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Chapter Nine.
Kit
Stephanie was excited as she drove along the lanes. She’d mentioned a surprise for him, but he had no idea what. Ever since they’d banished Zorathal, beheaded Justin, and saved The White Witch, which was two weeks ago, things had been perfect. The entire bar had been destroyed, and they’d hired skips and cleaned out the broken furniture. Stephanie had contacted a builder called Mr Evans to come and replicate the ruins.
Mr Evans had gazed curiously at them both but hadn’t said anything unless it was along the lines of the building. But Kit felt the man’s eyes on him and sometimes saw awareness and approval in them. Kit sensed he had hidden knowledge but didn’t press for answers. Once they’d been given a date, it was like Stephanie went into overtime.
As Kit hadn’t been outside for three hundred years, it appeared Stephanie was determined to make up for it. The day after the battle, she’d prepared a picnic, and they’d eaten it in the gardens at the rear of The White Witch. Initially terrified, Kit crossed the threshold only after a forceful boot up the backsidefrom The White Witch. Kit had admitted ruefully that it was rather an effective way of kicking him out.
Kit had been petrified he might disappear when he left the safe walls of the inn. Sitting in the sun for the first time in three centuries was a miracle. Especially with Stephanie sitting beside him on a blanket and looking picture-perfect in a pretty sundress. Kit had ended up lying on his back with Stephanie curled into him and her leg hooked over his. And he couldn’t remember anything as wonderful as that afternoon.
But if he thought that was amazing, Stephanie had upped her efforts each day since.
The next day, they’d walked to the small lake, where they’d swam and laughed. Then there’d been other picnics in further out places and pub lunches. She cheekily called it research to gain information on their rivals. Kit just went along with her. They’d visited a museum, and Kit was rather saddened when he recognised items from his own era.
What was now considered antiques were once new ideas for his generation. But Kit shrugged it off and thanked his blessings that he had this time with her. A week after the banishment, he’d asked to see his siblings’ inns. Stephanie had said nothing, but she’d driven him to Jekyll and Hyde first. There he stared, stunned, as the Rakehell Six and their spouses came and went freely. He saw his brother Lucian standing strong with his arms wrapped around a woman who Stephanie identified as Maggie.
There’d been something different about Lucian, and he realised what it was when Lucian stumbled and stubbed his foot. The fact it had hurt Lucian stunned Kit. Ghosts didn’t feel physical pain usually, and definitely not from stubbing a toe.
“He’s alive,” Kit had whispered, recognising the truth.
Confused, he’d asked Stephanie to drive them away. She took them to The Crown next. Although they didn’t get too close, they could hear a roaring argument between Callie and Elias.Kit smiled as Callie gave as good as she got, and he heard an indignant yell from Elias.
“Shall we go in?” Stephanie had inquired.
“No, it’s not time. Something is telling me to wait,” Kit had answered.
From there, they visited The Rose and caught Issac being drenched in a bucket of ice-cold water. His annoyed yells echoed, and both Stephanie and Kit chuckled. Especially when Tilly came racing out, her hair a dreadful orange.
“Dear God,” Stephanie had muttered, horrified. “She loved her hair colour. She’ll kill him!”
At The Black Cat, they found Benedict and Mariah. They sat in a love swing in front of the inn, rocking back and forth, completely in their own world. Kit noted the pub was also open and serving customers. In a top window, he caught a glance of Lady Catherine, who gazed out at them. She tilted her head in acknowledgement and faded away. Kit guessed that Benedict had miraculously returned to life too.
The Green Man, he’d left till last. It would pain Kit deeply to see his twin. And see her, he most certainly did. He stared, horrified, as CeeCee covered Cole in honey, butter, feathers, and something Stephanie identified as glitter. Then he watched carefully as Cole rather good-naturedly dealt with her.
In the midst of the fight, Lucian and Benedict arrived and entered the inn, prompting Kit to ask Stephanie to leave.
He’d been quiet that night, churning everything over in his head. A miracle was at play. The Rakehell Six and their spouses had returned. Lucian and Benedict were alive. Kit wondered why he wasn’t and assumed the answer was there was something else he had to do. He wasn’t jealous of his siblings but overjoyed for them. Even if he didn’t return from death like Lucian and Benedict, he had Stephanie.
Some days they spent cooking and planning a future. No matter how the day started, it began with them together and ended the same way. Stephanie had ordered him some modern clothing so he could go out and about in public. And he had to admit he wasn’t a great fan of the current fashion. But he sucked it up for Stephanie.
Today, she’d insisted on him wearing jeans and a jumper. The warm weather made Kit feel a bit uncomfortable. He had boots on his feet, having shunned what Stephanie called trainers.
Kit didn’t like them at all. As they’d got in the car, he’d seen his riding boots hidden under a blanket and wondered what Stephanie was up to now.
She chatted merrily away as she drove to their destination. That was something else he was trying to comprehend. The speeds a car could reach. It was frightening. But Stephanie recognised it and broke him in gently. The first time she’d hit seventy miles per hour, Kit had nearly needed scrapping off the roof. After realising that Stephanie had stuck to back lanes, slowly building up his trust.
Now, she was bouncing in her seat, and Kit adored watching it. Since the banishing, Stephanie’s confidence had grown. Kit loved seeing her bloom. And he couldn’t love her more if he tried. Stephanie owned him heart and soul, and he knew she felt the same way. The White Witch had got into the habit of slapping him when he had doubts about their relationship. Something Kit believed she’d inherited from her encounter with Wollscombe.
Stephanie drove down a narrow lane and passed through a gate. She ordered him to close his eyes as he saw a sign, and he obeyed with a sigh. Kit wouldn’t ruin her surprise.
He sensed the car stop, and Stephanie told him to open his eyes.
When he did, a gasp of delight escaped him.
They were at a stable.
“You mentioned you loved to ride, and I rode up until a few years ago. I thought we could take some horses out,” Stephanie explained.
