Page 55 of Legacy of Roses

She did remember to lock the door, however.

Rosalie hurried down the stairs, only to stand uncertainly in the entryway. Perhaps she should have spent the afternoon touring the castle instead of reading. At the very least she should have asked directions to the dining room. As it was, she only knew the locations of their two bedchambers and the large sitting room to her right.

“Ready to eat?” Dimitri asked from behind her, and for once the sound of his voice was welcome to her ears.

She spun to face him, smiling at his outrageously shaggy appearance. She was adjusting to it far quicker than she had expected.

“I checked the kitchen earlier this afternoon.” He rubbed his hands together. “Fresh supplies had appeared, and there was already a pot boiling on the stove. I think we’re in for a treat.”

Rosalie grinned back, accepting the exaggerated arm he offered her.

“Thank you, My Lord,” she said primly, and he smiled down at her.

She smiled back, noting that his eyes were still visible. They, at least, hadn’t changed at all.

“Remember, you mustn’t be too agreeable,” he chided as he led her through a door located behind the stairs.

She frowned up at him, the expression melting away when she saw his eyes were laughing at her.

“Ah, that’s right,” she said. “I mustn’t forget my role.”

“I’ve chosen a smaller dining room for us,” he said apologetically as he let go of her arm to open a door and usher her through. “The main one is enormous. The idea of eating there on my own felt ridiculous and would only be slightly less so with two of us.”

“This is just perfect.” Rosalie looked around the cozy room with approval.

A fire danced in the hearth, driving off the autumn chill from the evening air, and a sturdy walnut dining table took up most of the room. It might be the manor’s smaller dining room, but the table was still larger than the one she ate around in the cottage with her whole family.

Dimitri bowed her into a chair to the right of the table’s head before taking the seat at the head for himself. Their positions reminded Rosalie that he was hosting her in his home, and she resolved to be more polite in future—except when acting a role for the Legacy, of course.

The door behind them opened, and two plates floated into the room, their contents hidden by domed silver covers. Rosalie blinked in surprise. Would she ever adjust to the power the Legacy was throwing at the manor?

She restrained her impatience as the plate gently floated down to its place in front of her. When both plates were in place, she and Dimitri looked at each other, grinning as they pulled off the covers in unison.

Rosalie stared down at the plate’s contents.

“It’s not exactly what I was expecting,” Dimitri said after an extended silence. He prodded at a soggy, boiled carrot.

Rosalie couldn’t have agreed more. She had been expecting a delicious feast, but the food on her plate looked barely edible.

“Maybe the Legacy is just out of practice?” Dimitri suggested hopefully.

Rosalie snorted. “I’m not sure that’s reassuring.”

“I’m just clinging to the hope it might get better.” Dimitri popped a piece of meat in his mouth and chewed it with a cheery expression.

Rosalie narrowed her eyes as she assessed his face. She was getting a little better at reading his emotions, even withoutaccess to his chiseled features. But she wasn’t sure if the meat was truly the more appetizing portion of the meal or if he was just putting a good face on the situation.

Her frown deepened. He was probably trying to fool her into tasting it herself.

He returned her suspicious look with an encouraging one. “That’s just the right look! Why don’t you flip the table next?”

Rosalie almost choked on the bite she’d finally put in her mouth. When she recovered, she shook her head. “You want me to flip the table over soggy vegetables?”

He grinned widely—a disconcerting expression on his new face. “Make sure the Legacy knows just how furious you are about being imprisoned here. We need somewhere to go, after all. Think how much it will be touched when you go from flipping the table to laughing with me.”

Rosalie raised an eyebrow. “And how long will that take?”

“Oh…two or three days? I’m a very charming fellow, you know, despite the fur.”

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