Page 57 of The Last Necromancer
I sniffed and inclined my head in a nod. "Congratulations. You win. I give in." I marched off in the same direction we'd been heading.
He quickly caught up and we walked side by side in silence. I'd hoped for an apology but none came. At least he didn't gloat.
"Your heart is made of ice," I hissed at him.
"It was for your own good."
"If I were you, I'd keep quiet. Say the wrong thing and I might change my mind, and you are not very good at saying the right thing, in my opinion."
Mercifully, he remained silent. It was too dark to see what he thought of my snippy response, and I was too tired to care.
We strode through the Lichfield Towers gate and I sighed, not out of frustration, but contentment. I was moments away from food and a soft bed. I wanted a bath too, to wash away the grit of the street, the stink of that man. Lights blazed from every window in the house, even from the tallest room in the central tower. I wondered if I would find myself back up there, or if I were to remain in Fitzroy's rooms.
The front door was thrown open before we reached it. Seth and Gus tumbled out, grins splitting their faces. Were they happy to see me again? How odd. I smiled back. To my surprise, I was glad to see them, but I wouldn't tell them that.
They both looked me over, then with satisfied nods, stepped aside to let us through.
"Good," Seth said for no apparent reason.
"Welcome back, Miss Charlotte," Gus said, tugging on his forelock as a working man would do as a lady passed.
"Call me Charlie or I'm leaving immediately."
His gulp was audible. He shot a startled glance Fitzroy's way. "I, er…"
"It was a joke." I patted the poor man's arm. He blushed brightly in response.
"Ignore him," Seth said. He offered me his arm. "Cook has some treats lined up for you—jellies, candied fruit, even ice cream. Shall I bring it up to your room?"
"Yes, thank you. That's very kind of you to organize sweets for me."
His smile faded. "It wasn't me that ordered them." His gaze flicked to Fitzroy then away.
I frowned at Fitzroy, but he was already moving off. "Draw a bath for her," he told Gus. "And show her to her new room. There's no need to set a guard on the door. We'll talk in the morning, Charlie." He took the stairs two at a time and disappeared from sight.
We three let out a collective sigh, the tension having left with him. "Was it much of an ordeal?" Seth asked me.
"I'd rather not talk about it."
Gus smacked his friend's arm. "Idiot. Leave her be."
"Go and draw the bath," Seth told him. To me he said, "We're glad you're back, Miss— Charlie. You might not know it, but your presence has livened this place up."
I couldn't help laughing. "It must have been terribly dull beforehand."
"Aye," Gus said, casting a glance at the stairs.
I took his arm, surprising him into another blush. "Will you show me to my room now, please?"
"Right you are, ma'am. Miss. Charlie."
Seth wandered off toward the kitchens, chuckling, and I walked with Gus up the stairs. Now that I'd made the decision to stay, I felt more at ease. I would keep my promise and not try to escape.
Yet I would also try to keep my feelings in check. Fitzroy had proved he was ruthless in getting his own way; he was not to be trusted. I'd be a fool to put myself at his mercy, physically or emotionally. I'd not made the mistake of trusting someone in a long time, and I wasn't about to begin now.
***
Lady Harcourt came to my new room the following morning. She was dressed in a steel gray gown that would look grim on anyone else, but looked elegant on her, with its slender fit, large bustle and white frills at cuff and collar.
