Page 58 of House of Blood and Roses: Vol. 1

His eyes widen and his hold loosens, but he doesn't say anything.

I resist the urge to ask him more about what happened with Emilia, but it's mostly because I don't think he's going to tell me.

"Change!" the dance master calls.

I almost sigh with relief as I move on to the next vampire in the circle of dancers. The class goes by in a blur of going from one person to the next, but it's hard to focus on any of it when I'm worrying about Emilia, frustrated about Bastian, and above all, not able to take my mind off Linc.

ELEVEN

My legs are burning by the time I get to the top of the library stairs, and I take a moment to catch my breath. As much as I enjoy the fact that we get relative privacy on the third floor of the library, it's a long way up. And apparently being a vampire hasn't made me immune to being out of breath.

That would be something.

There's no evidence of Linc being at our table, which isn't a surprise now we've moved to the private room. But when I turn to go down there, I'm surprised not to spot Eric. I frown and push on the door, but find it locked.

I stand in front of it for a moment, wondering what's happening. I've never arrived before Linc, and I don't really know what to do with myself. I don't think he'd just not show up without telling me, that wouldn't be like him at all.

With nothing else for it, I make my way back to our old spot, intending to browse the shelves until he arrives. Maybe I'll find the next subject I want to research.

I run my finger down the wood of the shelf in front of the books, sounding out the titles under my breath and seeing if one of them catches my attention. Not that it helps when the lettering is so fancy that I can't tell if something is an s or an f. Whoever created these books didn't give a thought to the fact that some of us aren't as literate as others.

Nothing pulls me to it, and I make my way to the next set of shelves, only to stop in my tracks. A dark-haired man in a dark suit is leaning over another, their faces so close that they could be touching. And from the disarray of their suits, I'd have to guess that they have been touching.

"I'm so sorry," I blurt out, when really I should just have stayed silent and left the two men to what they're doing. It doesn't take much imagination to figure it out.

The man closest to me turns and my shock deepens when I recognise Marcus.

"Bea..."

"I'm sorry, I should go." I turn around.

"Beatrice, wait!" he calls, fumbling with his shirt buttons as he hurries after me. He reaches out and catches my arm.

I turn around. "I'm really sorry, Marcus, I didn't realise anyone was here. I'm going now."

"About what you saw..."

"I didn't see anything that was any of my business," I say softly. "I'm not going to tell anyone, Marcus."

"My father doesn't know."

"I've never met the King," I remind him. "And I promise, I have no intention of telling him anything. What you do with your time, and who you do it with, are completely your business."

The other man appears behind Marcus.

"This is my cousin, Lady Beatrice Fallmartin," Marcus says, introducing me.

"It's a pleasure," I say.

"And this is Lord Luca Vermatchi, have you met?" The nerves in his voice make it clear that he's not completely sure about introducing the two of us, but considering what I just walked in on, I'm not sure he feels like I have a choice.

I study the man in front of me, looking for signs of his relation to Violetta, but not finding many. "I don't think we have."

Marcus nods. "We've been study partners for a few years now."

I raise an eyebrow.

"Please don't tell anyone."