Vesta clutched her hand against her chest, and her eyes shimmered again, but this time there was a smile on her lips. “Thank you. Thank you so much. Both of you. God bless your marriage.”
She slipped out like a shadow and shut the door behind herself. I moved to follow, but Cassian set a hand on my shoulder. I turned to find a gentle smile on his face. “She needs time to think things over, and we need sleep.”
My heart fell, but I knew deep down he was right. We returned to bed, and this time there were no more disturbances.
Chapter 23
The sun rose early in the sky, and so did we. A hand shook my shoulder, and a soft cooing sound floated over my ears. “Darling. It’s time to wake up.”
I creaked open one eye and glared up at my ‘darling.’ “How can you be this chipper this early in the morning?”
His eyes twinkled like stars. “Because I’m with my most wonderful wife on a most interesting honeymoon.”
I rolled my eyes and drew the sheet over my head. The shaking continued. “Breakfast is almost ready, and I need my shirt.”
My muffled voice answered him. “Go down in your coat.”
“My upper chest would show through the open collar.”
“Then Mrs. Arvina will get a good show.”
A soft chuckle interrupted my dark thoughts. “You think my chest is a good show?”
I groaned and flung the covers off my upper half. “You’re not going to go away, are you?”
“Not until we both go away.”
I sighed and sat up, swinging my legs over the side. Cassian stood by, his hands clasped nonchalantly behind him and his eager eyes on me. I grasped the first row of buttons and stopped to glare at him. “You can turn around now.”
His smile never faltered as he bowed his head and spun around. I quickly removed his shirt and threw on my clothes that were draped over the foot of the bed. Cassian still had his back to me when I tossed his shirt onto his shoulder.
He turned his head to one side so one sparkling eye fell on me. “Thank you, my dearest.”
I sidled up stand in front of him and lifted an eyebrow. “You’re really enjoying this make-believe marriage, aren’t you?”
“Can a man not enjoy having a bride as beautiful as the woman in front of me?” he countered as he buttoned up his shirt.
I had to silently agree that my ‘husband’ wasn’t on the bad-looking side, either.
Cassian offered me his arm. “Shall we go down to breakfast, my beautiful wife?”
I looped my limb around his and nodded. “Let us, dearest husband.”
We strolled down the passage and the stairs, where we were joined by our host. His bright eyes warned me something was amiss, and he wasn’t long in dropping the hammer. “I’m afraid breakfast isn’t quite ready. That accursed girl was late in rising. Since we have time, I would most dearly like to show you the rest of my collection of maps.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “There’s more?”
“Oh yes,” he assured me as he rubbed his hands together. “So many more, and all wonderful in their own little way.”
Yeah, they all show your wealth, I thought to myself.
Cassian’s eyes flickered to the west wing door, where the wondrous scent of food wafted out to us. “I don’t believe there’s time-”
“Nonsense!” Torquatus insisted as he looped an arm around one of Cassian’s and tugged him toward the east wing. “There is still time before the food is ready. Your wife may do some shopping or other things. Whatever women do with their idle hands. That is, unless she wishes to see my collection again.”
Oh God.
“I believe my wife wished to see more of the village before we left,” Cassian announced. I breathed out air I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
