“I can show you the rooms,” he said, and Nora grinned.
“Yes, please,” she said.
“Aren't we not supposed to speak to servants?” Loyalty leaned in to ask Nathan. “As nobles? I'm confused. I think the rule is dumb, but I thought that was the rule.”
“It is the rule,” Nathan replied as they walked. “I have no idea what she is suddenly doing.”
“Maybe rules are different out in the country,” Loyalty asked, and Nathan shook his head.
“Rules are never that different.”
“Well,” Loyalty decided. “Maybe, if I ever become queen, I will make them different.”
He actually tripped over his own feet hearing that, for several reasons. The first was that such a ruling would be impossible. However, the second, and most important thing, was that she was thinking like that. He had never heard her speak of the possibility of being queen, not in such a manner as this. It was as if she was finally starting to realize that she would have the power to change more than just her friends’ lives.
“Sorry,” Nathan said when everyone turned around to stare at him. “Clumsy.”
“The greatest mind in Britain, folks,” Ricardo said with a grin as they walked.
Mr. Crins showed them the grandest guest rooms in the whole house, all in one block of the hall.
“My lord thought it would be best if you were all together,” Mr. Crins said. “He thought you would feel more comfortable. You are King's Guards, after all.”
“We appreciate it,” Alexander said. “But we need one more room.”
Mr. Crins looked confused. “Oh, I thought that you were married...”
“They are married,” Nora put in, saving them from an awkward conversation. “And so they will be fine sharing a room. Alexander has miscounted.”
Alexander gave her such a deathly look that Loyalty thought Nora might fall over. However, she held her gaze until Crins backed away, clearly sensing that there was something bigger than him happening.
Once alone in the hallway, Alexander snapped at Nora.
“You will not correct me like that,” he said, grabbing her arm. “When I speak, you are to listen, until you are married. And then it's your husband's job to deal with your mouth.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Ricardo put in, trying to diffuse the situation. “We've all had a long journey. Let's just relax for a bit before dinner, shall we?”
However, Alexander had had enough. He spun on his heel, slamming into the room where he and Mary were assigned.
Loyalty sighed, looking to Nathan. “Please, can that never be us?” she asked softly. Nathan said nothing to that effect, wandering if they would ever be married.
In a way, there was every kind of love at every stage represented in that hallway. Nevertheless, despite the fact that they were all blessed, romantically and platonically, it seemed that no one could manage to get along.
“I think Ricardo has a great plan,” Jerrico put in, also not liking the tension. “Our bags should already be brought to our rooms, so let's unpack, perhaps have a nap, and reconvene in the dining room.” He looked to the two forbidden couples, technically the most senior of the guards now that Alexander was not standing there. “I'm not going to say anything,” he said, which was permission for them to disperse, leaving only he and Mary in the hall. Jerrico let out a breath, trying to smile at her.
“What a day,” he said. Mary sighed, brushing a piece of hair from her face.
“I do appreciate your smile,” she said, after a moment. “It seems to be the piece that keeps everyone from killing each other.”
“I try,” Jerrico said. “The way I look at it, I just have to wait it out. My princess will be on the throne one day, and until then, these are just obstacles we can all overcome.”
“You have such faith in that,” Mary said softly. “That Loyalty will be queen.”
“To be honest,” Jerrico said. “I'm just enjoying the fact that we are all having this adventure together. Who knows what the future will bring, really? But for now, I’m with my best friends in a beautiful country house, and I can stop them from killing each other by cracking a joke. In addition, I'm on half duty, which means I can read a lot of books. And have you seen the library we passed?”
Mary laughed, shaking her head. “Well, thank you,” she said, heading into the room that Alexander had just slammed into. “Let's hope that you're around when things on the throne get tense. Both girls could use a friend like you.”
“Of course,” Jerrico replied. He waited until he was alone in the hallway before he leaned his head against the wall, closing his eyes. His hands were shaking from a sudden pain in his stomach and he shoved them into his pockets, trying not to cry out.
It was starting again, no doubt aggravated by the journey.
He knew he needed to fight this, because Mary was right. He did seem to be the glue that everyone leaned on. However, he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it up, not at this pace.
The pain eventually subsided and Jerrico was able to walk into his room. The bed was soft and yielding and it wasn't long before he fell into a deep sleep. Sleep always seemed to fix things, especially when it came to pain like this. He just prayed that he would awake refreshed, ready to solve the world's problems once again.
Because the alternative was much grimmer than any of them had in mind.
5
CHAPTER FIVE
Nora found herself awake early the next morning; earlier than she was normally awake. She knew that no one else would be awake after a night like last night. Everyone's head had hit the pillow later than they’d attended. Ricardo had only talked to her for a few moments before his eyes started to slide closed. The fact that she was awake was slightly annoying to her, but she decided to make the best of it.
She dressed by herself, not wanting to wake Mary, especially if she and Alexander were asleep together. It wasn't difficult to dress alone; she had done it enough on the road. Her stomach was growling, and for the first time in a long time, she felt safe. She was used to looking over her shoulder all the time, jumping at every noise. But this far out in the country; far away from everyone, she felt like she could wander the halls without anyone so much as noticing her.
She could have rung the servants for breakfast, but she wasn't sure that anyone would even be awake. Therefore, fully dressed, she crept out of her room. She knew she was breaking all the rules by not waking the guards, but she just wanted to see what being alone felt like. It had been a long while since she felt so peaceful.
As she predicted, the hallway was empty. At least, it was almost empty. There was only one lone dark figure lurking in the shadows. Nora jumped before she realized that it was Mr. Crins. She seemed as startled by his presence as he was by hers.
“Milady,” he said. “I didn't realize that anyone was even awake.”
“Neither did I,” she replied. “I couldn't sleep.”
“Can I get you something, milady? Breakfast?”
“No, it's alright,” she replied, realizing she wasn't ready for a heavy country breakfast. She knew that the proper thing to do was to go back to her room, and she’d decided in the four seconds in the hallway that alone was not her preferred state. She preferred to have people around, even if it was a servant. Besides, she had thought about Mr. Crins after she went to bed last night. To find another person who was affected by fire was rare, because fires killed and left few survivors. It was clear that he felt a connection to her as well, watching as she decided what she wanted to do. “How long have you served here?”
“Four years,” he replied. “I started as a junior footman. Before that, I was in France, as I told you.”
“Do you like it here?”
“I...” He opened his mouth, and then seemed to change his mind.
“What?” Nora caught it right away.
“Of course I do,” he replied, but she cocked her head.
“I'm smarter than that. You don't like it.”
He looked around frantically. “My lady, these are my employers...”
“Alright,” she tried to go another route. “If you could serve anywhere in the world, where would it be?”
“France,” he answered, and she smiled. “The culture, the people, seemed to suit me better. I miss it there.”
“I live in Calais,” Nora said. “As I'm sure you can tell by my accent.”
“Yes, I ...” His eyes met hers. “I heard of your estate's fire, my lady, in the papers. I didn't know anything about you, of course...but I hoped that everyone was well.”
“We weren't,” Nora had never spoken so freely about the fire before, but finding a kindred spirit made her soul awaken. “But here I am.”
“And here I am,” he said.
Just then, the door opened, and Nora saw Ricardo’s sleep-tousled head pop out. He glanced between the two of them, and raised an eyebrow at Nora. “Alright?”
“I'm alright,” she assured him. “You're awake?”
“And starving,” he said, and Nikolas, as he’d said Mr. Crins was too formal, took the hint to ring for breakfast. Nora didn't see him, except in flashes, for the next two days, but she didn't forget him.
It wasn't a romantic interest, not at all. However, it was like she had found a match for her soul, someone who understood the fear that she harbored. She knew that her fear of everything about fire wasn't logical, but fear wasn't logical and fear didn't respond to reason.
The longer they stayed, the more Nora found herself exchanging words with Nikolas Crins. She had never imagined herself making friends with servant, not because she was against it, but simply because she thought that she had nothing in common with them. She had been born noble; and even the time on the road was spent as a royal. Nevertheless, talking to Nikolas over the next few days, she was starting to see a whole other side of life. There was a side of life where people walked in their own gardens without looking over their shoulders, or without constantly discussing their wealth with the next suitor. What she liked best though, out in the country, was that no one stared at her scars. It was as if here in the middle of nowhere England they saw people for who they truly were and not what they pretended to be. It reminded her a little of Calais, before everything had fallen apart.
The country life was good for everyone. With air in their lungs and a leisurely schedule, color returned to pale cheeks, and added a bit of weight to everyone's figures. Waiting for the letter from George was not easy, but it was smoother in the countryside.
“I feel like we could stay in this limbo forever,” Loyalty said to Nora as they sat on a picnic blanket with Mary. “Couldn't you?”
“You wouldn't get bored?” Mary asked Loyalty, who smiled.
“I don't think so, but I wasn't born into this life.”
“Even if you were born in to it,” Mary replied. “It can become boring.”
Nora glanced at her guardian through her hair. “I could never do what you did,” she said softly.
Loyalty fell silent, watching. She knew that the two of them had a gap in their relationship, but it seemed to be repaired. However, it was hard for Nora to hide her pain at Mary leaving her in her crucial moments. “I couldn't do it.”
Mary reached up to Nora's hair, stroking her head gently. “My love, when you have to, you will do what you need to. I raised you to be strong and independent, and you make the choices that you must for your own good.”
Nora watched Mary. “About anything?”
“About everything,” Mary gave her a small smile. “When it comes down to it, I know you will make your own choices.”
The two women exchanged a long look, and Loyalty felt a pang in her chest for her own mother, who she missed deeply.
All of a sudden, an odd noise interrupted their thoughts. Their heads whipped toward the boys, just in time to see Jerrico collapse.
“Jerrico!” Loyalty flew up so fast that she almost tripped over her skirt.
Nathan was used to Jerrico's collapses, and while the sudden jerking movement didn't scare him, it did startle him. They had been throwing a ball and forth and there had been nothing but laughter and smiles up until a few moments ago. Now, Jerrico's limp body fell into Nathan's arms. He was jerking and convulsing, and the other two dropped their games, rushing forward.
“I've got him, I've got him,” Nathan said as they dropped to the ground. They fell hard, but Nathan didn't wince as he wrapped his arms around Jerrico, letting the seizure play out. “It's alright, it's alright.”
“He was doing so much better,” Loyalty said in alarm as she tried to grab his hand. “I don't understand.”
“No he wasn't,” Nathan said, and Ricardo met his eyes.
“I didn't think so,” he said. He was close to Jerrico, the two of them often sharing many jokes. “He hadn't seemed well since we started working on this case.”
“No,” Loyalty said, looking between the two of them. “No, Jerrico's my best friend. I know he was doing better.”
“He, ugh,” Nathan winced when Jerrico almost punched him in the face by accident. He had seen the seizures often enough to know that he just had to make sure that he didn't hurt himself and wait them out. “Without a doubt, he took this assignment because he wanted the best for you, Loyalty. And this was what it meant.”
“Oh God,” Loyalty put her hand to her face.
Behind him, Mary joined Alexander, watching, but not interfering. “You knew about this?” she asked, and Alexander nodded.
“Yes. We all did. Jerrico has been trying to hide it for a long time, but he has been ill fit to serve for many years. But...he's a good man, and so we protect him.”
Mary's only concern, though, as it had been for many years, was Nora. “Then he's not fit to protect Nora.”
“Oh, Mary,” Alexander turned to her. “A King's Guard will protect any noble until death. It's so bred into us; we will protect them above ourselves at all times.”
“Is that so?” Mary watched Ricardo, who had one hand on Nora and the other hand on Jerrico. “Is that so?”
Jerrico eventually fell silent and Loyalty breathed of sigh of relief. “It's alright, Jerrico. It's alright.”
It seemed like the whole situation would just be a blip in their day. Then, Jerrico's head went off to the side and his eyes fell open.
Nathan went from saying something to suddenly looking down. Suddenly, the calm tone had vanished. “Oh no, no, no, Jerrico,” he said.
Alexander stopped talking to Mary, rushing forward as Ricardo stepped back. As terrible as it was, there had been assassination plots that worked off the assumption that poisoning one member of the group would take the attention off the valuable members.
“Girls, come here,” Ricardo held his arms out, and pulled the two of them back. Nathan slid out from under Jerrico, laying him flat. He wasn't breathing.
“Jerrico!” Loyalty screamed, as Alexander checked his breath, and then began to press on his chest. “Jerrico, Jerrico!”
“You need to let him focus,” Ricardo said softly to Loyalty. “I know it's seems scary, but we have dealt with this in the field. We know what we're doing.”
“Has he done this before?” Alexander asked Nathan, who nodded.
“Yes, the day the old king died, I thought I had lost him.”
“What?” Loyalty had no idea it had been that bad.
“Nora,” Ricardo didn't like the empty field that they were standing in, easy targets. “Nora, we need to go inside. Loyalty, Mary.”
“I want...”
“We have to let him focus,” Ricardo said. Mary didn't protest at all, but she was impressed by how quickly Ricardo reacted to the situation. Even in the middle of the chaos, his first concern was protecting Nora. Outside of Alexander and herself, no one had ever done that for her. If anything, most people had worked against her.
“I got it,” Alexander suddenly sat back, and Loyalty felt like she was going to faint. “He's breathing.”
“Je
rrico,” Loyalty reached for him, but Ricardo pulled her back.
“Let's go inside. They can bring him in. Come on, come on.”
Mary may have been noble, but she wasn't under the same protection that Nora and Loyalty were under. She drifted closer to Alexander, who was helping Nathan lift up Jerrico. “Alexander,” she said, under the guise of helping to steady the still limp guard. “Alexander, will he die?”
Alexander let out a long sigh, and glanced at his wife. He didn't want to say it loudly, but he knew the truth. “Probably,” he said softly. “Within the week.”
6
CHAPTER SIX
Their country paradise had turned into a nightmare within a few moments. One moment, they were having a lovely picnic and the next, there was a bevy of doctors being called from the town hospital, opinions flying, and eyes closed in hope and prayer. It was easy when the sun was still up; there was still hope. However, as the sun began to set, Loyalty shivered, feeling like the protection of the day was gone.
Their little group was sitting around Jerrico's bed, taking turns with his care and with their prayers. They took dinner in their room, and uncharacteristically, it was Nora who offered to help Nikolas with the dishes when he came in to clean.
“You don't have to do that, my lady,” he said, but she was too eager to be out of the dreary room.
“Of course I do,” she said. “We've come here as guests and now we are running all of you off your feet.”
“It's what we're supposed to do,” he said as they ducked into the hallway. “Are you close? To him?”
“Loyalty is closer,” Nora said. “But we've all become friends.”
“I'm sorry,” Nikolas said. “This is probably not the way you planned your country rest.”
“I just,” Nora sighed, leaning her head against the wall. “We planned none of this. None of us did.”
Revealing A Marchioness's Heart (The Chronicles of Loyalty) Page 23
