Page 36 of Love Beyond Words
“You’re right. Don’t take too long. I don’t want to field dinnertime questions from everyone without you.”
Once the door closed behind him, I quickly finished the loose braid at the nape of my neck and allowed it to drape over my left shoulder.
I never braided my hair back home, but something about it felt century-appropriate regardless of whether or not that was actually true.
Taking a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I felt a little bit better than I had all day. Calder was entitled to his opinion. It didn’t make it true. My breasts looked awesome in this dress, and my extra “padding” as Calder had said, gave me a comely shape that I quite liked. I had a pretty face and smile, and as far as I was concerned, Calder had the face of a constipated pug. I was certain I had far less trouble picking up men than he did women.
“Screw him.”
I whispered the words under my breath just as someone began to knock on the door to the bedchamber. Dread filled me. If it was Calder, I didn’t want to answer. I didn’t need his apology. I didn’t need to ever speak to him again. Smoothing my dress and straightening my shoulders, I cautiously walked over to the door.
“Who is it?”
“’Tis Raudrich, lass. I came to fetch ye for dinner.”
“Raudrich?”
I was so surprised to hear his voice on the other side of the door that I flung the door open so quickly, it nearly hit me in the head. As I looked back at him, I reeled back in shock.
“Wha…Wha…How? You look great.”
It was nearly as baffling to me as the time travel. Raudrich had looked absolutely awful only a few hours earlier, now he looked unnervingly hot.
His bloodied and swollen nose was healed, and from the way he stood, I didn’t believe his ribs were hurting him any longer.
He also was no longer squinting, almost as if he could see perfectly well.
He smiled at what I knew had to be my bug-eyed expression.
“Ye do know that we are druids, lass? Dinna ye hear me screaming? They healed me.”
So that part of the legend was true. I could mark one question off of my very long list.
“Um, yes, yes I definitely did hear you screaming, but I never imagined that they were doing all of that.” I motioned up and down his body with my hand, and he laughed.
“Ye approve then? I look fair better than I did before, aye?”
“You still looked pretty good before, too, but now you look…wow.”
The moment I heard the words leave my mouth, I nearly fell back in shock. What the freaking hell had gotten into me? I could feel the blood rush to my face as I warmed into a horrifyingly embarrassing blush.
Thankfully, he said nothing to embarrass me further and gracefully moved on to another topic of conversation.
“I hope ye are not overly hungry. The lads are all rather tired after the spell they did for me so I was forced to finish the meal. It has been some time since I cooked. ’Tis rubbish.”
I was famished, but I wouldn’t tell him that.
“I’m sure it will be fine. Is everyone else already down there? I’m sorry if you all were waiting on me. You really should have just gone on ahead.”
“All save Calder are on their way downstairs now.”
At the mention of Calder’s name, my smile fell. I hoped that Raudrich didn’t know about what happened. I tried to keep my tone as congenial as possible as I asked about him.
“Why isn’t Calder going to dinner?”
“He’s gone, lass.”
“Gone?”
