Chapter 24
“Burn the world down?”
Caroline had stared at the closed door for a long moment after he had left, his words still ringing in her ears even days later. She shook her head as she picked up another knick-knack from the parlor’s fireplace mantel and scrubbed at it hard with her cloth. She desperately needed to do something with her hands, no matter how improper it was for her to clean.
“He cannot possibly mean that,” she murmured to herself. “He is always so severe with his words, but... A man like him cannot possibly feel so intensely for someone like me.”
Can he?She could feel her heart fluttering violently at the thought.
“Are you talking to yourself?”
Caroline gasped and whirled around, nearly dropping the bit of glass in her hand. When she saw Jeremy leaning in the doorway with his usual cheeky grin, she groaned and threw her rag at him.
“Do not sneak up on people!” she scolded, fiddling with the glass object in her hands.
“I have been here the entire time, you silly goose,” Jeremy said, shrugging as he pushed himself away from the doorframe and walked into the room. “Apparently, your invisible friend was so loud you could not hear me.”
Caroline felt her cheeks turn red, and she hid it by turning around and putting the glass knick-knack back on the mantel.
“Give me my rag back, please,” she muttered, reaching for another.
“Talking to invisible friendsandcleaning?” Jeremy mused as he came closer. “My dear, must I remind you that you are not some servant girl waiting for your prince? Yours has already arrived.”
Caroline clucked her tongue as she turned to Jeremy, ready to ask him to stop with his playful banter. Yet as she faced him, she found his smile gone and a look of concern in his eyes.
“He is not my prince,” she muttered, accepting the rag he held out to her. “And I know I do not have to clean. It sounds strange, but I thought tidying up would soothe my nerves.”
Jeremy raised a curious brow.
“And does this thing help?” he asked.
Caroline looked at the rag in her one hand, twisting it, and shook her head.
“My stepmother used to make me clean for her,” Caroline explained, taking a seat. “I know she did so to make me feel lowly, but in truth, I did find some enjoyment taking care of the many little things that could not take care of themselves. Ithought maybe it would help me now, but it seems I am more frustrated than before.”
“Your stepmother sounds lovely,” Jeremy said with heavy sarcasm as he took a seat across from Caroline, and she let out a tired laugh.
“Oh, yes, the loveliest,” she replied with equal sarcasm.
She glanced at him and found only the barest of smiles on his usually grinning lips.
“Perhaps you need to speak to anactualfriend,” he offered gently. “I am sure your invisible one is nice, but something tells me they do not reply.”
Caroline let out another tired laugh and reached out to bat at his knee.
“I do not have an invisible friend, I was just talking to myself,” she explained. “And yes, I would love to speak to my best friend, but Elara is not here. I write to her, but it is not at all the same as having her at my side.”
“Well, perhaps I could be of assistance then,” Jeremy offered, opening his arms. “I may not be your best friend, but I could beafriend.”
Caroline giggled as he beckoned her with his fingers while wagging his eyebrows, feeling her kinship toward him grow.
“It would stay between us?” she asked tentatively.
Jeremy’s mouth dropped open as he pressed a hand to his chest, as if offended she would think otherwise. Then he chuckled and slashed a crossthrough the air.
“Cross my heart,” he replied, then leaned back into his chair.
“It is Damien,” she confessed, her smile already fading as she began to speak. “He frustrates me so.”
