By the time the train reached Shrewsbury, she had Gabriel and herself installed in a handsome town house on the outskirts of Oxford, with a green velvet sofa, a magnificent library, several detailed maps on the walls, and a large, comfortable bed, which she put to such good use that Mumbers, seeing the brightness of her eyes as she stared into the middle distance once again, declared that “Dr. Tarrant looks like she’s cogitating up a veritable storm!” Which actually wasn’t that far from the truth.
A changeover of trains at Shrewsbury required fifteen minutes’ waiting in the tranquil aftermath of a rain shower. The sun was the color of light reflecting off a wedding ring. White wish-doves fluttered about the station with trailing ribbons of magic that rippled through the air like hope made visible. Elodie found the quiet serenity rather eerie, considering they had left one disaster and were racing toward another. Tapping her foot restively, she gazed south as if she might see evidence of trouble. Nearby, Gabriel was doing the same. But the sky was an innocent azure blue, with nothing more deadly in it than chimneys.
While the others sought tea within the station, Elodie approached Gabriel, intent on demanding why he had abandoned her to the second class carriage. It would be mostannoying to die in the coming magical cataclysm without having been at least that brave. But his expression was so guarded, as if she were equivalent to a marauding band of Vikings come to loot him, that she quite lost the heart for confrontation. Instead, she took off his coat, with its hidden treasure of notes, and returned it to him.
“Are you no longer cold?” he asked.
“I’m quite warm, thank you.” The lie fell clumsily from her lips, and to compensate she attempted a smile. It seemed to stretch her mouth like a grimace, however, so she tried sobriety instead. But then she felt like she was dour, so she just looked away into the distance—which did not help, for the view really was lovely, peaceful, bejeweled with silver drops of light after the recent rain; and moreover, she was alive in it, when not too long ago she’d been anticipating death’s imminence. Her eyes filled with tears.
Gabriel took an alarmed step back. “Are you unwell?”
“Lovesick for the beautiful world,” she told him.
This apparently was poor reassurance. “All I can see are a lot of buildings,” he muttered. “And Mr. Mumbers staring out moonily through the station’s window. I suppose the two of you have had much intercourse on the journey so far.”
Elodie nearly choked on her breath. “No, we haven’t talked at all,” she said. “The group played charades most of the time.”
“Oh my God.” He stared at her, aghast.
“Yes, it made my headache considerably worse.”
His frown deepened. “I would have bought you a first class ticket also, but I assumed you’d want to be sociable.”
Elodie blinked at him. Or, at least, at his right ear. Looking into those heavy dark eyes felt far too intimate now. “Why would you assume that?”
“You like people.”
“I likemypeople. I’m not so keen on quantities of random strangers.”I likeyou,daft man,she would have said had she been able to locate courage anywhere within her.
Gabriel tilted his head as he regarded her, seemingly at a loss. “But you smile at them all the time.”
“And you frown,” she answered.
“Ah.” Comprehension lit his face. “Wait here,” he said, and without further discussion he departed for the station’s interior. When he returned, it was with a first class ticket. “My apologies for misunderstanding,” he said, handing it to her.
“Oh, gosh.” Elodie came perilously close to fluttering her eyelashes. “I’ll repay you once we get back to Oxford.”
“There’s no need,” he answered gruffly.
“Oh,” she said again, which was all she could manage since her intelligence was busy wrestling with her emotions to prevent her from hugging the ticket. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. The Home Office is paying.”
Upon that romantic note, he turned away, for the southbound train was arriving. They crossed to it, and Gabriel opened a compartment’s door for Elodie. She stepped inside.
And watched bemusedly as he turned to the neighboring compartment. “See you in Hereford,” he said. “Try to get some rest, it’s going to be a long afternoon.” He entered the compartment and shut its door, and Elodie found herself blinking at the space from which he’d disappeared.
“Phooey,” she grumbled to the elegant velvet emptiness of her compartment. Now that she was alone, courage sprang to the fore again, armed with all manner of clever retorts and bold statements she should have made while talking to Gabriel on the platform. Agitated, she tried to pace, but there wasinadequate room. She tried to sit nicely, but her legs jiggled and her thoughts dissolved into a melee of irritated opinions. She even considered returning to second class, where at least she’d have people to scowl at, but the train began to move.
For several more long minutes (two), Elodie continued to brood, then jumped to her feet, flung open the compartment’s inner door, and stormed down the corridor to knock on Gabriel’s door. He looked up in surprise from the map he was reading, and she nearly squeaked and ran away to hide. But she forced herself to stay, for while her time in Wales had not necessarily made her into a stronger woman, it had at least shown her that Gabriel was a gentler man than everyone assumed. Arrogant, yes. Obnoxious, aloof, enigmatic, and annoying…uh, but definitely gentle too. When he was not scowling and grumbling and making demands, that is…
Quickly abandoning this increasingly unhelpful line of thought, Elodieflouncedmoved with energetic purpose into the compartment and sat down opposite Gabriel.
“Er?” he said.
“Are you angry with me?” she demanded, crossing her arms and glaring at him.
“Um?”
