Victor gazed steadily at Emllyn for a long moment, silent words of understanding and comfort and acceptance passing between them. From this moment forward, Victor only saw Emllyn. For all of their sakes, and for the safety of many, it was all he could do.
“Aye,” he said after a moment. “This is the Lady Emllyn.”
De Noble was both thrilled and relieved in spite of the deteriorating situation between him and Emllyn over the past day. He made a point of catching the lady’s attention.
“You will forgive me that I had to have St. John’s confirmation,” he said. “Without your brother to confirm your identity, to have one of his knights know you is the next best thing. I pray you are not offended by this.”
Emllyn was still overwhelmed with it all. Victor eventually let go of her fingers and handed her his half-full cup of wine. She looked like she needed it. Gratefully, and with shaking hands, Emllyn swallowed the wine in two big gulps.
“I am not offended,” she said, her voice trembling. “I suppose if I were in your situation, I would have done the same thing.”
De Noble was relieved that she wasn’t cross with him for his doubt; he didn’t want to add fuel to the fire of their already-strained relationship.
“Sir Victor says that thirty-three of your brother’s men survived the destruction of the war fleet,” he said. “He also said that John, your farmer friend, helped them escape from Black Castle’s dungeons.”
Emllyn tore her gaze off of Victor and looked at de Noble. “John?” she repeated, trying to keep the excitement from her voice. “Has he returned?”
Victor spoke. “He is with my men, outside of the walls of Glenteige,” he said. “I am going to retrieve them now.”
Emllyn was moving with Victor; in fact, she nearly ran him over. “I will go, too.”
Victor shook his head, forcing her to stop when she tried to push past him. “Nay, my lady,” he said. “It would not be safe for you. You will remain here and we will all sup together tonight, I promise.”
Emllyn was as edgy as a cat and laboring not to show it. She very much wanted to go with Victor to retrieve the English prisoners simply so she could see Devlin, but she knew they would never allow it. Already they were resisting. So she forced herself to calm.
“Of course,” she said, trying to look as if she was satisfied with the thought of seeing everyone at supper. “I suppose I am simply happy to know that some of my brother’s men survived. May I at least walk you to the door, Sir Victor?”
Victor smiled at her. “I would be honored,” he said, turning to de Noble. “I shall return within the hour, my lord.”
De Noble nodded graciously. “I will look forward to it,” he said, eyeing Emllyn. He knew she wouldn’t be happy if he tried to walk with them so he didn’t even ask. “My lady, I will see you tonight at supper.”
Emllyn barely nodded at him as she preceded Victor out of the solar door. Once out in the foyer, with its rounded walls that tended to echo, Emllyn surprisingly kept a rein on her excitement and shock. She simply took Victor’s elbow as he walked to the keep entry. Once the door yawned before them, spilling white light into the dimness of the gray stoned keep, she paused and turned to him.
“I…,” she began.
Victor shushed her before she could speak more than one word. “I will see you upon my return, my lady,” he said, hearing his voice echo off the walls and knowing there were ears listening, more than likely de Noble’s. “I look forward to hearing about your adventures since you came to Ireland.”
Emllyn looked at the man, wanting to say so much more. The tears threatened to return but she fought them. She knew why he was speaking so generically; if anyone understood the gossips and big ears of this place, she did.
“And you shall,” she said. “I… I would also like to see John when he arrives. I would like to see the man who… who saved my life. Did he tell you?”
“All that and more,” he said, letting go of her as he headed out of the keep. “I will send him to you when we return, my lady. Be of good and noble patience that all will work out as it should.”
Emllyn lingered in the doorway, watching the man descend the wide, stone steps. Her heart was so full of thanks and gratefulness that she could hardly breathe. Her mind was full of a million memories and hopes, like butterflies, all living and breathing entities inside her soul. She lifted a hand in farewell to Victor.
“Will you tell him something for me, please?” she called after him.
There was no more echo to amplify their words; in fact, it all seemed rather still outside. There wasn’t anyone around that they could see. Victor paused on the steps.
“What is that, my lady?”
Emllyn swallowed hard; she was coming to suspect simply by the way he was behaving that he and Devlin had more than likely been in discussions with her as the main topic. It only seemed logical. From the moment she had seen Victor in de Noble’s solar, everything about him told her that he knew what had happened. All of it. She smiled faintly as she met his gaze, lowering her voice so that he could barely hear it.
“Please… please tell him that everything leads me to thee.”
Victor cocked his head slightly, considering her words, as a faint smile crossed his lips. Nodding in understanding, he turned and walked away. Emllyn watched him, blowing the man a gentle kiss when she knew he couldn’t see it. She simply felt that it was the right thing to do.
He did, after all, love her, too.
