“Maddox.Where have you been staying?”I asked.
Maddox exchanged a glance with Beatrice, who looked away.“Beatrice’s cottage,” he said.
I shot her an accusing look.“I thought you had an aversion to strange human men.”
“Maddox was a witch at birth,” Beatrice said with a sniff.“Hardly his fault his father decided to remove his magic and raise him aboveground.”
“Well—"
“My cottage is small,” Beatrice interrupted before I could protest.“I can’t possibly take in two additional guests.”
“Then we go back to Alexander’s,” Maddox said.
“Alexander has extended family staying in his house,” I said.
“Then we stay here?”
“I already told you children—”
“Alright!”I dragged a hand over my face as Edmund, Maddox, and Beatrice all looked at me expectantly.“Fine.Let’s go to my place.”
Beatrice, satisfied with this decision, took her leave.I apologized profusely to Edmund.He was barely recovered, stuck in a dusty shack, and there was nowhere hospitable to go.
“You’ll have to forgive Beatrice,” I said.
Edmund shrugged.“There’s nothing to forgive.She healed me.It’s a miracle how fast my ankle recovered, even with my unexpected fever.I only hope I wasn’t too much trouble.”
“Not at all!I understand if you want to cut this trip short and go home.I didn’t mean for this to happen,” I said miserably.It seemed like my bad luck had followed us at every turn.
Edmund shook his head slowly.“I meant what I said last time, Giselle.I won’t go until the two weeks are up and I see the best Witch Village has to offer.”
He was a dutiful man, eager to keep his promises.It was one of his many attractive qualities.
I remembered the candy I purchased and dug into my satchel, the colorful paper bag crinkling as I offered it to him.“Here.I know it’s not much, but candy always cheers me up after a sick spell.”
Edmund took it and smiled.Even sick and unbathed, he was gorgeous.“That’s sweet of you.”
“If you need anything else just let me know,” I said breathlessly.
“Er, yes.There is something.I had quite a bit of water this morning and it’s been a long time since I’ve...”Edmund trailed off, and I caught his meaning.
“Oh!Of course.I’ll take the luggage and we’ll wait outside,” I said, my face hot.
Maddox and I exited the shack, leaving Edmund to take care of his business.
“He’s different around you,” Maddox said in a low voice.
“Is he?”
“He didn’t bother charming my pants off when I was emptying his chamber pot.”
“Good.You should keep your pants on,” I said.
Maddox snorted and we waited another minute in silence, staring idly at the cottage across the path.Then he turned and said, “Are you ever going to tell me why you didn’t want to go home?”
Explaining my relationship with my family was perhaps the most difficult and uncomfortable thing I could do, but I supposed I could try for him.
“Nine months ago when I came aboveground, I didn’t ask permission or tell them beforehand.I wasn’t close with anyone besides my sister, so I just left.Ma is not happy with me,” I said, somewhat ashamed to admit this.
