“Tinctures, tonics, remedies. Yes, Will, I have all of that. And I meant what I said. I feel great.”
“You know how quickly that can change.”
“I’m fine,” she growls, then faces the rest of us with a smile. “It’s been lovely meeting you, and I hope to get to know you better. Especially you, Miss Danforth. I’ve heard a lot about you from Zane.”
“Oh,” I say, taken aback. “Good things, I hope.”
Cassie gives me a conspiratorial wink, though I don’t know what we’re conspiring about. “Very good things. Very good and interesting things.” The way she enunciates each word makes me even more uncertain.
William pulls his head back. “When did you talk to Zane?”
“We exchanged a telegram the other day. By the way…” Cassie leans in close to William, though her eyes remain on me. She whispers just loud enough for me to hear. “Does she know about June?”
My breath catches.
William gently turns her away from me. “No,” he whispers back. “She doesn’t need to know.”
Cassie nods, her shoulders slightly slumped. When she faces us again, she gives us an exuberant wave.
William won’t look at me, not even after Cassie is through the front doors and out of sight. Not even as we follow Monty up the stairs to our rooms.
My heart sinks with every step. In part because of what he said about June. That I don’t need to know about this great former love of his. I can’t pretend I’m not jealous that he’s shared about her with others. With Jolene. Why not me?
But another part sinks not with envy but guilt.
Because now that I’ve met Cassie—now that I’ve been charmed by her, even after such a brief meeting—I understand a piece of William better than before.
The piece that makes him so desperate for that contract.
The piece I’ll have to crush to win.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
EDWINA
The last thing I need is to be close to William right now. What I need is a distraction. Peace in his absence. Which is exactly why I arrived at the ballroom early this evening to help the staff prepare for tomorrow’s gala. William and I already agreed to reconvene at nine to meet with the event coordinator. I figured if I was early for once, I wouldn’t have to risk meeting William on the way. Or getting stuck in an elevator with him and remembering all the delicious things that happened the last time we were alone in one.
So how the hell did I end up setting tables with him? And not just tables in general, but the very same table. Again and again.
At first, it’s enough to simply ignore him. The ballroom holds plenty to admire and keep my awareness of his presence at bay. It boasts more of the hotel’s organic charm, with its curved twining walls that sprout flowering branches at intervals where ornate lanterns hang. The floor is a gleaming cherrywood inlaidwith a spiraling floral pattern. The layout for the event is only partially set up, with tables on one side, an empty stage on the other, and a dance floor in between.
But there’s only so much of my surroundings I can admire before they pale against William’s beauty. My eyes are trained on his every move, transfixed as his capable fingers lay out plates and utensils. The air seems to sizzle between us, like a current that fights to drag me closer to him.
“Must you follow me, William?” I say when he tails me to the fourth table in a row.
He arches a brow as if he can’t fathom my annoyance. “It’s faster if we work together.” He retrieves a white silk cloth from a nearby cart and spreads it haphazardly over the bare table. With a nod, he gestures for me to take the other end.
Gritting my teeth, I clasp the edge of the cloth and tug it over my side of the circular table. “Why are you even here?”
“Aubrey mentioned a shortage of staff to help set up tonight, so I offered my services.”
I frown. “Who’s Aubrey?”
“The event coordinator.”
“You met her already? I thought we weren’t meeting her until nine.”
“She visited my room to propose an idea for my auction, but there’s still more to discuss.”
