Isa sobered at the reminder of that night.
“Perhaps he will redeem himself by saving us all,” the beast continued, offering another viewpoint.
Isa looked up at him, searching for the humanity in his beastly features. “I did get the distinct impression,” she said, her voice slow and thoughtful, “that he volunteered to go as an excuse to put more distance between himself... and you.”
The beast sighed. “You are likely right. Although I cannot say that I blame him.”
Isa nodded. Somehow Macklin’s second betrayal felt worse than the first. That first night, his actions had been despicable, but his intentionally leaving her stuck in the mountains with a dangerous unknown beast felt more calculated and truly cowardly. The last thing she wanted to think about was Macklin’s actions toward her. On that account, she could not care less. “Let us go see what Blanca has managed to conjure for dinner,” she said. “A break will do me good.”
Chapter 19
“Blanca.” Aden poked his head into the kitchen, nearly running into the older woman as she headed out the door with a tray of food in hand. “Lady Bielsa and I will be dining together in the great hall,” he continued. “I hope it is not too late to make arrangements for that?”
“Just in time,” she replied. “I was about to bring this up.” She set the tray down and started removing items from it. “It’s a bit sudden to change plans, but more difficult things have been done, such as convincing that girl to come out of the library. However did you do it?”
Aden shrugged. “Must be my striking good looks.”
He left the lady’s maid-turned-cook laughing over a stack of plates and went to see if the great hall needed any other preparation.
He had known, of course, that Macklin was not Isa’s husband; it had just been fun to annoy her repeatedly by saying it. She had done her own share of throwing verbal barbs at him, and he’d felt it was only fair to return the favor.
What he had not counted on was how fun it would be to make her angry.
He was not sure why he enjoyed teasing her like he did his mother and sister, or why he was even excited to have dinner with her. Perhaps it was just an excuse to feel more human.
Tonight, he would switch tactics and actually try to not make her angry. He just wanted something normal. A normal supper. A normal conversation.
Blanca followed him into the room a short time later and arranged some plates and tableware.
The great hall felt like the palace at home, just a more rural version of it. The walls were darker and the textures more rustic. Even the smell of the stew Blanca brought to the table felt like the homely version of what the palace cooks would have served.
Aden suddenly found himself nervous.
It was just dinner. Yet, it was dinner with just the two of them.
He was the middle child of five siblings; he had never had a quiet meal in his life. What were they supposed to talk about? Their conversations up till now had not been promising. Except for the first time they’d met, at the ball. What had they talked about on the balcony?
He couldn’t remember. The normalcy of that moment had been drowned in the chaos that followed it.
“Where is milady?” Blanca asked, coming back into the room with a bottle of wine and two glass cups.
“I don’t know,” Aden responded truthfully. “She said she wanted to freshen up but that she would meet me here.”
“I’ll go see if I can find her,” Blanca said. “Everything else is ready.”
Aden pulled out a chair at the end of the long table and sat down. Perhaps she had been so exhausted from her search that she had fallen directly asleep, unable to resist the soft comfort of her bed.
The stew smelled delicious.
He partially extended his claws and drummed them absently on the side of the table.
Feeling a little rude but also impatient, Aden closed his eyes and focused his hearing on the castle around him. All was quiet. He could hear neither footsteps nor voices.
Maybe shehadfallen asleep.
Aden sighed.
It was no use letting a good stew go to waste.
