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“I wouldn’t know. I haven’t brought it up.” I laughed and put my phone down, then turned off the light.
“Hmph.” Grace flopped down and snuggled back under the covers. “Those last two were mean.”
“Hardly. How do you know so much, by the way? You know probably as much as I do, and this is my life. People I grew up with.”
“Proximity and my field of study,” she replied quietly, shifting on her back. “I went to school with a few aristocrats, and it’s hard to study the past without also focusing on the present. Not to mention that part of my PhD study is how the aristocracy is relevant to modern-day Britain. I can’t really argue that for a doctorate if I don’t know anything about the modern-day aristocratic families.”
Good point.
“That’s a good point,” I acquiesced. “I know this is somewhat of a break for you, but if I can help you in any way with your studying… All you have to do is ask me.”
“Thank you.” She turned to face me, and I could just about make out her small smile in the darkness. “I really appreciate that. I’d just like to break into the library, to be honest.”
“Let’s see if we can get you in there in the morning. I’ll see if you can’t pick Grandpa’s brains, too.”
“Well, for that to happen, we’ll have to hope there isn’t two feet of snow dumped on us overnight.”
“Christ, you’ve said it now.” I nudged her foot with mine, and she hit me right back.
“I told you to stay on your side of the bed.”
“No, you didn’t.” I grinned, and I knew I was holding her gaze, even in the dark—there was a magical little glint in her eyes that was always there, and I could see it now, even though it was almost pitch black. “You told me to keep my hands to myself. You said nothing about my feet.”
“Then keep your feet to yourself.”
“You can’t change the terms of an agreement after it’s been made.”
With a huff, she aggressively rolled onto her side and kicked my feet one last time. “Fine. Two can play at that game.”
I laughed, adjusting my covers over my chest. “Goodnight, Grace.”
“I doubt it will be.”
***
She was right.
It was not a good night.
Wind howled at the windows from around two a.m. onwards, disturbing both of our sleep, and whatever sleep I was able to steal was filled with thoughts of her.
Lying next to me.
Grace. Her smile and her laugh, her smartass comments, and what seemed like her endless, endearing wit and charm.
I was in fucking danger.
I was so inexplicably drawn to her that I couldn’t help but wonder if I was developing an obsession with her. She was fascinating in so many weird ways, and it felt like there was a part of her she wasn’t sharing with me.
Not that I was obligated to any part of her, of course. I wasn’t entitled to know any part of her life other than what she wanted to share with me, but we were no longer strangers. She knew about my family, and I’d learnt something about hers last night.
There was just a little something that was closed off. I didn’t know what it was, and while I knew I had no right to demand that knowledge of her, it didn’t stop me wanting to know what she was keeping locked away.
Perhaps that was why I was in the kitchen making a pot of tea while she showered.
Space.
Not that space was hard to come by in a big fucking castle, but still.
