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He led her to the rear of the village, where there was a big house with a high doorway. It was built for one man and one man only: Maxwell Black.
“This is yer house?” she asked.
“Aye. I built it a long time ago with my own hands and the help of plenty of people in the village. Eventually, I grew tae tall for any of the other houses, sae I haed no choice. This was gaeing tae be the house for me and Bea as well.” He reached out and touched a wooden beam. His eyes closed, and for a moment, she knew that he was living in the past. This house was silent and empty when it should have been filled with the happiness of a family. It made her wonder about her own future and if her life was going to be as empty as this house.
She pushed the thought from her mind.
“It’s been a long time since ye hae been back,” Hilda said, remembering what the gatekeeper had said, although she would have been able to tell from the way he acted and the state of the house. It wasn’t as though it was in disrepair, but there was this overwhelming sense of emptiness in the house.
“Aye…I left the day Bea got attacked, and I swore I would nae return until she was avenged. I suppose I hae nae lived up tae my promise, but it’s the only way. I could nae bear the thought of yer clan being attacked.”
Hilda smiled. It was rare to meet a man with such love in his heart, and it was all wasted on a woman who had died years ago. Before she could say anything else, he turned to her and looked her directly in the eyes. She was struck by how intense they were. “I’m sorry I could nae protect ye like I wanted. I’m sorry all this happened. If I haed nae been distracted by Aileen, then we might hae won the day.”
“Ye dinnae hae tae blame yerself. We’ll get the answers we both need,” Hilda said.
They shared a smile, and then Maxwell led her up to the bedroom. The bed was massive, made of thick trees, and she felt so small in this giant house.
And yet, Maxwell was with her, and she was tempted to make him stay with her. But then she was so uncertain, so tired. For a moment, there was silence between them, and she almost filled it by asking him to stay. It wasn’t as though there wasn’t enough room. The bed had been made for him, after all. But he was tied to the past, and she was still wondering what her future held.
He left her alone in this wide cavern of a room, and for the first time, she began to doubt being wedded to the idea of resisting the duties that came with femininity. She didn’t want to end up like this house, so cold and hollow, as though life had completely passed it by.
