Love and Freedom (Book 1 in the Finding My Way Series)

A Pleasant Surprise

A Pleasant Surprise

                           

Nothing could make the way I have been feeling since yesterday change! I felt as though I was in my own dream land, nothing bothered me and everything held an element of joy. That is, until, I saw Brandon across the square, he waved at me, and just as I had only related Tristan to doing. He stood where he stopped, and waited until I finished singing to approach me. A heavy guilt started to sit in my stomach replacing the lightness that was there moments before. There was no reason why I should have any feelings of guilt, there was nothing between us other than friendship, but yet there it was a lump of guilt, so heavy I didn’t think I could move even if I wanted to, and with every step he took closer to me the feeling grew, worse.

“Avalyn”

“Lieutenant Stenson” He raised his brows at me.

“So formal?” I blushed, with embarrassment and started to feel hot around my neck. I did use his proper title, and I don’t know why.

“Well yes that is your name” I said, forcing myself to smile. I was a little upset with the way he treated Edan the other day, like some common criminal. I thought It had passed, those angry feelings, but I suppose they hadn’t. He actually wasn’t to know that Edan was innocent he didn’t know of him till the other day, but still.

I quickly examined our encounters thus far; I knew that he was probably hoping for more than friendship from me, with the amount of time he was spending with me. Men just didn’t do that with women, I knew, deep down I knew. What I didn’t know, was how to approach the topic of Tristan, maybe I should just let it play out and see what happened. The moment may present itself and may be a little more natural, than just blurting it out.

“I’ve wanted to speak with you, but I haven’t had the time to see you.” I was glad he lacked the time to see me; otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to spend the afternoon with Tristan yesterday.

“Oh, what did you want to see me about?” I asked, bending down to gather my coins. Cassie and I found a place just off from the beach yesterday to stash some savings, and I smiled to myself knowing that I would be able to add to it tonight.

“Lady Davidson approached me this morning and said that the dinner party has to be brought forward to tomorrow night, as the Governor has to leave on the tide the next morning. Is that alright if you came to sing tomorrow? She would have come to ask herself, but I volunteered.” The first thing that came to my mind was that I was supposed to be meeting Tristan tomorrow night. With this change of plans, I had no idea how to contact him other than knocking on every door to every room in the many barracks that housed the soldiers, which I wasn’t about to do! I looked to Brandon, he seemed unsure of himself, probably because of the way he was the other day and the way I reacted to him then, and now. I didn’t blame him, actually as I stood there looking at him, everything in me started to soften. He was a good man, a good friend. Maybe I could go to the tents tonight and hope to see Tristan there and tell him.

“I wouldn’t want to say no to my first invitation to sing somewhere respectable.” I said smiling. Brandon let out a relieved breath and smiled back.

“I wasn’t sure how you would be.” I knew what he meant, and he had reason to be weary, but I wasn’t one to hold a grudge.

“Let’s just let the other day go, you weren’t to know.” He nodded his head.

“Now can I walk you back to the beach my Lady.” I giggled, watching him perform a grand bow in front of me.

“Stand up Brandon, if people think I’m a lady they may not give me any more money.”