Let it Snow!

❄️Forty-Seven❄️

In the morning, Martin's text reached her while she carried her breakfast-- a simple cup of coffee as her stomach, tied in knots since Martin left her with Eric the previous night, found the idea of food perfectly unappealing-- to the kitchen table and sat down, huddled under a blanket, already dressed for work, feeling drained of all energy, too tired to bother with rekindling the fires for the half hour she had before she would leave.

Victoria woke up with a terrible headache but sober, he informed, and he, having made sure that she was fit enough to look after Lily, was on his way to deal with his brother. Then he would wait for Daniel to be delivered by his friend's mother from the pyjama party, load him in the car and drive him to his mother's parents, who lived in a small town in the mountains some one hundred and fifty kilometres away. They would be back in time for Clelia's Christmas dinner tomorrow, he assured her.

Nora was burning with curiosity about this side of Martin, this part of his life, this family she didn't know. She wanted to ask if he would visit Bertha wherever she was... But this shouldn't concern her; it wasn't her place to ask questions about something he apparently wanted to leave behind, or at least did not wish to drag between the two of them. He had already told her as much as he was comfortable with her knowing at this stage of their relationship.

Nora sighed as she typed her reply, 'Have a great time with Daniel. Say hello to him from me, please. I'll see you both tomorrow.'

She finished her coffee, rinsed her cup in the sink, and then carried her blanket to the sofa, casting her eyes around the room. Everything was tidy and clean; she could leave for the day. She had things to do today-- two groups of visitors to lead through the castle, then visit Magdalena in her shop and get herself a ball gown...

She donned her coat and grabbed her handbag, dropping her phone inside as she locked the door behind her, and headed for the castle that grew in front of her as she descended the snow-covered meadow.

"Nora!"

She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the freezing metal as she locked the door leading to the castle's cave and vault after her last visitor. Eric.

Inhaling deeply, she turned to face her reality, crossing her arms around her body in an attempt to ward off Eric as well as the cold. Exiting the much warmer cave, the gust of freezing wind carrying the scent and promise of another snowfall that rushed around her, sweeping across the courtyard, brushing past the sliding doors of the hotel where Eric stood, then whistling through the Entry Hall, forcing the last visitors of the castle before Christmas to adjust their scarves, and search their pockets for hats and gloves, made her shiver.

"Eric," she said in lieu of a greeting as he reached her, his body filling her entire field of vision, towering above her.

"Martin and Daniel are gone, they left me alone!" he complained like a little, neglected boy, his puppy eyes making her giggle involuntarily. "I just moved to my hotel room, my big brother wouldn't have me around his place the whole Christmas." He chuckled. "I wonder why?"

His eyes bored into Nora's, making her feel guilty... and victorious and content at the same time.

"However," he continued when she said nothing, "this leaves the entire afternoon to ourselves. Martin very mysteriously said that at least he wouldn't be in our way should you want to talk to me..."

Oh, Martin! Nora's fingers itched to pull her phone from the pocket of the castle's floor-length coat she was wearing and ask him if he talked to Victoria and Lily as he had promised. She would have called him if she didn't know that he was driving at the moment. The roads leading to small towns in the mountains were not easily navigable in winter.