Chapter 408: A Farewell and A Question

Chapter 407: A Farewell and A Question

Lyria’s POV

The conversation flowed after that.

The tension that had gripped the tavern earlier seemed to have loosened its hold, replaced by the familiar warmth of laughter and easy talk. Glasses clinked. Voices rose and fell freely.

I found myself laughing too, being involved in every conversation going on even those at the far end of the room.

At some point, Bridget and I had to judge who was the best at arm wrestling. It was extremely fun, exactly how I remembered the Tallow and Tide to be.

But all things must end.

Patrons began to rise from their seats, stretching and gathering their belongings. They had no where urgent to go but they also understood that the night had run its course. They had spent enough time, they said. There were homes to return to, families waiting, work to rise for also.

I turned to Duke Thorncrest.

"Perhaps it is time for us to leave as well," I said.

He nodded and our group rose from the table.

Jacob, who had been watching us, spoke up before we could move toward the stairs.

"I’m sad ter see ye go, lass."

I smiled at him.

"I am sad to go too," I said. "I will miss you, Jacob."

He grinned at that.

"Can I get a ’ug, then?"

Olly scoffed immediately beside him.

"A fine beauty like Lizzy ain’t gonna ’ug ye," he said. "Ye’ll infect ’er wiv yer bad luck."

I laughed at that though contrary to what Olly said, I was going to hug Jacob. I stepped toward him and wrapped my arms around him.

He hugged me back, then he lowered his voice until it was only for me.

"Take care of yerself," he said quietly against my ear. "I know ye’ll do good. Ye are only just gettin’ started, an’ ye can do more than ye fink. I know it."

I understood at once.

He was not speaking to Lizzy.

He was speaking to me, Lyria.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He released me and I turned to Olly.

He opened his arms without hesitation, and I stepped into them. He patted my back twice, firmly and without fuss.

"I’ll miss ye too, lass," he said.

I smiled as I stepped back.

"I will miss you as well."

He gave a small nod and reached for his glass, and that was that.

Helen approached us then, her expression softer than it usually permitted itself to be.

"Follow me," she said.

She led us up the narrow stairs to her office, retrieving our cloaks from where she had hung them. I took mine and adjusted it around my shoulders.

For a moment she simply looked at me,as if cataloguing my features.

"Don’t take Jacob’s words ter ’eart too much," she said quietly. "Ye should live fer yerself, luv. Not fer anyone else. Not fer the people in that tavern, not fer the ones expectin’ fings of ye. Fer yerself first."

I smiled at her, then I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her without even deliberating about it.

"I w-will miss you," I said.

She hugged me back tightly — tighter than I had expected, and for longer.

"I’ll miss ye too, sweetheart," she said.

When she pulled back, her eyes moved across my face once more.

"Be careful, won’t ye?" she said.

I nodded.

She hesitated, her expression shifting into something that looked almost like frustration directed at herself.

"I’m sorry I don’t ’ave anyfin’ ter give ye," she said. "I can’t give ye money, ye don’t need it now, do ye. Ointments? ’Ave ye finished the old one?"

I shook my head.

"No, I h-have not."

She frowned.

"Then that won’t do. Food, maybe? But then—"

I stopped her with a gentle hand upon her arm.

"I d-do not need a g-gift," I said. "Being able t-to come back here is g-gift enough."

I paused, then I continued.

"I am s-sad I did n-not get to see B-Brianna. And it is really I w-who should have come w-with something for you, not the other w-way around. But I am g-glad to have been able to speak f-freely. To talk with the people in the t-tavern. To simply b-be in their presence again without everything else a-attached to it."

Helen made a sound at that then she pulled me into another embrace, and this time there was nothing brisk about it.

"Take good care of yerself," she said. "An’ if fings get too much up there, if it all becomes more than ye can carry, ye can always come back ’ere. Ye ’ear me? Always."

I nodded against her shoulder.

We stayed like that for a long moment before she released me and turned away briefly, pressing the back of her hand to her eye in a gesture I suspect she would not have appreciated being observed too closely.

"Off ye go, then," she said, when she had collected herself. "Before I keep ye ’ere all night an’ ye get in trouble on my account."

She turned to Duke Thorncrest, Bridget, and Brayden, her expression settling back into something more characteristic of herself.

"Take care of me girl," she said.

Bridget nodded without hesitation.

"I will."

Brayden inclined his head.

Duke Thorncrest’s voice, when he spoke, was quiet but entirely certain.

"I already plan to."

Helen looked at him for a moment, assessing him. Apparently satisfied, she nodded once.

Then she saw us out through the side door.

The night air met us immediately — cool and clean against my face after the warmth of the tavern. The cobblestones were wet from an earlier rain I had not noticed, and the lanterns reflected in the puddles between the stones.

We walked in silence for a while. It did not need filling and I was lost in thought too, the words spoken at the tavern stuck with me after all.

I quite thought we would continue in silence but then Duke Thorncrest spoke.

"Do you remember what you asked me during the ball?"