“Hold tight to it, my sweet,” he replied softly. “Every day is a gift.”
He knew and so did I. We knew this to be very true.
I just wished there was some way this wonderful man would open his heart to a woman who would be generous to it. But I knew like I knew when I thought I had lost Frey that this was impossible.
I nodded, his lips tipped up more, his fingers squeezed mine then he let me go and moved away.
I watched and saw Frey watching us. I smiled at him as his eyes slid to Apollo then back to me, they warmed and he smiled gently back. I looked to Mother who inclined her chin to me, her lips curled slightly then she looked back at the table.
I left the room and hurried to the side entrance to Rimée Keep, hoping Bess was not yet away.
When I exited, I saw she was not but the carriage was loaded, the horses put to and she was standing beside it fretting.
Her head turned and her face lit when she saw me. “Oh Finnie! There you are!”
She rushed to me as I moved to her and we took hold of each other’s hands.
“Your trunks are packed, everything is ready and –” she started but I interrupted her.
“Bess, I’ll be fine,” I told her.
“I know, but, the other girls –”
“The other girls are hopefully enjoying a much needed break like you’re about to.”
She looked at me and grinned so I grinned back because we both knew Jocelyn and Esther were undoubtedly enjoying their breaks for they were both in Houllebec in the company of their men, Thad and Oleg.
Where Frey and I were headed the next morning and I was glad of it.
My feet most definitely itched.
Then her smile faded and she whispered, “I’ll miss you, my sweet princess.”
I dropped her hands but pulled her into my arms for a hug and whispered in her ear, “And I’ll miss you, my sweet Bess, but it’s only a short time and soon we’ll all be back together again and off to face our next adventure.” I squeezed hard then let her go and stepped back. “Now, go. Spend time with your family and I’ll see you very soon.”
She nodded, grinned at me again then part skipped, part dashed to the carriage, taking the hand of the footman waiting there for her. He helped her in, closed the door and she leaned out the window and waved at me as the footman ordered the driver, “Away.”
“Farewell, Finnie!” she called, waving as the carriage rolled forward.
“Farewell, Bess!” I called back, waving too.
Then I watched and waved as the carriage continued to move until it disappeared around the castle. And I kept looking in that direction, seeing the frost city of Snowdon now embedded in the deep green of the short Lunwyn summer. The ice and snow were gone, the land was lush and vibrant and, Frey told me, this would be the way for another month or so before the snows again came and bound the nation in ice.
I turned to the doors, went through and immediately encountered a scowling Kell who was stomping toward me.
“Hey Kell,” I greeted when he got close and we both stopped.
“Where’s Frey?” he grunted, not greeting me when we both stopped.
“In a meeting,” I informed him, his eyebrows shot up and then his face returned to a scowl.
“A meeting?” he asked as if this concept was foreign to him, foreign and revolting.
“Yes, you know, where people sit down, discuss weighty issues, drink coffee, eat pastries and decide the future for hundreds of thousands of people,” I stated. “A meeting.”
He continued to scowl. Then he grunted. Then he turned on his boot without another word and stomped away.
I giggled to myself.