“I’ve never been so close to anybody,” Bennett whispered. “This is new for me and sometimes I get frustrated not knowing how to navigate us.” His brows scrunched. “But trust that you will always be safe with me, Narcissa Greenwood.”
I hugged him, tears pricking my eyes for the second time. “I do trust you,” I said against his chest. “I love you.”
Bennett stroked the back of my head. “And I love you.”
I shifted my cheek against the silken glide of his waistcoat. His warm scent of cedar and spices lingered there. I had sorely missed it.
“Last night,” Bennett said finally, sitting back. “You said the palace was the last place you wanted to be. I know this place seems too big to call home, but I want to make it better. I got you a gift.”
Bennett stood and pulled the sheet off of the odd object behind us, revealing a carpeted structure with small round platforms at various heights.
“It’s for the cats,” he said sheepishly. “This whole room is, actually. I wanted it to be a surprise...but you already found it.”
I looked around the room. A patch of light illuminated the far wall, where a small mural graced the spot underneath the wainscoting. It was a line of cats: one black, one ginger, and a trail of seven kittens behind them.
Tears welled up in my eyes again, this time for a different reason. Serious, dutiful Bennett was willing to convert an entire room in the palace into a cat nursery for me. It made me love him even more.
“I-I don’t know what to say,” I said.
“You don’t have to say anything,” Bennett said, helping me to my feet. “You can bring the cats or whatever or whomever you like to make yourself at home. Because I want you to feel at home when you’re with me.”
I could only nod, afraid that if I spoke, I would begin sobbing again. Bennettdidfeel like home. He was safe and steady and loyal. Despite my fears, my doubts, and my imperfections, he still loved me. A part of me couldn’t believe my luck.
He truly was mine, through and through.
Something on the floor clinked as Bennett stepped forward. My jeweled comb lay at his feet, glimmering in the light.
He picked it up. “What’s this?”
I touched the empty spot on my head. “It’s mine,” I murmured. “I didn’t feel like a princess earlier.”
He polished it on his coat, placed the comb carefully at my crown, and smoothed my hair back. “You’ll always be my princess.”
As I was about to tell him how sappy that was, Bennett swept me into his arms in a grand, princely gesture that startled a laugh out of me. He lowered his gaze, his lashes nearly brushing his cheeks.
“You may kiss me now, and whenever you like tonight,” he said in a low voice. “Though do refrain from doing so in front of my father. He might have a heart attack.”
“It’s a good thing he isn’t here then.” I looped my arms around Bennett’s neck and brought my lips to his. He tightened his arms around me and kissed me back, first softly, then with more insistence.
“I missed you, Cissa,” Bennett murmured against my mouth.
I only managed a sigh.
“Glad to see you two made up,” came a familiar matronly voice.
I jerked my head back.
“Aunt Marianna!” Bennett sputtered. He set me down clumsily, his face aflame. “Aren’t you supposed to be at the ball?”
Lady Marianna stood at the doorway in a lovely periwinkle chiffon gown that must have been Giselle’s work. Her eyes twinkled with amusement as Bennett discreetly wiped his lips.
I thought back to my talk with her and the sly, mysterious way she had looked. And she had asked after Giselle, who then admitted to...
“I wanted to see if my little scheme worked,” Lady Marianna said. “That potionwasquite expensive.”
“That was you?” Bennett sounded both offended and incredulous. “How could you turn me into acat?”
Lady Marianna came forward and patted Bennett’s back. He looked more like a wounded child than a prince now. “There, there, my boy. I know you never liked my pranks. I’ve never done amagicalprank before, but you were never in any danger. The potion would’ve worn off in twenty-four hours.”
