Brief Hours

Chapter Four

The next day was better, I guess. I still had the haunting feeling inside me, like something bad was going to happen but in truth it had already happened and I was haunted by it. I avoided any confrontation with my parents and I was sure they were steering clear of me, I actually spent my morning with Mary in the library answering questions about a book she made me read. It was dull but a nice distraction from how difficult my thoughts had become.

Even after she left I stayed in my seat, staring at the empty pages until the words weren't even there anymore. Nothing seemed to fill this new void, this new sense of dread, everyday I moved closer to leaving behind everything.

I closed the book and reached over the desk for another, it was a geography book. I opened it to the map that Mary used to show me where Bymere was and Virhalle and the sea, I traced the border between the two countries with my finger. I thought I may have been falling asleep but then there was a light knock at the door.

"Yes?" I spoke loudly, rubbing my face a bit to wake myself up.

"My lady?" Mrs Black slipped in, her grey hair twisted into a bun at the back of her head.

"How can I help Mrs Black?" I turned in my seat to face her, closing the book and placing it on one of the piles.

"You have a visitor, my lady" She curtsied then left, I frowned, it was rare that I got a visitor that wasn't Louis who I mainly exchanged letters with. He was from Cygal and we met at a charity ball when I was fifteen, he was considerably older but trust me he was far more attracted to the waiters then me. He was terribly funny and we could talk for hours about the silliest of things but he was a duke back in Cygal so he had duties. Sadly he stopped writing recently and never told me why, perhaps he was just away and too busy to write and I definitely wasn't going to pry.

I followed Mrs Black downstairs to the hallway where a familiar figure waited. Something different exploded inside me and I hurried towards him.

"Bertie!" I exclaimed and he turned to face me but he didn't seem half as happy as I, actually he looked particularly grim.

"Emma" He smiled a little bit it looked forced, "I wonder if we could talk?"

Mrs Black looked between us and sighed quietly then left us. I guided him to the drawing room to the left and we sat opposite each other, he looked distressed and I assumed he knew.

"What would you like to talk about?" I asked gently, I tried to look comfortable but I was really nervous.

"I suspect you've heard because you're father told mine that you're planning on running" He looked as uncomfortable as I did, brushing back his hair with his hands and rolling his shoulders around.

"Well yes, we are leaving soon but I've dried not to dwell on it" I lied, it was all I had though about since last night.

"Right, I wanted to see if you were alright" He stopped fidgeting and leaned forward, "I know you've never left West Bymere"

"I'm scared but I'm most worried about leaving my friends" I murmured, my thoughts were with Will and Rose who worked too hard to be thrown away so quickly.

"I'm sorry. Father is insisting that we stay, apparently the king will need him when the time comes" He chuckled lightly, "I don't actually think he's ever met the king, he's just very committed"

"I wish I could stay" I looked at my hands, as much as I wanted to stay would I leave my parents?

"So do I" He replied and we sat in silence for a minute or two.

Bertie stared at the rug, I stared out the window. It wasn't awkward but it was quite sad and I missed funny Bertie.

"Emma. Would you like to go into the city for the afternoon?" Bertie had stood up and come to sit beside me, he took my hands and smiled up at me excitedly. "How about I take you shopping?"