Chapter 10
Peirce opened the manor door and was shocked when complete silence met them. There was never a silent moment in his home; why were they all quiet now? His question was answered when Will jumped out of the coat closet with a scream. Emily tightened her grip on him and let out a feminine squeak.
The smile that was on Will’s face dropped. “I thought you were Cassie.”
“Do you think that that is wise? Scaring a pregnant woman who is so close to term?” Peirce asked with narrowed eyes.
“You do not know our Cassie as I do,” Will said with a large smile. “You can be assured that she would be fairly ready for anything that I presented her with.”
As soon as the words left Will’s mouth, he was drenched by water. Looking over, Peirce smiled when he saw Cassie standing there with a small bucket. She sent Will an evil grin as he shivered. “Cold?”
“No,” Will chattered through his teeth. “I am dandy, just dandy. What do you say you and I get under the blankets together,” he said in an amused tone. “We have not done that since-”
“Flower.”
Will’s mouth snapped shut as he glared at Colin. The man took a step around his wife, grabbed the bucket, and shook his head. “What did I tell you about heavy objects?”
“To let others carry them,” she mumbled, “which is why you are now holding the bucket.” Colin opened his mouth and shut it with a slightly confused expression on his face. Cassie reached up and patted him on the cheek. “I do love you, Colin.”
The confusion disappeared as a large, happy smile overtook his entire face. “I love you too, Cassandra Moore.”
“Come,” Peirce said, interrupting their intimate conversation. “I would like to introduce you to someone before we dine.”
Emily smiled at them, and it was no surprise to Peirce that the only one who smiled back was Will. Cassie regarded the woman with a closed expression, keeping whatever her feelings were to herself, while Colin could not care if the woman existed or not. Emily released his arm to take a step forward. “It is nice to meet you,” she gushed. “I have heard so much.”
Cassie looked down her nose at the shorter woman with narrowed eyes. “What exactly have you heard?”
“Just that you,” Emily froze as if she realized her next words were better left unsaid.
Everyone was a fool, though, if they thought Cassie would let something like that slip by. Leaning towards Emily, she smiled. “That I am a witch? Would you care to test the theory?”
“Please, accept my apologizes. I never believed any of the talk that others spread through the town.”
Cassie waved her hand dismissively. “Everyone in this room has thought me a witch at one point in their lives; it does not trouble me to have you think the same.”
“No,” Emily said with an earnest look on her face. “It is not fine. I do not wish for you to be angry with me.”
Cassie shook her head while taking Colin’s hand into hers. “There are many things you can do to anger me, but I do not let my emotions control my actions. If I did, my world would be a different place.”
Emily nodded and began to open her mouth to speak, but Cassie cut her off. “Allow Will to speak, please. I wish to have a private conversation with you,” she told Colin with a nod towards Will.
Colin began tugging her towards the dining area. Just as he began to leave the foyer, he called out. “You may speak.”
Will let out a happy sigh. “The water could not have been colder if it were snow.”
Emily giggled, causing Will to glance towards her. Peirce expected to see a charming grin form on the Prince’s face, but when Will studied the woman as if he were sizing her up for a competition, Peirce was confused. Where was the usual charming prince? “What is your name?”
She flushed under Will’s examination. “Emily,” she whispered.
“What relation do you have to Peirce?”
Emily took a step towards Peirce. “He was married to my sister.”
“Therefore, you no longer have ties to one another?”
“We do not,” Peirce answered.
Emily shot him a worried glance, but he ignored it. If she thought differently, they could speak of the matter at a later time.
“Then you must stay upstairs,” Will replied with his trademark smile. “It would not be good for the two of you to not be chaperoned and end trapped in a loveless marriage.”
“How do you know it would be loveless?” Emily asked.
Will let out a deep laugh. “Because our dear Peirce has his heart beating for another, and he has an odd loyalty to those he loves. He will not love another for a while.”
The worry on Emily’s face disappeared. “Oh, you mean my sister.”
Will’s eyes connected with his, and Peirce knew Will was not speaking of his dead wife. Shaking his head, the Prince began walking towards the dining area. “I hope the food you made is mouthwatering. Rose, as lovely as she is, has deprived us for too long.”
Peirce chuckled as the man left the foyer. Grabbing Emily’s elbow, he began steering her towards the dining area. “Come, we will eat before I give you a tour of the manor.”
“That would be lovely,” Emily said with a sigh. “It has been quite some time since I have eaten.”
He sent her a tiny smile before entering the room. Everyone was seated in their seat, leaving only two chairs open. Letting out a sigh, he pulled Emily’s chair out for her and waited as she gracefully sat down. His own descent was less graceful and more crude. His eyes looked to his left, and landed on Emily, who smiled at him with wide-eyed innocence. Glancing to his right, his eyes landed on Rose, who sent him a small sultry smile.
Peirce let out a groan and flopped back into his chair, not caring who saw his inappropriate behavior. This was going to be one of the longest dinners of his life.
आप पढ़ रहे हैं
Past Loves
ऐतिहासिक साहित्यCan he let go of the love who haunts his past? Peirce has not been able to leave his past behind, but when he meets a certain woman, he begins to think that all hope is not lost. Can she handle the past he comes with? Roselyn's life was simple...
