I was ready to face it…
Facehim…
But no. There was nothing to face.
The anti-climax was powerful. Hans was nowhere to be seen. Neither were Frederick, or Benjamin, or Stephan or Max or the gang. The place was virtually empty, with Eliza serving a solitary George Miller his regular whisky.
“Where is everyone?” I asked her when she was done.
She shrugged. “You tell me. Something must be happening somewhere else in the city. The place has been dead since I opened the door.”
I wanted to feel relief, but I didn’t. I got the most bizarre sense of disappointment as I scouted the empty seats, a distant part of me aching to see my dream stalker.
Stupid girl.
I shrugged it off along with Eliza.
“Maybe there was a polo game over in Cirencester?”
She shook her head. “Nope. I checked the calendar.”
“Is it someone’s birthday? One of the Barons?”
“Not that I know of. We’d normally get to know in advance.”
“Strange,” I said.
“Very,” she agreed.
George Miller was known as an eccentric, but I’d never heard him laugh as he laughed across the bar at us. His grin was almost feral as his hand clutched his whisky.
“They’ve been barred,” he cackled. “All of them, forbidden.”
Eliza pulled a face at him.
“Forbidden from here? Who?”
“Everyone.” He kept on laughing. “But I like breaking the rules.”
She walked on up to him, with genuine concern on her face.
“Are you feeling ok, George? Do you want a mineral water instead of your whisky?”
“Nah,” he said. “I’m not drunk, just wise. Or maybe stupid. One or the other.”
It was me who took hold of the conversation, the prickles coming back to me as I met his gaze.
“Who barred everyone, George?”
He looked right back at me, then rolled his eyes.
“You know who. Don’t pretend you don’t.”
Eliza shot daggers at me.
“Did you know anything about this, Katherine?”
“No!” I said. “I don’t know what George is talking about.”