"Ah, Master Kenway. A quick word?"
I froze. Dammit. Another failed retreat to my bed chamber. I turned to face four men staring expectantly up at me like children awaiting food from their mother. They sat at a table in next to the stairs, tankards topped almost to the brim.
Charles beckoned for me to come and sit beside him. I did as I was bade and lowered myself onto a chair.
"Yes, Charles?"
At the back of my mind I knew exactly what was about to be said, though I tried not to assume it. Here it comes...
"There is a matter of importance we need to discuss."
"Come along," I pressed.
No words were said by anyone. Only the jolly folk music and babble of merry voices behind us. The men either found something to stare at, like the table or their own lap, or (in Hickey's case) drained a gulp of ale. Only Charles looked at me with wincing eyes.
Frustration itched my patience. "Is anyone planning on speaking up?" I snapped.
Eventually it was Charles who spoke in an awkward tone. "Well, erm..." he looked at the others, desperate for support.
Hickey slammed his tankard down on the table. "Tha' Native woman." he stated plainly.
Bollocks. I should have guessed they were going to talk about Ziio.
Charles and William glared at Hickey, possibly for giving a rehearsed conversation away. It was hard to take William seriously anymore, after what Ziio had told me about the merciless slaughter of her family. I swallowed uncomfortably.
"Yes..." I replied, a little more defensive than I had intended. A hot flush under my collarbone followed. "What about her?"
Charles took a swig from his tankard. I was heartily sick already of these long pauses between their words. Could they not just say their piece and be done with it?
"You...you have been spending...well, rather a lot of time away from here..."
"Yes...?"
"D-does she have something to do with it?" asked Benjamin gingerly.
Why will none of them look me in the eye? This is awkward.
Do I tell them the truth?
No! What would it do to your dignity? Invent something as a cover.
But how can anyone excuse being away for so long?
You could try.
No. I'll tell the truth.
"Well...I suppose you could say that. Yes. Why must it concern you?"
"Why must it concern us?" repeated Hickey hotly. "'Cause your tryin' to abandon your duties. Tha's why."
I wouldn't have been more insulted than if he'd spat in my face. "Not at all! Not at all! There is a good reason every time I have gone astray from Boston." I scoffed
"Oh, really?" Thomas hissed. "When we were loggin'. Was there a good reason not to be choppin' wood then? No. You were ge'ing cosy on tha' hill with your beloved savage."
I clenched my fists and opened my mouth to shout back at him. But I knew that he was right this time. Shame and anger burned my face to a bright shade of crimson.
"The thing is, Master Kenway, we often await your order." chimed William, a little calmer than Hickey. "But you are never here to take orders from, because you've galloped off with your Indian lady friend."
"She is not –"
"Please, Haytham." The desperation in Charles' eyes was apparent. "Calm down. We are trying to word this as earnestly as we can." He shot a dirty look across the table at Hickey (who in return curled his lip up like a snarling dog). "We are simply concerned. You seem very distant these days. You spend a lot of time with that woman; more time than we feel is necessary. Perhaps you could...stop visiting her for a few months?"
The power of his words hadn't quite hit me straightaway. This was exactly what I feared he would say; that I would be made a fool of in front of all these men who admired me so.
How did they know that every time I have been away, it was to visit Ziio? Am I that obvious?
How dare they make a folly of me!
But they are right. You have duties.
But...most of the times I have been with Ziio are accidental.
Which is why they want me to stay away from her.
I was desperate to snatch Benjamin's still full tankard and drain down every last drop. God, they were right. I knew they were right, but...a few months without seeing Ziio? Would she feel like she was being ignored and become mistrustful of me once again? No. I didn't want to think of that.
And something deep down told me I'd miss her sorely. Though it didn't dare show itself on my face: I honestly tried to keep it as sombre as possible. I didn't want to say yes. But I couldn't exactly say no.
I swallowed the bile in my throat and sighed. "No, you are right, Charles. I apologise for my absences in the past few months. Perhaps this is the wake-up call I needed. Thank you. I shall devote all my time to the Order from now on. You have my word on it."
This is all my fault, I thought as I lay down to sleep that night. I should've kept my visits to Ziio dispersed over time. It was too late now. As my father once said: 'It is unwise to have too much of a good thing.' That was true more than ever now.
How was I going to get the message across to Ziio that I was no longer allowed to see her? It was too risky to try and sneak off to the woods again. How would she react even if I could tell her? If only she could read my thoughts.
Ziio, I'm so sorry.
I fell asleep with a very heavy heart indeed.