Chapter Twenty #2
They were nearly to the estate’s iron gate when Charlotte halted.
“Cassian… look.”
A lone figure stood partially concealed by the hedgerow. Its silhouette was just visible against the pale gravel path. Whoever it was, they were too still to be a traveller and too bold to be a mere passerby.
Cassian stepped slightly in front of Charlotte in one instinctive motion.
“Who goes there?” he called out, without thinking.
The figure jerked, looking startled, as if it hadn’t expected to be seen. Then, it fled, disappearing into the night before Cassian could pursue.
Charlotte clutched her gloves. “They were waiting… watching.”
Cassian’s jaw locked. “And running confirms it.”
He placed a hand at the small of her back, guiding her through the gate as the guards rushed to attention.
“We increase security immediately,” he ordered. “No one enters or leaves the grounds without my knowledge. Double the patrols at night. And send word to Gideon at first light.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” the guard replied.
Once they passed through the courtyard, Cassian paused, turning fully to Charlotte. Her blue eyes seemed furious.
“They mean to frighten us,” she said. “To unsettle us.”
“They will fail,” he answered.
Her lips parted slightly, and Cassian realized, with startling clarity, that this woman had become everything to him. And Lord save those who meant to stand in their way.
“Come,” he murmured. “We go inside. Tomorrow, we begin to hunt our enemy.”
***
Sleep did not come easily.
Long after the manor had gone quiet, Charlotte lay in her bed staring into the darkness.
She could still smell the scent of smoke, see the flames dancing behind her eyelids.
And every time she drifted toward rest, she saw that shadowed figure by the gate, watching and waiting, and her chest tightened with dread.
At last, exhaustion won. But sleep brought no peace.
She could see fire. She could hear screams. She could smell the smoke pouring through the warehouse doors.
Her hands were slipping on soaked floorboards.
Edmund’s mocking voice whispered that disaster followed her wherever she went.
Then, she saw Cassian lying beneath fallen beams, motionless and cold.
“No, Cassian! Please…” she cried, thrashing against the nightmare.
She jolted awake with a gasp. Her nightdress was damp with cold sweat.
Moonlight spilled in pale ribbons across the floor, but the quiet did nothing to steady her.
Her breath trembled. She wrapped her arms around herself and froze as an unwelcome thought entered her mind: she did not want to be alone.
Charlotte slipped from the bed, drew her robe around her shoulders, and padded into the corridor.
For a long moment, she stood before his door.
She wondered if she should even be there.
A proper duchess would turn back. A proper lady would compose herself.
But propriety had never steadied her heartbeat, nor chased away shadows.
She knocked.
There was a pause, then the soft tread of bare feet. The door opened a fraction, revealing Cassian shirtless, with his hair tousled and his gaze sharp even in sleep.
“Charlotte?” The concern in his voice overtook the surprise. “What is it?”
She swallowed hard. “I…” Her composure wavered. “I dreamed you were hurt. I know it is foolish, but I cannot seem to catch my breath, and I…” She forced the words out. “I did not wish to be alone.”
She didn’t expect him to smile, and he didn’t. But his face still changed enough for her to see understanding. They had both been through much that day.
He stepped back, opening the door wider. “Come in.”
Inside, the room was warm from the embers in the hearth. Charlotte stood awkwardly for a moment, her hands twisting together.
Cassian watched her quietly. “You are safe, you know that,” he said. “No one will harm you here.”
She nodded, but her voice was barely a whisper when she asked. “May I… stay? Just for tonight?” Her cheeks warmed. “I only wish to sleep. Nothing more. I simply… Do not want to close my eyes alone.”
Cassian didn’t hesitate, though she saw his throat tighten, as if the request struck something deep within him.
“Yes, Charlotte.” His tone was gentle. “You may stay.”
He turned back the covers, and she slipped into the bed.
When he lay beside her, she expected distance, a careful space between them.
But when she shivered, he reached out slowly, as though giving her every chance to retreat, and drew her into his arms. Her cheek rested against his chest. His heartbeat was steady and strong beneath her ear.
“Breathe,” he murmured.
She did. His warmth wrapped around her, and she felt something inside her unlock, some tight, fearful knot she had carried alone for too long.
“Thank you,” she whispered after a while.
His hand brushed her back in a slow, calming stroke. “You need never fear seeking me,” he said quietly. “Not in daylight, and not in darkness.”
The room settled into stillness. Charlotte closed her eyes, her breath falling in rhythm with his. Fear ebbed. The nightmare receded. And in Cassian’s arms, she finally slept.