“Where you waiting for me?” she whispered back. He didn’t answer but just stared at her with that same look in his eyes. Isolde thought she might melt if he kept looking at her like that. All manner of inappropriate thoughts flitted through her head.
Flustered, she tried to think of something to fill the silence before she made a fool of herself.
“You must be bored, alone here by yourself,” she babbled. “Shall I read to you?” She cast her eyes about the room and found no books. “I have a book in my room I think you would like, let me go fetch it.”
She stood up, but he kept her hand in his, holding tightly. She looked down at it and couldn’t help smiling. She squeezed his fingers before letting go.
“I shall come right back, don’t worry,” she said, and giving him one last smile, she hurried to the door.
In the hallway, away from his gaze, she felt a bit of her sense return to her.
I was supposed to talk to him about our relationship, she scolded herself as she hurried through the hallway to her room. Still, she couldn’t help feeling that somehow, even though they’d said barely anything to each other, progress had been made.
As she made her way back to his room with the book in her hand, she told herself that after they read for a while, she would mention the topic of their relationship.
Yes, that will be better. I’ll ease into the conversation.
She was practically skipping down the hallway toward his door when the door opened and Lord Cassian stepped out. Isolde skidded to a stop.
“Ah, Miss Fairchild. Come to visit?” he said, smiling at her. She nodded, clutching the book to her chest.
“And brought something for him to read, I see. How kind you are. Unfortunately, he’s just told me he is tired and doesn’t wish to be disturbed.”
“But –” Isolde frowned in confusion.
“I’m sure you wish to see him, but I promise he is doing well. Of course, I would make an exception for his lovely fiancée, but I did just promise him I would not let anyone in. If you want to leave the book, though, I shall give it to him.”
Lord Cassian held out his hand, and Isolde instinctively held the book tighter. Lord Cassian must be confused. And she had promised Thaddeus she would be right back. She wouldn’t break that promise.
She squared her shoulders and opened her mouth to insist she be let in, even if just to give the book to Thaddeus herself. But just then, the door opened again, and Lady Bradshaw put her head out.
“Reginald, can you get me some water to –” she said in a soft voice, and then saw Isolde. “Oh, Miss Fairchild. How sweet of you to visit. Unfortunately, just now Lord Hartington –”
“Doesn’t want to be disturbed,” Isolde finished for her, a bitter taste in her mouth and tears threatening at her eyes. Lord Cassian still had his hand out for the book, but she stepped back, away from both of them. “I understand.” And she turned and fled back toward her room.
As she went, she tried to tell herself that she had misunderstood, that there had to be some explanation. But try as she might, she could find no other conclusion but that Thaddeus wished to be alone with Lady Bradshaw and had asked Lord Cassian to lie to keep everyone else away.
Everyone else, and especially her. She thought back to the look in Thaddeus’s eyes, the way he had seemed to cling to her hand.
How could I have misread that moment so badly?
Chapter 20
Thaddeus had never expected to wake to Isolde hovering over him. He’d been half-asleep and thought he felt someone touching his hair.
It had felt nice, and he’d wanted to stay in that moment, not having to think about anything, only feeling this gentle, comforting touch. When he’d finally opened his eyes and seen Isolde, cast golden in the firelight, it had felt like he had dreamt her.
Now, as he waited and waited for her to return, he was starting to wonder if he had actually dreamt their whole interaction.
He looked down at his hand and felt the phantom touch from where she had laced her fingers through his. Surely it had been real. And the way she’d looked at him, bright-eyed and a little flushed – he hadn’t imagined that either, had he? She had felt it too, whatever was between them at that moment.
And yet, she did not return with the book as she’d promised. Cassian and Vivienne had stopped by, and he’d shooed them away as quickly as possible.
Next, his mother had dropped in to check on him before she went to bed, and Tatiana not long after her. He’d nearly askedTatiana to go looking for Isolde, but by that point, he had to conclude she had not come back on purpose.
Perhaps she had gotten shy after holding his hand. Perhaps she had reconsidered, thought the better of holding his hand when her goal was to find someone else to marry.
Perhaps he had misread the situation completely.
