Yes, I think so. If I remember correctly, though it wasn’t anything that he could get money for, just something about Henry having a disabledsibling. Why?
…
I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to reveal.
Well, I’ve been talking to Henry, and we’re trying to figure out what Zac was after.
Money. Guaranteed.
Thanks Phoebe. I might need to contact you again later.
“That sounds like Zac.” Henry nodded, his face somber. “I wonder if he could have known any of your guests, and if so, how he met them.”
I sighed. “They’ll all say no if I ask them.”
“We can see how they react if we mention his name, though.” He gave a sly grin.
"She mentioned that you have a sibling with a disability?" I asked.
"Oh, my little brother has autism. But I'd hardly call that a disability." Henry grinned from the side of his mouth. "He can be exceptionally honest, though."
"He sounds delightful."
Chapter 8
Ginger,cocoaandpowderedsugar scented the air. I grabbed a hanging basket, lined it with red and green napkins, then filled it to the brim with cookies.
“I suppose it's a little late to see if you can put a truth serum or something in these?” Henry asked.
“That’s always a last resort. People are smart. They can tell if something doesn’t feel right, and truth serums can be nasty. I had an aunt who bought one to give me as a child. I was too young to know how to remain silent, and all sorts of personal confessions spilled from my mouth. It was embarrassing, and I never trusted her again,” I said.
“Sounds like she crossed a boundary she shouldn’t have.” He held out his hand to carry the basket for me. “I’m hoping the notes I sent you didn’t do that. I didn’t mean for them to.”
“No. It was clear there were no demands or expectations. But you left me curious for months. In fact, you’reprobably the last person I’d expect to have been sending them.”
His eyes widened. “Why’s that?”
“Oh, it’s nothing bad. It’s just you always seemed so confident and never flirted with me. So, I figured if you liked me, you would have made that perfectly clear. Everyone else did.” I guided him out of the kitchen and back to another hidden passage. “And I didn’t think being fae was an obstacle.”
Henry stopped and looked at me.
"Everyone else did try, and I suspected it was exhausting for you. Georgiana, you’re royalty. That’s a big deal. It’s not unheard of for royalty to be restricted in who they can have relationships with. And I don’t want a fling. That would be more painful than never being with you at all.” I frowned, ready to object. But he interjected, "I’m not trying to make you commit to anything. I need to know whether I stand a chance. Until today, the idea was impossible, and every moment we spend together is sublime but painful.”
He was such a poet, and I wanted to tell him he had nothing at all to worry about. But in truth, some people could make a big deal out of high-fae relationships. Wecould technically be with whomever we pleased. But I knew my Aunt Catherine De Bourgh would be mortified if I didn’t marry another high fae. She always talked about things likepreserving your immaculate bloodline.But really the pressure was greater for Darcy. As the older sibling, it would likely be his children who would carry the family line.Would he object to me and Henry?
“If I had a sure answer for you, I would give it. This is just so new. But I understand what you're saying, and it makes me sad,” I answered.
“Sad?” Henry didn’t seem to understand.
“Well, if I hadn’t seen you on the security feed, you might not have ever told me. It’s just sad,” I answered. "What I might've missed."
"You always reminded me of Rapunzel, a princess with long golden hair, out of reach to the rest of the world." He stopped walking and looked up and down the passage, then he brushed his fingertips across my cheek, moving back a long lock of hair which fell over my shoulder. “Never telling you might’ve been the biggest mistake of my life. But now that you know, I’m moreafraid than ever.”
"Henry, I..." My heart-rate climbed, and I looked away. Things were getting too serious. So I nodded at the basket of cookies he carried. “If we deliver these to guest rooms, Darcy is going to wonder why I’m not bringing Dan along. But I’m worried that bringing him might put people on guard.”
“Your brother is the last person I want to annoy,” Henry muttered.“Especially now that we’re a possibility.”
He was right. Darcy held a lot of power, and his opinion would always affect my life, whether or not I wanted it to. “Well, hopefully Darcy is too distracted by Lizzy to worry about what we're doing. You know, as a child, this was one of my favorite Christmas activities, running around the house with a basket of treats to share with the staff."
