Page 30 of Magic in the Music (Magic and Mysteries #4)

“I have had my suspicions,” St. Alban began as soon as they were out in the corridor. “Do you work for Lynwood?”

“Yes,” Cassian answered.

“Why?” St. Alban demanded.

“I need to make my own way,” he finally answered.

“No, you do not,” St. Alban returned.

“But I do. In fact, I recently discussed this matter with Eugenia.”

“She mentioned the discussion to me.”

Cassian blew out a sigh. “You will never know how grateful and appreciative I am that you took me in, gave me a home and saw that I received the education worthy of a lord’s son.”

“You are a lord’s son. In fact, you are a lord.”

“Without an estate or wealth. An empty title that means nothing in England.”

“Aristocracy is valuable and means something no matter where you came from.”

“Perhaps,” Cassian sighed. “I still have nothing.”

“You have a family,” St. Alban said quietly. “Even though there is no blood relationship, I have always thought of you as my son.”

“And you are the parents I needed. But your true sons have their path. I need my own.”

“Yours could be the same. Many witches need a husband who they do not have to keep their magic a secret from.”

He chuckled because if things were different, Cassian knew which witch he would be more than happy to marry.

“I always thought my path and destiny was where my sister lived. As we assumed that she’d be tied to that piece of land for the rest of her life, I expected that I would be as well.

I could not have foreseen that she would have risked her very life to be free of the prison I put her in. ”

“You were a child,” St. Alban reminded him. “A child who could not stand the idea of losing his sister after he had lost both father and mother.”

“Then, when Nina was free and became betrothed to Orion, I realized that I could decide a different future for myself.”

“We will continue to support you, just as we do our sons.”

“I need to provide for myself,” Cassian insisted.

“How is it that you went to work for Lynwood?”

“It was a chance conversation with him one evening and we struck a bargain, and I have been in his employ ever since.”

“Doing what?” Richard asked with suspicion.

“I see to the retrieval of goods, disbursement of such, collection and compensation for all involved. It is very lucrative.”

St. Alban nodded and the corner of his mouth twitched, which indicated that the man who had raised him was aware of the smuggling.

“Given Lynwood’s sister is married and now lives at Nightshade Manor, he is well aware of the peculiarities of this estate, which was why I asked Cordelia to inform him of why I could not attend to my duties at this time.”

“I understand your need to be independent,” St. Alban said. “But does that mean you intend to move away from Nightshade Manor?”

“I hope to remain in the cottage for so long as you will allow as it provides me the opportunity to save funds for the future.”

“For marriage,” St. Alban assumed.

“It is a possibility, I suppose, but not until I have something to offer other than myself.”

“Such as what?” St. Alban asked.

“As soon as it is financially possible, I will return to France.”

“I understand your need to reclaim what was taken from your father…your family, but if you spend so much time looking beyond, you may miss what is meant for you here.”

St. Alban’s words caused him to pause.

What had Iza said to him? You cannot claim what is beyond without letting go. ” She also said that something kept him bound here.

The two were contradictions. Unless he needed to discover what was meant for him here, or maybe simply recognize it and then he could break the bond.

But even if he deciphered Iza’s warnings and message, he still did not have the funds to pursue his dream.

It would also be that poverty kept him bound, which would take time to resolve.

Cassian hoped that in time there would be clarity. If not, then he would simply return to Iza again.

But not until Samantha was free.

* * *

France!

What was in France?

That’s right, she had overheard that he was not simply Mr. Jourdain, but a lord, Comte de Rohan.

Now, to learn, that he wanted to return to France, where she might never see him again, well, Samantha wasn’t certain what to think.

When she had come down here last night, she had hoped to never see Cassian again but that was because of her humiliation, except now that it would likely become a reality, Samantha wasn’t certain what to think.

Yet clearly, he had no difficulty with the idea of never encountering her or he would not be set on leaving England.

What had he meant that he could not have foreseen that Nina would have risked her very life to be free of the prison he put her in.

What prison? Cassian would not have been so cruel to do that to his sister.

“We can talk of this later. I do not want Samantha to be alone for long,” Cassian said right before he returned to the room. When he looked directly at her, relief swept through her body that he could still see her.

He then took the seat across from her before he glanced at everything on the tray and frowned when he realized nothing had been touched.

“Were you not hungry after all?”

“I am.” Then she showed him how impossible it was to pick up the teapot.

“You should have called for me,” he chastised as he leaned forward to pour her a cup of tea.

“I did, but not for food, but because I could hear a private conversation.”

“I did not hear you.”

“I know. I yelled, but you never responded, so all I could do was try not to listen, which was impossible, and wait to eat.” She winced because it had been impolite. “It sounded as if you were having a very important conversation with Lord St. Alban.”

He glanced up, his eyes meeting hers. “How much did you hear?”

She shrugged. “All of it I suppose. I have very good hearing. I believe it goes along with being able to hear music in a voice.”

He just gave a quick nod. “Do you take anything in your tea?”

“No.”

Clearly, he did not want to further their discussion and because she was so thirsty and hungry she would not ask, yet.

He still may not offer any explanation when she broached the subject again later, but she might as well since she may never get out of here and there was nothing else to do besides play the piano, which she certainly would not do.

Cassian started to hand the cup to her but Samantha could not grasp that any better than she could the teapot.

“I suppose that I will just need to feed you.” He grinned and came around and sat next to her before placing the cup against her lips. Samantha drank until it was gone because she was so parched.

“Would you rather have water?” There was a pitcher on the table and a glass.

“Yes please. Maybe once my thirst is quenched, I can enjoy the tea.”

He did as she asked then placed the glass against her lips and Samantha drank its entirety.

“I suppose you cannot use a utensil either.”

She tried to pick up the fork but it was no use. She could not grasp anything.

Cassian simply grinned and speared a piece of chicken then held it up to her mouth so that she could eat.

It was very odd having Cassian feed her and in any other circumstance, she would be quite embarrassed about needing assistance, but in this instance, she would starve if not for him.

When Samantha had eaten her full, she waved away another bite.

“May I have more water please?”

He refilled the glass and let her drink.

With a sigh she leaned back against the settee. “Thank you, I feel much better now.”

“Whatever you need, just ask.”

She had wanted a kiss once and he told her no, so she knew he did not mean what he said.

Samantha shook the thought from her mind. Now was not the time to dwell on her other humiliation.

“How did you come to Nightshade Manor and why do you need to return to France?”