Red Wolfe by B.L. Herndon

for me?”
    “I wait for no one,” he answered. “Don’t assume that just because you have changed clothes that I have changed my opinion of you.”
    “Perhaps,” Ellena quickly replied, “tonight we could enjoy this lovely meal with as little talking as possible, since we only say things that seem to upset the other.” She picked up her spoon and began to eat. “I do want to say one thing, though.”
    He remained silent, which she took as his sign for her to continue. “Thank you for allowing me to stay here. Your home is very lovely.”
    “You are impressed by my home? Most women are.”
    “I am,” she honestly answered. Ellena was about to continue when she stopped herself.
    “I know you want to say more.” he slyly said. “Go head.”
    “Although your home is r emarkable, it’s also very sad or at least to me it is.”
    “Sad? How so?” This did peak his interest . She could tell in his voice.
    “ It seems lonesome, like it’s waiting for someone.”
    She took another sip of her soup, preparing herself for the onslaught of mocking insults she was surely to get from the man across from table, but surprisingly he said nothing. Stealing a glance, she noticed him looking into the fire, the crimson flames reflecting off of his solemn eyes. For a brief second even he looked forlorn as if he, along with the great mansion, was waiting for something. His eyes suddenly turned, meeting hers and just like a bubble floating a soft breeze, it popped as Lord Wolfe cruelly crushed the promising moment.
    “Perhaps I should keep you here as my maid?”
    “No, thank you,” she said. “As soon as the storm lets up I will be making my way back to the village.”
    “That may take longer than you think. It’s been known to snow for weeks on these lands.”
    “How is your head?” she softly asked.
    “Are you concerned?”
    “ Did it cut you badly?”
    “If you would like to come by my room later tonight, I would be glad to show it to you.”
    “I’ll pass,” she grumbled. “Besides I thought you said I was far from attractive enough to tempt you.”
    “Oh my lady, you are. It was qu ite the assumption to think that I was suggesting any sort of romantic interlude with you.”
    This time Ellena did blush, not only from embarrassment, but anger. He had purposely led her to believe that he had underlying intentions just so that he could humiliate her.
    “Why are you so hell bent on making me hate you?” Ellena bellowed.
    Monsieur Wolfe took another sip of his drink before calmly replying. “Hate me? Far from it. Everyone knows that the quickest way to get a woman to give you her heart is for you to shatter it first. Women only want what they can’t have. The more I make you hate me, the more you actually desire me.”
    “What sort of twist logic is that?”
    “A logic that has served me well in getting women.”
    “But not keeping them, I see.”
    “Who said I wanted to keep them?”
    “Regardless,” Ellena began stabbing at her potato with a fork. “I will not fall for such a disgusting tactic. I have much more sense than that,” she sternly said.
    “We’ll see,” he replied. “It has also been my experience that sense is not a common companion for women.”
    “Perhaps it’s not that women are incapable of having common sense, but more likely that you just attract the sort of woman that doesn’t have any.”
    The rest of dinner was finished in silence. Ellena excused herself and left without another word. Lord Wolfe did not try to stop her as she gracefully walked past his chair and it did not escape Ellena’s notice that he had not eaten.
    She was about to weave back to her room when she remembered the library from earlier. It would be nice to finally have a good book to read, not to mention Gregor said that she was welcome there anytime.
    She didn’t find the same library as before, but the one she did find was just a little bigger. This one would do just as nicely. In fact, she liked this