Alice was never too far behind.
“These next two months will be long at the Cantini Manor,” I muttered once Alice and I were surrounded by stainless steel appliances.
“Two months?” Alice questioned. “You mean the rest of your life since marriage is forever?”
My wide gaze swung to her when I realized my mistake. “Yes, of course.”
“This isn’t my place, but why didn’t you say anything and speak up for yourself?”
I pulled a stool out from under the enormous silver island and sat. “It’s her house, her rules. I have no say as long as I live here. But if she disrespects the ones I care about, I will speak up. Other than that, there are more important things to worry about. I must pick and choose my battles.” Icing dripped down freshly baked cinnamon rolls in a nearby pan, and I leaned over to grab one. “I haven’t interacted with her this much until now. Has she always been like this?”
Alice took the cinnamon roll from my hand. She placed it on a plate and began to cut the roll into fours. “She’s very set in her—” Alice started to say, but I stopped her.
“You don’t have to do that.” My eyes nudged the plate between us. “I can cut my own food, Alice. I’m not helpless.” I’d gone from running a boutique, handling bills and taking care of Mom, to a maid cutting my food into bite-sized pieces as if that would be the reason I’d choke.
Alice’s nose twitched, wrinkles forming around her mouth. She set the knife down on the rim of the pan and looked up at me. “To them, you are incapable until your initiation.”
A smirk blossomed on my lips. “Good.”Then none of them will see me coming,I thought.They’ll never suspect me if Kane winds up dead. For them to believe I’m incapable will be their mistake.
Alice slid the plate in front of me. “Mrs. Cantini doesn’t want to spoil the engagement news, so you will not attend this impromptu meeting at Town Hall. Once it’s over, Gabriel will gather your belongings from the Sullivan Cottage. Is there anything special you need that you’d like him to grab while he’s there? I can let him know beforehand.”
Everyone would be attending the Town Hall meeting, and the realization pulled me into an upright position. It was the perfect distraction to slip away from the manor and sail to Bone Island to confront Stone and tell him that whatever he was doing must stop.
It was both a chance and an excuse to see him again.
The boat key was still safely tucked away in my satchel.
No one would find out.
The sudden thought of a quick escape sparked excitement in me.
Alice lifted her eyes to me, awaiting an answer.
I broke off a piece of sticky bread. “And what will you be doing during this time?”
“I need to sleep during the day to ensure I’m prepared to keep you safe through the night.”
“No, you can’t,” I quickly said, needing her awake to distract the family in case I wasn’t back in time. I had to think of something to keep her occupied. “There are a few things from home I’ll need.” I walked to the side of the refrigerator, snatched up a notepad and pen, then wrote down a list. “And when you return, I’ll need you to guard my door until the sun goes down. If anyone asks, I didn’t sleep last night and plan to spend my day locked inside my new bedroom, getting acquainted with every square inch of my bed. I don’t want anyone coming in or bothering me.”
“But Miss Adora—” Alice hesitated.
“And if it’s true, and you do work for me, you won’t disclose the details about what happened last night.” I slipped the note into the pocket of her apron and left before she had a chance to protest or follow.
Adrenaline rushed through my veins, and I couldn’t get out of the kitchen and up the spiraling stairs fast enough.
CHAPTER 17
STONE
On a side table,a leather case held sketchpads and drawing utensils.
Initials AR were pressed into the flap enclosure.
Through the cold winter night, with only a lantern casting a buttery glow across the paper, drawing was all I could do because the infection was slowly stealing me.
The sketchpad was balanced on one knee as I tried to find answers to Circe with every stroke on the paper. With my head tilted and my eyes focused, the pencil curved around the shape of her lips and moved freely down her neckline. The clues to what she was hiding had to be in the drawing, but instead of finding her secrets, I lost myself in the pair of eyes I could never get right. And when frustration overcame me, I set the sketchpad down, staggered to the toilet room with my hand clutched to my side, and spent little time in front of the mirror.
Mother had to have succeeded because, finally, I could see my face.
