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The last thing Amelie wanted was to run into Evan again. He might try telling her those sweet words, attempting to play a trick on her mind. The only problem was that she couldn’t quite understand how he benefited from playing such a trick. It wasn’t as though there was an audience to share mocking laughter with, and he had never struck her as a cruel man to do this for his own satisfaction. In fact, he hadn’t seemed cruel at all. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why so many women gravitated towards him. He was charming and sweet and kind, yet with a tortured personality as well, one that was not immune to being vulnerable. It was this vulnerability that had attracted her so immediately and with such force, but every time she thought of the conversations they had shared, she couldn’t stop thinking about him whispering in the ears of other women. In her mind, he was in the middle of a glade and all around him were other women. She was trying to get his attention, but she was too quiet, too plain, and found herself being jostled and pushed out of the way until she was practically trampled.

Perhaps he only desired her because she was Pascal’s sister and he wanted to establish his position in the clan. Perhaps it was only because she was a new face, and he would have soon grown bored with her after spending more time with her.

Amelie could not quite comprehend the possibility that he well and truly loved her and meant everything that he said. In her mind, it seemed impossible for anyone to choose her over all the other fair women in the Highlands, especially a man with a track record like Evan. He had been close with all manner of women. The fact that he had refused to answer her question directly meant that the number of women he had been intimate with would have shocked her. A sick knot of nausea twisted inside her.

Ro may not have thrilled her to the same dizzying heights of passion, but nor did he take her to such depths of despair either. It was important to leave these torrid feelings behind.

She gazed at the bottle of plum sauce. It stood proudly on the desk near the window. She opened it and breathed in the rich aroma. It was heavy and luxurious and was most certainly something never indulged in by the residents of the nunnery. It was a symbol of a life that she was never going to have, of a place in which she would never feel comfortable. She sealed the bottle and pushed it away, turning as she did so. In a similar manner, she would turn away from Evan and seek to find her equilibrium. Ro was far more stable. He had already told her that he was looking to settle down and start a family. While Evan had proclaimed his feelings, he had never spoken about things in such detail. Ro offered security and a foundation upon which to build a life. She was certain that she could love him deeply and purely, and she would spend her life trying to be the best wife that she could be.

Evan would surely be able to end up with anyone else he chose. Perhaps his whispered words would work on someone else.

So as a fine morning approached, Amelie wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and set off by herself, intending to find Ro and join him on his adventure, hitching her fate to his. Nerves fluttered inside, but she thought about how happy Ro would be to see her, and this helped to keep her feet moving. She walked briskly, following the well-worn path towards the inn where Ro had told her he was staying. The light was bright and the road empty, so she did not succumb to fear.

She was finally doing it, she thought to herself, she was finally having an adventure.

* * *

When Amelie reached the village, she was hungry and thirsty. The walk had been longer than she anticipated, but taking a horse would have been too risky. It had been easier to slip away quietly. She started to feel guilty about leaving without telling anyone, especially Sister Cora. She had been afraid that they would have tried to talk her out of it, or that they would have gotten her to speak to Evan so that he could have sent a message back to her brother. The last thing she wanted was for Evan to know where she was. She could write a letter as soon as she had found Ro, and then everyone would know that she was safe. She doubted they would notice she was missing for a while yet anyway.

The village was busy compared to the nunnery, although it was far smaller than her brother’s clan. Still, it was filled with noise. The blacksmith was busy working in his forge, hammering away steadily. A baker was calling to people, yelling about his sweetbread. A woman who sold herbs strolled through the village, crying out about what she had to offer them. Her voice was shrill, and Amelie could barely see her through all the herbs she carried. It was almost as though she was carrying around a bush to hide behind.

Nobody seemed to notice her. Amelie was a little afraid that someone would call her a stranger and turn her away, proclaiming that she did not belong there. Her gaze darted about furtively and she moved forward, wanting to find Ro as swiftly as possible. Nothing bad would happen to her when she found him.

Strangers were all around her, and fear started to coil within her, like a snake about to strike. Her hands trembled and her breaths were shallow. She kept thinking back to her childhood, when she had been taken. Even though she was an adult woman now she still felt vulnerable, as though someone could just come along and sweep her up without any difficulty at all. She veered away from clusters of people, and made sure not to venture towards the shadowed alleys. She remained in the sunlight, keeping as much distance between her and others as she possibly could.

Eventually she found the inn that Ro had described. The scent of ale was heavy in the air. There was a place for horses outside. A couple of them were lapping water from a trough. Their tails swayed, flicking away flies. The air was thick, and she moved away from them quickly. The door was heavy, and she had to use all her strength to push it open. The lights were dim, and the smell was even more prevalent inside. There were empty bottles, mugs, and plates on the tables. There were a few huddled figures around, hunched over tables, enjoying their meager breakfasts.

“Are ye looking for some food, lass?” the innkeeper called out. Amelie blinked her eyes quickly as she realized she was going to have to talk to someone. She took another sweeping glance around the room in search of Ro, but he was nowhere to be seen. Timidly, she walked towards the bar and rested her slate on it. The innkeeper, a stocky man with a barrel chest and thick whiskers, looked at her with curiosity and mild amusement. She wrote that she was looking for Ro, and turned the slate towards him. The innkeeper studied it and then turned his mouth down, shaking his head.

“Cannae say I know anyone of that name,” he said.

Amelie frowned. She had definitely recalled the name of the inn correctly. She then asked the innkeeper if this was the only inn of this name in the area.

A look of pride came upon his face as he replied. “Aye, it is. I thought of the name myself,” he boasted.

How curious, Amelie thought. Perhaps Ro had misspoken. She then asked the innkeeper if there were any other inns in the area. His face immediately darkened. “Now look here, it’s bad form tae come intae an inn and start asking about others. My prices are fair and ye will nae find a better mug of ale in the area. I dinnae want ye acting as though there’s a better place around. I will nae stand here and be insulted like this,” he growled.

Amelie’s eyes went wide and her face paled. She tried to write an apology to explain herself, but she couldn’t write quickly enough.

“I think if ye are nae intending tae buy anything then ye should leave. Shame though, a lass as pretty as ye should hae manners tae match,” he added. Amelie ignored the words. He must not have seen many girls if he thought she was pretty, she considered.

She backed away and headed towards the door, filled with thoughts about how to find Ro. She supposed the best thing would be to wait by the horses. She must have misheard him when he described the inn. She hoped she had gotten the village right at least, otherwise, she would end up traipsing around the Highlands in search of him and she could be lost forever! It was clear that she wasn’t meant for this kind of life. No doubt Pascal or Fleur would have been struck by inspiration and thought of some clever way to find Ro. Perhaps Amelie should have just kept to the things she was good at. In fact, perhaps this entire endeavor had been misguided and she should simply return to the nunnery before anyone realized she was gone. Then she could pretend like this whole thing had never happened.

“Dinnae speak tae my beloved like that, Monty,” a voice boomed from behind her. It was Ro. A smile appeared on her face as she turned around to see him. He was descending the stairs and now walked towards her with open arms. He ordered some breakfast and drinks from the innkeeper without taking his eyes off Amelie. He walked up to her and took her hands, kissing her gently. “I’m surprised tae see ye here. Happy, but surprised,” he said.

Amelie pulled out her slate. I have been thinking about your offer. I didn’t want to wait for you to return. I do want to go on an adventure with you, Ro. I want you to show me the world.

Ro grinned widely and a low chuckle rolled between his lips. “Ye hae nae idea how happy that makes me, Amelie. This is gaeing tae be the beginning of something beautiful. I may nae be able tae offer ye surroundings that are as beautiful as the ones ye are used tae, but I will try tae make up for that in other areas. Let us retire tae my room and we can talk about the future,” he said. Amelie was a little shocked at being invited up to his room. She wasn’t sure this was proper at all, but she decided if they were going to end up married then it wasn’t going to be an issue. Besides, Ro was a perfect gentleman and she was certain he would do nothing to corrupt her virtue.

As she walked to the stairs she heard Ro talk to Monty, and assumed that he was asking for their meals to be sent up to the room.

The stairs were rickety and creaking, as though they were groaning and wanted to be put out of their misery. The floorboards were uneven as well, and Amelie wondered why someone of Ro’s means would stay in a place such as this. But as far as she knew, this might have been as good as inns got. She still had a lot to learn about the world, but under Ro’s guidance, she was certain she would increase her knowledge exponentially.

She would just have to get used to staying in some less-than-desirable places, she supposed. But then, she wasn’t a stranger to that. As a child, she had learned to make a bed anywhere she could, either in dingy alleys or windy ruins. Hopefully, the home she would share with Ro would not be like this.

Ro opened the door to his room and she found it rather cramped. The room was not draped in finery as she expected from Ro’s manner. There was a small table on which a melted candle stood, the wax twisted and deformed. The bed was a mess.