Page 85 of Bloodgrove

“Perhaps the young lady will change things,” the assistant whispered hopefully.

As Will spent the afternoon searching the castle for clues, he gathered candles and lanterns and arranged them throughout the library. He had discovered the room on his way to breakfast and promptly decided that if he and Elodie were to barricade themselves somewhere for the night, it would be here.

And because he could not silence the searching part of his mind, and because it pained his heart to see the solstice pass without a single decoration, he began building a nest between the shelves. Especially since his hunt for evidence of sinister dealings had proved entirely fruitless.

He shook the snow from several fir branches, wrapped them in colorful ribbons the butler had provided, and wove in clusters of berries that ripened only after the first frost. With the help of a servant, he carried in two rugs and a sofa that had clearly always belonged before the fireplace.

For a moment, he forgot that he was trapped inside Elodie’s fiancé’s dark castle on the night of demons and looked upon his work with satisfaction.

The library was a winding, not particularly spacious corner room, with a large window facing the sea and bookshelves rising over two floors. But because its owner had run out of space, more shelves crossed the room between them, turning it into a labyrinth, and leaving only a few square meters free before the fireplace.

“What in damnation are you doing?” Elodie stepped beside him and stared at the mountains of pillows and blankets and the little tables covered with cookies and plates. Later, the cook would bring sliced roast, sandwiches, cabbage, tea, and wine as well. It was far too much food for two people, but that was the point of the feast. For one night, his parents had always allowed him to forget that money was scarce and winter was long.

“You said we had to barricade ourselves in a room for the night. I am making it comfortable.”

Elodie raised an eyebrow. “Were you not supposed to be searching the house for clues?”

“I can do two things at the same time. But whatever your fiancé is doing, he hides it well. His study is full of ships’ logs and books about the Capitol and the mountains.”

“I saw them, and they made no more sense to me. But this is…” Her voice faltered.

“Cookies, wine, a room for only the two of us, and the servants at the other end of the castle.” He reached into a shelf and pulled out a book. “I even found a collection of fairy tales, in case you would like me to read to you. Or would you prefer something more exciting?” He held up a book bearing the title The Amorous Adventures of Lady Silverstone in gold lettering.

Elodie drew her lower lip between her teeth, and her eyes grew round. Will watched every shift in her expression, all these new lines and softness he had never seen before. But he knew better than to remark upon how suddenly the stormy sea of her eyes had gone smooth.

Instead, Will wrapped a hand around her waist and pushed her gently against a bookshelf. The smell of dust and leather stirred around them. He braced one hand several shelves above her head beside books about angels and heavenly hosts—which he found entirely fitting—and with the other, stroked the taut fabric of her bodice.

“Only the two of us,” he murmured.

“Will you stay awake with me all night?” she asked.

With one leg between her skirts, he bent toward her throat. Gently, he kissed the delicate skin where her pulse hammered. “One night is not enough to explore everything I have imagined. You forget that this is new for me too.”

“But why all of this?” Elodie caught one of his braids and let it slide through her fingers. So many thoughts moved across her face. He wanted to ask what hurt her, why she looked full of hope and sorrow at once, and whether she blushed so sweetly only for him.

“Because you deserve the best. You deserve someone who makes things beautiful for you and reads you a fairy tale at the solstice.” His thumb stroked her cheek and tilted her face toward him when she tried to hide her unease.

“Why now?”

“When I saw you catching snowflakes on your tongue, I knew there was still a girl inside you capable of wonder. That behind this beautiful wall of the powerful duchess, someone vulnerable is hiding.”

Elodie frowned. “Do not tell me you want to save me like Eric does. That⁠—”

“No. But tonight, you are alone with me. Let me be a good friend to you for one night.” He brushed a strand of hair from her face, and after a moment’s hesitation, she leaned into his touch.

“Are we friends?”

“I think so.”

“Oh, Will. Were I a better person, I would warn you away from me. If you continue like this, I may lose my heart to you, and it would cost you your life.”

“Don’t say that,” he whispered and pressed a kiss to her brow. “In two weeks, I will be gone, and you will have to fight for yourself again.”

She placed a hand on his chest, melancholy glittering in her eyes. “If only it were that simple.”

Footsteps in the corridor interrupted them, and Will restored a respectable distance between them. It took Elodie several seconds to banish the final traces of emotion from her face and lock her perfect facade back into place.

“Your Grace, a visitor has arrived,” the butler said, tense.