Page 41 of Whispers of the Starlit Sea
“Guh mooring,” she replied.
“If you’re up for it, I’d like to head to the castle and…” The blank expression on her face made him stop. Elsbeth was right; if he wanted to communicate with Sorcha, he would need to provide her context to be able to respond to him. He switched tactics and added in more hand motions.
“We go to the castle. Visit Thomas and Ailsa?”
Her face lit up as she recognized the names. “The cooky?”
He laughed. “Yes, Cookie too.”
She beamed at him.
Immediately after a breakfast of bannock cakes and bacon, they set out for the castle. They took the cart, but he noticed that Sorcha was able to walk with greater ease than before. He waited while she detoured to pet the little pony, something she made a point to do after every journey. He wished he could understand what she whispered into the little velvet ears.
They slipped in a side door to avoid the central hall — and hopefully all the council members who frequented that space. A servant let him know that Thomas was in the family’s sitting room, so they made their way there.
Cookie greeted them with happy barks, his paws dancing on the stone floor as his tail fanned back and forth. Arick guided Sorcha to the settee by Ailsa, who greeted her with a hug. Immediately the two women began conversing, using both their voices and hands to convey their meaning. Arick watched a moment, regretting he had let his knowledge of signs dissipate over the years. Once Thomas had learned to speak, there had seemed little use for it. But now…
He looked up to see his cousin watching him with a huge grin on his face. He puckered his lips and brought his two hands together, making the fingertips twist against each other. Warmth flooded Arick’s cheeks as he glared at Thomas, grateful Sorcha couldn’t see the prince.
“A letter came for you,” Thomas said, moving to the narrow table along the wall. “From a girrrrrl.” He gave a pointed look at Sorcha.
Arick cuffed him lightly as he reached for the letter. “Can’t be her. We’re both staying with Elsbeth. Plus, she can’t speak our language. Stands to reason she also can’t write it.”
“Then who…” His eyes grew wide. “Are you stepping out on her?”
“What? No! Besides, we’re not… She’s…” he stammered an objection, then redirected his attention to the envelope in his hand at the sight of Thomas’s broad grin.
“Then who’s it from?” Thomas tilted his head and scrubbed at his ear.
Arick studied the handwriting. He didn’t recognize it. A thin string was knotted around it. “No idea. Do you have a knife?”
Thomas pulled open the drawer hidden in the table and rifled through the contents. Arick turned and leaned against the wall, tapping the letter on his hand.
“Thom, do you remember when the storms first started? The bad ones, I mean?”
Thomas paused his search, his face scrunched up in thought. “They’ve been getting worse the past couple of months. But…”
“But what?”
Thomas chewed on his thumb, avoiding eye contact.
“Thomas?”
“The first bad one…the first that felt…wrong…”
“Yes?” Why wouldn’t he just spit it out?
“Six months ago.”
Cold swept over Arick as the truth sank in. Daniel’s ship had vanished in an unseasonal storm. Was his brother’s demise caused by the same mess that threatened them now?
“Here.” Thomas held out a thin knife. Arick stared at it a moment before remembering the letter in his hand. He cut the knot and unfolded the page. The page was covered in a tight hand, as though the author was unsure about writing at all.
Arick frowned at the message as he read, then read it again.
Sir Arick,
I should have told you this when you stopped by, but I could hardly believe it myself. However, I wish to repay the kindness that you and your nurse friend showed me. Thanks to her administrations, my leg has already begun to heal, allowing me to return to my duties as a governess in a few days.
