Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

My heart gave a leap as I recalled our earlier conversation about being haunted. This face, however, wasn’t the cherubic visage of a child but that of a middle-aged man. His thick, wavy hair was combed back from his becoming face, but the cruel expression marred his good looks. The man’s dark eyes were zeroed in on Will and I didn’t like the look in them at all.

I also didn’t want to ruin the joyous mood so I stood and skirted the folk admiring my husband so I could get to the door. My roundabout way meant I was a little slow in reaching the entrance and by the time I passed the window, the man had vanished. I slipped outside into what was now a foggy night. The misty shapes of carriages were parked nearby and the drivers and stablehands made merry in the livery.

I wrapped my coat closer to myself as the damp air sank into my bones. My feet sank a little in the damp earth and the scent of manure and chimney smoke permeated the air. I strolled out to the edge of the road and looked up and down the street. Nothing stirred. It seemed nearly all the town’s occupants were inside the pub.

“What are you doing out here?”

My heart leaped against my rib cage and I spun around. Old Mr. Ealdor stood a few feet behind me. His face was illuminated by the soft orange light of a lit pipe and his eyes studied me with a fixed although almost indifferent gaze.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and managed a shaky smile. “I-I’m sorry. I just needed some fresh air.”

He scoffed. “Seems to me you were in a hurry to get out here. Something the matter?”

I clasped my hands behind my back and smiled. “It’s nothing, really. I just thought I saw someone out here who wanted inside, that’s all. I guess I was wrong.”

Ealdor removed the pipe from his mouth and a stream of smoke puffed from his barely parted lips. I squirmed beneath his intense gaze. “Yer a bad liar, Lady Thorn. Ya might want to remember that when yer speaking with His Lordship’s people. We don’t like liars.”

My shoulders slumped and I dropped my gaze to the ground. “I’m. . .I’m sorry. I saw someone looking in through the window and, well, he didn’t look happy. I came out here to find out why but he doesn’t seem to be here.”

Ealdor squinted at me. “Ya saw a fella? What’d he look like?”

I shrugged. “Middle-aged with dark fluffy hair. And he was kind of good-looking if he would’ve been smiling.”

“But he wasn’t smiling at the window, eh?” Ealdor mused.

I shook my head. “No. He looked angry. I thought maybe it was someone who needed Will’s help.”

Ealdor lifted his beaked nose and scoffed. “Not that fella. He’s been a nuisance ever since he came into town a few weeks back.”

My eyes lit up as I understood his meaning. “So the person I saw was Donald Wrecan?”

My companion nodded. “Aye, and I’m not surprised you know his name without knowing his face. He wouldn’t show it in a group like this, not with the lord about.” The man took a heavy puff on his pipe and blew out a wisp of smoke. “The man’s got something against the lord but he doesn’t have the guts to get it out in his face.”

“So you don’t know why he hates Will this much?” I asked him.

Ealdor shook his head. “No, but he’s got coin in his pocket to spend freely. He’s come around to the pub regularly to treat anyone willing to listen to his schemes.” The old-timer scoffed. “Far too many were eager to listen to his sweet viper’s tongue as ya saw for yerself inside.” The man paused and a deep, rumbling chuckle came from him. “I bet that silver-tongued sneak didn’t expect Lord Thorn to walk into the middle of that nest he made and win over them folks, but that just shows how little he knows about the lord. Someone his age doesn’t live that long making enemies of all the people under him.”

“So you’re not an enemy?” I wondered as relief filled me and I dared do a little teasing.

Ealdor lifted his nose high in the air. “I demand respect from someone who looks as young as him but I wouldn’t lift a finger to do him harm.” He leaned toward me with the glow of the pipe accenting the many wrinkles on his face. “And you, Lady Thorn, you should mind yourself.”

I blushed. “I’m sorry. I. . .I just didn’t want to trouble you with what I saw out the window-”

He shook his head. “Not that! You wandering off when ya don’t know the place! I dare say you haven’t been here a handful of times and here you are gallivanting about like you know the place. Learn from yer dragon husband before you go looking for trouble. More so for the fog that’s drifted in. You’d get lost real quick if it was the thick stuff and a horse and carriage would roll up without seeing you, and then where would Lord Thorn be?”

I smiled and bowed my head to him. “Thank you for the very good advice. I’ll remember it.”

He waved away my thanks with a hand. “Posh. Isn’t nothing more than common sense.”

Speaking of the fog, a figure stepped out of the mist and up to my side. My heart had another small attack before I realized it was Raines. The servant studied the old man with a soft smile but Raines’ posture was slightly tense. “Is this gentleman bothering you, Lady Thorn?”

I shook my head. “No, he was just wondering what I was doing out here.” A nervous laugh escaped me. “So am I.”

“Rose?”

The worried voice came from the door where Will stood in the frame. A concerned expression accented his features as he hurried up to me, though he was mindful enough to close the door behind him.

He grasped my arms and looked about our small group. “Is there a problem?”

“I noticed a suspicious person peering into the pub and followed him through the back alleys to one of the local inns,” Raines informed him.

“Did he notice you following him?” Will wondered.

Raines smiled and shook his head. “I don’t believe so, My Lord, though he was nervous enough to stop and look over his shoulder many times.”

“It was that sneak, Donald Wrecan,” Ealdor spoke up with a sneer on his lips. “The damned fool was seeing if you could wrangle up all those complaints and knock ‘em down as you did.”

“He didn’t look too happy about that,” I added as I twisted my head around to look at Will.

He grinned. “I’m glad to hear that. They’re setting up dancing in there and I was curious if I could find a partner out here.”

My eyes twinkled as I nodded at Raines. “Since Raines is so sneaky I bet he’s good on his feet in a dance, too.”

Will chuckled. “I am sure he is, but he doesn’t quite have the right. . .build that I had in mind.” He looked me over. “You, however, appear to have such a build, so if your companions won’t mind-”

Even if they had, he didn’t give them a chance to object as he wrapped an arm around my waist and whisked me back inside. The tables had been pushed against the walls and most of the people watched as the couples stepped onto the impromptu dance floor. A man whipped out a fiddle and a woman stood tall and straight in front of him with a gentle smile for her audience. She opened her mouth and the most beautiful sound came forth. The pace was a fast waltz and the dancers took it in stride to go even faster.

Will swept me into his arms and onto the floor where we joined the flow of merriment. I couldn’t help but laugh as more than one partner accidentally prodded the toe of their sweetheart with their foot. The crowd laughed with me and even Will smiled.

“Get a load of the lord and his lady!” someone shouted.

The other dancers stepped back so all could take in the view of Will and me waltzing across the floor. I blushed under the attention but Will couldn’t have been prouder.

He leaned in and lowered his voice to a whisper. “You are doing fantastic.”

I snorted. “That’s because I have a good partner.”

“It takes two to dance,” he reminded me as he spun me in a fast circle that left me breathless.

A man cupped his hand around his mouth. “A dance for all of us, Lady Thorn!”

“Aye!”

“Let us welcome you with a dance!”

“A dance for all of us!”

Oh boy. It was going to be a long night.