Page 16

Gavin

T he stark ink of the trade proposal Gavin was supposed to be reading went unread. His mind was too busy trying to decipher the flash of emotion that had come over Adelaide at his parting words.

Had he said something wrong? All he’d promised was to meet her in the garden, so why had she gone speechless? It was her idea.

Gavin huffed. Tossing the paper down on his desk, he rubbed his eyes. The proposal would be there tomorrow. Right now, there was something far more important that demanded his attention. He couldn’t explain why he gravitated toward Adelaide. Gavin supposed it was because she offered him something no one else could: a way to get close to Mistress Scrabs.

But if he dug a little deeper into his soul, his mind turned over the idea that maybe William had been right.

He was falling for Adelaide.

Right from their very first meeting, he’d been intrigued by her. She was a mystery he wanted to solve. And maybe that wasn’t the right way of putting it, but it was the best way Gavin knew to explain his feelings. He wanted to unravel her and see who Adelaide was, the woman the world didn’t get to see. Gavin longed to know who she was when she wasn’t guarding herself and playing a part in Mistress Scrabs’s operation.

Who was Adelaide when she was happy? Who was Adelaide before such sadness had seeped into her life?

That’s the woman Gavin wanted to know. Not the one he’d met that day on the road, or the woman who’d been threatened by one of the Master of Thieves’s worthless grunts, or the woman who’d been tortured by statique trosher .

He wanted to know Adelaide.

Decisively, Gavin stood with a lightened heart. These documents could wait. The lonely woman strolling through the gardens couldn’t.

And if Gavin was honest with himself, he needed a break too. For as long as he could remember now, he hadn’t had a moment’s rest. Ever since Penumbra and Darshovi had been defeated, he’d been busier than ever. Even more so when his parents left for the coast and put Castle Belmont in his care.

His life had been nothing but paperwork and errands for his cousin that allegedly held the sovereignty of their kingdom in the balance. It was a horrible life, being trusted. Gavin no longer had time for himself or his passions—not that he had many, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t complain.

And then Adelaide had come to the estate.

He would say her coming here was like the sun breaking through the clouds after months of rain and dreary skies, but that was too poetic. Adelaide’s arrival was largely insignificant. Yet it had changed him. When he’d overheard her singing, Gavin had been overwhelmed by the idea of a dream he’d forgotten. For the first time, he felt like he could breathe again.

He craved that feeling of freedom. Gavin wanted to know how he could achieve that, and as the only variable that had changed in his life recently, he believed Adelaide could help him.

He only needed to get to know her. And what better opportunity than the present?

Besides, Gavin tried to convince himself, he could ask her more about Mistress Scrabs and see if it aligned with what he knew of Lady Alyton.

Grabbing his cloak on his way to the door, Gavin felt weightless. When was the last time he’d taken a stroll through his mother’s gardens? He shook his head. It seemed the opportunity hadn’t presented itself to him in a long time. Perhaps it would do him some good.

Swiftly making his way through the estate, Gavin skillfully avoided hallways and passages where servants were going about their tasks or where knights were patrolling. The last thing he wanted was for someone to match his stride and derail him with an urgent conversation that, in all honesty, was rarely of any great importance. Gavin was almost tempted to use his magic and conceal himself, but refrained from doing so. After all, why should he feel the need to in his own home?

By the time he made his way outside, Gavin was breathless. The crisp air filled his lungs. The welcome scent of pine and fresh earth tickled his nostrils. He suspected more rain on the horizon, but paid no mind to the dampness in the air. The fur of his cloak kept the worst of it from settling into his bones. Surveying the garden from the second-story veranda, he searched for Adelaide.

Just as his heart was about to sink, he found her sitting in a patch of sunlight near the burbairé grove. He strode down the stairs with purpose. If anyone had seen him, they’d probably assume Gavin was setting off on some urgent quest. He wasn’t entirely convinced that he wasn’t.

He was going to ask about Mistress Scrabs. He and Adelaide should talk more about their plan to make the pretense of their relationship more believable.

Wasn’t that it?

Gavin swallowed, grateful for the evergreens and roubud blooms. The mixed scent of the winter plants grounded him. They calmed his mind and the warring thoughts racing through his head. Their sweet and savory fragrance eased the guilt looming in the back of his mind. He really had more important things he had to do. His health was important too, and Gavin knew it was only a matter of time before he overextended himself.

One afternoon wouldn’t harm him. In fact it was quite the opposite. This was exactly the sort of thing Thomas nagged him about.

Slowing his pace as the first of the burbairés came into view, Gavin’s stomach twisted. What if Adelaide didn’t want his company? His mind began to examine their interaction earlier, and whether or not she was truly comfortable with her new arrangements and their resulting deception.

Gavin’s lips slipped into a frown. He shook the concern from his mind and tried to fix his features. He didn’t want Adelaide to think something was wrong, or that he didn’t want to be here but was only doing so for the sake of their ruse.

Finally entering the copse of dwarf trees bearing the bittersweet fruit, Gavin couldn’t help but grin. The soft rays of the late afternoon sun crowned Adelaide. She was like a statue. If she heard his approach, she didn’t acknowledge him. Gavin suspected she was lost in her own mind, ensnared by whatever it distracted her with.

In an attempt not to startle her, he called, “May I join you?”

Adelaide turned to look at him, beginning to stand from the bench. Her lips pulled into a small smile. “Of course.”

Her trembling hands rubbed her arms. Gavin instantly went to unclasp his cloak and offer it to her. “Here, take my cloak.”

“Won’t you be cold?” Adelaide raised her brow. Shaking her head, she countered, “Let’s share it.”

Gavin froze. “Share it?”

“Yes,” Adelaide blinked, “the bench is small enough. We’ll just have to stay close to each other.” She shifted on her feet. “I mean, if you don’t mind?”

“Not at all.” Gavin undid the clasp of his cloak and drew closer to Adelaide. Draping one half over her shoulder, he carefully slipped his arm from her side of the cloak as she settled it around herself. “Better?”

Adelaide hummed. “Much better, thank you.”

Carefully so as not to disturb the cloak, they sat on the bench. Adelaide scooted closer to him, her shoulder firmly pressed against his side.

“If you were cold, how come you didn’t come back in?” he asked.

Adelaide didn’t answer straight away. “I thought the cold would help.”

Confusion drew his brows together. “Help with what?”

“It’s nothing,” Adelaide sighed. “I just didn’t want to be inside. I…can’t stop thinking about…”

Gavin waited a beat before he replied. “I’ll never let it happen again. Whatever you need, just ask. Your safety is important, especially as we draw closer to discovering who Mistress Scrabs is.”

He didn’t have the courage to add that her safety was of personal interest to him. They hadn’t known each other long enough for that to be a rational thought, and yet…it was true.

He stiffened as Adelaide rested her head against his shoulder. “I’m still so tired. How long did you let me sleep for?”

“Not long,” he lied, slipping his arm around her. In truth, Adelaide had managed to nap for a couple of hours. He envied her, though not her circumstances. It was no surprise that Adelaide was still fighting the effects of the statique trosher . “Have you had anything to eat? I’m afraid you missed lunch.”

“I’ll eat later.”

Gavin closed his eyes. “I really think you should eat something sooner. It’ll help with the fatigue.”

“I’m flattered by your concern,” she mumbled.

Gavin studied her as best as he could given their current position. His eyes lingered over her small smirk. She was teasing him.

Rather than letting her rile him, he continued his genuine inquiries. “If you could have any meal right now, what would it be?”

Slowly, Adelaide sat up and met his gaze. “Any meal?”

Gavin nodded.

“Hm…that’s a hard question to answer. I would love to have my mother’s thistlesquash stew, but she hasn’t made it in years.” Adelaide paused, glancing away. “I suppose just something warm. Maybe homak and creamed thistlesquash? Oh, and some kind of bread, of course.”

“Of course,” he said lightly. “I’ll ask Ned to prepare it for dinner.”

“Oh, that’s not…” Adelaide trailed off. “It’s like you’re really trying to act like we’re together.” Gavin’s heart panicked, thrumming in his throat. “It’s oddly sweet.”

“I just want you to feel comfortable. I know what it’s like to miss home, and have people to care for. But that was my choice. I can’t imagine what your life has been like.”

“It hasn’t all been bad,” she whispered. “And I hope it won’t be like this forever.”

“I think we can make sure of that.”

Adelaide smiled softly. “I hope so.”