Page 34 of Dragon Heir

“Hip-hip-hooray! Hip-hip-hooray!”

I couldn’t have been happier watching all those people cheer for my husband. Still, something dark lingered in the back of my mind and my instinct again told me to look toward the front windows.

A hideous pale face hovered on the other side of the glass.

Chapter Twenty

My heart gave a leap as I recalled our earlier conversation about being haunted. This face, however, wasn’t the cherubic visage of a child but that of a middle-aged man. His thick, wavy hair was combed back from his becoming face, but the cruel expression marred his good looks. The man’s dark eyes were zeroed in on Will and I didn’t like the look in them at all.

I also didn’t want to ruin the joyous mood so I stood and skirted the folk admiring my husband so I could get to the door. My roundabout way meant I was a little slow in reaching the entrance and by the time I passed the window, the man had vanished. I slipped outside into what was now a foggy night. The misty shapes of carriages were parked nearby and the drivers and stablehands made merry in the livery.

I wrapped my coat closer to myself as the damp air sank into my bones. My feet sank a little in the damp earth and the scent of manure and chimney smoke permeated the air. I strolled out to the edge of the road and looked up and down the street. Nothing stirred. It seemed nearly all the town’s occupants were inside the pub.

“What are you doing out here?”

My heart leaped against my rib cage and I spun around. Old Mr. Ealdor stood a few feet behind me. His face was illuminated by the soft orange light of a lit pipe and his eyes studied me with a fixed although almost indifferent gaze.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and managed a shaky smile. “I-I’m sorry. I just needed some fresh air.”

He scoffed. “Seems to me you were in a hurry to get out here. Something the matter?”

I clasped my hands behind my back and smiled. “It’s nothing, really. I just thought I saw someone out here who wanted inside, that’s all. I guess I was wrong.”

Ealdor removed the pipe from his mouth and a stream of smoke puffed from his barely parted lips. I squirmed beneath his intense gaze. “Yer a bad liar, Lady Thorn. Ya might want to remember that when yer speaking with His Lordship’s people. We don’t like liars.”

My shoulders slumped and I dropped my gaze to the ground. “I’m. . .I’m sorry. I saw someone looking in through the window and, well, he didn’t look happy. I came out here to find out why but he doesn’t seem to be here.”

Ealdor squinted at me. “Ya saw a fella? What’d he look like?”

I shrugged. “Middle-aged with dark fluffy hair. And he was kind of good-looking if he would’ve been smiling.”

“But he wasn’t smiling at the window, eh?” Ealdor mused.

I shook my head. “No. He looked angry. I thought maybe it was someone who needed Will’s help.”

Ealdor lifted his beaked nose and scoffed. “Not that fella. He’s been a nuisance ever since he came into town a few weeks back.”

My eyes lit up as I understood his meaning. “So the person I saw was Donald Wrecan?”

My companion nodded. “Aye, and I’m not surprised you know his name without knowing his face. He wouldn’t show it in a group like this, not with the lord about.” The man took a heavy puff on his pipe and blew out a wisp of smoke. “The man’s got something against the lord but he doesn’t have the guts to get it out in his face.”

“So you don’t know why he hates Will this much?” I asked him.

Ealdor shook his head. “No, but he’s got coin in his pocket to spend freely. He’s come around to the pub regularly to treat anyone willing to listen to his schemes.” The old-timer scoffed. “Far too many were eager to listen to his sweet viper’s tongue as ya saw for yerself inside.” The man paused and a deep, rumbling chuckle came from him. “I bet that silver-tongued sneak didn’t expect Lord Thorn to walk into the middle of that nest he made and win over them folks, but that just shows how little he knows about the lord. Someone his age doesn’t live that long making enemies of all the people under him.”

“So you’re not an enemy?” I wondered as relief filled me and I dared do a little teasing.

Ealdor lifted his nose high in the air. “I demand respect from someone who looks as young as him but I wouldn’t lift a finger to do him harm.” He leaned toward me with the glow of the pipe accenting the many wrinkles on his face. “And you, Lady Thorn, you should mind yourself.”

I blushed. “I’m sorry. I. . .I just didn’t want to trouble you with what I saw out the window-”

He shook his head. “Not that! You wandering off when ya don’t know the place! I dare say you haven’t been here a handful of times and here you are gallivanting about like you know the place. Learn from yer dragon husband before you go looking for trouble. More so for the fog that’s drifted in. You’d get lost real quick if it was the thick stuff and a horse and carriage would roll up without seeing you, and then where would Lord Thorn be?”

I smiled and bowed my head to him. “Thank you for the very good advice. I’ll remember it.”

He waved away my thanks with a hand. “Posh. Isn’t nothing more than common sense.”

Speaking of the fog, a figure stepped out of the mist and up to my side. My heart had another small attack before I realized it was Raines. The servant studied the old man with a soft smile but Raines’ posture was slightly tense. “Is this gentleman bothering you, Lady Thorn?”

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