Chapter 19
Rowan
AURORA RECOVERED QUICKLY FROM HER dizzy spell yesterday, but I still didn’t feel quite right leaving her. So, for the first time, I stayed at the cottage even though Alden was there too. Before anything could become too uncomfortable, I announced I’d sleep on the couch in the parlor, and that’s where I’m at when I stir awake the following morning.
The fire kept me company last night, burning low in the hearth, but I can tell from the coolness in the air that it has since burned out. I’ve got one of Aurora’s hand-knit blankets draped over me, and I pull it up to my chin, still not opening my eyes. I know I’ve got to get up soon and make the walk back into Faunwood to start my patrol, but it’s so warm and comfortable here, I want just a few minutes more.
As I shift a bit on the couch, I feel something soft pressing against my stomach. Cracking one eye open, I lift the blanket and look under it.
And I find Lucy cuddled up against me, looking happy as a clam, her eyes closed as she sleeps peacefully. I’ve no idea when she hopped up onto the couch or how she got under the blanket, but seeing her there makes me smile, and I slowly lower the blanket back down.
I’m just about to close my eyes and catch a few more minutes of sleep when I hear a floorboard creak and a rustle of something in the kitchen. That must be what woke me up. Maybe Aurora is awake and making tea. I could sure go for some more of that bread from last night too; I’ve never tasted sourdough anywhere near as delicious as what Aurora makes.
Sitting up, I’m careful not to jostle Lucy too much, but she opens her eyes and clucks softly at me.
“Sorry,” I mutter, easing myself around her. She doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to get up, so I settle the blanket back over her before standing and stretching my arms overhead. My tunic is draped across the back of the couch, and I grab it and slip it over my head before tying my hair back in a messy knot and heading into the kitchen. Hopefully Aurora is feeling better this morning.
But Aurora isn’t the one in the kitchen.
Alden is working on starting a fire when I step into the doorway, and he looks up at me with an unreadable expression. Based on the conversation I had with him all those days ago, he’s okay with me being around Aurora, being with her, but there’s still a tightening of my chest when I’m alone with him, a discomfort I haven’t quite been able to shake.
“Morning,” I say in way of breaking the silence.
“Morning.” Alden looks away from me and strikes the flint he’s holding, sending sparks into the hearth. They catch on the fresh wood he has stacked there, and after a bit of coaxing from Alden, the flames dance to life. He steps away, and I lean against the doorframe with a yawn.
“How’s she doing?” I ask.
Alden is at the counter, cutting the scant remains of the bread into a few thin slices. Once he finishes, he turns to put the kettle on the fire. Then he looks at me. “Seems fine, normal. But you know how she is.”
“Eternal optimist?” I say.
This gets him to crack a thin smile, but it vanishes quickly. “Exactly.” He averts his eyes, and I can see the muscles in his jaw tensing. “I’m worried about her.”
That makes two of us.
“We’ll keep an eye on her,” I say, and without looking at me, Alden nods.
As if summoned by her name, Aurora descends the stairs, and I turn to look over my shoulder just as she steps into the foyer. Her long green hair is woven back into two braids, and her cheeks are vibrant and flushed with pink. She’s wearing a light blue cotton dress, the skirt hanging to just above her thin ankles.
“Well, good morning,” she says, her voice cheerful and light. “Didn’t realize I’d slept in.”
“You didn’t,” Alden says, voice a bit gruff. “You need your rest.”
Aurora’s lips curl into a knowing smile. She pauses in the doorway to rise onto her toes and press a kiss to my cheek, then sweeps into the kitchen and does the same to Alden.
“You hungry?” he asks.
“ Starving. ” She settles into a chair at the kitchen table and pulls her legs up beneath her.
Alden smears a slice of sourdough with butter, then sets the plate on the table in front of Aurora. She takes a big bite before letting out a delighted sigh.
“Want some?” Alden asks, and I nod. He sets another plate on the table, and I suppose that’s him inviting me to take a seat.
While I slip into a chair and start in on my bread, Alden pours us each a cup of tea. The fire chases the little bit of chill from the kitchen, and we all eat and drink in relative silence.
Until Lucy wakes up.
Her clawed feet click across the floorboards, and as soon as she appears in the doorway and sees us all, she lets out a big squawk. Aurora laughs, using a hand to cover her lips.
“Good morning, Lucy. Did you sleep well?” She leans over to pick the hen up, and Lucy seems content to settle into her lap.
“I’d think so. Woke up with her cuddled against me,” I say.
This makes Aurora laugh again. Her eyes crinkle in the corners, and the sound is so beautiful, I want to hear it again and again.
I finish my cup of tea, then quickly wash my dishes in the basin and set them on the towel beside the sink to dry.
“Well, I should get going. Duty to Faunwood and all.”
Aurora looks up at me, eyes bright green in the sunlight. “I’ll go with you. I need to go to the mercantile anyway. Lydia said she’d put some of my butters on display.”
Well, that explains why an entire shelf in the kitchen has become overrun with jars of butter, from lavender to honey to garlic.
“I can take them for you,” I offer, noting the concerned look that flashes in Alden’s eyes.
“No need. The fresh air would be good for me. Just give me a moment to pack them up, and we’ll be on our way.” She stands and carries Lucy to the kitchen door. A bit of a cool breeze scented with pine flows in when she opens the door to let Lucy out. I spy Harrison already out prowling around the garden, and he perks up and trots over when Lucy starts clucking. Seems those two have developed an uncanny friendship.
Alden helps Aurora load her jars of butter into a wicker basket while I pull my boots on. She appears in the foyer, basket clutched in her hands and a smile on her lips.
“You want a shawl?” I ask. “It’s still early. You may get cold.”
She opens her mouth to respond, but Alden is already there a moment later, having retrieved her shawl from the parlor. He drapes it over her shoulders, then presses a kiss to her head.
“I’ll be here when you get back,” he says to her. Then to me, “I’ll be working on the coop today. You’re welcome to come by later and help me with it.”
“I’ll do that,” I say, stepping back to open the door.
Aurora breezes past me, smelling of lavender and honey, and I share one final look with Alden before stepping out of the cottage and closing the door behind me.