Silently, he groaned. If only he could have kept her in his arms, maybe...just maybe he would have been able to convince her to lovehim, not the clumsy prince. “Indeed. They are very pretty.”
She stopped beside the table, leaned over to the flowers, and inhaled. Closing her eyes, a peaceful expression settled on her face, and she smiled.
“I didn’t think the Rapunzel flower grew in our kingdom anymore.”
Her body snapped upright, and she spun toward him with a scowl. He sucked in a quick breath.What did I say this time?
“It doesn’t.” A nerve in her neck jumped as her glare darkened. “That’s what I found so endearing about Prince Ormond. He obviously loves me enough to seek out the most exquisite flower that’s nearly impossible to be found.”
“Rissa, I understand.” He held up his hands in surrender. “Calm down. There’s no reason to get upset.”
She huffed. “Don’t tell me to calm down, and don’t call me Rissa.” She pointed toward the door. “I think you should leave now, Mr. Grey.”
Something was definitely not right, but he wasn’t about to argue now. Not with her in this fit. He gave her a nod, turned, and left the room...trying not to step on the pieces of his shattered heart.
NINE
Ryder sat atop of hishorse as it trotted toward the middle of town. He was off duty and didn’t have to return to work for two days. In a way, he looked forward to the time away from Clarissa, and yet...more than anything, he wanted to fix things with her. He couldn’t handle this ache inside of his chest as if he would wither away if he couldn’t be with her.
He hadn’t been able to concentrate since their strange conversation this afternoon. He couldn’t figure out what had caused her to do a complete turnaround. She’d seemed settled in his embrace. The look of desire was evident in her turquoise eyes. This was the same look he’d seen on her face before they had kissed. Yet, the moment she smelled those flowers...
His thoughts stopped as he recalled what her father had said about the flowers. She had acted uninterested in Prince Ormond until he’d given her the flowers.
Ryder slowed his horse.Of course!The flowers! They had to have been tainted with something...like some kind of spell? What else could it be? Prince Ormond wasn’t the kind of man Clarissa would have found remotely attractive in their schooling days. Ryder didn’t think she had changed that much in just a few years.
When he heard his name, Ryder snapped out of his pondering and glanced around the area. The sun was beginning to set, but the sky was still light enough to see. He recognized the person calling his name, and he waved back. “Good evening, Mrs. Privett. How are you?”
The middle-aged woman smiled, which produced more wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. “I’m doing splendidly. I suppose you are on your way to see your mother this evening?” She pointed in the direction where his mother lived.
Ryder really wasn’t, but he supposed he should drop in on his mother. It had been a week since they last talked, and he needed to update her on what was going on in his life. “Yes, I shall visit her momentarily.”
The woman grinned, displaying a mouthful of crooked teeth. “She will be very pleased to see you.”
“As will I.” He nodded. “Have a pleasant evening, Mrs. Privett.”
“You, too, Mr. Grey.”
