Page 56 of Legacy of Roses

Rosalie snorted.

“You keep telling yourself that,” she muttered. But she had to admit, he’d been nothing but considerate since she’d arrived at the manor. She had even been a little charmed when he’d jokingly held out his arm to lead her through to the meal.

She shook herself, her fears from the night before returning to her mind. She couldn’t allow the Legacy’s tricks to affect her emotions.

Chapter 17

Dimitri

Somehow Rosalie seemed much less put off by his new appearance than Dimitri had feared. He had been sorry to spend the day alone after her arrival, but at least their meal together had gone well, despite the disappointing food.

It gave him courage to take action first thing the next morning. He didn’t want to let another whole day pass him by. So as soon as he’d finished a breakfast tray in his room, he dressed and presented himself at her door.

She answered his knock quickly, a smile on her face. She was also dressed for the day with a tray of empty dishes behind her.

“You woke to breakfast too?” he asked.

She nodded and laughed. “It was much more appetizing than last night’s meal, thankfully.” She glanced at the banked fire in her grate. “The Legacy really is amazing. I came back yesterday evening to find the curtains pulled and a fire blazing. Even the bedcovers were pulled back. It’s a pity it can’t seem to cook.”

“Let us take hope from the breakfast,” Dimitri said. “We may yet get an edible evening meal.” He hesitated, afraid she would refuse his next request. But she seemed in a brighter mood than the day before, so he forged on. “I wondered if you’d like to explore the grounds with me. It’s a beautiful day, andwe don’t know how many more of those we’ll get with winter approaching.”

“Oh yes!” Rosalie said immediately. “I was gazing longingly out my window yesterday, but I didn’t think you’d approve of me exploring on my own.”

Relief filled Dimitri. She wasn’t going to be entirely reckless, then. He’d found it hard to sleep knowing she had the chest of coins in the room with her. Every night sound and creak of the manor had sent him starting awake.

But he had still woken with energy for the day. Having company in the manor made all the difference. Waking two doors down from Rosalie had felt entirely different from waking alone in the vast building.

He led Rosalie out a back door, exiting directly into the vast grounds that stretched behind the building, out of sight of the road.

“I’ve never been back here,” Rosalie said softly, gazing around with wide eyes.

The excessive abundance of roses was missing from the back gardens, presumably because they would do no good for luring travelers. But rose bushes were still dotted around in picturesque locations, perfectly balanced with the sculpted greenery and the well-placed trees. Like the trees in the front, the ones before them were all in both full bloom and full fruit, and Dimitri plucked a mandarin from one they passed and presented it to her.

She peeled it slowly, popping the portions into her mouth one at a time and making a humming noise that warmed his insides.

“I grew up in Glandore,” she said, “but I still can’t help marveling at this garden. Our harvests are plentiful, but we don’t usually see so much fruit on the cusp of winter.”

“Then imagine how I feel!” Dimitri turned to look back at the manor. “I know the Legacy is causing us significant problems.” He glanced sideways at her. “And it has caused your family greater ones still. But it’s useful for some things. The manor is larger than I expected and seems to have been abandoned for a long time. Without the Legacy, I would have neither the ability nor the funds to restore it.”

“Do you think your grandfather knew the Legacy would preserve it when he left?” Rosalie asked, gazing at the building alongside him.

How had his grandfather felt when he left it for the last time? The emotions overwhelmed Dimitri, and he looked at the ground.

“I think he was probably in too much pain to care,” he said. “I think he just needed to get away from the memories.”

Rosalie fell silent at his raw answer. He wanted to tell her the full story, wanted to share everything he had found. But he was nervous about her reaction. Surely she would notice the parallels between his mother’s story and her own.

“Oh look!” she cried, pointing at a stunningly crafted statue tucked away in a hidden nook of the garden.

He followed her over to examine it, the moment for sharing past. Now that it was gone, he couldn’t decide if he was glad or regretful that he’d missed the opportunity.

Rosalie bent over to examine a detail on the statue, obscuring her face. He still heard her, however, as she muttered, “Coward!”

“Excuse me?” He flushed despite the protest. How had she known about the fear that was holding him back?

“Cowardly lobster! Errant noodle! Loitering peacock!” The voice spoke again, and this time it was obvious the speaker wasn’t Rosalie. He should have recognized its avian nature at the first word.

Rosalie straightened and scowled toward the nearest tree. “Every history book they read us as children said the talking birds were a delight and a solace to the merchant’s daughter during her time in the Beast’s castle. They were basically her friends. So was it the history books that got it wrong or the Legacy? Because the ones we have are nothing but nuisances.”

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