Page 41

The older couples looked interested at the mention of a party, and Sable explained the plan they were attempting to foist on Dimitri. To Rosalie’s dismay, none of them expressed their disapproval of the scheme. The whole town seemed so excitedby the manor’s renewal that they were determined to ignore the danger. Or did it not matter to them as long as they weren’t the ones who paid the price?

She tried to catch Dimitri’s eye, but he avoided her gaze. He had transferred his attentions from Blythe to Sable, and Blythe was pouting slightly as a result. She was still playing hostess, though, offering the older couples more cake and cutting the slices herself.

“Maybe we should leave,” Daphne murmured in Rosalie’s ear, having just woken up. “It doesn’t seem like a good moment to get a word with Blythe.”

Rosalie started. She had entirely forgotten about her original reason for coming to the Mortar and Pestle. Drat Dimitri! How could she have forgotten about her brother’s predicament, even for a moment?

“I’m sorry, I won’t be able to host any visitors for some time,” Dimitri said, bringing her attention snapping back to him. He was speaking to everyone, but he was looking at her, his expression mischievous and his eyes alight with suppressed laughter. “Rosalie might slaughter me if I did.”

Blythe choked on the sip of tea she had just taken.

“See,” he continued, gesturing toward Rosalie. “If looks could cut, I would be bleeding all over this elegant dining room.”

Everyone swiveled to look at her, and she glared at him harder.

One of the older men snorted. “The lad has a point,” he murmured to his wife.

“But whatever for?” the woman whispered back. “Why is she glaring at him like that?”

“Rosalie doesn’t want to see anyone hurt by the Legacy,” Daphne said protectively. “That garden is dangerous. I’ve been in Glandore for years now, and I’ve never seen roses like that before.”

“The inside of the manor isn’t even that impressive,” Rosalie hurried to add. “It hasn’t been affected by the Legacy nearly as much as the grounds.”

“You’ve been inside?” Blythe asked, her voice sharp.

Rosalie winced, realizing her mistake. Now they were all looking between her and Dimitri.

His brow furrowed, as if he was unhappy with her words. Did he dislike being openly associated with her? She stuffed down the hurt that tried to unfurl inside her at that thought. Considering how strongly she’d fought any connection between them, she could hardly blame him for feeling the same way.

“I’m not ready to host visitors in the usual way,” Dimitri replied to Blythe on her behalf. “But of course I stand ready to assist those who find themselves in need on the road.”

Alarm shot through Rosalie, and she tried to send him a warning with her eyes. She didn’t want Dimitri spilling the events of two days ago in such a public setting. The situation with Jace had become a great deal more complicated since then, and the last thing she needed was for it to become more complicated still.

He shot her the briefest glance, and she suspected his expression was meant to convey reassurance. She was not reassured.

But thankfully he said no more on the topic. Some of the girls were probably assuming she had faked an illness or injury to force her way in, but it was better than their being informed of the truth.

“I would love to repay your hospitality by hosting you and your parents for a meal,” he told Blythe. “But I think it would be wise if I delay having visitors until the situation has…settled.”

Blythe glowed at being singled out, while the other girls all looked disappointed. They had clearly been looking forward tothe prospect of both a lavish party and a chance to poke around inside the manor.

Dimitri stood, moving some of the tea supplies to the small table in front of the older couples. He chatted quietly with them, arranging the supplies so they were within easy reach. As he did so, Blythe held court with her friends, assuring them that when she did visit the manor, she would take note of everything she saw and bring back a detailed report.

Dimitri moved with charm and ease, making it look entirely natural when, as a result of rearranging the supplies, he took a new seat. A seat beside Rosalie.

“What are you doing at an inn?” she hissed at him. One visit to town, and he was already talking about hosting people at the manor.

“I told you the Legacy isn’t providing my meals. So I came here to eat, of course.” He kept his face relaxed and his eyes on the main conversation, although she could hear the teasing note in his voice.

She made a huffing noise of frustration, and he flicked a brief glance sideways at her, his quiet voice becoming more serious.

“I’m here to protect you, Rosalie.”

Rosalie stared at him, speechless. He thought he was protecting her? From what? Attack from an unruly selection of cake slices? Scalding from hot tea?

She glanced at Daphne, ready to share her exasperation, only to find her friend had gone back to sleep. Of course she had.

Rosalie sighed. She had come here to ask for the money Blythe had offered—preferably without revealing too much to Blythe’s friends. And she still needed to find an opportunity to do that. But it was difficult to think with Dimitri so close.