When Melia finally looked up, she found a young, well-dressed man holding out a hand to help her up.
His lips pressed together, and a small crease appeared between his brows.
Her body stiffened, and when she opened her mouth to speak, no words came out.
She cursed loudly.
In her mind, obviously.
She didn’t want to embarrass herself any further.
Her mind raced as she tried to decide which of three options to choose: hitch up her skirts and run, invent a convincing lie, or pretend to be dead.
She angled her body away from him.
She knew him.
The man was Rive’s older brother, Cassian Thornwick.
Melia hadn’t seen him in two summers, and as far as she knew, he was still supposed to be studying at the Capital Academy.
Rive was supposed to follow in his footsteps after this year.
It was entirely possible Rive had mentioned Cassian coming home.
She really ought to be a better friend and remember to listen when he talked.
She risked another look at him.
A few years in the capital had been good for him.
He was taller now, broader too, and annoyingly close to looking like a lord already.
His unruly blond curls stirred in the light breeze.
Ha!
She had never talked to him before.
He had definitely never paid any attention to her.
That meant she could get away with meeting Rive.
If she had crashed into one of the manor guards or hired workers, Lord Thornwick would have heard about her visit before she could take three steps.
That alone would get Rive locked inside the manor until old age, or at least until they carted him off to the Capital Academy.
And who knew?
Maybe the lord was petty enough to cancel the manor’s bakery order.
She blew out a breath through pursed lips and wiped her forehead with the back of her wrist.
“I—I think I’m fine,” Melia answered, and hated the shake in her voice.
She started to reach for his hand, then quickly pulled her own behind her back.
It was covered in sand, and blood seeped from several small scrapes.
“I don’t need help,” she added breathlessly, but Cassian took her by the forearm and helped her to her feet anyway.
“Thanks,” Melia said.
Then she remembered her mother’s endless lectures about manners, gave a quick curtsy, and turned to leave.
But Cassian stopped her by raising a hand between them.
“Not so fast, young miss.” This was Cass, not some stranger, so she had to be at least somewhat polite.
Melia suppressed a groan and rolled her eyes.
Her rescue mission couldn’t wait.
She could only pray that Venya had found the old inn by now.
She really didn’t want a leisurely chat with Rive’s brother, or with anyone, for that matter.
“Young…
mister?
Master?
Uh, lor—” Melia swallowed hard.
“Mr.
Thornwick.
Do you need something?” “I’m in a hurry to—” she began, but when she saw Cassian trying to hide that irritating little smile, a deep flush rose to her cheeks, and the words died on her lips.
“Mr.
Thornwick will do.
You can call me Cassian or Cass, Miss Melia,” he said, emphasizing her name and tapping his jaw with one finger.
“You know me?” “Of course.
You’re the little menace who takes up all my little brother’s free time.” He had the unfair advantage of being taller now, and his light blue eyes flicked over her.
Melia could practically see him cataloging every detail of her unladylike appearance.
She knew exactly how she must look.
She straightened her skirt and adjusted her nonexistent scarf.
How stupid.
Then Cassian flashed a smile, fished a clean handkerchief from his pocket, and offered it to Melia.
“You’d better clean your hand.
Did you just meet Rive?” Melia nodded as she took the handkerchief.
She pressed it against the scrape on her palm, then dabbed at her forehead with one clean corner, mostly to give herself time to think.
His smile faded as he glanced toward the manor, then back at her.
He rubbed his hands together, then clasped them behind his back.
“You should stop meeting my brother.
You’re not children anymore, and people will talk.” Melia stared at him.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Cassian’s mouth tightened.
“You should both understand how it looks.” It took Melia ten whole heartbeats to understand what he meant.
Sure, they were both of marriageable age, technically.
But everyone knew they were just kids.
Besides, she had never thought of Rive that way, and she was fairly sure Rive would puke if anyone introduced her as his potential bride.
The whole idea was absurd.
She folded her arms, shook her head, and echoed him.
“How it looks.” “It looks like we are friends.
Very.
Good.
Friends.” She leaned in until her face was close to his, challenging him to a staring contest.
“Young Lord Cassian Frederick Thornwick, you don’t have a say in this,” she added, doing her best imitation of a noblewoman and punctuating each name with a poke to his chest.
Cassian retreated half a step before catching himself.
His jaw tightened.
“Maybe I don’t, but my father certainly does.
He doesn’t approve of his son spending so much time with a baker’s daughter.” Cassian swallowed.
Maybe he should have chosen his words more carefully.
Melia’s face was definitely red with anger now, not from shyness.
He could almost imagine steam coming out of her ears.
Her deep-blue eyes narrowed, and Cassian felt it all the way down his spine.
Melia didn’t have time for this.
He could take his warnings and choke on them.
She turned, but after a few steps, she stopped and looked back at him.
“Tell your father he doesn’t need to worry.” Cassian opened his mouth, but a short, humorless laugh cut him off before he could speak.
“I won’t damage the great Thornwick name.
I have no intention of marrying his precious son.
We are just friends.
There is nothing wrong with that.” CREATORS’ THOUGHTS Terri_Pauline New charater: Cassian Thornwick, Rive’s older brother.
19-years old.
Location: Capital Academy (visiting Tinyspring)