“Now that we do have,” he said.
“It’s more congested than I expected.” Darius scowled at the number of service vehicles on the narrow street, probably making deliveries to the shops.
“That’s because the street is narrow,” Joe said, scanning the area. “See how wide the sidewalks are?”
“Hm. It does makes sense,” Darius said, “considering the road serves as a place for the royal procession. They’d need lots of room for the spectators.”
“This place must be a mass of humanity during that time.” Eve gave a little shudder.
“Yes.” Darius grinned. “I seem to remember you not being a fan of crowds.”
“Maybe I’ve been to too many big cities, and I’m paranoid about pickpockets.” She was watching Sophia who had stopped to stare at the opening of a side alley. Eve asked, “What is it?”
“Fleshmarket Close?” the girl asked. “That sounds creepy.”
“’Tis not,” Noah said.
Joe already had his phone out. “The termfleshmarketmeans a butcher’s market, andcloseis an alleyway. You might find that one interesting. There’s a pub in there called Jinglin’ Geordie’s after a famous Edinburgh jeweler.”
“Och, aye,” Eve cried, using her Scottish accent. “Puire fatherless bairns o the toun of Edinburgh.”
“What?” Darius asked with a chuckle. Whenever she did that, it took him back to those rare times in high school when she’d put on her brogue. It struck him how much more serious she was now. Just as intense at times, but not in the lighthearted way she’d been in school.
“It means ‘poor fatherless children of the town of Edinburgh,’” she said in her American accent. “George Heriot was the jeweler. He didn’t have a family, so he left his estate to be used as a school for poor kids. He died in the 1600s, I think, so that tells you how forward thinking he was. The school’s still used as a center for education. It’s been suggested as one of Jo’s inspirations for the Harry Potter books. We’ll be checking it out tomorrow. Nice find, Sophia.”
Eve pointed at some stone arches ahead. “That building to the right is the city center. There’s a plaque there that pays tribute to winners of the Edinburgh Award which is presented to outstanding residents.”
“Jo’s handprints are in bronze in the concrete of the courtyard.” The sun broke through the clouds, and Sophia hurriedly pulled her hat onto her head.
Eve finally released Darius’s arm and stepped ahead with Sophia and Noah. He’d only been reacquainted with Eve for a little over two weeks, and he already felt the absence of her from his side. Even though he’d been the one to cause the breach between them, he wondered if he could take it if she stepped out of his life again.
“She’s a beautiful woman,” Joe said, scanning the people around them.
“She is.”
“Convenient the two of you have a history.”
“Ancient history.” Darius glanced at him. “What’s your point?”
“Just curious about how intense that history was.” Joe looked at him, one brow arched. “I heard a rumor about a kiss.”
“I kissed a lot of girls in high school.” Darius wondered if he was being that obvious in his interest. He was an adult. Did it matter?
“A good-looking young man like you, I’ll bet you did.” Joe turned his attention to the others. They stood around Sophia who was kneeling on the concrete ground and resting her hands on it. “I hope you’ll take better care than Kayn did.”
“What do you mean?” Darius hadn’t been given any particular details relating to his friend’s sudden engagement, other than the obvious gray funk Kayn had been in before he’d returned to Ireland.
“If you decide to pursue Eve, please be serious about it. She’s not a woman to be trifled with.”
“Is that a threat or a caution?”
“Neither. Maybe a bit of fatherly advice.” Joe raised his hand as though he thought he had overstepped his bounds. “I know Kayn didn’t have a father to counsel him and you do, but Eve’s good people. I’ve seen how she looks at you, and I don’t want her to get hurt.”
Darius watched her for a few seconds. Maybe he deserved the warning. Since his own disastrous almost-marriage, he did have a reputation for dating a lot but never getting serious. But this was Eve. This time hewasserious. “I don’t want her to get hurt either.”
“Then we’re of one mind, I guess.” Joe stepped to the others and offered to take a picture.
7
