Chapter 14
Hazel woke up with a smile on her face. A smile that gradually turned to mild confusion as she stared bewildered at her unfamiliar surrounding. Then it all came back. She remembered coming to Wilpur to live with her new guardian. Her mother was dead, and gone were the days of living in the cottage and going off to hunt in the woods. She remembered vaguely her dinner the previous night, which she had here in her bed chamber, and then she had dug back into the covers and slept.
She closed her eyes a moment and allowed herself to dwell on the present. She was lying on top a very soft mattress. It was so luxuriously soft, she half felt it was made of air. She giggled at the thought of an air mattress – but then, this was the city of Wilpur, and everything was possible.
She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, gradually. A boy that looked a few years younger than her was seated opposite her, watching her in slight amusement. It was now obvious to her that the he had probably been watching her while she slept. Her legs swung to the floor immediately, and she sat starring at the boy Lord Gareth had introduced to her as his son. Her defenses up, she tried not to appear frightened, the worst thing would be to let the boy know she was afraid. From her experiences with the youth in the village, she would not be surprised if the boy had only been waiting for her to awaken before he would attack.
"Do you know," Jamie said softly. "That I cannot sleep so peacefully in a strange house – but you are from the country are you not? And I guess the beds there cannot be very comfortable."
Hazel remained silent, starring up at him in mistrust.
"Okay. Even I wouldn't reply myself, what do I know about country beds anyway – I don't know how to ask this, but are all the people in the country as stupid as you are? Pardon me, but can you not at least make light conversation?"
Hazel was aware that she had been insulted, but she was still too frightened to take offence, and something in the way Jamie had made the comment showed that the boy was not deliberately being insulting. He was simply at his wits end.
"Oh! You must be frightened because I am in your bed chamber." He chuckled. "I did not know people cared for manners in the country. I am sorry if I startled you, but you see, I have to talk with you. I have heard a lot of talk from my friends."
"Talk about what?" Hazel asked warily. She was still frightened, but at least the boy appeared harmless.
A slow smile curved Jamie's mouth, and Hazel reluctantly admitted to herself that he was handsome.
"You see! Talking to me does not kill does it?" He was still smiling, and Hazel felt her own lips twitch in response.
Jamie's smile grew wider. "You know, you are very beautiful when you smile." He said, watching the color rise to her cheeks until they could almost compete with her red hair. "Your cheeks are the same color with your hair.'' He pointed out matter-of-factly. "Do you not like it when I compliment you?"
Confused, Hazel's hand shot up to her hair and she tugged at a curl. "My hair is red – or sometimes golden." She added, a little unsure. "But my cheeks," She said emphatically, "are white. So you see, they cannot be the same color."
"Not right now." He countered, enjoying their easy banter. " Right now, your cheeks are pink –''
" --Aha! I am very sure my hair is not pink." She was laughing now, softly at first, but then Jamie joined in and they continued laughing until they were both breathless.
"Would you come and walk with me in the garden?" He asked, finally sober. "My father would be very cross if he were to find me in your bed chamber – we could take my little sister along with us as a chaperone. I don't think my father would trust me to be alone with you in the garden without trying something naughty."
Hazel was silent, he was confusing her again. She did not know what he meant by a chaperone or a garden, but she nodded her head. She had just made her first friend, and she wanted with all her heart to trust him.
Jamie saw her hesitation, and dashed out to call his sister immediately, before the Titan-haired creature his father had brought from the country changed her mind.
He re-appeared later, after Hazel had had the time to wash her face and her mouth, with the little blond girl Hazel had met earlier. The girl was no longer shy, and instead of sucking a thumb, she jumped on Hazel's mattress and began bouncing, her blond braids dancing behind her. "Jamie said we are going to take a walk in the garden." She said finally, diving down beside Hazel, excitement dancing in her deep blue eyes.
"Yes I did. Now get down from the bed – both of you, so we can be on our way." Jamie answered for Hazel when she remained silent. He had a feeling that she was rethinking her decision to go with them, and he was having none of that.
"But Hazel is a woman! She cannot go out without a hat." Amara declared, giggling impishly. "Wait for me, I'll go fetch one for her." The little girl ran off the room before anyone could object, and came back later with a bonnet that was dusty and perhaps several years out of fashion, but Hazel didn't seem to object at all as she pushed the hat down on her head and got up, ready to go.