Sepheus by Lamoureux Andrea B

Author:Lamoureux, Andrea B
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Published: 2019-03-21T00:00:00+00:00

Blaise wasn’t in the bed when I awoke to the sounds of children laughing and dishware clattering. I found her in the kitchen helping our hostess, Alice, prepare eggs and ham to break our fast.

Her cheeks turned pink as she turned her face away, concentrating on the ham she held over the flame on a meat fork.

“Good morning, Sir Sepheus,” Alice said as her two boys chased each other through the kitchen. “Food’s almost ready. I figured you’d want to eat before you set out.”

“Yes, thank you,” I replied. Blaise still hadn’t acknowledged me. Shame, I realized. She was ashamed of the intimate moment we’d shared.

“That looks well and cooked,” the woman said to Blaise, taking the ham from her. “Come on, boys. Food is ready,” she hollered to her sons.

My comrade inclined her head at me and took a seat at the dining table.

I sat across from her and the two boys sat beside me. I didn’t spare them a glance. Children made me feel awkward. “Your husband isn’t joining us?” I asked Alice, who’d taken her seat beside Blaise.

“Varis gets up early to work the fields,” she explained. “He eats his oats while the children are still asleep.”

“He’s missing out,” I said after my first bite of fluffy eggs.

The woman shrugged her slender shoulders. “He gets to break his fast with us once every seven sunrises. He makes many sacrifices for his family. We appreciate him.”

Blaise scraped the last of her food into her mouth and then said, “Your cooking is delicious. We can’t thank you enough.” She still kept her eyes adverted from my gaze. She hadn’t spared me a glance the entire meal. A bit of that light she’d put inside my heart ebbed away. She’d been lonely last night. I was only a temporary comfort. She’d never want more from me. I didn’t blame her.

The boys had made a mess of their faces. Alice fetched a cloth to clean them up with. “It was a pleasure to have company. Good luck with your task.” We’d asked her about the man others believed to be strange, but she didn’t know anything. Her family kept to themselves, usually too busy with their farm to venture to the heart of their village.

Blaise replied with a smile and we said our goodbyes.

We walked in silence on the way to the man’s house.

I couldn’t take it any longer. I stopped and touched her arm. She looked down at my hand. I removed it. “Listen, about last night…”

“It was… I didn’t…” She searched for the right words.

“I know. It’s all right. I can’t stand this awkwardness. Let’s just focus on our task.”

Her rigid shoulders loosened. “Yes, Sir Sepheus.”

I couldn’t help but smile. I preferred her teasing to the invisible wall that’d wedged its way between us.

We continued on to the man’s house and knocked on the door. At least there was no garden outside full of bountiful plants; a good sign.

“May we come in, sir? We have a couple of questions for you,” Blaise asked, standing before the very tall man with a slouched back.

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