But as she moved me, I caught something out of the corner of my eye and spied Christophe peeking just his head around the door.

My body gave a start as my eyes caught his. He was watching us and I couldn’t know how long he’d been there. I also couldn’t ask for before I could say a word or even smile, he disappeared.

I drew in a breath as I let Élan seat me next to Ariel (not an easy task seeing as the chairs were not even half as tall as normal chairs) and my eyes drifted back to the door as she chattered and fake poured tea from an exquisite china teapot (that also wasn’t half the size of a normal teapot).

Chris did not show.

I took this as a sign that whatever Apollo was doing with Chris wasn’t working.

Once I processed that and let the heavy weight of it settle around my heart, I set it aside and turned my full attention to Élan.

She wanted me here; she had me here. And not with me moping or stuck in my head, worried about my life, Apollo or Christophe.

I’d sit through hundreds of tea parties.

I’d do it smiling.

And for Élan, those smiles would be genuine.

Every time.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Remember This Kiss

Thirty minutes later, Bella bustled into the room, shooting a smile my way but ending our tea party with, “Your tutor says you have writing to practice, little miss. Time to put away the teapot. You can finish whatever you were discussing at dinner tonight.”

Fat chance that would happen.

For two nights I’d dined with Meeta, Loretta and Cristiana in the kitchen at the dower house.

They were good company (the jury was out on whether or not I was). But this meant for the first time in weeks I’d dined without Apollo and the kids.

I missed that too.

And he didn’t blink in taking that from me either.

Completely at his mercy.

Ignoring the pout Élan aimed her way, Bella went on. “And, Miss Maddie, Lord Apollo has sent word that he’d like you to attend him in his study when your party with Élan was done.”

Or maybe it wasn’t a fat chance dinner would happen.

Then again, it was at Apollo’s whim whether it would or wouldn’t.

Not to mention, I really had no choice of whether I would attend him in his study or not.

As all this settled in my head, I felt something strange bubble up inside me. It wasn’t a bad strange. It wasn’t a good strange. It was something I never felt before.

It was a nothing strange.

I didn’t think on it as Élan gave me a hug and when she let me go, I bent down to kiss her cheek.

I pulled away and whispered, “Ask me again. That was fun.”

She gave me one of her sweet smiles, a smile, for some reason, that I committed to memory like I wanted to file it away so I could call it up whenever I wanted, right before she chirped, “I will. We’ll do it tomorrow! And we’ll ask Frey to come!”

I tried to force my mind to wrap around a vision of Frey Drakkar folding his long body into one of Élan’s little chairs and one of his big hands holding a daintier than dainty teacup. My mind refused to do it, but my lips smiled at the thought.

“Even if it’s just you and me, I’ll be here,” I told her.

“Huzzah!” she cried.

She’d be happy with just me. Hell, she’d be happy with just her dolls. She was just a happy kid.

Though, I figured she’d be happier if Frey showed.

I kept smiling at her as I straightened. Then I aimed my smile at Bella and moved to my cloak.

“I’ll see you both later,” I called as I made my way to the door.

“See you at dinner!” Élan called back.

I aimed another smile at her wondering if she would.

I then waved and walked out the door, busying myself with arranging the cloak over my arm, folding the gloves more firmly in my hand, trying to think what I was feeling.

And still, all I could come up with was that I was feeling nothing.

It was the nothing part that worried me and I was so lost in thought as I made my way down the corridor, I barely processed the women’s voices I heard coming from not close, but not too far away.

“I’m shocked,” one said. “It’s unlike Ulfr. His father, absolutely. Him? No. But what he’s doing is much the same thing.”

“It is and not much the same. Exactly the same,” another voice replied. “And you know, I overheard Jeremiah. Apparently, Ulfr has a house in Estranvegue all set up for this Madeleine for when it’s safe to send her away.”

At hearing my name, I stopped dead.

Or, perhaps, it was hearing the part about Apollo sending me away.

“In Estranvegue?” the first voice asked.

“Yes,” the second voice confirmed.

“Goodness, that’s all the way across Lunwyn,” the first voice noted.

“Indeed,” the second voice stated. “He’s also set up an account for her. Obviously, he still intends to take on the responsibility of caring for her, but he won’t be doing it here.”

“But,” the first voice started, “I’ve heard they’re to wed.”

“I’ve heard that too. And maybe he intended to do that, if the children had accepted her. Now, that’s obviously not going to happen. I know little Élan likes her but she likes everybody. Young Christophe doesn’t like her. It’s not in his nature to cause alarm by doing something like running away, even when things aren’t topsy-turvy as they are now. Her being here, he ran away. And who can blame him? I’ve seen her and she’s the image of his mother. It’s uncanny. It’s also downright cruel to force your lover on your son if she looks exactly like your dead wife. Ulfr may be behaving like his father, as shocking as that is, but I figure in the end, he won’t do anything to harm his son.”

My breath suddenly coming in pants, I was teetering on my feet. I should have shifted to the side to put a hand on the wall to hold myself up but I couldn’t find it in me to will my body to do so.

I could do nothing but listen.

“Cristiana tells me she’s lovely,” the first voice said

“I’ve heard that as well. But she can be very lovely and that won’t make her look any less like Christophe’s departed mum. It’s no surprise Ulfr took up with her, considering how severe he grieved the passing of his wife. She wouldn’t even have to be lovely for him to do that. But when enough is enough, it’ll be enough. And I reckon young Christophe running off like that, Ulfr will decide enough is enough.”