Page 33 of Once Upon an Enchanted Castle

“I told her I was no lord.” He hadn’t meant to say it in a haughty, insulted tone.

Dickens sniffed derision. “An insult, of course. Much beneath your stature. But, again, whyyour grace?”

“She assumes I’m a duke. I allowed her to think so.”

Truthfully, he didn’t want to be a duke or a prince or a king or any title. He wanted to be a man. A man who was looked at by a woman like her. But she only looked at him like that because she didn’t know what he truly was. If she knew the truth about him, she would find him repugnant and she would never return with her book.

Heneededher to return with her book. He needed her to translate the rest of the words. To see if there was a way to break the curse within those yellowed, aged pages. But what surprised him the most was he needed to see her sitting in his library every day, scratching away with the quill looking lovely and distracted.

“Rather than tell her the truth, I see. Do you think she’ll return, my prince?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. Find out about her father’s merchant business, Dickens. I want to know everything. Who he is. What he sells. How many ships were destroyed. Everything. She mentioned Port Leclare. Start there.”

“As you say, my prince.”

“And I want to know before morning,” Leopold added.

“Of course, you do.” There was the lilt of annoyance in his voice as he stepped inside the castle.

He suspected there was more to the story than what Bella told him. He intended to find out.

He cast a glance up at the sky. Night was falling. The sky was turning a deep indigo. Soon, the full moon would rise. A sharp edginess stabbed through him.

“Come, my prince. ‘Tis almost moonrise,” Dickens called.

He was right. He stepped through the threshold, pulling the door closed behind him. He hoped this night would be a calm one. But judging by the way he felt deep inside, he suspected it would not go that way.

Chapter 13

ThecarriagetookBellaall the way to the gates of Hawthorne Hall, as requested. She was relieved she didn’t have to walk home alone in the dark. Emmaline waited for her in the foyer as she slipped in through the front door. The girl appeared to be pacing the length of the front hall, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. The moment she saw her relief flooded her youthful face.

“Oh, I’m so glad you made it back, miss.”

Weariness settled through her. She handed off the book to Emmaline, then untied her bonnet and removed it.

“Gerald asked about you,” she said.

“What did you tell him?”

“What you told me. That you were in town. But I don’t think he believed me,” she said, worry creasing her face.

“I’ll deal with him. Did I miss dinner?”

“Edith is ready to serve in the dining room, miss.”

She was glad to hear there was a hot meal waiting for her. She handed off her bonnet and gloves to Emmaline. “There isn’t time for me to dress for dinner. Will you take those items to my room?”

She dipped a curtsy and headed upstairs while Bella made her way to the dining room. The table was set for one—her. As she sat, pulling up her chair, she realized how much she missed her father. A bowl of steaming split pea soup was before her. Gerald entered the room, looking pristine in his black suit with white gloves.

“Welcome home, miss. I trust your visit in town was successful?” He lifted a brow in curious interest.

“Yes, thank you.” She took up her spoon, ready to eat, but found her appetite had waned.

Her father wasn’t there to chatter away about his business or what happened in port or his next trip and what he might find. Though Gerald was there, the silence was isolating and deafening.

“Any word from my father?” she asked.

“None yet, miss.”

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