Page 22 of Legacy of Roses

“Considering you can fall asleep on a fence post, I’m not in the least surprised you were unable to resist a sofa.” Rosalie stood, holding out a hand to pull her friend up as well.

She didn’t really feel any resentment toward Daphne for falling asleep. She was just relieved nothing untoward had happened to her.

“But are you really all right?” Daphne asked once she was standing. “Dimitri was able to rescue you?”

Rosalie’s happy mood instantly vanished. “As to that…I’ll explain everything to you on the way home. We need to get away from here.”

Daphne looked disappointed. “I was hoping the castle would produce something delicious to eat.” She looked toward the nearest table hopefully. “It didn’t happen for me on my own, but now that Dimitri is back…”

“Sorry,” he said apologetically. “Nothing like that has happened for me either.”

“So far,” Rosalie said ominously. “But we’ll be extremely fortunate if it remains that way.”

Daphne frowned at her. “What do you mean?”

“Come on.” Rosalie tugged on her arm. “Let’s talk about it on the road. And don’t think I’ve forgotten those moves you pulled on your attackers, either. Where did you learn those?”

“Oh that?” Daphne allowed herself to be reluctantly led out of the room and toward the castle’s main door. “Our old neighbor in Oakden said I would be an outsider in Glandore and I would need to defend myself. So he taught me how.”

“And you’ve been practicing all these years? You!?” Rosalie reached the front door and turned back to stare at her. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“Who knows what you would have wanted me to do?” Daphne yawned.

“I can guess,” Dimitri said from behind them. “She would have wanted you to teach her, and then she would have tried to turn the two of you into a town defense patrol or something.”

“Oh, I see you already know Rosalie well,” Daphne said placidly. “Even the idea of having to say no was exhausting, let alone the prospect of actually teaching her.” She shuddered.

“Succeeding at saying no would have been impressive on its own,” Dimitri said on a chuckle.

“Exactly.” Daphne smiled at him while Rosalie narrowed her eyes.

Dimitri stepped toward her undaunted, however, arms extended. “Are you ready to go back to the road?”

Rosalie stepped backward. As much as she’d disliked needing his help, she’d been grateful for it on the way into the castle. But now she had Daphne, and she wasn’t sure she could handle being held by Dimitri for a second time. Not so soon. She was already having enough trouble with her pesky emotions getting the wrong idea.

“That’s all right,” she said quickly. “Daphne will keep me in check, won’t you, Daph?”

“Uh oh.” Daphne’s eyebrows rose. “That sounds alarming.”

“I just need you to make sure I don’t pick any roses on the way back up the drive.”

Daphne’s expression cleared. “Oh, that’s all right then.” She slipped her arm through Rosalie’s and clamped down tight. “I won’t let you go anywhere.”

Dimitri gave them a skeptical look, disappointment lurking underneath. Rosalie’s heart gave an odd lurch at seeing his reaction, only confirming she had made the right choice. Her heart was absolutely not allowed to jump at the idea that Dimitri had enjoyed holding her close.

“Don’t worry,” she told him. “You didn’t see what Daphne did to those men. She’ll probably put me in a headlock if I try to escape.”

Daphne laughed. “You’ve given me permission now. That means you can’t be mad if I actually do it.”

“If I try to make a break for the roses, you can do anything you need.” Rosalie gave her friend a narrow look. “But only in that one case.” Daphne was looking a bit too smug. She was still a better option than being carried by Dimitri, though.

The girls walked down the stairs in lockstep and had made it several yards up the drive before Rosalie looked suspiciously behind her. Dimitri was following them.

She pulled Daphne to a stop. “What are you doing?” she asked him over her shoulder, unwilling to turn around.

“I’m making sure you don’t get abducted again on your way home,” he said calmly.

“You’re going to follow us all the way home?” Rosalie wanted to protest, but she couldn’t stop her eyes dropping to the sword strapped to his waist.

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