Page 11 of The Great Pursuit
Lord Alvi grasped Aerity by her shoulders, his hands large and hot. His face was close to hers, and then,oh seas, she heard the towel fall to the floor. Her eyes stayed glued to his, and he seemed unaffected by the fact that he was now stark-naked. She closed her eyes.
“Kindly retrieve your towel.” She kept her eyes closed until she heard him shift the cloth back into place.
“It doesn’t have to be this way between us, Aerity.”
Her eyes burned when she opened them. She knew that she could try to make things work with this man. She could attempt to be affectionate. Perhaps over time her feelings for Paxton would lessen, if only she could put it from her mind that he was out there somewhere feeling the same way as she. But she didn’t think she could let Pax go without closure. And there was one other person whose feelings she couldn’t forget.
“What of Wyneth?” Aerity whispered.
His hold on her loosened and he dropped his arms. “I admit . . . she pervades many of my thoughts. But I swear,I will leave her be. I’m trying to respect your ways, though you Lochlans make everything more complicated than necessary with your unspoken rules.” He said this last bit with wry humor that Aerity could not bring herself to feel.
She swallowed hard. The whole situation would be simpler if she’d been raised to view marriage as Lord Alvi and his people did. Perhaps if her parents hadn’t instilled in her the value of love and monogamy, only to rip it away. But they each were who they were, and beliefs were not so easily changed.
Lief’s deep voice softened. He loomed before her, his body seeming confident while his eyes gave off nervousness.
“Could we at least try to make this work? I do care for your happiness, Princess.” His sincerity made her suck in her breath, only to catch the scent of honeysuckle.
“You still smell of my maid.”
He broke away, looking to the side with a regretful shake of his head.
“There is something I must do,” Aerity said. “Afterward . . .” She took another breath and looked into his disappointed eyes. “When I return, we shall see.”
“You’re going searching for him, aren’t you? The Lashed One.”
Aerity said nothing.
“It’s not safe,” he said. “And I don’t wish to seem cruel, but if he had wanted you, then—”
She gritted her teeth. “I don’t expect you to understand.But I cannot move forward until I see him one last time. I beg you to let me leave and not say a word to anyone. You of all people know the need to have something for yourself.”
Lord Alvi’s eyebrows suddenly knit sharply. “If you find him, what do you mean to do?”
Aerity smiled wickedly. “You’re not the only one withneeds, Lord Alvi.”
Though Princess Aerity’s motives in finding Paxton were more about her heart than her body, the look of offense on Lord Alvi’s face as she walked away was something she’d forever cherish.
Chapter
5
Lady Wyneth disobeyed her father’s orders to stay inside the castle during the Lashed list burnings. Her urge to make herself useful had fled, but the feeling of reckless abandon was still there. She stood inside a patch of trees, watching in the gray morning light as soldiers rekindled the still-smoking flames of the night before. Her face was cold, but she felt numb to the elements.
The other royals stood watching from the balcony, wrapped in shawls and cloaks against the chill.
The castle grounds were emptied of villagers now. Many had been trampled and injured during the night’s chaos. People had flooded out of royal lands, too many at once, and their hands could not all be checked upon their mad exit.Only one died, a maiden, engaged to be married. And her killer was not yet found.
A gust of wind blew, lifting leaves from the cobbled path and spinning them away, only to be replaced by others. She watched as Harrison, atop the scaffold above the fire, threw the giant scrolls onto the flames, one by one, as his soldiers handed them to him. His jaw was set. His eyes squinted when the wind turned the smoke toward him. The last scroll hit the top and tumbled down, charring before their eyes.
Harrison stood tall and peered around at the vacant royal lands. His eyes skimmed the rows of soldiers standing nearby, and rose to the castle’s balcony.He’s a fine man. So handsome.Wyneth jolted at the thought and blinked it away.It’s just that he is so like Breckon was, she told herself.
“It is done!” Harrison shouted. His voice reverberated through her, the finality of his words sinking deep. They had succumbed to the madwoman’s first demand. They no longer knew who the Lashed were throughout Lochlanach. But did it really matter? How many had kept their abilities hidden, like Paxton Seabolt? Wyneth didn’t believe the people on those lists were ones they needed to worry about. The true foes were hidden. Lurking.
All was quiet but for the crackle of flames and rustle of leaves. When nothing happened, the royals slowly made their way back into the castle, and the soldiers dispersed. Harrison stopped and stared in her direction. She lifted a hand to signal she was fine, but she quite liked the idea of his companionship. He caught her eye a moment longer, then made a moveas if to go to her, until one of his soldiers said something, and he nodded, turning to follow. He spared one glance back at her and a small smile of acknowledgment.
Wyneth’s hope for his company sank. He had work to do. She didn’t want to be alone, and with Harrison there was no pressure to feign happiness. He understood her pain in a way few others could.
Something hot touched her arm, and Wyneth jumped.
