Page 3 of A Raven Revived (The Raven’s Den #4)

Chapter Three

“D aisy, come in.” Ash always wore a reassuring smile when inviting someone into his office, but you couldn’t always trust it.

“How are you doing?” he asked as she settled in the seat across from him.

“I’m fine, Ash. I think I rather made a mountain out of a molehill. You may skip the niceties and get right to the actual reason you summoned me.”

He chuckled and gave a small nod. “Fair enough. There are actually two things I wished to speak with you about. The first I’ve intended to broach for a while now, but I’ve been a bit distracted.”

“By your new bride?” Daisy flashed him a goading smile.

Was that a blush that crept into his cheeks as he shook his head? It was the only response he gave to her question. He interlaced his fingers and rested his hands on top of the desk. “Let me preface this by saying you are always welcome here, Daisy.”

Suddenly, the raisin scone felt like a rock inside her stomach. He’d said she would always be welcome here, but obviously that wasn’t entirely true. Raven House was meant to be a stepping stone, not a permanent home.

“Don’t look so worried, Daisy. I just want to talk about your future. You’ve been here a little over three years now, and so far, you haven’t shown any interest in moving on to another position.”

She shrugged and looked down at her hands fidgeting in her lap. “I haven’t really ever given it any thought.” She raised her eyes to meet his again. “I like it here, Ash, and I’ve always felt safe. I suppose I’ve been worried that if I took a position in a household somewhere, my parents might somehow find me. They’re quite well connected among their ilk.”

“Well, as I said before, you are welcome here. I want you to be happy, though, and long term, I don’t think you’ll find that here. But I want you to know that we can work with you to figure something out. We all have estates where you’d be safe and there are other places here in Raven Row where you could work, as well. Just allow the idea to rumble around in your mind a bit, and if you think of anything that interests you, I’ll be happy to help make it happen.”

“You’re too kind, Ash. I will definitely think on it.”

“Good,” he said with a nod. “Now, the second thing I wanted to speak with you about is Mr. Fitzwilliam.”

Her stomach fluttered at the mention of his name. But why? They had been close once, but as soon as Daisy had become betrothed to his brother, he’d vanished. She had desperately wished he would fight for her or beg her to run away with him. But of course he hadn’t.

In the end, she’d had to run away all on her own.

“Why was he in your office, Ash? And why was he allowed to cross over to the club from here? I’ve never seen an outsider do that.”

Ash nodded slowly. “He wants to invest in The Raven’s Den.”

She blinked twice and her heart began to pound. He would end up being her employer. She snorted a laugh. How cruel the world could be sometimes.

“Is that funny?” Ash asked.

She shook her head. “No, but now I understand why you’re suddenly wanting me to move along.”

“No, Daisy. These things are not at all related. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about your future for weeks. It has nothing to do with Fitz.”

Fitz? It was strange to hear someone else call him that. His friends from school had called him that, and she’d adopted it as well. But his family had always called him Gerry and he’d hated it. To her, they’d always been Daisy and Fitz. She’d fancied herself in love with him back then. Back when her sister was the eldest daughter and betrothed to Geoffrey.

Eventually, she nodded. “I’d like to talk to him. Will he be coming here?”

“Yes. He’ll be here in two hours. Would you like my presence?”

“No, Ash. Fitz would never hurt me. I know that.”

Ash nodded. “Just let me know if you change your mind. I’ll be here if you need me.”

“Thank you, Ash. I’ll just go and freshen up a bit before he comes.”

Ash came around the desk and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Daisy, I meant what I said. You will always be welcome here.”

She nodded. “I know, and I appreciate that.”

Daisy took care of her daily sweeping and changed into her yellow dress. The color went well with her copper hair and fair skin, and the cut was modest and fashionable.

Honestly, why did that even matter?

She stood in the main hall, waiting for Fitz to arrive. Ash’s office door was open wide, so he’d see and hear everything, at least until they moved to a different room.

Finally, Fitz strode in, his waves of rich brown hair tousled, and yet somehow perfect. His eyes searched her face, and as he approached, he held out the daisy he carried, his lips finally turning up in a warm smile. A familiar smile. This was her friend. The man who had always been so good to her. Oh, how she’d missed him. She’d left her home three years ago, but he’d left as soon as the betrothal to his brother had become official. That was nearly four years ago now. That was the last time she had seen the picture before her. The daisy and the smile, and, oh, it was too much. Tears burst from her eyes as a sob broke through her lips. She threw herself into his arms. They clamped around her without hesitation.

“Daisy,” he whispered.

“Fitz,” she whispered back through her tears.

He rocked her gently, his warmth and strength surrounding her. She greedily took all he gave. She’d pushed everything down, and had forgotten just how much she loved this. After a long moment, she slowly pulled herself away from him and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“I brought the daisy in hopes of seeing a smile. I didn’t mean to make you weep.” He smiled apologetically, one hand still resting on her shoulder.

Her laugh was hoarse. “I’m sorry. You didn’t realize what you were getting yourself into coming here today, did you?”

He gently lifted her chin to look into her eyes. “You don’t know how good it is to see you, alive and well.” He wrapped her in another tight embrace, breathing in a deep breath as he held her. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head before letting her go.

“Would you like some tea?” She nodded toward the door to the drawing room.

“I would love that. Thank you.”

She poured them each a cup while he settled onto the sofa. This time of day, everyone had already eaten, and most of the ladies were working on chores or taking care of whatever else needed doing before preparing for work this evening, so the room was empty. Tonight was her night off, though. She had all the time in the world.

“So, where are you staying?” She handed him his tea and seated herself in a nearby chair.

“Blackmoor Inn, just up the road a bit. Although, I’m kind of surprised it’s not called Raven Inn. Everything else around here seems to be Raven something.”

She settled her saucer in her lap. “You’re not wrong about that.”

“How long have you been here?” he asked before taking a sip. She didn’t hear the judgment in his voice she would have expected.

“About three years.”

“Are you happy here?”

She nodded, sitting up a little straighter. “I am. I enjoy the work, I’m surrounded by people who care for me, and I’m well protected here.”

He chuckled softly. “I am familiar with just how well protected you are.” His eyes glowed with approval as they met hers. “I’m glad for it. You deserve to be happy, Daisy.” He took another sip of tea before placing the dish on the side table.

“What about you? How did you end up here, wanting to invest in a gaming hell?”

“I just sort of stumbled across it, really, and fell in love with the place. I had no idea I’d stumble across you too.”

“I’m sorry for the way I reacted when I saw you. I didn’t really think I’d ever see that part of my life again, and I suppose I panicked.”

“No need to apologize. I was the one who chased you down after all. Although, I’m not sure you’re as quick as you used to be.” He winked.

It felt so good to laugh with him. “Luckily, I haven’t had a lot of cause for running.”

“I won’t tell your family you’re here. You needn’t worry about that.”

She let out a grateful sigh. “Thank you.”

“Why did you leave, Daisy?”

It was so obvious, how could he not know the answer? “I didn’t wish to spend the rest of my life with your brother,” she said with a shrug.

“Was there another?”

She nearly choked at the insinuation. Indignation burned in her belly as she placed her own dish on the table.

“How dare you?”

“I didn’t mean?—”

“I know what you meant. There must have been someone else for a girl like me to walk away from marrying the heir to a powerful earldom.” She got to her feet, looking down at him. “Why did you leave, Fitz? After everything that we— you just left. Did you have another?”

“No, of course I didn’t. I just— I couldn’t bear seeing you with him.” Without warning, he stood and pressed his lips against hers. For a brief moment, she gloried in the feel of his kiss. But then she remembered that it meant nothing. That he would still abandon her. She pulled back and slapped her palm against his cheek before she strode from the room, the sting of what she'd done burning her hand. The sting of his words burning her heart.

* * *

Perhaps he deserved that.

With a long sigh, he sat back down on the sofa, dropping his head and digging his fingers into his hair. The pain in his cheek was nothing compared to what was happening inside of him.

He’d always adamantly defended her when others had speculated that she must have had a lover, so why had he even said it?

Probably to try and make himself feel better. If he’d known she was so fervently opposed to marrying his brother, he could have saved her from that. They could have run away together.

She could have been his.

Instead, he’d been a bloody coward. He’d just assumed she’d prefer his brother. What value was a third son if you could marry the heir, after all? He couldn’t bear the pain of seeing them together, of celebrating their happy nuptials. So he’d abandoned her. Left her to deal with everything all on her own.

“Bollocks!” He pushed to his feet and turned to leave, but Ash was blocking the doorway.

“I don’t need whatever this is.” He waved his hand toward Ash.

He simply raised a brow. “She didn’t look very happy when she left this room.”

Fitz shook his head. He spread his arms out wide. “Do your worst, Ash. I’ll happily take a beating right now.”

“I was actually going to offer you a drink, but if it’s a beating you’re looking for, Branson's is a good club for that. About a half mile west from here. Michael likes to go there and let someone pummel him when he thinks he deserves to be punished for something. They'll spare his face if he asks, and he knows I won’t let him on the gaming floor with two black eyes.”

“That does sound tempting. I am infinitely grateful to you for keeping her safe, and I am so glad to know she’s alive and well, but I don’t want to hurt her again. I think perhaps it’s time for me to move along.”

“Well, if you don’t think there’s anything here worth fighting for.” He stood to the side and gestured toward the door with his cane.

Fitz had never hated himself more than when he walked through that door.