Chapter 20
Twenty
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Only five guests faced Nicholas across the table at luncheon the next day. Lenora had leapt at the chance to leave, riding out of Marstede in his best carriage shortly after sunrise. Her departure didn’t dim his mother’s determination at all, however.
“I know we are all sad that Lenora couldn’t remain with us for the remainder of the month, but we will still have fun without her,” she told everyone over a dessert of peach cobbler.
“In fact, today we will start the next phase. Each day, one of you will get to choose an activity to do with Nicholas. Something you enjoy, that you want to share with him.”
A week ago, Nicholas would have groaned hearing this. But he’d put up with a lot to get a day alone with Sadie.
Even spend a day with Abigail.
Of course, his mother wasn’t done. Her expression was as serene as always, but Nicholas wasn’t fooled. He recognized the anticipation shining in her eyes. He braced himself for whatever she’d say next.
“But your chance to get to know Nicholas better won’t end there.
” The Dowager Baroness of Marstede set down her fork, pausing just long enough to have everyone leaning forward in anticipation—even those with no interest in getting to know him.
“Each night, one of you will take a turn sleeping in Nicholas’s room. ”
“Mother!” There was no amount of bracing that could have prepared him for that. “You cannot be serious.”
She continued talking as if everything she had said was reasonable. As if he weren’t glaring at her. “Naturally, Nicholas will not be sleeping in his room these next few nights. He’ll take a guest room. But this will give you ladies a chance to see who he is in private.”
No objections Nicholas uttered would sway his mother, but for a moment he held out hope that one of the women would raise concerns over this unconventional turn of events. Beatrice was wholly unconcerned—no help coming from that direction. Helen and Jane were shocked, but not enough to speak out.
He turned his attention to the other side of the table. Abigail had a speculative glint in her eye that worried him, and Sadie had her lips pressed together, no doubt holding back laughter. He met her eyes, which danced with amusement at his expense.
Except, her withheld laughter didn’t feel like it was directed at him, so much as being mirth that invited him to join in. Looking into the warm brown depths of her eyes, he found the humor himself. His very proper mother had just invited five different women to sleep in his bed.
He coughed, trying not to let his own laughter escape.
Movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he turned just in time to see Abigail’s hand connect with Sadie’s half-full wine glass.
The glass tipped.
Abigail gasped and started apologizing.
And Nicholas threw up a ward that trapped the burgundy liquid before it spilled over the edge of the table into Sadie’s lap.
His eyes narrowed on Abigail. She had been gesturing wildly as she spoke, and seemingly knocked into the glass by accident, but she had never before gesticulated like that. It wasn’t ladylike. Not to mention, her gasp had come almost before the glass tipped.
Sadie stared at the wine held back by his magic, then turned to him. “Thank you. You saved my dress.”
Her thanks was more heartfelt than he expected—not that he thought she wouldn’t appreciate the ward, but it was only a little wine. Nicholas wouldn’t have considered Sadie to be the type to get too worked up over a spill like that, even if it hit her directly.
Then he remembered that Sadie was borrowing his mother’s clothes. His mother wouldn’t blame her—or care—if the frock was stained, but Sadie would feel horrible and probably worry about replacing it.
Before Nicholas could tell Sadie it was nothing, Abigail thrust herself into the conversation. “Your reflexes are so fast! Not a single drop reached Sadie.”
Even as she fawned over him, he heard her vexation that Sadie had escaped unscathed. Nicholas channeled his mother and smiled, though he wasn’t pleased in the slightest. “Well, it would have been a shame for the dress to be ruined.”
Abigail sniffed. “It is two years out of season. A stain might have done Sadie a favor by forcing her to replace it.”
“Nonsense. Sadie looks wonderful in that dress. Why should she replace it?” He said it just to rile Abigail, but Nicholas meant it.
The styles hadn’t changed so much over the past few years that Sadie stood out in her borrowed finery.
People not obsessed with ladies’ fashion wouldn’t be able to identify what made her gown dated.
Nicholas had known the frock was two years out of vogue without Abigail’s comment, but only because he remembered the last time his mother had worn it.
“I’m glad no one had to run off to change,” his mother interrupted. “I should hate for Sadie to have missed the announcement of what order you ladies will take your turns spending the day with Nicholas.”
That easily, Abigail’s attention was completely redirected. Nicholas would say he owed his mother, except if it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t be putting up with Abigail at all.
And when she announced who he was to spend the rest of the day with, he didn’t feel like thanking her at all.
“Since Abigail was the last to get to walk with you, Nicholas, it is only fair that she be the first you spend the afternoon with, doing the activity of her choice.” She smiled at Abigail. “Do you know what you want to do?”
“Oh yes. I want to go to the larger village to shop.”
Hmm, a trip to Lamsdel. The company would be terrible, but maybe Nicholas could get a few of his questions about Sadie answered while he was there.
“I’ll order the carriage. How soon would you like to leave?”
“I’ll need an hour to get ready.”
An hour? To get ready how? He didn’t ask. “Then I’ll see you in the foyer in an hour.”
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It was Sadie’s turn to avoid Nicholas. Thankfully, Madeleine’s latest matchmaking endeavor would keep him away for four of the next five days. She simply had to survive her day with him. A day with just him while knowing she’d be in his bed that night.
Easy. Sadie had years of experience in not confiding her secrets in people. She also had a handful of exceptions that inevitably proved the importance of keeping her own counsel.
What she didn’t have was experience wanting so badly to be proven wrong. She’d never felt half of what Nicholas brought out in her, even for the people she had admitted her telepathy to. Nor had she ever been tempted to tell a potential partner, only friends.
She had learned enough, however, to recognize that the attraction between her and Nicholas would only make the fallout that much worse if she told him about her magic.
It had hurt when Sadie told her first friend after leaving home about her power.
She and Catherine had become friends almost instantly when Sadie moved to her village.
They’d gotten along so well, Sadie had felt sure she’d understand.
But Catherine had accused her of manipulating her thoughts and tricking her into being friends.
How much worse would it be if Nicholas decided she had mind-controlled him into wanting to sleep with her?
She didn’t want to find out, and the best way to ensure that would be to avoid him. Because when Nicholas was near, Sadie had trouble remembering that she couldn’t trust herself around him. She had thought before that she could indulge physically without having to worry about anything else.
She realized better, now. Even if he hadn’t declared that no beds would be involved until she spilled her secrets, it would be impossible. It was too late, their relationship already more than physical.
Besides, unless she took advantage right now, while his power strengthened her amulet, she’d have to boost it herself right before anything happened, and he’d surely notice that.
Just as he’d notice if she used her telepathy while they were in bed—which she would do without a charm blocking her power.
And Sadie wasn’t limited to reading thoughts.
Learning she often projected when in the throes of passion had been one of the most horrifying experiences of Sadie’s life, and another home lost. Not a mistake she ever planned to repeat.
She’d avoid being alone with Nicholas. That was the only answer. She’d have to think about what she could do for her activity with him that would ensure they were never by themselves.
She couldn’t visit Lamsdel like Abigail wanted. Even if she wasn’t worried about that particular secret coming out, it would confuse the villagers too much and she’d be left answering constant questions when she returned home.
At least Abigail would certainly never utter Sadie’s name during her time with Nicholas. No one in Lamsdel would hear about Miss Sadie Pentry from her and wonder.
Sadie sighed and turned toward the brewing room. She was determined to avoid Nicholas, but she had to admit the day ahead looked much bleaker knowing she wouldn’t run into him. Not even the familiarity of the brewing room could change that.
Not when she was stuck reading grimoires while Jane did the actual brewing.
And honestly? Even if she had a cauldron and ingredients in front of her, she doubted it would be enough to distract her from the man who insisted she could use the brewing room whenever she wanted.