what lay beneath her.
Whilst she did as he’d instructed she troubled over the fact
that she would most likely regret this. Getting closer to him, getting to know
him better.
She barely stifled a gasp when she looked up at the earl and
saw him peering down at her with his mouth cocked into a smile that reached
right through her and twisted her soul. His hand was moving over her hair and
he looked as though he wished to feel it. To distract herself, she lifted her
gaze to the willow swaying in the breeze above him. A cloudy sky peeked through
the many branches and leaves.
“What time of year is it? What is the weather like?” she
asked, wondering if it was warm or cool.
“It’s early June, and a little muggy, but a bit nippy here
in the shade. I like to be cold, but you’d have goose bumps along your arms and
I’d feel the need to warm you.” The tips of his fingers traveled the length of
one arm as he spoke.
His brows pulled together. “Why are you warm? I feel heat
when I touch your image, but I thought—”
“I do not know the answer to that,” she mumbled, distracted
by the way the wind toyed with his brown curls and how the light seemed to join
in by bouncing from the burnished strands back at her. She’d give almost
anything to be able to touch it and know if it was as soft as it looked.
“What happens when you touch me?” he asked, pulling her from
her thoughts.
She reached up still imagining the texture of his hair and
ran her fingers through it, literally, then trailed them down along the side of
his cheek. He closed his eyes and drew in a breath.
“Could you feel that?” she asked, because she could not feel
much more than that faint spark-like sensation she’d experienced before.
“I feel the heat, and energy, but nothing solid. It’s almost
like being kissed by a hot breeze.”
Christian lifted his hand to her lips and traced over the
outline with a fingertip. “Do you feel that?” he asked.
“I do not get to feel the heat you describe, but there is a
sense of energy, though nothing more.”
“Where do you go when you retire?”
She hesitated before she said, “My chamber. Well, I believe
it is my chamber. I feel as though I belong there, even considering the fact
that it does not seem familiar. I wonder sometimes if I have simply been
sleeping for so long I cannot remember.”
“Perhaps.” He measured her expression for a moment longer
whilst he continued to caress her face and then asked, “Would you show it to
me?”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, my lord, but there is a solicitor
calling.”
She jumped at the sound of the butler’s voice, and watched
Christian’s dimple disappear from his cheek. “Might we continue this later, my
darling?” he said to her.
“Yes, of course,” she replied. Sitting upright, she watched
them enter the castle.
Her gaze shifted to the cover of the book he’d left behind.
It followed her mental command, opening to reveal the page Christian had been
studying.
A word that was not printed here came to mind. Fey .
With her eyebrows pulling together, she puzzled over where the idea had come
from. Were fey a sort of faerie? Without knowing why she thought so, her eyes
shifted to the flowers in the garden. Is that where they dwell? Rising from the
grass, she moved to the blooms.
There were no winged creatures there except for insects, and
she decided now was as good a time as any to further explore the grounds.
Chapter
6
Conflict
of Interest
“I believe it is about your allowance,” said Jackson as he reached for the door handle to the study.
“Finally I’ll be able to afford more servants and be able to
properly maintain this castle.”
Jackson said nothing more as he swung the door open and they
entered the room.
“Lord Krestly,” the black-haired solicitor said as he stood
to greet them. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
“Likewise, Mr. Leeraby. Pray I hope you come with good
news,” Christian said,
Whilst she did as he’d instructed she troubled over the fact
that she would most likely regret this. Getting closer to him, getting to know
him better.
She barely stifled a gasp when she looked up at the earl and
saw him peering down at her with his mouth cocked into a smile that reached
right through her and twisted her soul. His hand was moving over her hair and
he looked as though he wished to feel it. To distract herself, she lifted her
gaze to the willow swaying in the breeze above him. A cloudy sky peeked through
the many branches and leaves.
“What time of year is it? What is the weather like?” she
asked, wondering if it was warm or cool.
“It’s early June, and a little muggy, but a bit nippy here
in the shade. I like to be cold, but you’d have goose bumps along your arms and
I’d feel the need to warm you.” The tips of his fingers traveled the length of
one arm as he spoke.
His brows pulled together. “Why are you warm? I feel heat
when I touch your image, but I thought—”
“I do not know the answer to that,” she mumbled, distracted
by the way the wind toyed with his brown curls and how the light seemed to join
in by bouncing from the burnished strands back at her. She’d give almost
anything to be able to touch it and know if it was as soft as it looked.
“What happens when you touch me?” he asked, pulling her from
her thoughts.
She reached up still imagining the texture of his hair and
ran her fingers through it, literally, then trailed them down along the side of
his cheek. He closed his eyes and drew in a breath.
“Could you feel that?” she asked, because she could not feel
much more than that faint spark-like sensation she’d experienced before.
“I feel the heat, and energy, but nothing solid. It’s almost
like being kissed by a hot breeze.”
Christian lifted his hand to her lips and traced over the
outline with a fingertip. “Do you feel that?” he asked.
“I do not get to feel the heat you describe, but there is a
sense of energy, though nothing more.”
“Where do you go when you retire?”
She hesitated before she said, “My chamber. Well, I believe
it is my chamber. I feel as though I belong there, even considering the fact
that it does not seem familiar. I wonder sometimes if I have simply been
sleeping for so long I cannot remember.”
“Perhaps.” He measured her expression for a moment longer
whilst he continued to caress her face and then asked, “Would you show it to
me?”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, my lord, but there is a solicitor
calling.”
She jumped at the sound of the butler’s voice, and watched
Christian’s dimple disappear from his cheek. “Might we continue this later, my
darling?” he said to her.
“Yes, of course,” she replied. Sitting upright, she watched
them enter the castle.
Her gaze shifted to the cover of the book he’d left behind.
It followed her mental command, opening to reveal the page Christian had been
studying.
A word that was not printed here came to mind. Fey .
With her eyebrows pulling together, she puzzled over where the idea had come
from. Were fey a sort of faerie? Without knowing why she thought so, her eyes
shifted to the flowers in the garden. Is that where they dwell? Rising from the
grass, she moved to the blooms.
There were no winged creatures there except for insects, and
she decided now was as good a time as any to further explore the grounds.
Chapter
6
Conflict
of Interest
“I believe it is about your allowance,” said Jackson as he reached for the door handle to the study.
“Finally I’ll be able to afford more servants and be able to
properly maintain this castle.”
Jackson said nothing more as he swung the door open and they
entered the room.
“Lord Krestly,” the black-haired solicitor said as he stood
to greet them. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
“Likewise, Mr. Leeraby. Pray I hope you come with good
news,” Christian said,
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