Page 25 of The Doctor and the Devil
I swirled my fingers lazily through the warm lavender-scented water, sipping at the brandy. Charlotte had been right. Warmth settled in the pit of my stomach and stretched through my limbs as I sat thinking.
Had I been unfair to Rafael? Had he been unfair to me? It seemed more likely that we’d both been a bit unfair to each other. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to say to Charlotte about him—about my feelings for him now…after everything. I didn’t think I knew the truth of my feelings myself.Dieu, I am sounding more and more like some overly romantic French woman. Pull yourself together, Mina!
The cognac started to sour in my stomach, and I remembered I’d only eaten a few almond cakes, some of Rafael’s exotic fruit, and thin broth over the last couple of days. The realization coincided with the delicious smell of baking bread and roasting meat wafting up from the sprawling kitchens. Though Charlotte and her fiancé were werewolves and could subsist entirely on raw meat, they’d both had rather epicurean tastes in their human lives and continued to eat their favorite dishes with gusto. They employed a larger kitchen staff than almost any other household outside of Versailles.
I stepped out of the bath and picked up the lovely garments that had been laid out. Rather than the formal court dress that Charlotte often preferred for herself, she’d selected a more modest design without the widepanniersthat were fashionable evening wear. I pulled on the clean chemise and soft woolen stockings, then layered the quilted stays and fine linen petticoats. The bodice and skirts of the outer gown were a shimmering lilac velvet with silver flowers embroidered throughout. It was beautiful—certainly finer than anything I had in my closet.Almostas fine as the lemon silk gown that now lay ruined upon the floor.
I was able to dress myself without the help of a lady’s maid, which made me eminently more grateful that Charlotte had taken my status and profession into consideration when ordering me clothes. I pinned my long, dark hair up, replaced my spectacles, and made my way downstairs—only slightly unsteady from the heady warmth of the cognac.
I was relieved to find Charlotte in her dining hall, dressed in a stunning gown of rose-colored silk with ivory bows.
“Mina, you look absolutely lovely. Do you feel a touch restored?” she gestured to the seat across from her, set with fine china and crystal tableware.
“Yes, Charlotte, thank you. Has Antoine returned?” I replied, taking my seat.
She nodded. “He arrived back home not too long ago,” she said. “He is resting for now. It’s been a long few days for all of us.”
I frowned. “I’m sorry my absence has been so troublesome for so many of my friends.”
“Hush, Mina, don’t be ridiculous! We’refamily.We’d all go to the ends of the earth for you,chérie.Now, are you hungry? You must be. Me, I am simply famished! I had the chef prepare enough food to satisfy an army.”
With a wave of her hand, her servants brought forth silver platter after silver platter covered in delights to tempt even my humble palate. I tucked in to cuts of ham, savory pies, roasted fowl and fish, poached eggs, bread, pastries, cheeses, and two decanters of wine. Charlotte was satisfied that I had an appetite—she watched me like a hawk.
After we both finished platefuls of food, she led me to the front parlor and sat me in front of the fireplace in the most comfortable chair. We took a moment to settle in as the coffee and sherry was poured, and then she looked at me with the intensity of a cat eyeing a canary.
“Now,” she urged. “Start wherever it pleases you.”
I swallowed, suddenly nervous.
“It is difficult for me to know where to begin,” I said. “So I think I will start with the events of the other night, when I was supposed to come here.”
Charlotte refilled my coffee cup and hers, and I continued.
“Did you know the Order sent men to watch me?” I asked.
Shock flashed in her eyes, followed by instant anger.
“What? No! They wouldn’t…how could they…without Daphne and my permission! They know you are protected!” Her claws grew, lethal and sharp, until she took a breath to calm herself. “I’m so sorry, Mina! Daphne and I should have expected them to do something reprehensible. These men watching you—what happened with them?”
“After weeks of watching and following me, something changed. The night I was meant to come see you, they kidnapped me, drugged me withfartoo much laudanum, and shoved me in a carriage. They were taking me to the cemetery, Charlotte—the secret entrance to the Order.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened, and she pursed her lips.
“Monsters!” she spat. “We will make sure they pay. How did you escape?”
“Certainly not under my power,” I said.
Charlotte understood immediately.
“The man in black?” she asked.
I nodded. “Rafael. Former—rightful—Prince of Wallachia.”
“A prince!” Charlotte exclaimed. “Well done, Mina.”
Ignoring her teasing grin, I continued.
“Rafael followed us and killed both men,” I said bluntly. I didn’t want to think about it too much, or the guilt would wash over me in a tidal wave. “He took me to his castle here just outside Rouen so I could recover from the laudanum. He said I would not be safe back at my clinic. According to one of the men, Pascal, the Order sent for me so they might question me as to Rafael’s whereabouts.” I gritted my teeth through the anger and betrayal.
