17. Dimitri
Chapter 17
Dimitri
S omehow Rosalie seemed much less put off by his new appearance than Dimitri had feared. He had been sorry to spend the day alone after her arrival, but at least their meal together had gone well, despite the disappointing food.
It gave him courage to take action first thing the next morning. He didn’t want to let another whole day pass him by. So as soon as he’d finished a breakfast tray in his room, he dressed and presented himself at her door.
She answered his knock quickly, a smile on her face. She was also dressed for the day with a tray of empty dishes behind her.
“You woke to breakfast too?” he asked.
She nodded and laughed. “It was much more appetizing than last night’s meal, thankfully.” She glanced at the banked fire in her grate. “The Legacy really is amazing. I came back yesterday evening to find the curtains pulled and a fire blazing. Even the bedcovers were pulled back. It’s a pity it can’t seem to cook.”
“Let us take hope from the breakfast,” Dimitri said. “We may yet get an edible evening meal.” He hesitated, afraid she would refuse his next request. But she seemed in a brighter mood than the day before, so he forged on. “I wondered if you’d like to explore the grounds with me. It’s a beautiful day, and we don’t know how many more of those we’ll get with winter approaching.”
“Oh yes!” Rosalie said immediately. “I was gazing longingly out my window yesterday, but I didn’t think you’d approve of me exploring on my own.”
Relief filled Dimitri. She wasn’t going to be entirely reckless, then. He’d found it hard to sleep knowing she had the chest of coins in the room with her. Every night sound and creak of the manor had sent him starting awake.
But he had still woken with energy for the day. Having company in the manor made all the difference. Waking two doors down from Rosalie had felt entirely different from waking alone in the vast building.
He led Rosalie out a back door, exiting directly into the vast grounds that stretched behind the building, out of sight of the road.
“I’ve never been back here,” Rosalie said softly, gazing around with wide eyes.
The excessive abundance of roses was missing from the back gardens, presumably because they would do no good for luring travelers. But rose bushes were still dotted around in picturesque locations, perfectly balanced with the sculpted greenery and the well-placed trees. Like the trees in the front, the ones before them were all in both full bloom and full fruit, and Dimitri plucked a mandarin from one they passed and presented it to her.
She peeled it slowly, popping the portions into her mouth one at a time and making a humming noise that warmed his insides.
“I grew up in Glandore,” she said, “but I still can’t help marveling at this garden. Our harvests are plentiful, but we don’t usually see so much fruit on the cusp of winter.”
“Then imagine how I feel!” Dimitri turned to look back at the manor. “I know the Legacy is causing us significant problems.” He glanced sideways at her. “And it has caused your family greater ones still. But it’s useful for some things. The manor is larger than I expected and seems to have been abandoned for a long time. Without the Legacy, I would have neither the ability nor the funds to restore it.”
“Do you think your grandfather knew the Legacy would preserve it when he left?” Rosalie asked, gazing at the building alongside him.
How had his grandfather felt when he left it for the last time? The emotions overwhelmed Dimitri, and he looked at the ground.
“I think he was probably in too much pain to care,” he said. “I think he just needed to get away from the memories.”
Rosalie fell silent at his raw answer. He wanted to tell her the full story, wanted to share everything he had found. But he was nervous about her reaction. Surely she would notice the parallels between his mother’s story and her own.
“Oh look!” she cried, pointing at a stunningly crafted statue tucked away in a hidden nook of the garden.
He followed her over to examine it, the moment for sharing past. Now that it was gone, he couldn’t decide if he was glad or regretful that he’d missed the opportunity.
Rosalie bent over to examine a detail on the statue, obscuring her face. He still heard her, however, as she muttered, “Coward!”
“Excuse me?” He flushed despite the protest. How had she known about the fear that was holding him back?
“Cowardly lobster! Errant noodle! Loitering peacock!” The voice spoke again, and this time it was obvious the speaker wasn’t Rosalie. He should have recognized its avian nature at the first word.
Rosalie straightened and scowled toward the nearest tree. “Every history book they read us as children said the talking birds were a delight and a solace to the merchant’s daughter during her time in the Beast’s castle. They were basically her friends. So was it the history books that got it wrong or the Legacy? Because the ones we have are nothing but nuisances.”
“Get lost!” she called into the tree.
“Blasted spinster!” the bird squawked back.
Rosalie propped her hands on her hips, facing off against the bird with narrowed eyes.
“Recalcitrant canary!”
“Mediocre chucklehead!”
“Pea-brained pigeon!”
“Colossal gadabout!” It flapped its wings as if particularly pleased with that effort.
Dimitri looked at Rosalie with wide eyes, but she burst into laughter.
“It’s a game I like to play with them,” she told him before calling to the parrot. “Be off with you now. Poor Dimitri isn’t used to you ridiculous creatures.”
The bird fluffed itself up, making a call that sounded disconcertingly like a chuckle.
“Yes, yes, I know you’re very pleased with yourself,” Rosalie said. “But we’re trying to enjoy a nice morning here.”
“ Very nice,” the bird said with another cackle. “But nicer for him or for you?”
Rosalie flushed, her mouth dropping open and her eyes darting everywhere but Dimitri.
“They really are a nuisance,” she muttered.
“They can actually converse?” Dimitri asked, staring at the parrot who had begun preening.
Rosalie also looked up at the bird. “I often exchange insults with them, but a response that complex is new. It must be from the strength of the Legacy here.” She frowned thoughtfully, whatever discomfort she’d felt earlier forgotten. “I wonder if it really understands us or if it’s just a trick of the Legacy?”
“Nasty girl!” the parrot called. “Lovely prince!”
Dimitri laughed. “It seems to like me more than you. Do you think that’s because you insulted it, or does the Legacy like me better?”
“Hmm…” She looked at him with a teasing challenge in her eyes. “How much did it improve your room?” She waited expectantly.
When Dimitri winced, she crowed triumphantly. “Ha! I knew it. Of course the Legacy likes me best.”
She grinned at him, and he grinned back.
“Kiss!” the parrot called loudly. “Smoochy kiss!”
Rosalie gave an outraged growl and stalked toward the tree. “I’m going to pluck out all your feathers!” she yelled up at the bird, although Dimitri caught the flushed warmth in her cheeks.
He was still fighting back the flush in his own cheeks as she hiked up her skirts and gripped the lowest branch. By the time he realized she truly meant to climb the tree, she was already halfway up.
The bird watched her from one beady eye until she reached his branch. The moment her hand gripped it, he took wing, cackling down at her as she swung herself up to sit where he had been. She shook her fist at him as he flew away.
But she was smiling as she swung her legs, gazing across the garden from her elevated position.
“I didn’t realize just how much land was attached to the manor,” she called down to him. “It’s beautiful.”
He gazed up at her from the base of the tree. “Are you planning to stay up there?”
“Why?” She grinned down at him. “Will you bring me a pillow if I decide to sleep here?”
“No, I’ll make a nest of them at the bottom for when you roll out.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Spoilsport!”
“If you want to exchange insults, you’ll need to call the parrot back.” He held up his arms invitingly.
He had meant it half in jest, but to his surprise, she didn’t hesitate. Sliding straight out of the tree, she dropped confidently into his waiting arms. He caught her around the thighs with ease, supporting her weight as he gazed up at her.
She quirked an eyebrow at him, and he quickly relaxed his hold, letting her slide down to land gently on the ground. For a second they stayed there, their bodies face-to-face and his arms wrapped around her.
He could feel the warmth of her like a burning furnace, and he wanted to tighten his hold and press her firmly against him. But the strange, uncomfortable feel of the hair that covered him made him let go and step back instead. No girl would want to be held close by someone the Legacy had turned into a Beast. And Rosalie in particular had an aversion to the Legacy. She hadn’t been fond of him before, but she had to be even less so now that he was a constant reminder of it.
If he wasn’t careful, he was going to forget that Rosalie was only playacting falling in love with him. She was there to save her family, and he couldn’t cross the line.
He cleared his throat. “Shall we have a look at the orange orchard?”
Rosalie didn’t respond immediately. She was regarding him strangely, as if surprised by her own thoughts—whatever they might be. He wished—intensely—that he could read them, just for a moment. But it was probably for the best that he didn’t know her reaction to his nearness.
He gestured in the direction of the orchard, and she started, nodding and averting her face. He walked beside her in silence, heading for the trees that stretched along the northern side of the manor. He wished they hadn’t started on such poor terms—wished the Legacy hadn’t gotten between them from the moment they met. If she could have met him as just Dimitri, not the man connected with the abandoned manor, would she have seen him differently?
His face was directed ahead, but all his focus was on the small frame of the woman beside him. Thanks to his concentration, he nearly missed the sound of hushed voices from the orchard ahead.
Whisking his arm around Rosalie’s waist, he spun behind the last of the tall hedges in one smooth movement, pulling her with him. She looked up at him wide-eyed, but she didn’t make a sound. Had she heard the intruders as well?
For a moment her nearness made his thoughts stutter and disappear, his whole focus on the soft feel of her waist and her eyes looking up at him. Then his ears caught another sound, snapping his attention back to the lurking danger.
He raised a finger to his lips, inclining his head in the direction of the orchard, but she was already nodding. They both went still, straining to hear more.
“This one is locked too,” a man said with a quiet grunt. “That’s the sixth locked window. How serious do you think Jace was about not leaving any sign we were here?”
“Given the potential payday?” a second man replied. “I’d say very serious.”
The first man grunted again.
Dimitri met Rosalie’s eyes and mouthed scouts . She nodded agreement. He tried to remember if he’d locked the door behind them. He was fairly sure he’d been distracted by Rosalie’s presence and had forgotten.
“Maybe we should have come at night after all,” the second man said.
“You think they wouldn’t be locked then?” the first man asked sarcastically. “Now was our most likely chance of finding something open. Besides, the whole point is to get a glimpse of her so we can confirm to Jace that she’s here.”
The second man chuckled. “Getting a sight of the gold and jewels would do just as well, I’d say.”
“I don’t know,” the first man said doubtfully. “If it was anyone else…but the boss is funny about that girl. I’ve heard they have a history, and you saw him with her.”
Dimitri’s arm tightened around Rosalie’s waist, a reminder that he was still holding her. He wanted to grasp her tighter—to never let her go—but he forced himself to drop his arm.
His other hand had strayed to his sword hilt, but when he looked down at it, all he could see was the hair pouring out of his shirt cuff. There were only two men out there, and Dimitri was confident in his ability to deal with them in any ordinary situation. But if he confronted them, they would know in a glance that he had turned into a Beast. Jace would have all the information he needed.
Jace’s men couldn’t be allowed to see Rosalie either, since that was their purpose in lurking around the manor in the first place. But how could he scare the men off if neither of them could be seen?
A rustle of leaves beside them made him jump. A flash of color followed as a parrot fluttered its wings. It cocked its head and regarded them through one bright, beady eye.
Rosalie’s eyes narrowed, and she glanced between the arguing intruders and the bird. When she looked at Dimitri, she raised her eyebrows in a silent question, a mischievous smile on her lips.
Unfortunately he had no idea what wild scheme she had in mind, so he could only stare back blankly. She moved away from him, tiptoeing toward the bird with a finger pressed to her lips.
It continued to regard her quietly, making Dimitri wonder if it really did understand. When she reached it, Rosalie pointed in the direction of the arguing men and then at her own throat.
“Will you help us, Sir Parrot?” she whispered. “Help us defend the castle from marauders! I’ll lead them to the willow. Then it will be your turn.”
The bird fluffed up its feathers and launched into the air. Dimitri sighed. He wasn’t sure what use the parrot could have been anyway.
But when Rosalie crept back to his side, she was smiling. He smiled back instinctively, although he didn’t know what she was so happy about.
“Come on,” she whispered as she slid her hand into his and grasped it.
She didn’t flinch at the feel of the strange hair covering him, and he gripped her back strongly. It had been years since anyone had held his hand, and his insides warmed at the contact. There was something about the gesture that conveyed affectionate trust, and while Rosalie might have done it without thought or meaning, his chest still leaped in response.
She tugged him after her, only stopping when they reached the end of the hedge furthest from the intruders. She gave him one last mischievous smile before raising her voice to call loudly.
“Come on!” she cried clearly, her voice ringing across the garden. “Let’s go this way!”
The muted sound of the intruders instantly stopped.
Rosalie’s hand tightened, and she pulled him past the edge of the hedge, running for a group of nearby bushes. She plunged into the middle of them with abandon, dragging him with her. Not worrying about the branches tearing at her dress or the leaves catching in her hair, she pulled them through to the other side.
“Can you hear them?” she whispered, and he strained to listen.
The men’s voices had ceased, but he caught the crunch of their feet on the gravel as they attempted to creep beside the carefully trimmed hedge. He raised his eyebrows at Rosalie, and she nodded.
“Look at that statue!” she called loudly and pulled him out of the bush.
They made another mad dash across open ground, plunging into a small cluster of trees. The trunks grew close together, providing just enough protection to keep them out of sight. Rosalie looked up at him and clapped her free hand over her mouth, holding back a giggle.
He grinned, shaking his head. She really was irrepressible. Did she feel no fear?
“It was this way,” one of the men said quietly from the edge of the bush. “Can you see a statue anywhere?”
“A fountain!” Rosalie called again, startling Dimitri. “Just past the willow!” She pointed through the trunks to an ancient willow. Its thick, trailing branches created a dense shield, although it didn’t extend all the way to the ground.
“Your turn,” she whispered in his ear, her breath sending shivers across his skin. “Hopefully the bird will do its job, and then you can scare them away. Just make sure you keep your face and hands out of sight.” She shoved him in the direction of the willow.
He ran, trying to make as little noise as possible. He didn’t quite understand her plan, but he grasped enough to conceal himself behind the willow’s draping branches.
He could barely see anything through the trailing leaves, but he managed to make out two shapes approaching the willow slowly.
“Careful now,” one of them murmured. “We don’t want to be spotted.”
“We just need to get a glimpse of her so we can be sure before we tell the boss she’s here,” the other man said. “If we report it wrong, he’ll dock our pay for sure. There’s no reason to be so worried. We haven’t broken in anywhere. Even if they catch us, who’s to say we’re not locals come to have a poke around the beautiful garden?”
The other snorted, and Dimitri was tempted to do the same. From what he’d seen of Jace’s men, none of them were the sort to stop and smell the roses, and he doubted anyone would be foolish enough to think it.
But what was Rosalie wanting him to do? And what did she think the bird was going to do?
A flash of color exploded from one of the willow’s branches, flying toward the men in a rustle of fluttering green leaves.
“A beautiful willow!” it called in the disconcerting impression of Rosalie’s voice that it had used when it called Dimitri a coward.
The closest man shouted, throwing up his hands to shield his face.
“A bird!” the other exclaimed in disgust. “Was it one of those wretched creatures the whole time?”
“Cluttered loafbrain!” the parrot screeched in its normal voice. “Scruffy porcupine! Bedraggled pincushion!” It added its chuckling cry as it circled their heads just out of reach.
“That filthy creature fooled us on purpose!” the first man howled.
Dimitri recognized his cue. He stepped forward, stopping just behind the willow’s leaves. They still concealed his upper body, but his legs were left exposed. Thankfully, his boots and clothes concealed the changes to his body.
“I suggest you leave my garden immediately,” he growled loudly and slowly, letting the threat hang in the air.
Both men flinched violently, one giving a shout of surprise as he spun to see Dimitri lurking there, mostly out of view.
Dimitri drew his sword with a clear ringing noise, holding it in front of him so the blade pierced the leaves.
“If you don’t want to go, I’d be more than happy to make you into an actual pincushion,” he said, letting a thread of dark humor trace his words.
A light appeared behind the men, shining directly on the leaves in front of him. He nearly flinched, only just keeping his posture steady and his stance threatening. He didn’t want to ruin the effect Rosalie had orchestrated.
“Leave now,” he repeated. “And tell Jace that if he wants to see his men again, he should keep them off my land.”
The mention of Jace was the final straw. The men looked at each other and without a word turned and fled. Dimitri stayed still, waiting. He didn’t want to risk revealing himself too soon.
After several drawn out minutes, the parrot flew back into view. “All clear!” it called.
He stepped through the willow’s leaves. Had the bird really assisted them in their plan? As impossible as it seemed, he couldn’t deny the creature’s involvement, so he called his thanks in its direction.
The bird dipped a wing and flew away.
Rosalie met him beside the willow, her eyes alight with laughter and her cheeks flushed with triumph. Dimitri seized her hand, wrapping his fingers firmly around hers and pulling her along as he ran. She didn’t protest, seizing her skirts in her other hand and keeping pace behind him.
He led her straight to the manor. Only when they were safely inside and the door was locked behind them did he let her hand go.
She laughed a little wildly. “That was fun!”
“Fun?” He stared at her.
“You should have seen their faces!” She grinned up at him, but when he didn’t laugh back, she sighed. “It’s not good they were here, though.” Her nose scrunched, her eyes turning dark. “What do you think they’ll tell Jace?”
“Not the truth, I’m guessing. You heard what they said about having their pay docked. I doubt they’ll be admitting they were fooled by a bird and caught by me before they saw anything of significance. I’m hoping they’ll tell him nothing has changed yet. It’s a fairly safe lie. Even if Jace eventually learns the true state of affairs here, they can always claim the changes happened after their visit. Even we didn’t know how quickly the Legacy would move at the beginning.”
Rosalie nodded. “Jace spent months preparing everything before he robbed my family. He knows how to be patient.”
Dimitri hated the shadow that crossed her eyes when she mentioned her and Jace’s shared past. He hated that they shared anything at all.
“You were brilliant,” she said, sending his thoughts in a much more pleasant direction. “You were a perfect mix of creepy and threatening. The sword showing through the leaves was already good, but when that light lit up the leaves and made your eyes flash, it was perfection! The rest of your face was in shadow, so you were terrifying without showing any hint of the Beast.”
Her expression turned confused. “But where did the light come from?”
“It wasn’t you?” He hadn’t known how she’d done it, but he’d assumed it had to be her.
She shook her head.
“The Legacy, then?” he suggested.
“Do you really think the Legacy would help us put on a show for Jace’s men?” Rosalie asked.
“What else could it have been?”
“True,” Rosalie said slowly. “I just don’t remember anything like that in the original history.”
“You’re more of an expert on the histories than me.” Dimitri shrugged. “I’m just glad the Legacy has decided to help us instead of hindering us.”
Rosalie bit her lip. “I suppose so. I just don’t like anything I can’t explain. It makes me nervous that we’re missing something.”
“They were the ones to miss something,” Dimitri said. “I think we’re allowed to be happy about that. Hopefully it’s all turned out for the best, and we’ve bought ourselves some breathing room as far as Jace is concerned.”
He meant his words, but he was also aware the morning could have gone significantly worse. As enjoyable as their walk had been at the beginning, it wasn’t a good idea to spend further time out in the open. And he certainly wasn’t going to leave any doors unlocked again.