“Let me guess: freckles across her nose.”
I blinked and met Annette’s eyes. “Yes, sir.”
Montoni stomped away in a huff. Clearly, he knew who the mysterious woman was. That was curious. Perhaps she knew the very secret I was hoping to discover. People didn’t go to the lengths that woman had for no reason. But then why target Blanche’s room? Was the whole family involved in covering something up? Just what was going on here?
“Are you alright?” Henri was suddenly in front of me. He gingerly lifted my chin and turned my stinging cheek toward him. He winced. “You should apply a poultice to that.” His fingers on my chin drifted toward my lips before he seemed to remember himself and stepped back. “Annette, I trust you can see to him?”
“Of course, my lord,” Annette curtsied and hurried to my side. “I’ll bring him down to the kitchens at once.”
“Very good.”
I allowed Annette to lead me away, glancing back once to find Henri watching our progress with concern. I felt the phantom touch of his fingers on my skin and shuddered, but I knew not if it was out of fear or pleasure.
Annette unearthed a salve from the kitchen, and I stepped out into the cool night air to soothe my stinging cheek. I leaned into the stone of the château, reveling in the numbing cold I found there. Montoni had been surprisingly strong. And violent. I hadn’t feared him before, but I felt something akin to it now.
The sweet sounds of an orchestra floated out from the ballroom to greet me as I circled the château, stopping at a window wall that led out onto the patio. I caught glimpses of dancing through the curtains, and smiled at the gaiety. How I wished I was in there, enjoying myself. I missed balls and gossip and good music. If I could be in the middle of the fray, I would be reacquainted with happiness. Instead, I was left out in the cold, hoping my cheek didn’t swell to twice its size by morning.
I sighed.
“There you are.”
I jerked back from the windows, as if I’d been caught peeping, which I supposed I had been. Bram stood before me, grinning. The smile vanished when he caught sight of my cheek. “That doesn’t look good.”
He approached and ran the back of his fingers lightly down my cheek before pursing his lips. He knelt down suddenly, and I realized that he had his doctor bag with him. After rummaging for a minute, he pulled out a poultice and handed it to me.
I smiled gratefully. “You’re a lifesaver.”
Bram led me to a low wall to sit, and I held the poultice to my cheek. After a minute, I felt something like a cool caress over my cheek. It was heavenly.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as he watched me.
Bram shrugged. “Oh, you know. I was in the neighborhood …” At my dubious expression, he smirked. “Madame Mason fainted. I was summoned. Once she was revived, Annette told me you required a poultice.”
“I am lucky you had one.”
“I always come prepared.”
We smiled at one another for a moment before a shooting star caught our eyes from overhead. We tilted our heads toward the night sky. The stars were dazzling. With the sound of music in the background, it almost felt magical.
“Quite a night. The sky is beautiful,” Bram observed.
“Not as exciting as what’s going on inside,” I countered, pointing a thumb back toward the window wall.
“Do you like that sort of thing? Dances? Preening socialites?”
“I would kill to be a preening socialite right now,” I sighed.
Bram snorted. “I couldn’t imagine it. You’re the most down-to-earth man I’ve ever met. Practical, smart …” He looked away for a moment before brightening. He stood and held a hand out to me.
I cocked an eyebrow. “What?”
“Dance with me.”
“What?”
“Come on. Out here on the patio. No one will see.”
I considered his hand for a moment and then grinned, setting down the poultice. I took his hand and followed him to the window wall.
