’s just one thing, really,” Ryan murmured, edging closer. He fingered his collar suggestively. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Please, don’t do that! “Is there any reason why you seem so fond of my shirt buttons?”
I knew it. I ’d blown it. How much longer was he going to make me squirm before he forced the truth out of me?
“Oh, n-no reason.” I gripped the sheets so hard I was afraid I ’d rip them. But if I didn’t, I’d jump into his arms. Damn, why hadn’t I prepared for this? I should’ve known the stupid curse was waiting to corner me. Forget the blushing and memories; this was its best attempt yet.
“No reason at all?” Ryan rai sed an eyebrow. Come on, Eliza! There might still be a way out.
My eyes happened to focus on his buttons again, and I couldn ’t believe my luck. The one below his collar was loose, dangling by a thread and close to falling off.
“Well…” I forced myself to take a deep breath. Go for it. “I…er…I don ’t know if you noticed, but…” Somehow I regained enough self-control to lift my hand and point to his chest. “Your button’s broken. I thought I’d…um…pull it off, so I could sew it back on another time.”
Ryan blinked, and peered at his shirt. A bewildered look crossed his features, and he ripped the loose button off. If I wasn ’t caught in a maelstrom of panic and terror, I might have laughed.
At last Ryan looked at me, but the intensity in his gaze had gone. His eyes filled with their usual warmth. He backed off, chuckling.
“You’re too much, Eliza.” He shoved the broken button into a pocket, then stood up. “Thank you for noticing.” He stepped towards the window. “It’s been a tough day for you. Rest up. I’ll go to the market and get what we need.” He spun round, and flashed a reassuring smile. “Don’t miss me too much.”
And with that he left the room.
As the door closed, I collapsed onto the pillows. An interrogation from the Guardsmen would’ve been less intimidating. At the same time, our exchange left me confused. That look in his eyes; I could’ve sworn he knew my secret. With the way I’d been acting today, even he couldn’t have missed the signs.
So why hadn ’t he confronted me? Why hadn’t he torn through my lies and forced me to own up that I’d caught him in a Binding? It wasn’t like he could just brush this off. And that smile before he left, as if he’d been pulling my leg to see my reaction…
I shook my head. Ryan was certainly providing his fair share of riddles. There was the tiny possibility he was still clueless and was just teasing me, but I doubted anyone could be that naïve. Even him. My mind began to tick over, desperate for an answer. Only one other thing stuck out in his behaviour. Maybe he was going for a fair exchange strategy. He wouldn ’t question my secrets, in the hope I wouldn’t question his.
Now that was naïve.
I rubbed my eyes. Never mind; I could worry about this later. I had no idea how long it would take before the magic started to work on him, but so far the spell seemed focused on me. I would have to bide my time as long as possible.
For a while I lay on the bed, waiting for my heart to return to its normal rhythm, then sat up. I still felt hot, so I threw off my cloak and jacket, brushing my hair behind my shoulders. As my jacket hit the sheets, I heard a metallic thunk.
Bemused, I rifled through the pockets. I didn ’t remember bringing anything to the clearing. Eventually my fingers clasped something cold and heavy, and I drew out a brass watch with leather straps. The face was slightly bigger than a normal wristwatch, and it comprised of three dials labelled ‘temperature’, ‘pulse’, and ‘blood pressure’. Each ring was colour-coded with green, amber and red sections, and the underside had a loose brass pin.
My mouth went dry.
This was Father’s iasometer, the instrument he used to triage patients. He’d been presented it as an award for
I knew it. I ’d blown it. How much longer was he going to make me squirm before he forced the truth out of me?
“Oh, n-no reason.” I gripped the sheets so hard I was afraid I ’d rip them. But if I didn’t, I’d jump into his arms. Damn, why hadn’t I prepared for this? I should’ve known the stupid curse was waiting to corner me. Forget the blushing and memories; this was its best attempt yet.
“No reason at all?” Ryan rai sed an eyebrow. Come on, Eliza! There might still be a way out.
My eyes happened to focus on his buttons again, and I couldn ’t believe my luck. The one below his collar was loose, dangling by a thread and close to falling off.
“Well…” I forced myself to take a deep breath. Go for it. “I…er…I don ’t know if you noticed, but…” Somehow I regained enough self-control to lift my hand and point to his chest. “Your button’s broken. I thought I’d…um…pull it off, so I could sew it back on another time.”
Ryan blinked, and peered at his shirt. A bewildered look crossed his features, and he ripped the loose button off. If I wasn ’t caught in a maelstrom of panic and terror, I might have laughed.
At last Ryan looked at me, but the intensity in his gaze had gone. His eyes filled with their usual warmth. He backed off, chuckling.
“You’re too much, Eliza.” He shoved the broken button into a pocket, then stood up. “Thank you for noticing.” He stepped towards the window. “It’s been a tough day for you. Rest up. I’ll go to the market and get what we need.” He spun round, and flashed a reassuring smile. “Don’t miss me too much.”
And with that he left the room.
As the door closed, I collapsed onto the pillows. An interrogation from the Guardsmen would’ve been less intimidating. At the same time, our exchange left me confused. That look in his eyes; I could’ve sworn he knew my secret. With the way I’d been acting today, even he couldn’t have missed the signs.
So why hadn ’t he confronted me? Why hadn’t he torn through my lies and forced me to own up that I’d caught him in a Binding? It wasn’t like he could just brush this off. And that smile before he left, as if he’d been pulling my leg to see my reaction…
I shook my head. Ryan was certainly providing his fair share of riddles. There was the tiny possibility he was still clueless and was just teasing me, but I doubted anyone could be that naïve. Even him. My mind began to tick over, desperate for an answer. Only one other thing stuck out in his behaviour. Maybe he was going for a fair exchange strategy. He wouldn ’t question my secrets, in the hope I wouldn’t question his.
Now that was naïve.
I rubbed my eyes. Never mind; I could worry about this later. I had no idea how long it would take before the magic started to work on him, but so far the spell seemed focused on me. I would have to bide my time as long as possible.
For a while I lay on the bed, waiting for my heart to return to its normal rhythm, then sat up. I still felt hot, so I threw off my cloak and jacket, brushing my hair behind my shoulders. As my jacket hit the sheets, I heard a metallic thunk.
Bemused, I rifled through the pockets. I didn ’t remember bringing anything to the clearing. Eventually my fingers clasped something cold and heavy, and I drew out a brass watch with leather straps. The face was slightly bigger than a normal wristwatch, and it comprised of three dials labelled ‘temperature’, ‘pulse’, and ‘blood pressure’. Each ring was colour-coded with green, amber and red sections, and the underside had a loose brass pin.
My mouth went dry.
This was Father’s iasometer, the instrument he used to triage patients. He’d been presented it as an award for
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