“Gerard!”
“Aye, that’s the answer then.”
“For God’s sake — woah!” Allan managed to avoid another blow, this time having to roll across the floor to escape Gerard’s sword before he stood again. Allan’s replying parry was so heated that, for a minute, they were both silent as they fought.
Inevitably, Gerard’s greater experience won out. He knocked Allan’s sword from his hand and raised the point high then he held it still and smiled with his victory.
“Ye’re gettin’ better,” he said approvingly to Allan. “Ye fought well and for a long time. Ye’re better than Stephen now.”
“Tell him that. I’d quite like to see him burn with envy for a bit,” Allan said, forcing a smile.
Gerard laughed again and picked up the discarded sword.
“Whilst we have another breather, are ye goin’ to tell me, now, what’s bothering ye?”
Allan sighed. There were many things that were bothering him but putting it all into words was impossible.
“Frederica.” This one word in itself seemed to be enough.
“Aye, I ken that feeling.” Gerard nodded, returning their weapons to the racks on the wall. “Mine and Charlotte’s early days were hardly smooth.”
“They weren’t?” Allan asked, sitting down on a bench beside the racking. He had been travelling for much of the courtship between Gerard and Charlotte. All he had heard about it was that it was definitely an unorthodox courtship.
“Nay.” Gerard sat down beside him. “I think for a long time, Charlotte couldnae decide if she really liked me or nae.”
“How could that be true?” Allan’s eyes widened. “She’s besotted with you.” He had glimpsed more than once the way Charlotte would stare at Gerard across a room or take him to the side, so they could talk privately. They weren’t just in love but the dearest of friends.
“Because happy marriages are nae always easy things. We daenae always fall for the one we should be with either.” Gerard turned to him conspiratorially. “Ye ken by now that my birth was nae exactly legitimate.”
Allan nodded, for he had heard the stories but never from Gerard’s own lips.
“Me father was a duke; me mother a maid. Aye, but she loved him still, and I found out much later that he loved her too.”
“I’m sorry,” Allan whispered. They’d had the chance of happiness, but clearly, it was not theirs to take.
“Their story made me realize somethin’ when I met Charlotte.” Gerard smiled sadly. “Sometimes, happiness in love is being willing to take a chance on it. Aye, it’s about choosin’ it. Maybe ye two just need to take a little longer to decide what ye both want.”
Allan nodded thoughtfully and leaned back on the bench.
The truth was, he knew what he wanted. He was most definitely willing to take a chance on loving Frederica.
“Maybe she’s the one who needs to make that choice,” he whispered.
Gerard clapped him comfortingly on the shoulder.
“Then be patient,” Gerard urged. “She’ll make it in time. And in the meantime, have another go at running me through with a sword.”
Allan laughed and reached for the blade again.
By the time Allan left Gerard’s house, he was exhausted. Gerard had drilled him hard with fencing exercises, and for a short while, Allan was able to forget the world and his troubles at home.
As he pulled his horse up outside of his house, the heavens opened. It was no longer a light rain but heavy and persistent with great globules falling on his face and clothes.
He took the horse to the stables then returned to the house, shaking off the excess water from his clothes as he stepped inside.
As he closed the door behind him, he caught the tail end of a conversation that suddenly dropped silent.
“Not here…” a woman was saying.
