He studied her. “I mean, your hair is usually fluffier, I guess, but you still look beautiful to me.”
“You’re sweet.”
He offered her his arm again, and she took it.
Upstairs, Brayden led her down a carpeted hallway filled with closed doors. Halting in front of one, he pointed to it. “This isyou.” He pointed next door. “That’s Manon, and that’s Beni.” He gestured to the room across the way.
“How do you know?” Scarlett asked.
“I helped the housekeeper open up the rooms earlier today. There are hundreds of rooms here, so they’re not always kept ready.”
Scarlett unwound her arm from his and put her hand on the doorknob. “Thank you for doing that. Thanks for everything.”
He brushed his thumb over her cheek, lingering near her, and for a moment she thought he might… But then he took a step back. “Anything for my best friend. I’ll see you later. Rest up, Scar.” He winked at her and walked away before she could reply.
Best friend?Why did the title she’d once held so dear now make her sad?
CHAPTER
NINE
Brayden’s face inches from hers, the brush of his touch on her cheek… Scarlett ran through the moment over and over again. That parting shot.Anything for my best friend.Something had been in the air between them—she was sure of it. But his farewell…
She collapsed into an armchair. The awkward moment with Brayden, paired with her list of things to do, made her chest tight.Self-care first, then I’ll be in better shape to take action. I’ll take a bath, see the doctor, and then write to Elestine.
With her eyes closed, she took several deep breaths.
When she opened them again, she was calm enough to appreciate the space around her. For an old castle, Scarlett’s room appeared fresh and modern. The walls were bright with peach-colored wallpaper, and several elegant oil paintings of landscapes adorned the walls. She was sitting in one of two inviting armchairs opposite a fireplace with a crackling fire, and there was a comfortable-looking four-poster bed a few feet away.
Feeling slightly more grounded, Scarlett hobbled to the bathroom. The plumbing was the same as Soleil’s. She drew a bath in a large clawfoot tub.
Immersed in the warm water, she scrubbed the scummy tapemarks from her arm where the IV had been and did a full-body check. Aside from general weakness, she didn’t find anythingwrong. All the hair on her body had grown longer during the weeks she’d been unconscious. She supposed it’d be more disconcerting if it hadn’t. The mental image of a nurse shaving her legs while she was in bed made Scarlett snort. She grabbed a razor from her toiletry bag. Once she was done shaving she felt more like her normal self. A tired, weakened version of herself.
She lingered in the tub. How surreal had it been to see Brayden in real life? He was more magnetic than she’d dreamed, which was something, because he’d always been handsome. There was an uncomfortable niggling in her stomach she didn’t understand though. Was sheafraidof being around him? She’d expected to be nervous, but this was closer to dread.
Scarlett dug deeper, and the dread became a thought.What if he doesn’t like me anymore now that I’m here?He’d had no expectations of her through the mirror—how could he? What would he expect now? What if he preferred the fantasy of her to the reality?
Scarlett sighed.Stop catastrophizing.She’d be here for a couple of days. The friendship wouldn’t be ruined if she was nice and didn’t reveal she fell asleep imagining having sex with him.
Just keep it in a box, Scarlett. It’ll be fine.
Then she remembered all the quiet lies she’d told Alastair over the years, and a wave of nausea rolled through her. She didn’t want to lie anymore. At that thought, her stomach settled immediately.
I am a certified mess.
Feeling both better and worse, Scarlett climbed out of the tub.
She rifled through the limited clothing options in her suitcase, selecting a black silk dress with a fitted corset bodice and the same black leather ankle boots she’d worn for traveling. Dressed, she went to Manon’s room and found Flora helping heronto her bed. Her grandmother was now in her dressing gown.
Flora came closer, her expression kind as she spoke to Scarlett in a hushed voice. “I’ve just helped her with her bath. I expect the doctor will be here shortly.”
“That’s above and beyond. Thank you,” whispered Scarlett.
With a smile and a wave, Flora left, closing the door softly behind her.
“Come sit,” said Manon, patting the bed beside her. She leaned back against several pillows. Her eyes looked like they didn’t want to stay open.
Scarlett climbed onto the bed and settled in next to her. “That was nice of Flora to help you take a bath.”
