Chapter 19

• The air in the hall feels thick, and the weight of the evening’s upcoming events presses on me. Ruth and I chat for a few minutes before parting ways. My eyes wander to the hallway where I spot Peter talking with some of the girls outside the women’s bedroom. I wave my hand to grab his attention, a casual gesture, though my stomach churns slightly as I make my way toward him. The awkwardness that has hovered between us ever since his news about the King’s empty wing being cleared in three nights’ time is still present. It hangs in the space between us like a cloud—neither of us really sure how to proceed.
• Peter notices me approaching and excuses himself from the group. With an easy, practiced smile, he steps toward me, his hands in his pockets.
• “Time to head up,” I say, my voice a little less steady than I would have liked. I shove my hands deep into the pockets of my apron, not knowing what else to say. The hallway feels vast, almost too quiet, but Peter doesn’t seem to notice. He’s always been good at making conversation, the kind of person who can fill silence without much effort.