Page 37 of Claws and Contrivances
“Come,” she said, tugging gently at Mr Aubrey’s arm. “We should join the others before they come back in search of us. I’ll find an excuse to absent myself once everyone’s safely settled, and I’ll hunt down Rhiannon then.”
Mr Aubrey fell willingly into step beside her, but he shook his head as they walked. “That plan sounds most unwise.”
“I beg your pardon?” She blinked up at him, interrupted from the scheme she was already spinning in her head.
“I said ...” His voice took on an unexpected edge as he came to a firm halt just inside the corridor and forced her to stop, too. “I do not believe that would be a sensible course of action. Firstly, in case you hadn’t noticed, this house appears to be in a distinct state of disrepair.”
Rose stared at him in disbelief. “You think I might not have noticed—?”
He pointed towards the entry hall behind them as if he hadn’t heard her. “Those railings are in no shape to support anyone. I wouldn’t be surprised if the wood in that staircase is crumbling as well. If you go searching around this house by yourself, there will be no one to save you from falling, or even to help you once you’ve fallen and broken multiple bones.”
“I am not going to break any bones. For goodness’ sake!” Rose rubbed at her forehead with her free hand, seeking patience. “I will take great care and be fine, I promise. You needn’t worry about me. Feel free to go back to thinking about dragons.”
“What if Sir Gareth discovers you with his lost dragon in your arms?” Mr Aubrey demanded. “Without anyone to stand by your side and witness—”
“If I’m there, I can give her enough of a shield that she can do one of her magical leaps to safety. I’m good at managing practical matters, remember? You said so yourself, earlier.”
“You are very skilled at seeing to everyone else’s safety and well-being,” Mr Aubrey said flatly, “but I have observed nothing so far to convince me that you take any such care with your own.”
Rose’s jaw dropped. As her thoughts scrambled to catch up with this unexpected and unwelcome turn of events, her quasi-fiancé continued, methodically ticking off his points on the fingers of one hand. “Would you care to hear my evidence? I have witnessed you caring for frightened and injured dragons and taking decisive action to protect your uncle’s reputation from damage. Moreover, you’ve assured me that my future will be protected after our public betrothal has ended ... a betrothal you created and entered into purely for the sake of those vulnerable dragons. You have even put some thought into exactly how you will protect this dragon should Sir Gareth discover her. Where in all of that is any thought or care for your protection?”
“But I don’t need to be protected,” Rose said blankly. “I’m not concerned about my own safety.”
“Evidently not.” He let out a hiss of air through his teeth, stepping even closer until he loomed over her in the shadowy passageway and her heart, inexplicably, began to race. “But can you offer me any rational, scientific explanation for why you, alone among every living creature you encounter, are in no need of protection in the most dangerous of circumstances?”
“Because I don’t deserve—mm!” Rose clapped her free hand to her lips, far too late to hold back the main body of the message, so humiliating and so agonisingly true.
Mr Aubrey’s focus, which had already sent hot tingles through her skin, became suddenly unbearable. Rose stumbled backwards with a distressing lack of grace, yanking her hand free from his arm and averting her face from his too perceptive gaze. “We ought to go,” she said, “now. There’s no more time for conversation.”
“I disagree,” said Mr Aubrey. “In fact, I think perhaps we should discuss—”
“You said you weren’t interested in talking about people, only dragons!” Rose said in a desperate whisper. “Remember?”
“No, I said I prefer to converse only about topics that I find interesting.”
Rose still wasn’t looking in his direction – she could hardly even bear to remain this close to him, with her awful, exposing words still hanging in the air between them – but the skin at the back of her neck prickled with the pressure of his gaze as he continued, in a tone of intellectual discovery. “Have you truly not realised by now that I find you of particular interest?”
“Has he even noticed that you exist yet, without any scales of your own to draw his attention?” Serena’s taunting words from the day before rang through Rose’s ears.
Too many conflicting emotions rose within her at once, like waves crashing against each other and turning every thought into formless noise. “Ohhh—!” She half-turned towards him, still poised for flight ...
And a deep voice spoke from the far end of the corridor. “So that’s where you two have been lurking.” An unpleasant smirk curled the corner of Sir Gareth’s mouth as he strolled towards them. “My niece was concerned that you might have lost your way. You may be pleased to know that your cousins had more faith in your ability to navigate a single corridor. They assured Amelia that you would find your own way ...”
Amelia? Rose blinked. Hadn’t Georgie called Miss Thomas ‘Amina’?
“... but when I recalled how you two found yourselves lost in my drive two days ago, when you claimed to be looking for your own home … well.” Sir Gareth’s smirk deepened. “Who knows where you might have found yourself this time without my assistance?”
Rose had never found it easy to hold the reins of her temper. Now, thrown hopelessly out of balance by her last confrontation, those taunting words scraped against her nerves like flint striking against steel, ready to spark a flame wild enough to torch this wretched house and the villain who’d kept Rhiannon and Griff in misery. Logic, common sense, and her sister’s remembered words stood no chance against the righteous fury rising within her ...
Until she realised that Mr Aubrey was still looking down at her with patient, unchanging expectation. He hadn’t even glanced in the direction of Sir Gareth.
Of course he hadn’t. Unlike Sir Gareth, Mr Aubrey had no interest in barbed social conversations or games of verbal domination.
But he finds me of particular interest.
That reminder lightened something indefinable in her chest. Setting one hand upon her faux-fiancé’s steady arm, Rose stretched her lips into a viciously polite smile. “How very thoughtful of you, Sir Gareth,” she said warmly. “It is certainly true that it would be far too easy to lose one’s way in such dimly lit surroundings. I do hope you haven’t suffered a terrible theft of candles from your household? Or ...” She glanced pointedly over her shoulder towards the cobweb-ridden entry hall. “… a theft of brooms, perhaps?”
Sir Gareth’s smirk transformed into a scowl. “As you can see, this area of the house hasn’t been renovated for general use yet.”
