“I’ll be takin’ ye back to the abbey,” he explained in a gentle voice, waving his hand in front of him in a welcome for Emilie to climb up the stairs.
She did so, and when Marcus closed the door behind her, he turned and glared at Archer once more. He stalked toward him, shoulders squared.
For the first time since they’d been nothing more than hot-headed teenagers, Archer was almost certain that Marcus was going to hit him. But Marcus stopped a few feet shy of him, glaring at Archer.
“Ye cannae tell me that this is what ye truly want,” Marcus hissed, keeping his voice low so that Emilie wouldn’t overhear where she was tucked away within the carriage. “Nae after the way ye looked like ye were goin’ to vomit by simply watchin’ her leave.”
“It doesnae matter,” Archer growled back. “I have made me decision, and I will nae be swayed. Nae by her and certainly nay by ye. So, ye will do as I told ye and take her to the abbey, or tomorrow I will be findin’ meself a new man-at-arms. Do I make meself clear?”
Archer didn’t wait for an answer before he turned and walked back up the stairs and into the castle. He did not so much as glance over his shoulder.
He didn’t need to. He heard it as Marcus turned and walked across the gravel to the carriage.
And right before he closed the doors of the castle, he heard the snap of the whip as Marcus spurred the carriage on. Taking Emilie back to where she came from and making him feel more and more ill with every additional second that passed.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The abbey looked exactly the same as she remembered it, even in the darkness. Of course, that should be no surprise to Emilie.
The abbey had hardly changed in the last fifty years. Surely it would not change in the weeks that she had been gone.
The carriage rolled to a stop, Marcus speaking loudly so that he could be heard through the carriage walls.
“Would ye like me to go in and announce that ye’ve arrived?” he asked, and Emilie sighed.
“Nay,” she answered.
Not waiting for him to open the door, she opened it herself and climbed down the stairs. Marcus jumped down from the driver’s seat of the carriage, clearly startled to find her standing before him. Marcus just stared.
“Do ye need any help with anythin’?”
Emilie shook her head, holding up the folded habit that she was still clutching tightly.
“All I have is this, and I think I’m able to carry it all on me own.”
They stared at each other for a moment, the awkward moment drawing out until Emilie finally cleared her throat.
“Thank ye for bringin’ me here,” she said, “Please tell Paisly I said goodbye.”
Marcus nodded, bowing his head a bit in reverence.
“For what it’s worth,” he said, his tone sincere, “Archer is makin’ a massive mistake. But daenae tell him I said that. He’d have me head.”
Emilie chuckled despite herself. “I daenae think I’ll even have a chance to tell him ye said anythin’. But regardless, yer secret is safe with me.”
They shared a quick, goodbye smile before Emilie glanced at the abbey. Heads were silhouetted in the window, and she knew that they had heard the carriage approaching.
As if on cue, the door to the abbey was pulled open. In the light, Emilie recognized the shape of Laura standing there, peering out into the darkness.
She turned to Marcus, giving him her thanks before walking toward the abbey.
Laura took a few steps out, dark shapes filing in at her back, but Emilie could not make out their faces. It took a moment, the carriage already rolling away, when Laura finally let out a squeal.
“Emilie!” She cried, wasting no time as she rushed forward and wrapped Emilie in a hug.
Chatter broke out amongst the girls behind her, and before Emilie knew it, more of them were rushing forward. As they got closer, Emilie was finally able to see their faces.
Nieve, Kayla, and even little Poppy, among them. For the first time that night, the tears that sprang to Emilie’s eyes were happy ones.