Page 64 of Once Upon an Enchanted Castle

“Are you sure you can’t stay for another cup of tea?” she asked.

“The hour is late, my lady,” he replied as he placed his hat on his head. He gave her a brief nod and stepped out the door.

The moment he did, a low, savage growl sounded through the night. Close. It was so close. He halted one step outside the door and stiffened, his gaze flickering through the shadows. A shudder of fear ran through her as she remained rooted to her spot within the threshold. If she darted into the night, Lord Vincent would try to stop her. She feared what would happen if she did that and if Leopold, the beast, saw him do it.

She stepped through the threshold and planted herself between Lord Vincent and where she suspected the beast was.

“You’re quite right, Lord Vincent. The hourislate. I do thank you for calling on us to see how we’re faring while my father is otherwise indisposed. It was quite gallant of you.” Her incessant chattering was far too brash.

He cut her a curious glance. “Yes, well, please let me know if you need anything. I’m happy to help.”

“I will,” she said with a nod and a smile that was painful.

Another low growl nearby. Her heart rammed hard and fast, and she silently begged Lord Vincent to get in the carriage and ride away before Leopold decide he was a threat.

“Good night, my lady,” he said finally.

And then he was stepping toward the carriage, the footman was opening the door, and he was climbing inside. The door closed, the footman returned to his place, and they were off. The carriage rattled down the gravel drive, the wheels clattering in the night. She waited there, watching it disappear, swallowed by the night shadows, before she turned back to the open door. She paused there in there slash of light from the house, her head turned to one side. Though she couldn’t see him, she knew he was there.

“He means us no harm,” she whispered, hoping he heard her. “He is a friend. Nothing more.”

A muffled rumble, as though he understood but detested the thought there was another man in her life.

“Go home, Leopold,” she pleaded on a whisper.

Then she stepped inside and closed the door.

Chapter 27

Assoonasthedoor snapped shut behind her, she exhaled the breath she held while Lord Vincent departed. She couldn’t risk him knowing about Leopold, in beast or human form. But especially in beast form. If he found out about him—if anyone found out about him—she feared the consequences.

She appreciated the man’s offer to help her and her household by offering to pay her before she finished her work. Refusing his offer was likely an insult, something she would have to deal with later.

Her duty of taking care of the household had been sorely neglected. It was something she had taken pride in before, when they lived in port and she had a full staff to help her. Now, she was down to Gerald, Edith, and Emmaline, and she hadn’t even looked at the ledgers since they arrived. Helping Leopold, though, seemed far more important and urgent.

She waited there until her heart returned to normal. Emmaline exited the parlor with an unreadable expression on her face, her hands clasped in front of her. Perhaps she was disappointed at Lord Vincent’s hasty retreat. Or that she had barged in on their private meeting.

“Shall I help you retire for the evening, miss?” the girl asked.

Bella glanced at the cursed book still resting on the foyer table. She shook her head. “No, thank you. Not yet. I need some time.”

Some time to continue to look at that book, try to try to read the thorny language and find the answer to Leopold’s wicked curse. The girl gave her a nod and headed up the stairs. Bella stepped to the foyer table and scooped up her belongings.

“Welcome home, miss. This arrived for you this afternoon.” Gerald appeared from the other side of the manor, an unopened letter in his hand. He extended it to her. “It’s from your father.”

Her heart returned to its throbbing as she reached for the letter. “Thank you, Gerald. I’ll read it in the library.” Before she hurried away, she turned back to him. “I apologize for not being here, Gerald, but—”

“There is no explanation necessary, miss. I know you are doing what must be done to make sure we and the household is cared for.”

She blinked surprise, unsure what he meant. Did he know she spent her days in the gloom of Thornhurst Castle?

“You do?” she asked.

“Yes, miss. Miss Emmaline said you’ve been in town. I assumed that meant you had taken a position at the bookshop to keep the larder well stocked, and the other bills paid until this nonsense with Mr. Rinaldi is settled.”

She gaped at him. Emmaline covered for her? She owed that girl a debt of gratitude. Something else he said stood out. Apparently, there was a mysterious benefactor keeping them afloat. Words fled her mind, and she searched for some reply that sounded appropriate. Gerald stepped closer to her, then, his expression one of caring and concern.

“The three of us, that is Edith, Miss Emmaline, and I, appreciate all you’re doing to make sure we’re taking care of. I wanted you to know.”

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