Apathy and Vigor by Faye Hall

Author:Faye Hall
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781949300086
Publisher: Beachwalk Press, Inc.
Published: 2018-08-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

The carriage came to a stop in front of the Anabranch Hotel, and Tristen stepped out. He had been given this address a few months ago by Douglas. It did come as somewhat of a surprise when he was told of Bastian’s new living quarters, but he also knew there was probably little other choice. After the death of his father, Bastian had nothing left and no one to live off of. If he were to make himself any kind of a living, he would have to work for it—a concept totally foreign to him.

Stepping inside the building, Tristen walked over to the bartender. “I’m looking for Bastian Tanner.”

The man behind the bar pointed to a table at the rear of the establishment.

Tristen nodded his thanks, then walked over to the table and cleared his throat loudly.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Bastian asked without looking up. “It’s not often the hermit leaves his abode.”

“Amalie is at my station seeking work,” Tristen said. “I thought you might know why.”

Finally, Bastian looked up at him. “And why would you make that assumption?”

“You were engaged to the woman, Bastian. It stands to reason you would keep track of her actions.”

“That may be your assumption, but I assure you that isn’t the case.”

Tristen eyed him curiously. “So you have no idea why, after almost a year, Amalie has come to see me?”

Bastian shrugged. “Maybe she intends to make you suffer for taking her brother away from her.”

Tristen scoffed at his remark. “I guarantee you I have paid for whatever sins I’ve been guilty of more than twice over. There is little else anyone can do to make me suffer.”

“If she has come seeking revenge, you could hardly blame her. After all, it is because of you her brother is dead.”

Tristen clenched his jaw. He knew this man was baiting him, and he wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing him lose his temper. “Both Jacob and I heard Amanda scream from inside that building that night. We both went in to save her.”

Bastian nodded. “Yet it was only you who walked out unscathed. Convenient really.”

“Unscathed?” Tristen asked, forcing himself to stay calm and not indulge him. “Since you appear to know so much about what happened that night, can you tell me why Amanda was out in the workers’ cottage in the first place?” he asked, redirecting the conversation.

“I was told she’d been meeting with a woman in secret,” Bastian replied.

“Define meeting.”

Bastian sat back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. “They were lovers, or so it was rumored. There was a witness who supposedly saw a woman running from the back of the workers’ cottage the night of the fire.”

Tristen thought about that for a moment. He wasn’t surprised to hear of the apparent relationship, knowing that such a thing was far more common than most thought. Remembering Jacob’s confession to him that night though, he was slightly confused. Wasn’t his best friend the one having an affair

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