Page 10 of A Second Chance for Carys
“No. Apart from Carys and Eirwen having started to speak English. They are doing well.”
Yes, he knew that already, but he didn’t say so. For a reason he could not fathom, he didn’t want anyone to know he’d stopped to talk to Carys before he’d gone to see them. It was ridiculous. After all, it was not as if they had done anything forbidden, and Matthew had seen them together anyway.
“I am pleased. It will be easier for everyone,” he commented. “I saw my Goldie gave birth to her first litter.”
“Yes.” Branwen smiled. “We suspect Silver to be the father.”
James didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to have to explain why he knew for certain Silver was the father. He couldn’t, however, stop himself from stealing a glance at Carys. She was working very hard at untangling a thread that had somehow become knotted on itself. A most unexpected mishap to happen to such a talented embroiderer. Was she, like him, remembering the day by the river when they had seen the dogs? Perhaps, too, the night back in June when she had fallen on him?
Was that the reason for her unrest?
“What about you, James?” Matthew asked roundly. “Forgive me for saying as much, but you look as if you’ve not been well.”
“That’s because I haven’t. But I should be over the worst now.”
“Oh, dear.” Branwen sounded full of concern. “I hope you don’t intend to overtax yourself now that you’re back.”
“I won’t.” James stood up more abruptly than he’d intended. “If you will excuse me, however, I will go and see that everything is in order. I’ve been away for too long.”
Yes, too long, but not long enough to forget the Welsh woman doing her best to blend into the background.
Chapter Four
The robin had fluffed up his feathers and was cleaning himself thoroughly, spreading his wings, lifting his tail, shaking his head. His little inflated body was twice its usual size, and almost perfectly round. He was so beautiful. Carys smiled to herself. Robins had always been her favorite birds. She would have liked nothing more than to scoop him up in her palm and cradle his softness in her palms. He would weigh nothing, and be as fragile as newly fallen snow.
Was everything that was good in life as fleeting and delicate? Love certainly seemed to be. She and her husband had loved one another fiercely, and yet there was nothing left of it now. The only proof there had ever been a man called Dewi ab Anarawd lived in her memory, where no one could see it.
The bird shook himself one last time and let out a contented chirp. She tilted her head, unable to detach her gaze from him.
“Now, what has you so fascinated, I wonder?”
Carys let out a little gasp when the question reached her from behind. James. She had still not accustomed herself to him being back—or that she could understand him. All those months ago she had thought his way of talking particularly gruff. She could see now that it was in fact simply due to his deep voice.
“The bird, here, on the?—”
Before she could finish the sentence, the robin had flown away. Carys followed him with her gaze for as long as she could. Where was he going? To the forest yonder or farther away? Did he mean to reach the sea? Lucky him.
“The robin that was here you mean?” James asked, drawing to her side.
“Yes.” She was delighted by the piece of information. She had not known the English name for the bird, and loved that it was the same as it was Welsh.Robin goch. Red robin. It would be one less word to remember. “I love robins.”
“Why?”
He sounded nonplussed that anyone could express such a sentiment, and perhaps it was foolish to have a favorite bird. Because when she wanted to explain what the attraction was she discovered that she had no idea why that was exactly. She had always liked them, ever since she was a child and she’d not thought she would ever have to justify her decision to anyone.
“I don’t know.” What could she say? “They are so funny, don’t you think?. Round and lovely.”
“I suppose so.” He didn’t sound convinced but eager not to contradict her. It made her smile.
James watched Carys look back in the direction where the little robin had flown. There was a look of wonder on her face, as if she had just seen an angel. It puzzled him. How could the sight of a bird have sent her into such a reverie? How many robins, wrens or sparrows had he seen in his life, without ever thinking anything of it? Her capacity to find beauty and joy in the simplest things amazed him. Only the day before he had seen her eyes light up when Silver had run up to her. Even though he imagined she saw the dog every day of her life, you could have sworn she’d been reunited with a long-lost friend. Everything she did was done with the same enthusiasm. She always ate withrelish, laughed as if she had no care in the world, walked as if she were heading for a place where untold delights awaited her.
Next to her he felt oddly constrained, dull.
Odd, because as a young man, he had never thought of himself in that way. True, he had never been the most outspoken of men, but then Joanne had changed him, for the better. During their marriage, he’d been able to fight his natural tendency to be withdrawn. Since her death, he had kept himself to himself, and not worried about how he appeared to others. But perhaps now that he’d lost what little passion she’d managed to spark in him he had become a hollow husk of a man.
It was not a pleasing thought.
“I’ve never seen the sea,” Carys said, bringing him back to the present. “Dewi and I said we would go together but we never did.”
