Page 53 of Forged in Cursed Flames (Crown and Crest 2)

I pause with my fist poised to knock. I’m going to do it.

I’m not going to do it.

With a heavy sigh, I rest my forehead on the door and drop my hand.

“Henrik?” Lawrence whispers from behind me, nearly making me jump. “What are you doing?”

Irritated, I realize I look as guilty as a child stealing pastries from the castle kitchens.

“Nothing.” I leave abruptly, heading for my own cabin, trying not to dwell on the fact that I could be with Clover right now.

It’s not until I’m lying on my bed, willing my mind to be still, that I wonder what Lawrence was doing outside Clover’s cabin in the middle of the night.

15

Clover

My heart leapsat the quiet knock, and I throw the door open.

And find Lawrence.

“You always look so delighted to see me,” the prince deadpans.

“What are you doing here?”

“I thought I heard someone outside my cabin, and I got a strange feeling, so I came to check on you.” He leans against the doorframe. “I think it was Henrik, though. I just found him standing outside your door like a dejected dog.”

Feeling a flush of embarrassment, I look away. Henrik has no reason to feel that way—I was rejected, not him.

Lawrence peers into my cabin. “You’re all right in here?”

I shrug. “I’m getting used to less than luxurious accommodations.”

“We should have stayed in Cabaranth.”

I shake my head. “Not with the growing suspicion surrounding me. I’d be hanged long before Henrik returned with Camellia.”

“You think I’d let that happen?”

I give him a droll look, which he answers with an impish grin. He nods into the room. “Want company?”

“Go away.”

He shakes his head, feigning disappointment. “I miss you fawning over me. It was fake, but I’ve never concerned myself over a girl’s sincerity.”

I nudge him backward as I close the door. “Goodnight, Lawrence.”

Before it shuts, he grasps it. Suddenly too serious, he says, “Don’t forget to set the lock.”

“Got a bit spooked, did you?”

His concerned expression deepens. “I’m sure it was nothing.”

“If it wasn’t Henrik you heard, it was likely Captain Caldwell stumbling about the ship. He helped himself to a good bit of his tax-free wine at dinner.”

Lawrence nods, partially mollified. But before he goes, he looks at me sharply. “Why are you dressed like that?”

I glance down at my gown. “Dressed like what?”

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