CWMBR 26

Chapter 26

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*Past

Donna had been using all of her connections to get Finn's attention, and as the darling of the local establishment, Finn had been willing to let her lead him out of the Grand Theater today.

"Yes." (P)

"Shouldn't you be going by now?" (B)

"I don't even know where they went." (P)

"Then you can wait for him at the hotel." (B)

"Oh, that hotel with no playroom." (P)

The hotel Finn and Patrick were staying at was the nicest place to stay in Glynford for the long term, and the only way to find anything more luxurious was to rent a private cottage from the mayor or another local lord.

"Wouldn't it be better to at least stay at the hotel than stay here?" (B)

"That's a waste of time." (P)

So standing around here, kicking up dirt, wasn’t a waste of time?

Bridget rolled her eyes at the absurdity and was about to retort, but Patrick spat out the words first.

"Then you're going to have to guide me.”

Bridget, who had been frowning, stopped dead in her tracks.

"Guide?"

"I thought you were a tour guide."

Sure enough, Bridget was registered as a tour guide. Someone had prevented her from visiting the information center in the afternoon.

"You want me to give you a tour?"

"There are a few places I'd like to see."

She didn’t have to go through the city center to give a tour to a single person, let alone a group. So this offer was entirely up to Bridget.

Bridget looked at Patrick with trepidation, then shook her head with a sigh.

"I'm afraid, as you can see, I'm very busy............”

"I'm hiring you personally, so I'll pay you five times your usual rate."

Bridget's head snapped up and she stopped moving. She blinked and remained silent, then slowly turned her gaze straight ahead. Patrick Sherman, who had been staring down at her with a haughty gaze, made eye contact and pulled down his glove, muttering in a nonchalant tone.

"Agree?"

Bridget bit her lower lip. She replied in a raspy voice, trying to suppress a rush of exasperation.

"What are you curious about......?"

The job was too good to turn down.

And so began what she thought would be a one-day tour guide.

It went on almost every day.

***

*Present

At the monastery waiting room.

Immediately after talking to Ein in the monastery waiting room, Bridget retreated to her room, locked the door, and went to sleep.

She skipped meals and when she woke up, it was already lunchtime. She was shivering, like she was coming down with a cold, and she was already feeling unwell, but the stress of the day had taken its toll. Bridget wrapped a shawl around her, but the chill didn't go away.

Her parents' memorial day was tomorrow, so she had to stay here for at least another day, but the cold air from the stone walls was too much to bear alone. She might as well go to the common room where people were gathered.

Bridget sprang to her feet, remembering the warmth of the room, where people sat in a circle, chatting and knitting lace. She wanted to go to the common room now, to warm up by the fire.

As she made her way out into the hallway and through the courtyard corridor that led to the common room, she stopped in her tracks.

The man stood in the middle of the roofless courtyard, his hands in his pockets, his head up, his eyes scanning the columns and roof of the corridor and beyond. Then, as if he felt her gaze, he turned.

Blinking dazedly, Bridget felt a moment of confusion.

Had she not slept long enough in the first place? Had she thought the date had passed, but it hadn't? Had it really only been a few hours since she'd spoken to him?

While she was mulling over these silly thoughts, Ain came across the courtyard. Up close, it was indeed Ain. Ain Wise. He looked at Bridget's dazed expression and spoke in a blunt voice, as if he had already guessed her thoughts.

"It rained, that's why I couldn't leave."

"Don't be ridiculous."

It took a reflexive snap to realize that he meant he'd spent the night at this monastery.

He couldn't go because it was raining? Certainly yesterday's drizzle was not so heavy that it would prevent him from moving. On the contrary, it was the kind of weather you'd have to leave in if you didn't want to get stuck. One day the sun was shining and the next day it was pouring with showers.

Bridget couldn't make sense of it all, and a headache started to creep up on her shivering body, and she couldn't find the words that came naturally to her.

"Do you have time to spare?"

"No way."

No, it couldn't be. Bridget stared at Ain with uncomprehending eyes, unable to believe that even though her conversation with him was over, he had wasted a day in this abbey with nothing better to do. This was the man who hadn't even taken the time to write her a line or two of reply when she was pregnant. Had he stayed overnight because he had other business at the abbey?

But he hadn't even known the abbey existed until Bridget told him.

Ain had been silent for some unexplained reason, and suddenly he spoke.

"Your face is red."

Bridget's bewilderment grew a little stronger. What was he saying?

"Are you running a fever?"

"What does it matter?"

"I'm just pointing it out because I see it."

"So why are you standing here pointing it out?"

Bridget's question was a mixture of wariness and repulsion, and Ain fell silent. Clearly sensing that he had no intention of explaining his behavior in kind, Bridget pulled on her shawl and went back to her thoughts.

Then, in the back of her mind, she remembered Ain asking about her treatment at the manor.

Yesterday, he had assured her that the royal inquiry would be impartial, and surely the objective injustice Bridget had suffered could be brought to bear on the case. The royal family was so beloved by the people that they were likely to shy away from situations that were less than honorable, and they may be judged more strictly than necessary. Ain may also want to protect himself from any unexpected disadvantages he might face.

Even this didn’t make much sense, but that was how Bridget understood it. He's trying to make up for his aloofness by pretending to care, and to give the royal family some semblance of dignity.

It was not a pleasant conclusion.

And if her guess was correct, she was in no way inclined to accept his intentions.

"No, I’m fine. If it's none of your business, you don't need to know."

With a cold averted gaze, Bridget took a step that only took a moment. Ain didn't stop her.

***

The entrance to the Abbey was bustling early in the morning. Two cars were parked in the usually deserted lot in front of the monastery, a rare sight in the neighborhood. One belonged to Ain, and the other to visitors who had just arrived.

Ain glanced at the two cars with nonchalant eyes and crossed his arms. He had been informed that someone wanted to see him, and he was quite steaming, wondering if it was Bridget, who had lost her temper.

"Why are you here?"

"Don't you know, I thought you said you were just stopping by for a little while. No, you mean this is a little while, eh?"

Ain, who had said he had to stop by the monastery "just for a while," spent two nights in the monastery. The abbot was a benevolent priest who was willing to open up his room to unexpected visitors, so nothing stood in the way of his impulsive choice. 

Of course, when Bridget realized that Ain wasn't leaving until the next day, she locked herself in my room like she didn't even want to deal with him, so the whole day was thrown in the trash.

Still, he couldn't leave. Even though he knew his precious time was being wasted for nothing at this moment.

It was all because he saw Bridget’s feverish face. If she was suffering from a fever in this humble monastery, someone should have taken her to a city hospital. It was the least they could do.

It was a bit late for him to take care of her, since he hadn’t even looked at her for months, but shouldn't he take care of her now?

Ain clicked his tongue briefly as she glared at Declan, who glared back. He turned his head nonchalantly, and his eyes locked with a passing priest. The priest bowed cautiously and walked away, quickening his pace. 

"This is where the priests practice, so don't make too much noise. It's blasphemy." (A)

"Who wants to do this? And what did I do that's considered blasphemy? Anyone who hears you will get the wrong idea!" (D)

"You're being loud." (A)

"Huh!" (D)

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