Page 7 of Blood and Roses

"Really! I'm surprised you would want to leave such a grand city." Saul smiled at her. "This place is so isolated, it drives me crazy."

"I was due for a visit. Family is family," Rosa said and returned the smile.

"Rosa, so good of you to come," a man's deep voice said behind her.

Rosa turned and found herself in front of Eli Vane. He wore his black hair in a neatly combed short back and side style that accentuated his high cheekbones. The light gray at his temples hadn't gotten any wider since she'd last seen him, and like the rest of Gwaed Lyn, he had barely changed at all.

"Good morning, Mr. Vane," she murmured, feeling like she was five years old again and was unable to look higher than his royal blue tie.

Cecily smiled as she arranged his plates and poured his coffee. She gave Rosa a look, so she set out the only place at the table that remained empty.

"Where's your brother this morning?" Eli asked Saul as he opened up his paper.

"Probably moping about, looking very dramatic," Pearl replied as she sipped her tea. They all seemed to collectively ignore her.

"And what are your plans for today, Rosa?" Saul pressed.

"Reacquaint myself with the property again, I suppose," she replied noncommittally.

There was something remarkably odd about the whole scene of the family breakfast. It was as if she had stepped in anothertime. Breakfasts at boarding school and university had been impossibly chaotic. This all seemed so...civilized.

"You're going to help with the Gathering, aren't you?" Pearl asked pointedly. "There are a lot of rooms to be cleaned, and you do seem built for hard labor."

Lily almost choked on her toast, and Rosa felt her hands grip the handles of the silver tray. She opened her mouth to give her a piece of her mind, but someone beat her to it.

"A little early in the day for your claws to be out, isn't it, Pearl?" Balthasar said as he entered the room. Like his father, he had dark hair and wore a black suit, crisp white dress shirt, and a skinny blue tie. "Please ignore her, Rosa. She is not the most amicable person in the morning. I'm Balthasar." He held out his hand to her, and she shook it nervously.

"Hello."

"Nice to meet you. It'll be good to have a new face around here."

"Always the gentleman, aren't you, brother?" Saul said as Balthasar let go of Rosa's hand and took his seat at the right-hand side of his father.

"Someone in this family needs to be polite. It wouldn't hurt you to try it sometimes."

"If she were someone of importance, maybe I'd have been more polite," Pearl said sweetly.

"You're not a part of this family, Pearl, so I don't concern myself with your manners," Balthasar answered as he poured his coffee. "I merely have to apologize for them."

Burn, Rosa did her best not to grin as Pearl's perfect white cheeks flushed pink. With the family busy with their breakfast and their attention turned away from her, Rosa made her exit as quickly as possible.

CHAPTER THREE

"My God, hasn't Rosa filled out nicely," Saul commented once the servants had left the room. Their father had taken his coffee and gone back to his study as usual.

"And she kept filling," Pearl giggled to Lily.

"Keep it in your pants, Saul," Balthasar warned. "She's a servant and under our care. She is not your plaything."

"But what if she wants to play with me, Bal? I'm a playful sort of guy."

"You're a promiscuous sort of guy." Balthasar looked him in the eye. "She is a Wylt. You know the rules."

Saul pulled a face. "Father's so-called rules for the Wylts are no concern of mine. Surely, she can make up her own mind who she wants to sleep with."

"She doesn't seem to have much of a mind, so that should work in your favor," Lily said as she poured out more tea.

"Please tell me you aren't jealous of her too, sister. How boring and shallow you both are," Balthasar replied.

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