“Hello, Lord Reaux,” my mother called from her room, poking her head out and raising an eyebrow at me before smiling at Thorne. “I thought I heard you.”
He nodded to her. “Evadine, sorry to intrude.”
“Oh, nonsense. And who is this precious little girl?” my mother asked.
Thorne shuffled Marigold farther into the suite. “This is my daughter, Marigold. Marigold, say hello to Ms. Aris.”
Marigold waved shyly at my mother, rocking back and forth on her heels. “Are you Rissa’s mommy?”
“Why yes, I am.”
“She looks like you. She’s very pretty,” Marigold said earnestly.
“Yes, she is,” Thorne remarked, so quietly I thought I misheard. My grin faded as I looked at him in surprise. He cleared his throat. “They both are, of course.”
An awkward silence filled the room. I could feel my mother’s knowing gaze digging into my back.
“Well, I’ll be in here if anyone needs me,” Mother said, retreating back to her room. “The rest of you, have fun at the festival.”
“Daddy said I can’t go tonight,” Marigold said, gazing longingly at my dress.
He sighed. “It’ll be past your bedtime. And you, little girl, need your sleep after the exciting day you had.”
I chuckled at the way she tilted her head up to look at him with those big brown eyes, a tactic I’m sure worked like a charm for her. Pair that with the puppy nudging sweetly at Thorne’s ankle, and I could see his resolve crumbling bit by bit.
I crossed the room and knelt before Marigold, taking both her hands in mine. “How about you watch Mia for me tonight while I’m gone?” Her neck snapped back to me. “Would you like that?”
She nodded and grinned, showing off her dimple and the small gap between her teeth.
“Now, taking care of a dog is a big responsibility,” I said in a mockingly stern voice. “You have to make sure she has enough food and water, and take her outside on her leash every couple of hours so she doesn’t have an accident inside your room.”
Marigold nodded again, this time at Mia, an adorable crease appearing at her brow as she concentrated hard on my words.
“And she needslotsof playtime to get all her energy out. Do you think you can do that?”
“I’ll take such good care of her, I promise,” she said, then craned her neck to look at her father again. “Can I, Daddy? Please?”
I gave him a slight smirk as I cocked my head. “Can she, Lord Reaux? Please?”
His answering glare sent a thrill through me. “You two will be the death of me.”
“Then what a way to go,” I responded.
His jaw shifted and he took a deep, exaggerated breath. “Justonenight.”
Marigold squealed before he even got the full sentence out, then wrapped her arms around my neck. “Thank you, Rissa!” she said into my hair. I returned the hug, glancing up to catch Thorne’s eyes fixed on us, the column of his throat moving as he swallowed. The look he was giving us made my toes curl and my heart constrict, an unfamiliar emotion flooding my chest.
I smoothed out Marigold’s hair and tapped her nose. “You two have fun tonight, yes?”
She beamed and nodded vigorously, brown hair swaying. “I think you’re my new favorite. I’m so glad you’re marrying Uncle Galen!”
And just like that, the warm feeling was gone. I plastered a smile on my face and said, “Thank you, sweet girl,” before standing to gather the few possessions we had for Mia.
When the three of them left, my mother padded from her room and into mine, her perceptive eyes resting on my face.
“Don’t give me that look.”
She raised an eyebrow. “And what look might that be?”
