A giggle rose to Anne’s lips, and Elian smiled. However, Anne had to ask Elôm’s forgiveness for hoping far worse things happened to the captain.
Despite the release of tension, the ride home passed in silence as each was absorbed in their own thoughts. It would be difficult for Anne to tell her father about Baron Grey’s condition. They had always been such good friends.
Outside, the carriage splashed into a large puddle and slowed before jolting to a halt. The driver’s voice urged the horses forward. The carriage lunged a couple of times but stuck in place. Following another splash, their driver appeared at the window, standing in almost knee-deep water.
“I’m sorry, my lady. I tried to keep her on the same path as before, but she sank deep this time. I don’t think I can get her out on my own.”
“How far are we from Marlton?”
“About a mile and a half, my lady. I can run and get help and horses for you.”
Anne bit back a sigh. In this mood, she would hate to wait in the carriage for him to return. Straightening her back, she made up her mind.
“Elanor, Elian—you can remain here if you’d like. I’m walking.” She would ruin her dress, but she didn’t particularly care for the color anyway, and she’d worn boots underneath for just this situation.
“I’m coming with you,” Elanor announced.
“Are you sure?”
Elanor’s dark eyes twinkled. “You think a little mud will bother me?”
It was more than a little, but that was what Anne loved about Elanor. She looked at Elian, who shook his head.
“You’re just like your mother,” he said.
Elanor laughed at him. “Sorry you didn’t get stuck looking after some prim princess who would never dream of setting foot in the dirt.”
He chuckled and rose to open the carriage door. Anne and Elanor shared a smile as he stepped out.
Turning back to them, he said, “At least I can carry you out of this puddle.”
Anne stepped to the door. The “puddle” was almost as wide as the pond near the house when it wasn’t flooded, and came close to overflowing Elian’s boots. She put her hand on his shoulder and prepared for him to lift her up, but a voice called out from other side of the road.
“What’s this? Stuck are we?”
Her head shot up, her eyes meeting Trask’s grin. He and a couple of his men, including Warin, sat on their horses at the edge of the water. She straightened as much as she could.
“Aren’t you astute?” She waited a moment, and then said, “There are two women in this carriage who could use a ride to safety, unless you’re going to make Elian tote us out himself.”
Trask nudged his horse forward, looking entirely too pleased by their predicament. Warin followed. When Trask reached the carriage, he offered Anne his arm, and Elian helped her onto the horse. She wrapped her arms around Trask’s waist. He directed his horse away from the carriage so Warin could reach Elanor and rode slowly so as not to splash her dress. She looked over his shoulder and could still see his grin.
“Don’t look so pleased with yourself.”
“Oh, come on,” he replied. “It’s not every day I get to rescue a certain damsel in distress.”
“That’s because this damsel is usually pretty good at taking care of herself.”
“Which is why I have to take advantage of every opportunity.”
Anne stifled a laugh.
At the side of the road, where the ground was more solid, Trask dismounted. He turned to lift Anne off his horse, his hands lingering around her waist for an extra moment until Warin and Elanor joined them.
She cast him a suspicious look. “It seems awfully coincidental for you to show up right when we needed help.”
“One of my men saw you leave Marlton, and I thought I’d try to catch you on the way back.”
“You have men watching my house, do you?”
“Not watching, exactly, but passing by every so often to make sure things are as they should be. And it’s a good thing too, or you would be very wet and muddy by now.”
Anne smirked at him.
“So what were you doing in Landale?”
“We visited your father. We received an invitation from him to a celebration dinner honoring Dagren.”
Trask’s forehead scrunched. “What?”
“It wasn’t his idea, obviously, but he couldn’t decline Goler’s ‘suggestion’.”
He crossed his arms. “Are you going?”
“We’ll have to.”
He looked up the road leading to Landale, his expression growing darker. “A celebration means dancing . . . and drinking. Goler is already too possessive of you. I don’t like it.”
“Well, I’m certainly open to suggestions. I can’t happen to be sick. Not even Goler would fall for that.”
Trask chewed his lip, clearly attempting to come up with something on the spot. Anne touched his arm.
“It’s probably best we just go to appease Dagren. It’s surely a test of our loyalty.”
Trask blew out a sigh and looked toward the carriage, where the men were about to push it out of the puddle. He moved to join them, but Anne held him back. There were plenty of men to do the job, and this was important.
“Your father misses you.”
His gaze dropped to her. “How is he?”
Anne winced. This would be even harder than telling her father. “Your absence and the pressure he’s under are taking their toll.” She hesitated but had to tell him the truth. “He doesn’t look well.”
Trask’s face grew serious. “I have to go see him.”
“You can’t. Goler and Dagren always have men watching. Dagren stopped the carriage right after we left the castle to ask why we visited.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That your father is alone and has no family to look in on him and make sure he’s doing well.”
Trask hung his head, and Anne touched his cheek. “That’s not a criticism against you. Your father understands why you can’t come, and he doesn’t want you to risk it. It’s too dangerous. To see you die now would kill him.”
“Still, somehow, I have to get in and see him.”
Though Anne’s heart stuttered in fear, she nodded. She would do anything to get to her own father in this situation, and Baron Grey needed to see his son.
“Just be careful,” she murmured.
“Of course I will.” He smiled and brushed a stray hair out of her face. “Did you tell him about us?”
“No, it didn’t seem right. Not without you. But if you see him, you should tell him.”
In another couple of minutes, the men had the carriage out of the puddle and waiting to move on. Elian lifted Elanor up and carried her over the worst of the mud to the carriage door. Following his example, Trask swept Anne up into his arms. She wrapped her own arms around his neck, relishing the moment, and smiled at him. The sparkle had returned to his eyes.
“You know,” he said, “it would’ve been amusing to come along and find you traipsing through the mud. You’re quite adorable when you’re that determined.”
“Oh, really? And what would you have done then? Thrown mud at me again?”
“Might’ve been tempting.” Trask glanced at the carriage and smirked devilishly. “Now that I have you, I could just carry you off into the forest.”
Anne shook her head, trying not to wish he would. “And if I scream?”
He lowered his voice. “It’s just me and my men around. We made sure.”
Anne let her head fall back with a laugh. “You’re dangerous, you know that?”
He just grinned and eyed her lips. She fought to give him a stern look, but it failed miserably.
“My carriage,” she reminded.
Trask screwed up his face. “You’re no fun.”
She laughed again, and he carried her to the carriage, setting her lightly on the step. She rested her hands on his shoulders as he looked up at her, his eyes more serious.
<
br /> “Thank you for visiting my father.”
“You’re welcome.”
He gave her a sweet smile, and she turned into the carriage. After taking her seat, she watched Trask return to his horse with his men until the carriage rolled away. Then she leaned back, a smile still on her lips and her heart lighter than when they’d left Landale.
“I can’t believe you won’t just marry him.”
Anne glanced at Elanor and shook her head. “Don’t start or you may just change my mind.”
Anne held up a stunning emerald gown and scrutinized it in the mirror. The green satin shimmered even on a gloomy day like this one. It would certainly look dazzling in candlelight.
Elanor stepped up behind her and looked over her shoulder. “That one really brings out your eyes.”
Anne scrunched up her face. “It’s one of my favorites, but I don’t want to stand out tonight. I’d wear a servant’s dress if I thought it would make me less appealing to Goler.” She shook her head. “I need something with an even higher neckline. The less I give him to stare at, the better.”
Her cheeks warmed, but it was more the burn of ire than embarrassment. She would have to be careful to hold her temper this evening.
Behind her, Elanor shuffled through the wardrobe. “What about this one?”
Anne turned as Elanor held up a gown of moss green silk, a little on the dull side, with a neckline that would reach her collarbone.
“I guess that will do.”
Not that it would deter Goler, but at least she wouldn’t feel too conscientious. She returned the emerald gown to the wardrobe. A pity. It had been so long since she’d worn it.
The murmur of voices downstairs captured their attention.
“Sounds like company.” Anne’s stomach pinched. Company never boded well lately.
She led the way out of her room. Halfway down the stairs, she recognized a very distinct male voice.
Elanor gasped lightly and rushed past her. “Uncle Charles!”
Just below them, the handsome Viscount Ilvaran looked up with a warm smile, his stubbled jaw and travel-wrinkled clothes doing nothing to detract from his dignified air.
“Elanor.” He caught her in a big hug. “It’s so good to see you.”
They parted with wide smiles.
At the bottom of the stairs, Anne joined her parents and Elian.
Charles’s deep eyes shifted to her and sparkled, crinkling at the corners. “Lady Anne, it is a pleasure to see you again as well.”
Anne smiled at him. She counted him not only a friend but also a powerful ally. After all, his plan had saved Jace from Rothas’s intentions to hang him. “And you, my lord.”
“What are you doing here?” Elanor asked.
Charles’s gaze returned to his niece. “It’s high time I came to visit you. I wanted to come sooner. I thought I would wait out the rain, but it doesn’t appear that it will dry up any time soon. So here I am.”
Elanor glanced around as if checking for others. “Mother couldn’t come?” Disappointment tinged her voice.
“If she had, your father would have too, and no doubt would have taken you back. He doesn’t even know I’m here.”
“Is he still angry I left?”
Charles shrugged. “More frustrated that you’re not there to marry off to one of the suitors he has lined up.”
Elanor’s face soured. It was the threat of suitors back home that had kept her here at Marlton for so long. Anne didn’t blame her in the least and was happy to offer sanctuary.
Now that they had greeted one another, Anne’s father offered to show Charles to a room. A short time later, once he’d had a chance to clean up, they all gathered around the table for lunch. Anne’s father offered a quick prayer and conversation resumed.
Anne set her attention on Charles across the table, temporarily ignoring her meal. “How long can you stay with us?”
“A few days. I don’t have anything pressing that demands my attention except to return before Rothas realizes I’m gone.”
“Are you sure Mother will be all right without you to check in on her?” Elanor asked in concern.
“Your grandmother will stop by,” Charles answered, a twinkle in his eyes. “And I’m confident that I left her in capable hands.”
Elanor frowned. “Whose?”
The twinkle grew to a smile. “James.”
Elanor’s eyes rounded, surely matching Anne’s own as they exchanged a glance. James was the very last person they would have trusted to take care of his mother. Elanor repeated his name incredulously.
Charles confirmed it. “Has your mother written to you about him?”
“Well, she did allude to some changes, but she was very vague about it.”
“She probably wanted to be cautious should her letters fall into the wrong hands—namely your father’s.”
“So what is going on?”
Anne listened closely as well. She only knew James as the shameless, womanizing scoundrel who had flirted with her incessantly and tried to attack Kyrin. She couldn’t imagine him any other way.
“You remember what he was like just before you left?” Charles asked.
Elanor nodded. “He was all sullen. He and Jace had it out the night Jace left. Jace never told me exactly what he said, but it did seem to bother James.”
“That was only the beginning. After you left, it got worse. He was angry and withdrawn, and wouldn’t speak to anyone. He wouldn’t even have anything to do with your father.”
Anne lifted her brows. Though she hadn’t spent more than a few days with Elanor’s family, James had appeared to be the mirror image of his father. It was hard to picture a falling out between them.
“He started drinking heavily,” Charles went on. “And I mean drowning himself in liquor. Your mother didn’t know what to do, and your father’s only solution to everything is control, but James wouldn’t have any of it. A few months ago, I rode out there to have a talk with him while your father was away. Perhaps it was not the most tactful approach, but I threw him out in the snow and kept him there until he would talk to me.”
Anne nearly laughed to think of calm, dignified Charles doing such a thing, but desperate times . . .
“Why was he so upset?” Elanor asked.
“A guilty conscience.”
Both Elanor and Anne looked at him in surprise. Did James even have a conscience? It certainly hadn’t been in use when Anne met him.
“It’s true. He felt guilty for the things he’s done and had almost done.” Charles’s attention shifted to Anne, proving that he knew what had happened with Kyrin. “Whatever Jace said to him must have stuck like a hot coal, burning until it completely consumed him.”
Elanor leaned forward eagerly. “So what happened?”
“We talked for a good long time, and I visited regularly. He still drank for a while, but gradually, things have changed. Now I can say with comfortable certainty that he has placed his faith in Elôm.”
Elanor gasped, about ready to jump out of her seat. Even Anne experienced a thrill at the news. James was a perfect example of how anyone could change. It pricked her own conscience that she’d never had even the slightest hope that such a transformation could take place in Goler’s life.
“Truly?” A smile beamed on Elanor’s face.
“Yes. He’s left his old ways behind him and is very attentive to your mother now.” Charles chuckled. “I don’t think your father knows what to make of it.”
Elanor laughed lightly. “Just wait until Jace hears about this.”
“How is Jace?” Charles asked, his eyes conveying his eagerness for news about his nephew.
Elanor immediately launched into telling him all about camp, with Anne supplying extra details along the way. Charles listened with great interest. After all, he and Rachel received very little information in Elanor’s letters for the same reason her mother didn’t write about James.
When an eventual lull came in the conversation
some time later, Charles turned to Anne’s father. “I haven’t fully thanked you yet for your hospitality on such short notice. I hope I have not arrived at an inopportune time.”
“Not at all,” Anne’s father replied. “We do have a celebration dinner to attend this evening. Elanor was invited, but I don’t see any reason she can’t remain here to keep you company. I’m sure she’d find that preferable.”
“Oh? What sort of celebration dinner is it?”
“The kind where your attendance proves whether or not you’re loyal to the emperor’s cause.”
Charles nodded slowly. “And I imagine, with Landale being the center of the Resistance, that everyone is seen as suspect.”
“Yes, especially with this new captain, Dagren. The dinner is to welcome him, or so they say.”
Before they could go on, Anne slid back her chair. “Speaking of the dinner, I had best get ready. It won’t be long before we have to leave.”
She excused herself, as did her mother. She hated to leave the table, but she needed a bit of time to prepare for her evening with Goler. The mere thought of him turned her stomach.
In her room, her maid Sara helped her change into the mossy green gown and fixed her hair in a pretty but understated style. On any other occasion, she may have done something more elaborate but not tonight.
When she finished, she dismissed Sara and sat in front of the mirror to contemplate what necklace and earrings to wear. In her head, however, she spoke to Elôm, praying for strength and wisdom.
A short time later, she left her room again and returned downstairs. When she reached the living room, she found her parents dressed for the evening, but they weren’t the only ones. Elanor wore the deep blue gown she’d picked out earlier, and Charles had changed into more formal attire as well.
“What’s this?” Anne asked.
Charles stepped forward. “Elanor and Elian told me about this Captain Goler. I thought, perhaps, you might like an escort for the evening.”
Anne smiled widely. How could she not? Suddenly the evening didn’t seem nearly so dreadful.
“I would be beyond delighted.” She joined the group. “And were Trask here, he would offer his greatest thanks.”
Charles grinned. “Ah, so he’s the lucky man.”
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