“Yes,” I agreed, sighing. “I apologize for the falsehood.”
Blanche snorted. “Surely you’re jesting. Having you here is the most excitement I’ve had in a very long while. Even before your secret life was laid bare. As a marquis, I mean. Not yourothersecret.”
I shot Henri a look as he walked along my other side. Henri shrugged. “She knows about me.”
“And I knew about you when you didn’t fall madly in love with me.” Blanche sighed, looking up at me through her lashes. “That would clearly be the only reason you showed no interest.”
“Clearly,” I agreed, smiling in response.
Henri took my other arm and leaned his head on my shoulder as well. I smirked at him, and he shrugged, lifting his head after a moment. He didn’t release my arm, however.
“You know we’re on your side, right?” Blanche asked me.
“Oh, you too?”
She nodded. “Of course. I’m here for you. Remember? I still owe you.”
“I suppose you do.”
The siblings had actually made me feel a little better, but I still felt panicky about my situation. When I returned to my room, I unpacked my small bag of things, mostly toiletries, and sat on my bed. The book I had nabbed from the apothecary stared back at me as well. I hadn’t had a chance to page through it yet.
I blinked as something skittered across the sheets, and I realized that it was a spider.
“No, no, no,” I told it, rushing to grab a glass. “You are not going to be laying eggs in my ears tonight. I have enough to contend with.”
I scooped the arachnid up and brought it downstairs. I nearly took the servants’ staircase, but realized that I wouldn’t be welcome there anymore. I would be expected to use the main stairs and the family’s rooms. It would be an adjustment.
As I sauntered to the front door, a servant straightened beside the doorway. He looked at me curiously. I recognized him, but I didn’t think I’d ever exchanged a word with him. I nodded and he stepped into my path. “Sir?” he asked. “If you need something outside, I can retrieve it for you.”
I blinked and then realized that he was guarding the door. Of course. So I wouldn’t run off in the middle of the night.
I shook my head. “I just want to let this spider outside.” I held up the glass, where the figure of the spider could be seen struggling within.
The man hesitated, then nodded, escorting me out the door as I stooped to let the spider go. I watched the spider scamper off into the grass, lingering, knowing that I would have to return to my room like a good marquis confined to house arrest.
I sighed, feeling ridiculous that I was suddenly jealous of a spider.
Back in my room, I dropped onto my bed and picked up the book from the apothecary. I began to read but couldn’t focus on it at all, and it only seemed to be going over myths of the lunar goddesses that I already knew. I tossed it aside as hopelessness clouded my thoughts, wrapping around me like a cocoon.
A light rap at the door made me sit up, and Henri slipped inside. He smiled as he shut the door behind him.
“Is something wrong?” I asked, then snorted. “I mean, somethingelse?”
Henri approached me with a candle and set it down on a side table. He turned to watch me for a moment before shrugging. “I wanted to check in on you, see how you’re doing.”
“Did you know they’re guarding the doors?”
Henri ran a hand back through his hair. “I suspected they would.”
I lay back on the bed. “I’m okay, all things considered. I’m just waiting for things to get worse. Aunt Cheron is going to bring up my inheritance soon, and my conditions for claiming it.”
Henri grabbed my hand and I squeezed it. “Thank you,” I told him. “I don’t think I could have handled today without your presence.”
“We’re in this together. I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you.”
I wish I’d seen more of this Henri before my subterfuge had begun in earnest. Perhaps things would have progressed differently between us.
“Do you want company tonight?” Henri asked softly.
