“Send someone to the dower house. Have them tell Loretta and Meeta that they need to prepare Lady Ulfr for the journey to the Drakkar seat,” he ordered and I sucked in breath, feeling my eyes getting huge. “Make certain it’s explained to them that Lady Ulfr needs to be equipped to attend a gale. They will also be accompanying her.”
He was folding the paper as he stopped by the boy. Once folded, he handed it to him and kept talking.
“They must make haste. We leave in an hour.”
“Right, sir,” the boy murmured.
“And take that to Achilles,” Apollo went on, dipping his head to the paper.
The boy nodded.
“Go, Nat,” Apollo commanded quietly.
The boy dashed out.
Apollo turned to me just as I forced myself to start breathing again.
And when he did, he said softly, “Come here, Maddie.”
Without delay, walking woodenly, my eyes glued to his, I walked to him. And I was staring in his eyes because they were not blank. His face was not cold. Instead, his gaze was warm on me, his face soft.
I didn’t want to hope.
But with what he said, his face that way, I was hoping.
When I made it close to him, he reached out and curled his fingers around my waist, pulling me closer then curving me into his arms.
“When we return,” he continued in his soft voice, “you will remain at the dower house for as long as you need in order to…” he hesitated and finished, “find yourself.”
Oh my God!
Was this happening?
“However, I would ask that you do this while spending some of your time with me and my children.”
Holy cow.
It was happening.
I nodded and did it quickly.
His arms grew tighter. “Alas, for the next three weeks, I cannot guarantee you will have alone time.”
“I, uh…well, that’s, um…okay,” I stammered and I did that quickly as well.
“We will be traveling with a guard,” he continued and his hold tightened further. “And the children.”
Oh boy.
I was freaking about a variety of things, including that new addition, but I said nothing.
“After what happened, I will not leave them,” he carried on. “I would not have left you but the way things were between us…”
He trailed off and I nodded again, this time that I understood.
One of his hands came up to cup my jaw just as his face dipped very close to mine.
“You must share with me more, poppy,” he urged gently. “And you must do this in order that I can know how your mind works and won’t come to mistaken conclusions just having your words that often cover much and say nothing.”