Kiernan snorted.
Georgie grinned, his lips pulling over his gums.
“What are you going on about, Georgie?” Bellamy stepped out of the kitchen, a towel tossed across his shoulder and a twinkle in his eyes.
Georgie busied himself dragging his spoon through the last drops of soup in his bowl. “Never said nothin’, so I didn’t.”
“Is that a fact?”
“Oh aye.”
Bellamy shook his head, fighting back a smile as he approached Kiernan. “What can I be doing for you today, Kiernan?”
“You’re already well aware of what I’m needing today, Bellamy.”
“Naturally.”
“Oh aye, naturally,” Georgie echoed.
Bellamy leaned a hip against the counter and crossed hisarms, a smirk tugging up his lips. “Are you ready to admit you lost our wager?”
“I lost.” The confession came out easily.
Bellamy lifted a brow. “Will you finally let me do my job my way?”
“Aye.” At least mostly.
Bellamy didn’t move except to narrow his eyes.
Did the matchmaker sense his hesitancy? “I need a match, so I’ll do whatever you ask.” Kiernan tried to make his voice as sincere as possible. Because he was sincere, wasn’t he?
Bellamy held his gaze a moment longer before he tossed the towel from his shoulder to the counter. “Good. Then you’ll meet me out at Dover’s Pond in exactly an hour.”
The little park wasn’t far from Oakland. Kiernan had fished there as a boy and sometimes had gone swimming in it. The pond likely wouldn’t be too busy on a Sunday afternoon and would allow them the privacy they needed for a discussion.
Kiernan nodded at Bellamy. “An hour will give me time to go home first.”
“Ach, no. You’ll not speak to anyone until we meet. Not family. Not friends. And not even acquaintances.” Bellamy leveled him a stern look. “You’ll go to the pond and stay there until I arrive.”
“But I need to talk to my parents—”
“Remind me again. Who won the wager?”
Kiernan pushed down a swell of frustration. He needed Bellamy’s help and had to do what the fellow was asking, even if he didn’t like it.
Was it too late to throw away caution and responsibilities and all rationality and go to Alannah and propose to her?His heart thumped hard at the prospect. What would she say? How would she react? It was an impulsive idea, and she would oppose it. After all, since she’d been reluctant to meet with him, she’d probably be even more so to spend the rest of her life with him.
After a beat of silence, Georgie cocked his head with his cowlick toward Bellamy. “The matchmaker won.”
“That I did.” Bellamy pivoted and began to walk back to the kitchen.
Which meant Kiernan had to follow through on his part of the wager, had to give Bellamy’s choice some consideration.
But that didn’t mean he actually had to marry Bellamy’s match, not if he didn’t like her, did it? Would Kiernan ever like anyone else besides Alannah? At the moment, he couldn’t imagine it.
“I’ve errands to be running before the meeting,” Bellamy called. “See that you’re there at the pond on time, and not a minute late.” He disappeared into the kitchen. Then a few seconds later, the back door opened and closed, leaving silence behind.
Kiernan turned on his heels and started toward the exit. He needed a miracle today. Hopefully the matchmaker could give him one. If not, Kiernan didn’t know what he would do.
