Page 46 of The Beast of Ashwood Manor

Rather than talk to anyone else, Gil rushed us through the manor, much to the surprise of the others. Thankfully, we’d mostly dried on our walk back, and by the time we got to my room, there were no more prying eyes to watch us.

“I’ll meet you for our study later,” he told me.

“Okay.” I still had his cloak on, which no doubt threw everyone off seeing me with it, especially since it dragged on the floor. Peeling it off, I handed it to him, and he took it. I wanted another kiss from him, but when I leaned forward, he stopped me.

“I need to get out of these clothes.” He nodded at me before leaving abruptly, and I was left standing there, wondering what I had done wrong.

One minute, he was kissing me intensely on the beach, and the next, he was pulling away. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but he said he’d meet me later, and that was enough.

Taking off my wet clothes, I laid them aside as I dressed into something dry and warm—it felt good to be out of the cold. I dug the sea shells I’d kept out of the pocket of my wet trousers and place them on the vanity with my rocks. I didn’t want to paint them. They looked beautiful just as they were.

Carrying my soiled clothes outside, I met Mary in the hall, who walked with me to the washroom. I had never helped wash the clothes or linens, as I mostly helped with the animals and in the kitchen.

Mary threw my clothes into one of the tubs with the others and used one of the paddles to spin them around.

“I heard you went to the beach with Lord Gil,” she said.

“Yes. It was nice,” I replied.

“Did you go for a swim in this freezing weather?”

“No, we fell into the water.”

Mary giggled. “Oh my. How did he respond to that?”

“Well,” I started, picking up one of the paddles and helping her, “he seemed a bit dazed at first, but then we started laughing.” I thought of our kiss and licked my lips, still tasting salt there.

“All right, I want all the juicy details,” Natalie started, storming into the room. She suddenly stopped and smiled at me. “Oh, Cale, Royce needs you in the kitchen.”

Nodding at her, I left the room, my face going red at the prospect of Natalie and Mary gossiping about me and Gilagain. But really, I didn’t expect much less.

I went into the kitchen expecting to help Royce with the food, but when he emerged from the terrace with a pale face, I stopped in my tracks.

“Are you okay?” I asked him.

“I’m feeling very unwell,” he told me. “Just a little dizzy, but it’s making me feel sick.”

“Oh.” I made my way to him and grabbed his arm. “You should lie down. I’ll help you up the stairs.” I walked Royce out of the kitchen and to the stairs, where Annie was coming down holding a basket of soiled clothes.

“Royce?” she started, her brow knitting. “What’s wrong?”

“He’s not feeling well,” I told her.

She came around to his other side and helped him up the stairs into their room. I made my way inside, glancing briefly around to see a pile of books on a table and various sizes of potted plants in the large window sills. Animal hides were laid out over the table, and many paintings adorned the walls. This room was much bigger than my own, and it looked overtaken with so many knickknacks.

“There we go.” She laid Royce down and felt his head. “You don’t have a fever. Just rest a while. I’ll bring you some water.”

“Thanks, dear,” Royce said, closing his eyes.

When we came out of the room and Annie closed the door, she turned to me and said, “He’s been getting more dizzy spells ever since that thing attacked him. At first, they were tolerable, but now they’re becoming more.” She clasped my hands and looked at me with pleading eyes. “You have to do something to win Gil over. I know you care for him. I only ask that you go a little further.”

“I’m trying,” I said, feeling uncomfortable with her begging me to force him into love, something that was proving much harder than I initially thought.

She nodded and went back into the room, and I was left there realizing there was no one else to tend to the kitchen.

When the door down the hall opened, I looked up, finding Gil coming out dressed in dry clothes.

“Cale.” He nodded at me. “Everything all right?”

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