The Eternal Shadow

Chapter 60

LX

"Thought I might find you here."

Guy's voice echoes softly through the stables and makes Francesca gasp.

After the angry words exchanged this morning and his distant manner at dinner this evening, she had not thought he would want to speak to her again, let alone in such warm tones and the relief she feels is so overwhelming, she needs a moment to steady herself before she turns to face him.

"Yes, well, you know me..."

"I do."

Fond smiles at this, but neither is so brave as to chance a look at the other. The storm may have passed, but they remain wary, and Francesca turns back to the horse she is grooming, struggling with warring emotions.

An awkward silence follows as they avoid the elephant in the room, both with much to say on the subject of the disastrous wedding, but neither wishing to be the first to touch upon it lest the fragile peace shatter. It can't be avoided though, for it is the reason Guy sought her out - a million apologies upon his lips, but paralysed by the fear that with his violent reaction to Marian's betrayal, he's pushed her too far this time.

She should hate him. Detest him with a vengeance. He has shown her (yet again) how much of a monster he can be and yet she neither loathes nor shuns him - it is beyond his comprehension. He has not forgotten what she said to him as Marian lay dying nor does he doubt her sincerity, but somehow he still can't quite bring himself to believe that after all he has done, she does not give up on him.

"I sometimes think it would be better to be a horse."

This comment comes so completely out of the left field, Guy doesn't know what to do with it. He was already floored that he'd got this far without her ignoring or rejecting him and now she was chatting amiably as if nothing had happened.

"No parties to attend, no strict etiquette and social mores to follow, no expectations to fulfil..." she continues, scrunching her face in disgust and Guy jumps in with both feet before he can overthink it,

"No weddings..." he quips and is rewarded with a shy grin from her that he thinks he will most likely treasure all his remaining days.

"No, none of that, only the quiet life for this most noble of creatures: days of honest work followed by peaceful evenings in the stall, content so long as one is warm and well fed." She smiles at the horse as she gently runs the brush over the docile animal.

"Do you think if I pray hard enough God will turn me into one?" She asks playfully and the wish is so bittersweet he can hardly stand it.

"It wouldn't hurt to try..." He whispers, his voice so low she has to strain to hear it, "and whilst you're at it you could ask him to do the same for me."

They both smile at this and trade sighs, letting their minds paint a picture of how good it would be.

Guy cannot help it, he has to look at her now and if she'd already broken his heart with her prayer, the next question does him in completely;

"Would you still be my friend if we were horses?"

"Yes."

With every fibre of my being: yes .

"I would like that." He whispers.

"Yes, it would be better for you I think – I couldn't tell you off as a horse."

"No you could not but I'm sure I would follow you anyway."

She is visibly moved by this. Cannot speak. Panic wells within her as she realises that the floodgates are about to open and she turns to hide from him, but he steps forward and takes her hands in his before falling to his knees before her in contrition.