Page 9 of A Raven Revived

Ash nodded slowly. “He wants to invest in The Raven’s Den.”

She blinked twice and her heart began to pound. He would end up being her employer. She snorted a laugh. How cruel the world could be sometimes.

“Is that funny?” Ash asked.

She shook her head. “No, but now I understand why you’re suddenly wanting me to move along.”

“No, Daisy. These things are not at all related. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about your future for weeks. It has nothing to do with Fitz.”

Fitz? It was strange to hear someone else call him that. His friends from school had called him that, and she’d adopted it as well. But his family had always called him Gerry and he’d hated it. To her, they’d always been Daisy and Fitz. She’d fancied herself in love with him back then. Back when her sister was the eldest daughter and betrothed to Geoffrey.

Eventually, she nodded. “I’d like to talk to him. Will he be coming here?”

“Yes. He’ll be here in two hours. Would you like my presence?”

“No, Ash. Fitz would never hurt me. I know that.”

Ash nodded. “Just let me know if you change your mind. I’ll be here if you need me.”

“Thank you, Ash. I’ll just go and freshen up a bit before he comes.”

Ash came around the desk and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Daisy, I meant what I said. You will always be welcome here.”

She nodded. “I know, and I appreciate that.”

Daisy took care of her daily sweeping and changed into her yellow dress. The color went well with her copper hair and fair skin, and the cut was modest and fashionable.

Honestly, why did that even matter?

She stood in the main hall, waiting for Fitz to arrive. Ash’s office door was open wide, so he’d see and hear everything, at least until they moved to a different room.

Finally, Fitz strode in, his waves of rich brown hair tousled, and yet somehow perfect. His eyes searched her face, and as he approached, he held out the daisy he carried, his lips finally turning up in a warm smile. A familiar smile. This was her friend. The man who had always been so good to her. Oh, how she’d missed him. She’d left her home three years ago, but he’d left as soon as the betrothal to his brother had become official. That was nearly four years ago now. That was the last time she had seen the picture before her. The daisy and the smile, and, oh, it was too much. Tears burst from her eyes as a sob broke through her lips. She threw herself into his arms. They clamped around her without hesitation.

“Daisy,” he whispered.

“Fitz,” she whispered back through her tears.

He rocked her gently, his warmth and strength surrounding her. She greedily took all he gave. She’d pushed everything down, and had forgotten just how much she loved this. After a long moment, she slowly pulled herself away from him and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“I brought the daisy in hopes of seeing a smile. I didn’t mean to make you weep.” He smiled apologetically, one hand still resting on her shoulder.

Her laugh was hoarse. “I’m sorry. You didn’t realize what you were getting yourself into coming here today, did you?”

He gently lifted her chin to look into her eyes. “You don’t know how good it is to see you, alive and well.” He wrapped her in another tight embrace, breathing in a deep breath as he held her. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head before letting her go.

“Would you like some tea?” She nodded toward the door to the drawing room.

“I would love that. Thank you.”

She poured them each a cup while he settled onto the sofa. This time of day, everyone had already eaten, and most of the ladies were working on chores or taking care of whatever else needed doing before preparing for work this evening, so the room was empty. Tonight was her night off, though. She had all the time in the world.

“So, where are you staying?” She handed him his tea and seated herself in a nearby chair.

“Blackmoor Inn, just up the road a bit. Although, I’m kind of surprised it’s not called Raven Inn. Everything else around here seems to be Raven something.”

She settled her saucer in her lap. “You’re not wrong about that.”

“How long have you been here?” he asked before taking a sip. She didn’t hear the judgment in his voice she would have expected.

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