His ears rumbled, drowning out everything but the sound of his own raging blood. Of course, his thumb was at it again, rubbing against his ragged knuckle. “I am to marry,” his voice rang hollow in his ears.
“You move fast.” Her acidic words bore into the center of his soul with harsh alacrity, and he nearly stumbled backward.
“It’s a necessity.”
“Who?” she whispered.
He didn’t want to say, hereallydidn’t want to fucking say. But she deserved to know. The heavy hollow feeling that had plagued him for days swelled, swallowing up his very breath. “Lady Tahereh.”
Hevva sucked her teeth, bunching her skirts up into fists at her sides. “You fucking lied to me,” she spat, face hardening into a bleak mask. A muscle in her jaw flickered, as if she had more to say but ground away the words.
“I did not, I swear to you.” Before he could stop himself, he closed the distance between them and reached up to trace her beautiful stubborn jaw.
She shoved him back—with her magic. The wooden gymnasium floor pitched beneath him, and suddenly Ehmet was standing five feet away, floundering for balance. He dropped his hand, bereft.
“Well.” Lady Hevva Tilevir straightened her spine and lifted her chin defiantly.
Well,he almost said.
“I will be leaving this day.”
“Stay?” Swallowing thickly, he tried and failed to dislodge the painful lump of emotion caught in his throat.
She ignored his asinine request. “Good day.”
Lady Hevva passed by him in a wide arc before leaving the chamber.
Later, Ehmet found hisflask sitting by the door to his apartments.
Hevva departed Kirce before dinner even began.
twenty-two
Hevva eats crab.
Return home. Find anice common boy.
Return home. Find a nice common boy.
Return home. Find a nice common boy.
Riding with her head pressed against the carriage window, vibrations rattled Hevva’s teeth in comfortable discomfort. She sat in that manner for a long while, watching the world jostle past.
Return home. Find a nice common boy.
If the lady let herself think any other thoughts, she would begin to sob again. Her eyes were already bloodshot and swollen, and she didn’t even know if there were any tears left in her body. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t heave, and sniffle, and make the most unbecoming faces of sadness. Luckily, her maid was used to it.
They were about two hours outside of Serkath, heading northeast, back home to Stormhill. It was the sixth day of the house party. Two more, packed with events, remained. Hevva was positive Aylin wanted nothing more than to learn each and every sordid detail behind their abrupt late-afternoon departure. But Hevva wasn’t ready to open up, so Aylin said nothing about the issue that quite clearly existed. After almost twenty-five years of service, from nursemaid to lady’s maid, she knew the drill.
Finally, sometime later, Hevva pulled away from the window andslumped back against the silver upholstered seat. “I just need to go back home and find a nice common boy. Don’t you agree?”
“As you desire, my lady.”
“Yes.” Hevva’s eyes unfocused for several moments before she continued, “Someone who will be elated to marry me, toloveme. Someone who wants to move up in the world by joining me, being at my side, caring for my people.”
Aylin bobbed her head.
“No more titles!” Hevva slapped her thigh.
