with her too, she walked out of the inn.
He couldn’t help but smile when he saw her and was even happier to receive an involuntary smile back. He picked up the picnic basket and walked towards her, taking her hand, soaking in the tingles that surged through him at the touch. She glanced up at him in surprise. Usually he kept his distance, respectful of her wishes, but not today. He was taking a risk, but he couldn’t help it.
She blushed, but smiled, and most importantly, didn’t pull her hand out of his.
“Where are we going today?” she asked with unbridled enthusiasm.
“You’ll see,” Lyall said mysteriously.
Brianna laughed, but didn’t ask again. She seemed to enjoy the surprises he’d been planning for her each day. Hopefully, today would be the best of them all.
