“It is fine.”
“Was it expensive?” she asked. “It looked expensive.”
The vase was expensive. No… expensive was not the right word. It was priceless, passed down through at least three generations, and Caspian could not even guess what it might have been worth. That she had broken it…
He took a deep breath, making sure to keep his expression passive the entire time.
“Thalia, you and I need to have a talk.”
“Oh?”
He hesitated when he looked at her properly and was just as quickly reminded of why he was so determined to avoid her as much as he could.
Her beauty was more classic than startling. The dark brown of her hair, thick and luscious and wavy. The sharp green of her eyes, intelligent and just a little mischievous. When she smiled,she had a dimple on the right side of her cheek, and when she scowled her eyebrows touched at the center.
She was dressed in a simple muslin gown of light blue, pulled together with a ribbon under her bust. The snug ribbon emphasized her bosom and her curves, showing off the full shape of her body while revealing just enough skin to suggest at what lay underneath. Caspian was not usually the type to gawk or care about such things, but to see her right now… once again, he felt himself coming undone.
“Yes, a talk.” He pulled his gaze from her. “If you will.” He turned and walked away quickly, delighted to hear her footsteps following him.
The vase was not what he wished to speak about.
Nor were her recent actions. Those, he knew, he could ignore, and that Thalia would eventually move on from this ridiculous attempt to bring out the worst in him.
Rather, he had heard a rumor just yesterday, one that was concerning, and one that he wished to confirm and then work toward fixing.
He led Thalia into the drawing room.
“This will do.” He reached the middle of the room and turned quickly.
She came to an abrupt halt, standing some five feet back from here. “I did not mean to break the vase,” she said again. “Honestly, it was an accident.”
“I do not care about the vase,” he said.
“You don’t?” She almost sounded disappointed by the fact.
“No. What I care about is a rumor that I heard just yesterday. One I would have thought my wife would come to me with. One that I am still trying to decide what to do about.”
“A rumor? What… what did you hear?”
For the first time, his wife looked worried. Clearly, she did not expect this confrontation, and clearly, she was caught on the back foot.
It might have brought a smile to Caspian’s face, if he allowed it. She might enjoy upsetting him, but two could play that game.
This is not a game. Is it?
His eyes roamed her body, pausing on the curves of her hips and bust in the gown, straying to her neckline and the smoothness of her skin. Caspian’s mind cast back to their kiss, not nearly as passionate as it could have been, but that did not matter.
Why does she do this to me? Why do I struggle so much around her?
He gave his head a shake and forced himself to focus.
“You visited the Guildhall Library three days ago, yes?” he asked.
“I did,” she said carefully. “I would have told you, but I did not think you would care.”
“I do not care,” he said, which had her frowning. “My concern is for who you spoke with while at the library.”
Her frown deepened, and then her eyes widened. “Lord Donmere? How did you…”
