Past Loves

Part 8

Chapter 8

Peirce pulled her down the hall until they reached the kitchen.  Glancing behind him, he let out a sigh once he realized that neither Cassie nor Rose followed behind him.  “What are you doing here, Emily?”

She smiled up at him, showing him the warmth he missed.  “I wanted to visit you, Peirce.  Never did I think you would stay gone so long.”

“Emily,” he started before releasing her arm and running his hand through his hair.  “Why now?”

“What do you mean?” she asked. 

The innocent confusion on her face made him want to smile, but with the frustration coursing through him, he did nothing of the sort.  “We have not seen one another since the accident, why now?”

She took a step towards him.  Placing her hand on his arm, she looked up at him with sad eyes.  “She may have been your wife, Peirce, but she was my sister.  When she died,” Emily stopped abruptly as she glanced away from him.

Peirce reached out and gently grabbed her chin.  Waiting until they made eye contact once more, he sighed.  “We both loved her, and their deaths affected us both in different ways.  That still does not explain why you are here now.”

Her face broke free of his grasp as she shuffled away from him.  Her eyes flew over his kitchen, but she didn’t comment on it.  “I needed you, Peirce.  When she died, I needed you, but you were nowhere to be found.  I should have guessed that you would run back here.”

“Emily,” he mumbled in a frustrated voice.  “Please tell me.”

She hesitated as if she did not want to answer him.  “I worried for you.  You had promised you would visit to let me know how you were, but you never came.”

The feeling of guilt hit him as he saw the complete sadness on her face.  He knew that he should have visited his wife’s family.  He should have kept in contact with them, but he did not.  Their pitying stares did nothing but anger him.  The brown hair of Emily’s did nothing but remind him of his wife.  It was why he stayed away; he could not face the constant reminders of his past.

“I am happy that you visited,” he said, feeling his throat tighten, “but I wish you would have informed me before you arrived.”

“I did not think of that,” she said in a worried tone.  Glancing at him, the regret on her face made him want to take his words back.  “I am sorry, Peirce.  Forgive me for not thinking.  You know it is a bad habit of mine.” She grabbed her skirts and lifted them slightly as if she were ready to flee.  “I will be taking my leave.  I should not have come.”

She darted past him, but before she could exit the kitchen, he reached out and grabbed her.  “Emily, that is not what I meant,” he lied.  “I just wish I knew you were on your way here because now, I do not know if we will have enough for you to dine with us.”

She beamed at him.  “I thought you were angry with me.”

“Nothing of the sort,” he mumbled, noting the way her eyes shone up at him, much like Elizabeth’s had.

Someone cleared their throat, making him glance up.  Standing in the doorway, Rose stared at him in question. Immediately, he realized the position him and Emily were in.  He dropped his grip on her and took a step a way, a step towards Rose.

Rose glanced towards Emily, as did he.  Noting the small flush on the woman’s cheeks, Peirce wanted to groan in frustration.  He knew what it looked like.  “Rose-” he started, but closed his mouth when she began to speak.

“Cassie would like to know if you extended a visit to your friend.”

“Oh, Peirce invited me to dine with you,” Emily said in a happy voice.

“Did he?” Rose asked with a small, emotionless smile.

Peirce glanced over at Emily just in time to see her flinch back.  Biting her lower lip, she stared at Rose with wide eyes.  “If that is not acceptable, I will be leaving soon.”

“Do not be silly,” Peirce said with a quick glare at Rose.  “They would love for you to stay.”

Emily’s smile spread across her face so quickly, that it shocked Peirce.  “That will be fantastic.  I would love to meet the lady of the house.”

“You have met her,” Rose said with humor in her voice.

Peirce let out a laugh as he looked towards Rose.  A small, intimate smile crossed her face.  “Our Cassie can be quite deceiving, can she not?”

Rose’s smile widened as she nodded.  “That she can.”

Their eye contact was interrupted when a light touch settled on his arm.  Looking down at the confused expression on Emily’s face, Peirce felt his smile slip slightly.

“What do you mean?” Emily asked.

“The woman in the brown gown,” Peirce began.

Emily nodded.  “Yes, the maid who answered the door.”

“That,” Rose said with a chuckle, “is no maid.”

“That,” Peirce continued, “is the former Lady Ashmore,” He noted the way Emily’s face lost a little color, “and the present Lady Moore.”

“The lady of the house,” Rose finished.

“Oh,” Emily breathed as she swooned a little.  Peirce caught her around the waist and shot her a worried look.  “Whatever will I do?  I insulted the lady of the house.”

“Do not let it worry you,” Rose said, causing him to look up.  Her eyes were narrowed on his arm.  “Cassie does not let first impressions mar her judgment.  If she did, Colin would be a very lonely man.”

With those words, she turned and began to exit the kitchen.  Peirce wanted to call out to her, but kept his mouth shut.  What would he say to her?  There was nothing to say.  She halted, and his hope rose.  Glancing over at the table, she sent him an understanding look.  “Lovely pies.”

“Thank you,” he mumbled as she left. With that one look, she told him that she knew.  She knew he was attempting to run from her, that he was trying to hide his feelings.

“Peirce.”

His eyes stayed where they were until he could no longer see the green gown. “Yes?”

“I do not think she likes me,” Emily said in an anguished voice.

Pulling away from her, he waited until she was steady before taking a step towards the doorway.  “That is just Rose,” he defended.  “She does not trust easily.  Give her time, and you will see.  She is a magnificent woman.”

Something flickered in Emily’s eyes, but Peirce ignored it.  Whatever point she wanted to get across could wait.  At that moment, he had a certain woman to chase, and once he caught her, he would demand answers for the multitude of questions now flying through his mind.