“Why does it even matter?” Cassian demanded. “Even if I had wanted to see the sun with Samantha, there would be no point in me doing so.” He turned and strode for the doors to the manor. “I hope you all enjoy your courtship and may the best man win.”
That was not well done of him and by letting them see his irritation, they now knew that he wanted to court Samantha himself.
No doubt he would have to suffer with their banter, innuendo and teasing until she left, which would not be for another fortnight.
Bloody hell!
Maybe he should return to his cottage and just stay there.
Disappointment flooded her being when she and Simon returned to the terrace but Cassian was not there.
Oh, she tried to enjoy the conversation with Simon, and he was personable and handsome, and she knew several women who would have been thrilled to have his undivided attention, but Samantha was not one of them.
Maybe something was wrong with her because she could only summon the mildest of interest, and it had nothing to do with the fact that Maia and Petra had spoken of their cousin in an unflattering and teasing manner.
Oh, this was so very frustrating.
And it didn’t get any better because after she took a seat to break her fast, Ares sat to the right of her, Ajax to the left with Simon directly across the table. Cassian, however, found a place at the opposite end of the table and practically glared in their direction.
Had he woken in a poor mood?
Did it matter if he did?
“Your blue is darkening and tinged with grey, Samantha,” Antonia whispered from her seat beside Simon. “Is all well?”
No, it was not, but she could not announce such to those seated near her. “I must simply be tired,” she finally answered. “Perhaps I should stop rising so early.” With that, she pushed away from the table and made her way to the music room.
Oh, she wished she could hear Cassian’s music so that she could understand why she cared. The music of Simon, Ajax and Ares was loud and clear, and there was nothing about them to dislike. They were teasing and having fun, but their words also held double meanings, which she had difficulty understanding, but were not harmful. That was often the case with gentlemen, saying one thing but meaning something she did not understand.
They were difficult creatures whereas women were easily understood.
They also didn’t make her pulse race. Nor were they interested in doing so. Had any of them held an attraction to her, Samantha would have heard it in their music. She had heard it in others, especially in the ballrooms in London, but neither Ajax, Ares nor Simon was interested in her beyond…she did not know.
Whereas, Cassian had no interest in her at all. So, why was she so attracted to him, besides the fact that he was the most handsome man at Nightshade Manor?
Maybe her fascination was simply because he was the one person she could not hear. Had her captivation begun because he was the only person who did not have music and it had developed into an infatuation.
However, one thing that she would not do was look for Cassian today, nor hope that he would want to talk to her. Instead, she would put him from her mind and concentrate on other matters.
Except she had no other matters to concentrate on. So, there was only one thing left to do.
Playing always helped relieve some of her frustrations, which was why she settled on the stool and placed her fingers on the ivory keys, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, became mindful to keep her emotions inside and not let them float away on the music, and played.
She did not know how long she had been there, but she played one song after another, her moods shifting, a cleansing of emotions that left her quite relaxed by the time her arms tired. Only then did she open her eyes and let out a breath and saw Cassian standing just inside the door, leaning against a wall, arms crossed over his chest, just as he had been the other day.
Samantha’s face heated immediately because she had been so lost in the music that she had not even been aware that another person was in the room. Had it been anyone else, she would have known immediately but she was once again reminded that she could not hear his music.
“Cassian,” she greeted. “How long have you been standing there?”
“A half an hour or more.”
“You should have alerted me to your presence.”
“I did not want to disturb you and found your music quite mesmerizing.”
Oh dear, had she let control of her emotions slip while she had played? She had experienced melancholy and happiness. Goodness, what must he have endured?
“I very much enjoy listening to you play.”
