Page 31 of The Beast of Ashwood Manor

I hesitated. It wasn’t something I had planned, but seeing his face light up, I couldn’t refuse this time. “Um, yes. Unless you don’t want me to. Then I’ll leave.”

“I don’t mind.” He smiled as he cleared the table.

I sat across from him. At first, things were quiet. Then the wind blew against the window, and we both looked up.

“I hope Dyna isn’t outside,” Cale said. “She came to my window last night, and I let her in.”

“I’m sure she’s fine. I keep my window open for her when I’m not in there.”

“That’s nice of you.” He lapped the soup up quickly.

“You’re very hungry,” I said.

“I started work on the chicken coop today,” he mumbled between bites.

I know.I thought back to how he looked, the sun beating down on his bare back, how he leaned down for the wood and sawed off the pieces.

“I was hungry, but I guess I was more tired and fell asleep as soon as I got in here.”

“I’ll leave soon, then, and let you get some rest,” I said.

“No, it’s fine. I got enough rest. I’m not tired right now. I’d like you to stay, please.”

“What for?”

“Because . . . I want you to.” He licked his lips and looked away, his cheeks going pink.

Leaving would have been the safest thing for me to do, and I was ready to tell him that I wouldn’t be staying. In fact, this whole situation was an accident. After apologizing to him yesterday about the table incident, about being so harsh to him, he seemed to have swooped in and bewitched me. Now that we were on good terms, it was harder to distance myself.

But I had to.

Clearing my throat, I looked over at the vanity table against the wall and saw several colorful rocks sitting on its surface. “Do you have a liking for painting?” I asked.

He followed my eyes, and then he laughed. “Oh, yes, it’s just a hobby of mine. My mother did it when I was a child, and it just always stuck with me.”

Standing from my chair, I made my way over and looked at each of them. Most of them were painted a solid color with swirls, circles, or other designs in black. They were all very interesting, and it amused me that he’d kept on with such a childish hobby.

Coming back to the table, I placed the empty dishes on the tray and grabbed the edges, ready to take it away and leave for my tower. But I cut my eyes to the fireplace as it crackled and narrowed my eyes on a stack of books on the end table.

Don’t go over.

Leaving the tray, I made my way to the stack and picked up one of the books. “Have you been reading?” I asked, smoothing my hand over a familiar cloth-bound book about dragons.

“Sort of,” Cale replied. “I like the pictures.”

“The Lost Traveler.” I smiled. “It’s a good one.”

“Have you read most of the books in the library?”

“Yes. I’ve had to pass the time somehow.”

“I’m sure you run out of things to do here.” Cale straightened his back, as he was apt to do.

I looked over at him, watching as he stood so stiff. He needed to loosen up. The air between us was so tight, I could hardly stand it. Then I thought of Natalie, how she’d come to him today, how she talked to Mary about wanting to bed him.

I clenched my fists.

Why am I feeling so frustrated?

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