11. Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven
Eli
Eli’s eyes popped open to pitch black. At first, he couldn’t recall where he was, but as he inhaled sharply, he caught the scent of Grace’s hair and felt the weight of her chest against his back. Then he remembered falling asleep next to her after they’d washed off.
He smiled and let his eyes fall closed again. He adjusted his arm, as it had fallen asleep at some point during the night. The sound of Grace’s breathing lulled him into a state of tranquility.
Just as he was about to fall back asleep, a noise sounded from beyond Grace’s bedroom. It sounded like someone fumbling around on the first floor. His heart raced at the thought of some unknown intruder wandering around Grace’s home, but it was probably just one of her parents or Theo.
As gently as he could, Eli unraveled his body from Grace and slipped out from under the pillowy blanket still draped over Grace’s silhouette.
He felt his way to the door and quietly pried it open.
A warm glow illuminated the hall, and he shut Grace’s door and followed it toward the study located off the foyer.
When he reached the last few steps of the staircase, he heard coughing and the sound of a spoon swirling against a cup.
He rounded the corner and found Grace’s mother, Ellen, sitting in a navy cushioned chair with a teacup in her hands.
Her eyes were closed, but he knew she was awake by the way she stirred the drink.
He cleared his throat.
She opened her eyes, but she didn’t look surprised to see him. “Eli.”
“Ellen.”
“Please,” she said, waving her arm at the couch across from her. “Have a seat.”
He lowered himself to the sofa and studied her expression. Her eyes lacked the usual malice she held for him.
Silence stretched between them, and Eli ran his hands nervously over the fabric of his shorts.
Ellen had made it clear time and time again that he wasn’t her favorite person.
She didn’t think he was good enough for Grace.
That by entering the Rite, he’d put a target on Grace’s back and had further complicated things with the rebellion lurking in the shadows.
It had also been a source of contention for Grace and her mother.
Eli and Grace had had many conversations on the topic, and Grace filled him in each time on the lengths she had to go to in order to defend him.
He was grateful that she would stick up for him but hated that it was widening the divide between her and her mother.
As if it hadn’t been wide enough before his arrival.
Eli fidgeted, searching for the right words to break the uneasy silence, but it was as though every thought had scattered from his brain.
Ellen took a sip from her teacup and then reached forward to set it down on the coffee table between them. “It’s been a while since my daughter has slept in her own bed.”
Eli’s throat constricted. Not the sentence he was hoping for. Rather than ease the tension, it only seemed to intensify it. “I…I’m…”
He considered apologizing, but he wasn’t sorry. Not at all. And lying to Ellen didn’t seem like a wise decision.
She waved her hand and saved him from responding. “I know it’s no use telling my daughter what to do. She doesn’t listen to me anyway. She’s determined to do things her own way, and one day she’ll understand that those actions have consequences.”
Consequences. The way she said the word had Eli feeling like he was one of those consequences. A stain on their family’s reputation. And he hadn’t even won the Rite yet.
He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and interlacing his fingers. “I think Grace is perfectly capable of making the best decisions for herself and for the people of Berland.”
He chose to leave his other thought unspoken—that it was a shame that Ellen didn’t see how smart, strong, and resilient Grace was. Very rarely did he have a cordial conversation with Ellen, and he didn’t want to ruin it by insulting her.
“I know more than anyone what my daughter is capable of,” she hissed. “I’m the one who raised the woman you’re so fond of. I taught her to stand her ground…even if I may not agree with her all the time.”
Despite his attempt to be on his best behavior, he had still managed to upset her. Perhaps they were never meant to be friends. A shame, since he planned to spend the rest of his life with Grace.
“I’m sorry, Ellen. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
She sighed and leaned forward, rolling her shoulders and cracking her neck as she stood from her chair. “I know you didn’t.”
She sighed again, this time heavier, like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.
And in some ways, he supposed she did. Berland was as close to paradise as he’d seen…
and he’d seen more than most people. The responsibility of keeping an oasis like this running smoothly had to be a difficult burden to bear.
“I do hope Grace is right about you. If she were any other girl, born into any other role, I’d be delighted to call you family.”
Eli’s brows rose. He’d never expected such words to come from Ellen’s mouth.
“But she isn’t any other girl. She’s the future Lady of Berland.”
“I know.”
“And any sign of weakness, any flaw that people perceive, will be scrutinized.”
“I know.”
“They’ll put impossible expectations on her and blame her for all their problems.”
“I know,” he said. “You don’t think I take this seriously, but believe me, Ellen, I do. I really do. I know what Grace is up against and I want to be the one by her side, supporting her each step of the way. I can do that.”
Ellen slowly nodded, and Eli felt as though he’d finally made some progress with her. Maybe they could be a happy family when all was said and done.
“I still don’t like that you went against my wishes,” she said with a small uptick of her lips.
He smiled back. “I know.”
“But you’re not sorry for that?”
He shook his head. “Not at all.”
She nodded again and started toward the study door, passing Eli on the way and resting a hand on his shoulder. It’d been so long since he’d felt a motherly touch, and he inhaled sharply when she removed her hand.
“Ellen,” he said, turning to watch as she left the room. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say. Thank you, maybe? That he was glad, at least, that her displeasure with him had nothing to do with his own faults and everything to do with Grace’s position?
But he forgot all of that as Ellen stumbled a few steps and grabbed the door frame. She slid down the wall until she hit her knees, and her head slumped forward.
“Ellen!”
Eli jumped from his seat and rushed toward her, catching her before her torso hit the floor. Her head lolled to the side, and he attempted to cradle her in his arms.
“Ellen,” he said again, gently tapping her cheek. “Can you hear me? Are you okay? Ellen, wake up.”
Shit. He wasn’t medically trained. He had no idea what to do in this situation.
Should he yell for Grace? He hadn’t seen her father Ben or Theo but had to assume they were sleeping peacefully nearby.
Should he grab some water? But that would mean leaving her alone and maybe that would somehow make things worse.
He was fully prepared to shout again until someone woke and came to help when Ellen’s eyes fluttered open. She peered up at him in confusion before glancing around the room and remembering where she was.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “Do you need water or something? Can you sit up?”
Ellen put up a hand. “I’m fine. Just a dizzy spell. It happens sometimes.”
“Should I go get Ben? Tell me what you need.”
“No, no,” she said quickly. “No need to wake him. There’s a bag hanging on the coat rack in the foyer. Can you bring it to me?”
Eli nodded and helped Ellen into a seated position. She leaned against the wall, looking pale and dazed.
There were only two bags hanging from the coat rack near the front door.
Eli checked the first one, which was mostly empty except for a small coin purse and a set of earrings.
He checked the second bag and, inside the largest pouch, he found three vials of a clear liquid substance.
He could only guess what they contained, but this was likely what Ellen was looking for.
He removed the bag from its hook and brought it back to Ellen.
“What is that?” he asked, watching as Ellen pulled out one of the vials and uncorked it. She tipped it back and drank the contents with a grimace. Whatever it was, it must taste terrible.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said, replacing the cork and dropping the empty vial back into her bag. Some of the color returned to her face, and she seemed to regain some of her strength.
Eli didn’t know much about health matters, but he knew enough to know something wasn’t right. Did Grace know? She hadn’t mentioned anything to him. Maybe it wasn’t anything serious…
“Don’t get any ideas,” Ellen said sharply.
Eli frowned. “What?”
Moving to her feet, Ellen nodded toward him. “I can see you are overthinking this, Eli. I’m fine. So stop worrying.”
Eli narrowed his eyes. The more she tried to convince him she was fine, the less he believed her.
“I mean it, Eli. This is not your business.”
“Is it Grace’s business?”
What little color had returned to Ellen’s face suddenly drained once more. For half a second, Eli regretted his words.
Please don’t faint again.
But then Ellen straightened her nightgown and peered down her nose at him. “Grace doesn’t know anything. Because there is nothing to know.”
“Sure,” he said, shaking his head in disappointment. He didn’t believe her for one second.
She sighed, and her icy demeanor began to melt. Her voice shook as she said, “Please, Eli. Do not tell Grace about this.”
Eli was right not to believe her. There was obviously something wrong, but to what severity? From the glassy look in her eyes, he guessed it must be bad.
As terribly as Ellen had treated him, it was hard to say no when she looked so sad and pleading.
“I won’t say anything…because you’ll tell Grace yourself.”
Ellen looked too exhausted to fight him. “Deal.”