Alexander eyed him a moment before returning to his food. “He was ordered to be her shadow,” he said, shoveling in the pork pie. “We cannot become suspicious when he does what he has been told to do.”
Achilles rolled his eyes. “Youknowwhat I mean,” he said. “He has been attracted to her since he first laid eyes upon her. You know this is not an ideal situation, Sherry. The man is only human, after all.”
Alexander didn’t say anything for a moment. He continued eating, chasing down his big bites with warmed wine. “He may be attracted to her but I have not seen him behave in a way that has led me to believe he is acting upon that attraction,” he said. “But we will be vigilant. If he starts behaving… well, if he gives us concern, then we will act accordingly. But we will be at The Paladin by the day after tomorrow and the lady will meet her betrothed. I believe the sooner this mission is over, the better for us all.”
Achilles could only nod, returning to his drink and his own thoughts on the matter. Next to Alexander, Bric spoke.
“I asked him if he wanted me to trade places with him and become the lady’s shadow,” he said. “He assured me that there was no need. Until I see otherwise, or he tells me otherwise, I will believe that he is doing his duty in all things.”
Bric sounded as if he were defending Kress, which he was, so Alexander and Achilles didn’t say anything more about it. They didn’t want to sound as if they lacked faith in Kress, who had always been the most noble and moral of knights. But the truth was that they were concerned for him, fearful of what path he may choose with a woman he was attracted to.
Even the strongest of men had been known to fall.
As Achilles pondered the situation with Kress, Jude came down the stairs still holding the mug of steaming drink. Achilles watched as the woman crossed the dirt floor of the common room, past his table, and headed straight for Susanna, tucked over in the corner. She gave Susanna the drink that was meant for Lady Cadelyn, meaning either Cadelyn refused it or didn’t answer her door for some reason. Kress would have answered the door, and should have, but evidently he did not.
Something told Achilles there was a reason.
His concern got the better of him and he stood up, pacing away from the table and heading to the hearth where the wounded were starting to sleep. Even the priest that Lady Cadelyn had brought with her was there, rolled up in a ball near the hearth and sleeping with the heat on his back.
Achilles said a few words to the men who were lying there, making sure everyone was comfortable, before passing a glance at the stairs that led to the upper floor. He was hoping to see Kress coming down the stairs but the more he stared at the steps, the more vacant they became. He was wondering if he should go up there and knock on the door.
“He is not coming down, you know.”
The voice came from the corner and Achilles looked over to see that Susanna was looking at him. She was holding the warm mug between her two hands, inhaling the steam. Achilles eyed her.
“Whatareyou talking about?” he asked.
Susanna sipped her drink. “Sir Kress,” she said. “He is in Cadie’s chamber. He is not coming down. I would wager that he’ll be up there all night.”
Achilles couldn’t very well deny that was what he’d been thinking, too. Scratching his head, he meandered in her direction.
“His orders are to shadow the lady,” he said. “He is doing his duty.”
Susanna lifted an eyebrow at him. “I am not a fool, Knight,” she said. “I have eyes. I can see that there is more than duty on his mind. I have seen it from the beginning.”
Had it not been true, Achilles would have become very angry at her for it. Instead, he put his hands on his hips and hovered near her table, not sitting down but not leaving, either.
“I have not seen your lady exactly discourage him,” he pointed out. “Whatever he is thinking, she is equally as guilty.”
Susanna sighed, shaking her head. “She is young and impulsive,” she said, coughing. “Young and impulsive and an idealist. I have known her for years and she has always been like this. But when she saw your friend in Lynn… something changed. Even I could see it.”
Achilles looked at her, then. “What did you see?”
Susanna lifted her slender shoulders. “Sparks,” she said simply. She sipped at her drink before continuing. “I suppose we all hope to meet that one person who makes us spark. She has met hers in Sir Kress.”
Achilles stood there a moment, chewing on his lip, before kicking out the other chair at her table and plopping his big body down. He pretended not to look at her, but he was; her copper curls were matted and dirty, as was the rest of her, but her cheeks were rosy. She had pretty eyes, too– quite blue from what he could see, with a fringe of dark lashes. The more she sat there and sipped at her drink, the more he found himself studying her.
“It will not do either of them any good, sparks or no,” he finally said. “She is to marry Ellesmere.”
“I know.”
“We shall be there in two days if this godforsaken weather eases.”
“I know.”
“Do you knoweverything?”
She looked at him, then, a smile playing on her lips. “Mostly.”
