Page 20 of Magic in the Music (Magic and Mysteries #4)

Cassian looked into her blue eyes full of questions and indecisions. His pulse increased, and Cassian was not even certain he breathed while he waited and silently willed her to kiss him. Malcolm could have no complaints if it was Samantha who placed her lips against his.

He waited and hoped, her soft bottom warming his lap and his arms aching to wrap around her and draw her close.

Then she rose and stepped away, much to his disappointment.

She then surprised him when she bowed before him, lifted his hand and placed a kiss on the back, then curtseyed and walked away.

And for the first time since Malcolm had taken him aside last night, Cassian felt like smiling, but he did not because he did not want anyone speculating further on his intentions toward Samantha.

The game continued and he lost to Simon who beat him to a chair. “I promise to buy you a tankard the next time we visit the Crown and Anchor .

By the time the game had concluded with Petra winning, having collected coins and compliments from her cousins, it was nearing midnight.

“There is much to do tomorrow,” Eugenia warned. “Sleep late because not only will we honor the lunar eclipse but following will be Haloa and I do not think there will be much sleep until the morning of the twenty-seventh.

“Would it not be better to remain awake until three or four, which will make it easier to sleep later, thus not tire while we partake in the feast of Haloa?” Ajax asked once his mother and the other parents retired for the evening.

“If we sleep too late, we will not be able to help with preparations,” Maia reminded her brother.

“What time does the lunar eclipse actually start?” Ares asked.

“According to my father, at 11:08 p.m.” Malcolm answered.

“How long does it last?” Chedworth questioned.

Malcolm looked at his sister and Samantha bit her bottom lip. Cassian nearly groaned because Chedworth, and likely nobody else was going to like that answer.

“Well?” Chedworth demanded.

“Approximately an hour and fifteen minutes,” Samantha answered with a wince as if she were preparing herself to be yelled at.

“We are supposed to meditate that entire time?” Simon asked.

“Well, witches should and, of course, the bride and groom, because of the transformation and renewal. A time for reflection and discovering hidden aspects within oneself.”

“What benefits do witches gain?” Cassian found himself asking.

“Much of the same except it is also a time to set intentions and an excellent time for banishing anything negative, breaking curses, or using a spell that needs the additional energy that comes from the eclipse,” Samantha answered.

Cassian had been around witches most of his life but it had only been in the last few months that particular attention had been paid to the phases of the moon.

“Do you intend on casting a spell?” he asked with a smile.

“That all depends,” she teased. “I intend to seek guidance and clarity while setting my intentions.”

He wanted to ask if she knew what those intentions were. It was something witches often talked about but he never really understood. Intentions for what?

He was certain Samantha would explain without condescending, which he feared may come from those who he had been raised with.

He could already hear Gretchen demanding to know why he waited so long to ask.

And, if anyone heard him question Samantha directly, they may assume that his intentions were more than he let on.

Malcolm certainly would and Cassian did not want to be warned away a second time.

“I still do not see why we cannot celebrate Haloa and then the lunar eclipse,” Ajax demanded, reminding Cassian that he was not alone with Samantha. “Or we can begin the celebration of Haloa, do the meditation for the eclipse, then finish celebrating Haloa.”

“Because you would be too deep in your cups by the time the eclipse happened,” Petra chastised.

“I do not see why that should matter. I do not need to meditate nor do I have magic that needs to be renewed.”

“Chedworth needs to prepare and he will not be able to do so if all of you are drinking to excess. It will make it impossible for him to concentrate or reflect as he should,” Maia reminded.

“I still think it’s foolish,” Ajax grumbled.

“Do not let your mother or mine hear you say such,” Petra scolded.

“You are correct. I just hate that it will take so long to get to the most enjoyable part of the evening.”

“I know for a fact that your evenings rarely start much earlier when in London, so you will survive a late evening here.” Maia was not going to let her cousin rush through the night.

Because festivities were put off for so late the following evening, the men were even more determined to remain awake all night so that they could sleep all day.

Cassian remained with them, and so did most of the women.

They talked, teased, laughed, remembered childhood, and gossiped about magical mishaps, especially those that involved Harcourt’s wife, Clara, who had a tendency of causing him to disappear and reappear in another location.

Her face grew bright red, but it was good-natured teasing and now she only sends him away when he is bothering her, which often lands him in the middle of the lake on the estate, depending on her level of irritation.

Cassian’s heart ached to watch his friends with their spouses and he did not need to have Antonia’s gift for reading auras or Samantha’s for hearing music to experience the warmth of their love.

A love that he may never have because he could not afford to give his heart to any woman or ask for hers.

At least not until he was wealthy enough to support a lady in the manner in which she was accustomed, such as the daughter of a wealthy earl with mahogany hair, light blue eyes, a gentle soul, warm heart, and perfect kissable lips.

Such a wife would fit in well in his world. Her friends were already here and she knew most everyone and was comfortable in the teasing and laughter.

Samantha was perfect and he was far from worthy of her.

“We have been up long enough,” Petra complained and rose from the settee. “Even if we wanted to sleep the day away tomorrow, I am certain that mother will send servants to wake us so we can finish preparing for…well…everything.”

“No servants,” Simon said.

Petra frowned.

“Boxing Day. No servants and why the kitchens were so busy today, and yesterday.”

“All the more reason that mother will be banging on our doors,” she grumbled and left the room, followed by Maia and Samantha.

Cassian decided that he too should find his bed. Tomorrow would be busy, once everyone was awake.

* * *

Samantha started for the stairs then glanced at the clock, shocked to realize that they had been up most of the night.

Then again, when one was gathered with friends and family who love each other and enjoy playful teasing and sometimes embarrassing a sibling because of an incident when they were younger, it always made the time go more quickly.

Thank goodness Malcolm had not shared any stories of her or she may have never forgiven him.

Since it would be only an hour before the sun rose, Samantha turned from the stairs and exited to the terrace and the quietness of the early morning.

At least Cassian had spoken with her this evening, which set aside some concern that she had done something wrong.

She had also been surprised when he took the vacant chair at the end of the settee where she sat.

Then again, there were no other chairs available so perhaps he would have sat elsewhere had it been possible.

Goodness, she had fallen into his lap. She certainly would not have done so without the push from Petra and now wondered if her friend had done it on purpose.

She had teased her about Cassian, not that Samantha had admitted anything, which could be the only explanation for her actions.

Otherwise, all she had to do was sit in the chair first, which she was likely to do anyway, and Samantha would have paid some form of forfeit.

Oh, she had wanted to kiss him…

She sighed again.

It was clear that Cassian only saw her on the friendliest of terms, maybe no different from one of his cousins, which meant that she had no hope of a kiss from him ever. If he had developed even the slightest interest or affection for more, he would not have avoided her today.

Except, he hadn’t. At least not after they finally gathered in the drawing room.

Still, it wasn’t the same as the night before when he had followed her out of the church because of concern, or understood when she explained why she did not like to pass too close to Castle Keyvnor and was in the group that took the longer route to avoid the troublesome ghosts.

They had talked and laughed. Today, or yesterday as it were, she might as well have been invisible.

He had also appeared not necessarily unhappy, but not in a pleasant mood either because when he entered the dining room at the beginning of the day, his face had been impassive and there was no light in his grey eyes.

Cassian was the most confusing man she had ever met and she had to wonder if this was how everyone who didn’t have the gift of hearing a soul’s music or seeing their aura felt like—always guessing to what a person was thinking or feeling or if they were even telling the truth.

If so, living without such must be quite exhausting.

When the terrace door opened, Samantha almost stepped into the shadows because she couldn’t imagine who would be out so early and then realized that she had nothing to fear from anyone inside and waited to see who the long shadow belonged to.

“Have you come to watch the sunrise?” She asked Cassian, who took a step back as if startled.

She supposed she may have been a surprise, though he should have guessed that she’d want to wait for the sun instead of slumber for only about an hour then come back out.

“No, I was leaving,” he answered.

Where could he possibly want or need to go at this hour? Oh, she wanted to know but what if it was a mistress who waited on him. Given that he always entered in the morning from outside instead of coming down the stairs, she could only assume that he slept there.

“You seem rather perplexed,” he said after a moment.

“Yes, well, I suppose. I find it odd that you would need to be anywhere at this time, but it is also none of my concern.”

Cassian chuckled. “I am not going anywhere but home to sleep.”

Home? “I know that you once lived with the Cardwells as you were raised there and assumed that since they had chambers here, so did you.”

“My home is over there.” He pointed to the Sacred Grove. “I live in a cottage situated at the very end, above where I took you to see the dolphins.”

She had no idea. Then again, why would anyone tell her and it wasn’t a question she would think to ask because she had simply assumed.

“That is why the Dryads allow you to come and go, though I am surprised that they allowed you to live there to begin with since they prefer no men in the grove.”

“That is a story for another day,” he chuckled right before he yawned.

Oh, she did hope that he would tell her one day. Yes, she could ask anyone residing at Nightshade Manor, but she wanted Cassian to tell her. She wanted him to want to take the time to tell her.

“Well then, I will bid you goodnight, or good morning.”

He pulled out a timepiece and stepped closer to the house so that he could see it by lamplight.

“What time is the sunrise?”

“Near seven thirty,” she answered.

“Well, as it nears that time, I do believe I will wait with you.” Cassian tucked his timepiece away and joined her, much to her happiness and the two fell into a comfortable silence as they made their way through the Witches’ Garden and to the bench that faced east just as the day began to lighten, making way for the reds, golds and oranges blanketing the horizon and bringing with it hope and the promise in a new day.

“That was truly lovely,” Samantha whispered because she did not want to disturb the peace.

“It was,” Cassian agreed quietly.

It was also time for them both to find sleep.

“Well, then, until later.” She turned to leave, just as he did, unintentionally bringing her body in contact with his. Her breasts against his chest, his hands on her upper arms to steady her.

“I, um…apologize.”

He stared down into her eyes, his silver ones darkening. “It is not necessary and I should have been more aware…”

His words trailed off as he glanced at her lips.

Was he finally going to kiss her?