Page 14 of The Thief
A few hours later, Scarlett watched as a carriage pulled up and Alastair got out, the look on his face one of exhaustion. He disappeared when he walked into the castle Scarlett headed out her bedroom door and down the stairs to meet him.
She had decided during the hours he was gone, that she was not going to run away, that she would face him no matter how embarrassing it was to her.
She stopped at the top of the stairs and just watched as he came in the large wooden double doors, Bard divesting him of his coat. She heard Bard ask Alastair something, but she didn’t hear what it was and did not hear the reply. Her heart stopped when Alastair went to go towards the stairs and looked up and saw her.
“My Lady, are you all right?” Bard asked, handing Alastair’s coat to the maid who appeared to put it away.
“I am, Bard. I need to speak with Prince Alastair about something,” she said, descending the stairs.
Alastair walked the rest of the way to the bottom of the stairs and helped her down the last couple of steps, the hand that held hers very warm. Scarlett had to hide the shiver that went down her spine at the contact of their hands. Alastair was not as able to hide his shiver, his hand clenching as he released hers.
“The queen and I will speak in the parlor,” he said, leading the way.
“Would you rather speak in the study?” she asked.
He shook his head. He did not need to be reminded of their kiss there too, although he suspected he might be thinking of it everywhere he went.
Scarlett shrugged and followed him into the parlor, her elbow brushing his stomach as she walked in the door he held open for her.
He stiffened and she knew that he had thought about her kiss as much as she had been.
She gracefully sat down and arranged her skirts around her, a sudden power surge filling her as she realized that he had felt something in the courtyard too. She wasn’t alone in feeling this chemistry they somehow had.
Scarlett had to hold back a chuckle when Alastair stayed by the door for a moment, looking out in the hallway away from her.
Unable to help herself she asked, “My Lord? Are you all right? Are you now feeling the unfortunate unpleasantness I felt earlier this afternoon?”
His head snapped back in her direction and his face flushed a deep red.
She sat stiffly on the couch, her arms crossed with a smug smile on her face.
“Not to worry, My Queen. I am well. I don’t need to retire to my room,” he said, his lips lifting at the corner as he took her barb and threw it right back at her.
Her face paled and the smirk was wiped from her face.
“Are you insinuating that my reason for missing lunch was a lie?” she asked, standing up.
If they were going to fight, she was going to stand since he still was.
“Not at all, My Lady. Why would I do that? Are you saying that your reason was not why you missed lunch?” he said, crossing his arms as a smug smile came to his face.
Scarlett bit the inside of her cheek hard to keep from saying anything.
He knew exactly what the reason was for hiding out in her room at lunch. If she told him the real reason, not only would it prove he was right and she had lied, but that the kiss had affected her more than she cared to admit.
She took a deep breath and let it out, her calm veneer settling over her and instantly chilling her to the bone as she had been taught by her mother. She taught her to be cold and not let anything affect her. Her mother had made sure to teach her not to let her emotions show when need be.
Scarlett had never been very good at it, but she was going to try it now.
Alastair saw the visible change in her face and demeanor and was stopped short by the calm that settled over her, replacing the fiery woman who had been almost at his throat a moment ago.
“I would not afflict Bard with such distress for my wellbeing. With some rest, I am now feeling much better.”
She sat back down, resting her hands in her lap after neatly arranging her skirts around her on the sofa.
“The reason I want to speak to you is the letter,” she said, looking up at him with veiled eyes. The amber gold was so cold Alastair felt a chill slide down his spine. This was the reserved, almost cold Scarlett he had met. She had not been like this in the courtyard, and Alastair was finding out there were some different sides to Scarlett; some he liked, and some he didn’t.
He cleared his throat when he realized she was staring at him.
