Page 19 of A Matter of Time
If he was going to tell her that after their kiss he found he wasn’t attracted to her, she’d be hurt, but she’d deal with it. She didn’t believe that was the case though. She had experienced a magnetic attraction to him and was sure he had as well. So what was his problem? Gritting her teeth in frustration, Angelina took her bad mood out on the eggs, whipping them beyond what was necessary and then adding them to the pan where she was sautéing some vegetables. Once everything was ready, she put together a plate for each of them and set them on the breakfast bar.
“Nick, Richard, food’s ready.” She poured some fresh coffee and when she went to sit down, found that the two shirtless wonders had each taken an end seat and left the center stool for her. She was used to seeing Nick half dressed. He was very comfortable in his own skin and never gave a thought to whether or not she minded. She didn’t, of course. Nick had a great body, but Richard’s was even better. And now here she was, having to sit next to him. She was the meat in a half-dressed man sandwich.Great. Just great.The last thing she wanted was to be subjected to the force field that seemed to emit from Richard every time she got close to him, drawing her in. Just as she expected, her skin started to burn up the minute she sat down. Her appetite immediately disappeared and instead of eating, she shoveled her food around on the plate while the two men ate every crumb on theirs.
“Are ye going to eat that?” Nick asked eyeing her untouched food.
“No. I’m not very hungry this morning.” Angelina pushed her plate towards him and he took half and sent the rest down the counter to Richard.
“Where’s yer appetite gone to, lass? Did Richard do something he shouldnae have after I went to bed last night? Is that why ye cannae eat?” Nick’s eyes twinkled with mischief.
Angelina didn’t answer immediately and she could sense Richard’s discomfort in the seat next to her. “Of course not, don’t be silly. Nothing of any importance happened. I’m just not hungry. Can’t a girl skip a meal without you jumping to ridiculous conclusions?”
Nick chuckled in apparent disbelief. “I’ve a few phone calls to make, so if ye’ll excuse me. Richard will help ye with the dishes, willnae ye?”
“Yes, I’d be happy to.” Angelina noticed Richard was giving Nick that pained expression again.
“You go sit in the living room, or do whatever it is you do after breakfast. I can do this myself.” The last thing she wanted was to be in close quarters with Richard. She’d barely made it through breakfast and she still had to find a way to get out of their little ‘talk’.
“Alright, I’ll go take a shower then.” Richard departed the kitchen, leaving Angelina to clean up the mess. She quickly got everything done and before Richard had finished showering, she gathered her things and slipped out through the door like a thief in the night, or rather like a woman determined to avoid any further discussions.
“Where’s Angelina?” Richard asked, as he exited his room fresh from the shower.
“I dinnae ken where she went off to in such a hurry, but she didnae even say goodbye. We’ll see her later today at practice.” Nick stood up and walked towards Richard. “Would ye like to tell me what happened between the two of ye? The air in the room between ye was thick.”
“Nothing happened.” Richard was embarrassed by his behavior the previous night and didn’t feel like sharing with Nick.
“Fine, but I know otherwise. I can read it all over yer face, and Angelina’s was nae any better. And I heard ye tell her that ye needed to explain yerself.” Nick wore that crooked grin that women found disarming, but Richard found just plain annoying. “I ken yer attraction to her and I see that she feels the same. Why can ye nae just enjoy yerself? Live for the here and now, and dinnae worry for tomorrow.”
“If only I could, my friend. You’ve always been able to do that, but as you know, it’s not quite as easy for me.” Richard walked to the window and gazed down into the street.
“Mayhap that is what yer here to learn.” Nick’s expression seemed to suggest he thought he had just solved the puzzle, but Richard wasn’t so certain.
“Perhaps it is, but I think there must be something more. I only hope it reveals itself to me soon. I’d like to go home.”
Chapter 10
As far as practices went, this one had been uneventful, but progress was made among all the men and Richard was certain that by the time the tournament rolled around they would be more than ready. Much to his disappointment, Angelina had not joined them. She’d called Nick and told him she wasn’t feeling well and was going to stay home and rest. Richard knew he was the cause of her absence and he felt terrible about it.
Nick called a cab and they headed back to the house, to discover Quinn waiting for them, and he was carrying Richard’s new sword. If anything would draw Richard out of the doldrums, it was the arrival of a shiny, sharp new sword. He hefted it in his hand for the first time and tested the weight of it. It was lighter than he’d expected, but very finely constructed. In fact, he decided after a moment or two, he liked the lightness. Tiring during a long battle was never good and the weight of this sword would assist him in that regard. The hilt was exquisitely crafted, with black leather and steel wrappings and the wing-like extensions on the guard were beautiful to gaze upon and equally utilitarian. Overall, Richard was quite pleased with Quinn’s efforts.
“Shall we go in?” Nick suggested. “’Tis cold out and I’d enjoy a glass of whiskey. I’m sure you two would like to join me, eh?” He opened the door and Richard and Quinn followed him inside.
“Quinn, you’ve done a fine job. This sword is well balanced, light and beautiful. It will serve me well in future battles. Thank you.” Richard continued admiring his new sword, inspecting the fine scrollwork on the blade and the black stones embedded in the guard. “You are a most talented craftsman.”
“I’m happy you’re pleased with it. I make so many swords and the new owners almost never truly appreciate the finer details involved. I can see that you are a man who knows his way around a weapon.” Quinn accepted the drink Nick was offering him. “Thank you. When is the next tournament?”
“In a little less than two weeks. Will you be joining us?” Nick handed Richard a glass and then waved them both over to the living room to sit down.
“I’ll be there. I know you guys don’t fight with real swords, but it’s still great fun to watch. Who’s your competition this year?” Quinn sipped his drink, directing his gaze over the top of the glass at Nick.
“Malcolm Granger and his lads. I cannae lie. He’s been a difficult competitor in the past, but with Richard here, I feel confident that we can win this,” Nick said.
“Malcolm Granger – I wouldn’t put it past him to fight with real swords. He’s ruthless when it comes to winning, you should be careful of him.” Quinn’s face showed his concern. “He’s been a customer of mine in the past. He had some swords that had been found on an archeological dig and he wanted me to replicate them for him, making them look like new, of course. He was willing to pay whatever I wanted to ensure they were perfect. I like to work alone, but he stood over my shoulder watching my every move and giving me direction on theproperway to make a medieval sword. He paid me well for the work, but there’s something about him that I just don’t like.”
“I ken yer meaning. He can be a bit of a bastard. Let him bring his best and we’ll see if he can win.”
Richard listened intently and decided he didn’t like what he was hearing. “Do you truly believe he’ll use real swords?” If that were the case, their group would be at a distinct and dangerous disadvantage.
“Like I said, I wouldn’t put it past him,” Quinn answered.
