Page 61 of A Curse of Hope and Shadows: Part I
Dimitri frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Who else would they be visiting?”
Dimitri was certain it was far more likely someone was visiting one of the servants and there had been some kind of mistake. “Who is it?” he asked.
Posey shrugged. “I forgot to ask. Put them in the blue parlour.”
Ordinarily, Dimitri might have reprimanded her for her lack of protocol, but after his snapping at Thomas, he decided to ignore it. He collected a waistcoat from this closet, wrestling into it with less difficulty than before.
Posey hovered by the door, her silence a chasm. “Do you require assistance?”
“No,” he said shortly.Not from you.
He was actually surprised that she’d asked, but maybe she felt obliged to.
She walked him down to the blue parlour in silence, opening the door for him.
A young figure in a faded blue gown stood admiring the furnishings, a spool of dark honey-coloured hair running down her back. For a fleeting, hopeful second, his mind convinced him that it was Adeline, returned to spend the day with him, before realising that she would never have summoned him in this fashion.
The visitor turned to face him.
“Leonie,” he said, baffled. “I mean, ah, Miss Elsing.”
Leonie raised an eyebrow as Posey scooted away. “My sister sees you naked daily, you can call me Leonie.”
“I—she doesnotsee me naked daily!”
“But she does see you naked?”
Dimitri flushed, feeling hot under the collar. “What are you here for? Adeline’s not—”
“No, she’s not. I’ve come because I want to ask to use your library.”
“You couldn’t have asked your sister?”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed this about Adeline, but she doesn’t like to ask for things, or cause a fuss, and sometimes I think she’s got so much going on inside her head that she just forgets the little things.”
Dimitri hadn’t noticed, but he admitted it made a lot of sense. She spent a great amount of time indulging his whims, but never once asked for anything back. Not even the books; she’d waited until he mentioned it.
“So, I thought it would just be easier if I asked myself. Without her, because I wouldn’t want her to be embarrassed.”
“You Elsing women are very direct.”
“Elliott is direct too but no one ever feels the need to point it out.”
“Fair point.” He paused, quite forgetting for a moment why she was here, lost in thoughts of Adeline and what he still didn’t know about her.
Leonie coughed. “The library?”
“Help yourself,” he said, “although I suppose I should ask what you want it for.”
Leonie pulled a face. “To learn from?” she said, as though this were obvious. “The village library leaves lots to be desired and I’ve already read all of its books.”
Dimitri snorted, certain she was exaggerating. He could never imagine reading all the books inhislibrary.
Leonie fixed him with a quizzical stare.
“You’re being earnest?”
