Chapter 8
William frowned. “We hadn’t heard anything about that.”
“Since when?” I asked.
“Apparently, it went missing last night.”
“The night of our wedding,” William murmured, running a hand through his disheveled brown curls.
I stiffened. Wait a minute. Maybe that was what Lady Catherine had meant when she mentioned that the town would regret not picking her for the ceremony. Had she tried to embroil William in her plot to get the Star of Everlight and that was why she’d called him back?
“Do you think this could have anything to do with Lady Catherine?” I asked slowly.
“No.” William shook his head, his hand dropping to trace his cuff again. “She’d never do something like that. Besides, why would Lady Catherine want the Star of Everlight?”
Chiyo Obasan sipped from her cup. “It’s a powerful talisman that was crafted centuries ago by a powerful high-born fae.
It’s filled with magic that protects Austen Heights and helps the town flourish.
Since the star’s magic is strongest during the winter solstice, maybe whoever stole the star thought they could harness that somehow. ”
I blew out a breath. Maybe William was right and the events were unrelated.
I couldn’t figure out what they’d have to do with each other besides the fact that they happened on the same night, but that probably wasn’t enough to jump to a conclusion.
Then again, I wasn’t sure I believed in coincidences.
“I take it that you had something else to tell me, Charlotte-chan.” Chiyo Obasan offered me a daifuku, my favorite New Year’s pastry with mochi, red bean paste, and strawberries.
William cleared his throat. “Someone was killed in town last night, and we’re here because we need a place to stay where Charlotte will be safe.”
I winced. Not like I needed to protect my family from reality, but even as I’d driven here, a small part of me had still hoped that the case would quietly sort itself out before they found out.
“And William,” I added. “Someone knew we’d be home last night and they tried to kill him. I didn’t feel like staying home was a good idea considering what happened, but I also didn’t want to lead the killer back to anywhere obvious.”
The blood drained from her face and she took a sip of the matcha.
“Oh my. This is serious.” As if to counter her words, a clock in her house chimed and a snowman popped out to hit a Christmas tree with a mallet nine times.
Each time it struck the tiny ceramic tree, another light flickered to life and a musical chime rang out.
“So is it okay if we stay here? Even if it’s just tonight?” I asked. “I know this is a lot to ask but—”
“Of course it isn’t too much. No one is going to get away with threatening my niece.”
Tension rushed out of me, making me feel loose and gooey like unformed candle wax. “Thank you.”
Her gaze traveled over to William, then dropped to our interconnected hands. “And thank you for caring so much about my niece. It’s good to know that someone is taking care of her.”
“Of course.” William’s gaze found mine. “When it comes to Charlotte, there’s no task too great and no consideration too small. I’d do anything for her.”
“William, would you throw a log on the fire for me?” my aunt asked abruptly.
“Of course.” He stood and walked across the room to add a piece of wood to the flames.
Chiyo Obasan leaned forward, her gaze settled firmly on me. “Are you in love with him?”
I dropped my gaze to my steaming mug to avoid her probing look. “I trust him, which I think is all I can ask for.” As the words came out, I realized they were true. I did trust William. Even if he’d somehow been caught up in Lady Catherine’s star fiasco, he would never hurt someone.
“That’s good enough for now.” She smiled softly and sat back.
William reclaimed his place at my side.
Chiyo Obasan gave us both a smile, then her grin turned up at the corner, a bit of mischief entering her eyes. “I’m just sorry that the cottage isn’t in a better state for visitors. I’ve hardly had time to do anything besides bring in a tree.”
“Don’t be so modest,” William said. “Your house has a warmth that rivals any of Lady Catherine’s small sitting rooms.”
“I’ll remember that.” Her lips twitched in amusement as she studied him.
“I’d love to decorate for you, if you’d like.” That was one of my favorite holiday activities, and decorating might help take my mind off everything else.
“Are you sure? It’s kind of late,” she said.
“I’m positive.” I nodded once.
“Great. I’ll grab some of the stuff.” She walked into another room without a backward glance, humming contentedly.
Instead of facing William, whose knee was bouncing rapidly, I studied the lanterns hanging above the sliding door that led outside. Tiny will o’ the wisps flitted between the lantern, lighting them up at sporadic intervals.
“How am I doing so far? Am I acting the correct way?” William whispered once we were alone.
“Fine,” I whispered back.
“By the way, I believe the correct answer is that you aren’t in love with me yet.”
I flushed. “You heard that?” Was this who William really was behind all the stuffiness and sermons, the William who wasn’t so completely under Lady Catherine’s control?
Chiyo Obasan returned a moment later with a few boxes of ornaments. “Unfortunately, I have another meeting online with some clients in Tokyo, but feel free to decorate as much as you like and then head to bed. You can stay in the usual guest room, Charlotte-chan.”
I froze for a moment, thinking of the sole bed in the guest room that usually wasn’t an issue. I forced a smile to hide my response, then poked around in a box. “Okay, great. Thanks.”
And with that, she disappeared back into her bedroom, leaving William and me alone.
I rolled up my sleeves, then put some Christmas carols on my phone, doing my best not to think about the one bed situation.
William hung up a small decorative card, and my thoughts jumped to the card that had been found in Dahlia’s pocket after she was killed.
I pushed the thought away and strung up an ornament that looked like a small creature with wings flitting inside a wreath.
It reminded me of the sprite I’d met the other night—Pennyfern.
I couldn’t keep my mind from jumping back to the night of the murder.
I snuck a glance at William and caught him gazing at a wooden rocking chair ornament he was about to hang on the tree. He stood still, his thumb running over the wood’s smooth grain again and again.
“That looks like the one in your house,” I said, offering a tentative truce to the silence.
“Yes, it does.” He smiled sadly. “My father’s specialty was with wood, and he loved carving things.” William ran a finger lightly over the ornament, then hung it up. “The chair in my house is one of the few things I have left of him.”
“Oh,” I said softly. “Do you have anything of your mother’s?”
He hung a few ornaments in silence. “My silver tongue and my autism.”
I blinked and all the pieces clicked into place.
It was like finally finding the right scents to combine for a candle.
There were so many signs of his autism, like his need for routine, the way he wanted things a certain way, his discomfort with eye contact or clothes that weren’t soft enough.
And then there was how he noticed everything.
How deeply he cared. His straightforward earnestness.
But his other comment brought up a slew of questions.
“What’s your silver tongue?” I asked.
He sighed. “It’s a fae ability that helps with smoothing things over, saying the right thing, or getting people to do what you want.
I’ve never been good at it as it doesn’t mesh with how my brain works.
I tend to say things that are technically true but contextually.
.. unhelpful. And I often offend people without even knowing why. ”
“I like your compliments,” I said. “They’re heartfelt.”
“Thank you.” He strung up another ornament.
“You mentioned your mother died when you were young”—I unwrapped a string of lights and began to wind it around the tree—“was it a sickness?”
“Something like that.” His jaw clenched again, then he ran a hand through his hair. “She was killed by a vampire.”
“I’m so sorry.” I gave his hand a quick squeeze, then let go, busying myself with finding another ornament. It was a small silver bell that Chiyo Obasan called her laughing bell because it only rang when someone was truly happy.
“It’s okay.” He sighed and hung a collection of candy canes that glowed different colors on the tree.
“Is that…” I chewed my lip, unsure if I should continue.
“What is it?” William glanced at me.
“Is that why you don’t like other Marked races?” I let the words spill from me like water trickling over rocks in a stream.
He froze, fingers tightening around one of the glowing candy canes.
His thumb rubbed up and down as if the smooth plastic texture grounded him.
“I suppose that didn’t help. And once both my parents were gone, Lady Catherine took me in.
She’s a firm believer in the superiority of fae, and I suppose it sort of rubbed off on me.
” He frowned slightly, as if trying to choose the exact right phrasing.
“But that was—I mean, I’m aware now that people have value beyond…
beyond structure or rank. I didn’t always see it, but I’m learning.
” He looked at me, then quickly away again. “You’re helping with that.”
I gave him a soft smile.
“Lady Catherine paid to support me until I was old enough to be on my own, even funding my education. I owe her a lot. It’s thanks to her urging that I joined the church and decided to become a pastor.
I don’t like crowds, but even still, I love having a role that lets me help people.
It also means I’m always learning something new. ”
“I get that. Running my own shop is my dream. I’ve always loved candles and how they have a way of comforting people and lighting the darkness.”