Page 45 of A Curse of Hope and Shadows: Part I
“What?”
“I don’t think you’re fearsome. Unless you want me to think you are.”
Dimitri felt each fragment of breath shudder out of him. How could she still be so patient with him, so kind even when he wasn’t? “I don’t ever want you to be afraid of me.”Which is why I need you far away tonight.“I’ll see you in the morning,” he said. “Bright and early. Don’t be late.”
“Never am.”
He set off across the grass.
“Dimitri!” she called out.
“Yes?”
“Have a nice evening.”
For a moment, he pretended he was another boy, a charming young man with confidence and manners, the type that could call out, ‘without you?’ in a way that conveyed truth without being crippled by it.
But he could not quite pretend enough.
“You too,” was all he said, and vanished down the path, trying to ignore the press of moonlight against his bones, and the bitter tightness growing in his chest, a pain more new and far worse than all of the others.
Chapter Twelve: The Graves
Silence descended upon the cottage shortly after the three youngest were in bed, and Leonie took to her room not long after, intent on reading another few chapters. Adeline sat in the garden with Elliott, drinking lukewarm apple cider. She liked this time of day the best, between evening and night, when the warmth gave way to a quiet breeze. She savoured this time of year, before cool gave way to chill, just as she savoured these moments with Elliott, the nearest thing she had to a partner in all this chaos.
Tonight, however, she was longing for different company, and could not shake the memory of Dimitri’s shoulders as he walked away. He had looked larger and smaller than ever, never more like he wanted to prove he was tough while at the same time trying to vanish into the shadows. He clearly did not want her around to witness the transformation, but at the same time…
She felt like she was in the wrong place, like she should have followed him anyway.
“Interesting chap, that young lord of yours,” remarked Elliott.
“He’s notmyanything,” she replied tartly, perhaps a little quicker than she ought to.
“Is he not?” Elliott took a slow sip of his drink. “He likes you.”
Adeline was not blind to her own charms. She was not blind to Dimitri’s, either. She was not a stranger to romance, nor was she a stranger to the world.
Lords did not fall for servant girls, and if they did, it never ended well for the servant.
“I know you probably don’t see it because I’m your big sister,” she said, “but I am really quite likable.”
“I do see it,” Elliott returned. “And so does he.”
“It’s good that he likes me. He’s been somewhat short of company for a while, I fear.”
“I don’t mean like that.”
“I know you don’t, but what does it matter? He’s a young lord, I’m a servant. We know our places. And he’s very young.”
“A fewmonths older than me, if memory serves. I think I know my own mind.”
“Oh? Any young ladies I should be warning? Or young men?”
“I—! Stop changing the subject, Adie!”
“No. Shan’t.” She swigged her cider, wishing it was cooler, and stared down the path in the direction of the Manor. “It’s a school boy crush,” she insisted. “He hasn’t seen enough of the world to like me properly, and it’s very easy to like people that are nice to you. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“If you say so.”
