“Do you believe me?” She turned to look at him, and to her surprise, Carrádog trotted over and sat very close to her knees, staring at his master.
Caleb swallowed. “I want to, Elinor, truly. I dislike the notion of something in my library making guests faint. It just will not do.”
She smiled, as she knew he meant her to.
The dog, on the other hand, still stared at Caleb, the intensity of his glare quite evident.
“I wish I had an answer to all this,” she sighed, pleating her skirt with her fingers. Annoyed with herself for resorting to an old childish habit of hiding her nerves, she managed a light laugh. “Perhaps it was just some hidden magic left behind by the Tylwyth Teg.”
Carrádog barked sharply, and made them both jump. He stared at Elinor, then at Caleb, and then back to Elinor.
“You know, it almost seems like he’s trying to tell us something, doesn’t it?”
She nodded. “Yes, it does.”
He stared at her, tongue lolling, his gaze nearly hypnotic, piercing her with his golden-amber eyes. She leant down and stroked him, tugging gently on one ear. “You are a delight, dear pup. I’m so glad we found you and that Caleb decided to keep you. I think you’ll bring some sunshine into Tylwyth Teg Abbey, won’t you?”
Bending even further, she dropped a kiss on his nose…and caught her breath as, quick as a blink, his eyes went from gold to pure blue, and then back again.
She tried to conceal her shock, but Caleb felt her jolt of surprise.
“What? What is it? Did he nip you?”
“No, no, not at all…”
Carrádog shot a look of disgust at his new master, who obviously recognised it right away.
“All right, I apologise. You’re not the kind of dog who bites people he likes.” He looked up at Elinor. “So, my dear, please tell me what it was that made you jump? I swear it was something.”
“A fly perhaps, around my ears…”
“Elinor.”
“Something on my foot?”
Caleb sighed. “Can you not trust me? I know we’ve not been acquainted for very long, but I feel as if I’ve known you for years. I had hoped you would feel the same.”
“Oh, I do, really. I experienced the same feelings over tea, the first time I came to the Abbey. It seemed so…so…comfortable. Almost familiar. And I felt quite safe with you, Caleb, I promise.”
“Then please…honour me with the truth? Whatever it is, I can assure you I can accept it. Or deal with it, whichever is best for you.”
She stood and held out her hand, indicating he should stay there on the bench. “I need a moment or two to gather my thoughts, Caleb. Because if I do as you wish, things between us may never be the same. So you can understand I need to take my time making this decision.” She paused. “I find…I find myself very comfortable with you. More comfortable than I’ve ever been with a man, I think.”
“I’m pleased,” he began.
“Hush…I don’t wish to jeopardise that. It has become quite important. Just how important I don’t know yet. But I do feel that giving you cause to walk away and never come back would be…would be quite painful.”
He had to stand at those words.
“Elinor, I sincerely doubt there is anything you could say to me that would make me walk away.” He took her hand, found it cool to the touch. “I would be hurt more if I thought I’d given you reason to distrust me than I would be by anything you choose to share with me.”
He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it, then smiled as he heard her indrawn breath. “Just tell me, my dear.”
She looked at him, her eyes more green than blue this morning. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure.”
“Very well, then.” She took a breath, and her fingers tightened on his hand. “For as long as I can remember,I’ve seen elves.”
