But braiding his hair meant close, personal contact. Her hands in his hair. And she’d already said she would. There was no turning back now. Not with those starstones dangling from her ears. It was the least she could do for him. “Do you want to sit here in one of the chairs? I’ll go get my brush.”
“Sure, thanks.” He settled into the closest chair.
She went to her bathroom to get her brush and some smoothing oil, something else she’d found among Vesta’s abandoned things. Theo had already used a little on her own hair. It made the iridescence shine even brighter.
She came back to find him taking out the old braids. He held up the small elastics that had been holding the ends. “I should save these, right?”
“Right. I know you brought those caps, but they go over the elastics.”
“They do?” He rolled his eyes. “That explains why I could never get them to stay on.”
She grinned. He’d definitely had help when he’d been king. “All right, what kind of braids do you want?”
His brows lifted. “Um…what kind did I have?”
“Simple three-strand.”
“That’s fine, then. Wait. Yours are fancier. What do you have?”
“Open lace, but that’s more of a woman’s braid. Plus, it might be too much with those caps. How about a three-rope twist? You probably had those when you were king.” She couldn’t quite read his expression. “Too much? I could do a simple two-rope twist.”
He shrugged. “Whatever you think. Surprise me.”
She squinted, trying to picture what braid would look best on him. Then she smiled, tight-lipped because she had an idea. “All right.”
She brushed his hair, which was soft and gorgeous and made her envious, even though she knew she had nice hair, too. For a moment, she almost ran her hands through it with abandon, but she stopped herself. That might be a bit too far.
It might also lead to something that would make them late for dinner.
Instead, she focused on the job at hand. She brushed his hair, again, probably a little more than necessary, then separated out the temple pieces and worked a little of the oil into them. She plaited two tiny three-strand braids, then twisted them together in a rope. He closed his eyes as she worked. Finally, she added the silver caps to the ends. The end result was two slim but complicated-looking braids. A very nice job. Regal, even. Certainly worthy of the man who’d once been king. “There. All done.”
When he didn’t immediately respond, she realized he’d dozed off. She took that as a compliment. She shook his shoulder gently. “Robin?”
“Hmm?” He blinked himself awake.
“Your braids are all done. You want to look in the mirror?”
“I think I feel asleep.”
She smiled. “You did.”
His grin was sheepish. “Sorry.”
She shook her head. “It’s very relaxing to have someone working on your hair. Nothing to apologize for. Come on, have a look and see if what I did is all right.”
They went to the ornamental mirror on the wall, and he peered in. He nodded. “Those are perfect. I can’t even imagine how you did those. So much better than I could have done myself. You’re pretty good at braiding.”
“A lifetime of doing my own hair. Well, after my mother passed, anyway.” She tipped her head at his casual clothes. “I don’t want to nag, but you should probably get dressed.”
“You’re right. I should.” He didn’t make a move for the door, though. “Thanks again for the braids.”
“Thanks again for the earrings.”
A slightly wicked gleam played in his eyes. “Maybe they were worth a kiss?”
“Maybe.” She almost laughed. “Okay, definitely.”
As he leaned in, she put her hands on his chest. With the heels on, she was closer to his height.
He didn’t linger, probably because time was ticking. “How about I meet you at the top of the stairs in twenty minutes?”
“Oh. I was going to go down and see if Mrs. Baton needs any help.”
“Or you could just come to my quarters and make sure I put the right suit on.”
She didn’t believe for a minute that he needed her help with that decision. She smiled. “Okay.”
Fortunately, he already had a suit laid out. She suspected Elswood had done that for him. It was deep midnight blue with a crisp white pinstripe. He put a brilliant white dress shirt with it, and then, as a nod to her dress, added an emerald-green paisley pocket square. The last thing he added was a bejeweled dagger to a leather shoulder harness. It was mostly ceremonial, but she had no doubt he kept the blade sharp.
He looked so handsome and so utterly royal that she felt like she might faint. Or kiss him.
He held out his arms. “What do you think?”
“I think you look so good I almost can’t bear it.” She sighed happily. “I wish I’d seen you with your crown and scepter and the monarch’s cape of royal purple around your shoulders. No wonder Vesta had to lie and cheat and use poison to get you off the throne. You were born to be king.”
His expression turned bittersweet.
Had her words brought up bad memories? That certainly hadn’t been her intention. “I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to upset you. It’s just so rare that a person’s insides and outsides are so well matched. I mean, look at Vesta. She’s considered the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, but now I know her insides are as rotten as the swamp of despair.”
He chuckled. “If she’s considered the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, it can only be because you’re here with me.”
Her cheeks flushed with heat, and she shook her head. “I don’t know how to respond when you say things like that.”
He took her hand. “You don’t have to respond at all. Or you could just say thanks or even ‘I know, Robin.’”
She laughed. “I’m not going to say I know.”
“Maybe someday you will. I hope my words sink in. I don’t think you’ve heard compliments often enough.”
She’d never heard them. Except from her mother and father, but that was what parents did. They told their children they were smart and beautiful, no matter what the truth was, right? “It’s going to take some getting used to, that’s all.”
He kissed her knuckles. “We should go down. Our guests will be here soon.”
“Your guests.”
“Our guests.” He tipped his head in her direction. “I know you’ve only been here a few days, but to me, you’ve already earned your place as lady of the house.”
“You can’t mean that.”
He cupped her face in his hands, his gaze achingly sincere. “Theodora, I can’t hide my feelings for you. I realized after our argument that the reason I reacted so strongly is that I am falling in love with you.”
“You can’t mean that either.” Except nothing in his tone or expression made him seem dishonest. Her own heart beat faster at his words, as if it had only then come to life. “We haven’t known each other long enough to…” She couldn’t finish. Because it would have made her a liar. She just wasn’t ready to speak her feelings.
“I do mean it. And if I feel this way now, how much deeper will I be in another week? Or a month? There’s no fighting it. And I don’t want to. I am gone. And I don’t care. I’ve lived a lonely, purposeless life for too long. No more. Not now that I have someone to love and take care of and spend time with.”
He kissed her softly. “It’s all right if you don’t feel the same way. I know this is fast. I know it might be too much. But I’ve wasted so much time I don’t want to waste another day. You must understand that?”
She nodded. “I do.”
Yes, she understood. But she also wondered if he would have felt that way about any young, available woman who’d come to his house. Was he falling in love with her? Or with the idea of her?
She hoped he really did still feel the same in another week or month, because her feelings were definitely all about him. And if his fee
lings changed, finishing out the year was going to be incredibly difficult.
Especially after she’d just invited her father to move in.
Chapter Twenty-four
Robin and Theo stood in the foyer to await their guests. He’d never met Amelia’s niece, Emeranth, but he had met her boyfriend, Deacon, on one occasion many years ago. Deacon was a raven shifter, as was his whole family, but they all had their individual curses, too. His curse, such as it was, allowed him to take on other people’s curses. Amelia had thought he might be able to give Robin a break from his imprisonment.
That hadn’t been the case, however. Try as Deacon might, he’d been unable to move the invisible wall that surrounded Robin even an inch.
The failure had prompted Amelia to surmise that fairy magic created in a different realm was uncrackable. She’d vowed to keep trying, but her tone had said what Robin had already been thinking: Don’t expect anything to come of it.
But tonight, none of that mattered. Tonight he had Theo by his side as he stepped boldly toward a new start. He’d realized that part of why he’d responded so poorly to her secret about her fae blood was because he cared so much for her.
He loved her. And he wanted to think that the woman he loved wouldn’t keep anything from him. But he also knew that he’d given her every reason to think hiding it was the right choice.
Now, there were no more secrets between them. More than that, he was ready to take this next step to improve his life, whatever the consequences. Maybe that was the reason his boundaries had suddenly expanded.
He’d made the choice to be happy in the life he had. Of course, that was easy to do with Theo around. She was like a beacon of light in his dark world. He couldn’t get enough of her, and she made him want more from the life he’d come to accept.
No more of the status quo being all right. It was time to press forward and strive for a bigger life.
This dinner party was just the beginning. As his social circle grew, he hoped his magic boundaries would continue to as well. Maybe someday, they would disappear altogether. Wouldn’t that be something? And what would Vesta’s response be then?
A car pulled up outside, ending that line of thought.
He was glad they’d come to the foyer. Maybe it wasn’t proper etiquette, but it felt too impersonal for Elswood alone to greet their guests.
Elswood was at the ready, however, to answer the door.
Theo glanced at Robin, her smile a little tight. She was clearly nervous. “They’re here.”
“They are.” He smiled back at her. “Did I tell you how beautiful you look, my love?”
He’d never seen a woman who captivated him more. He could see some of Caralynne in Theo. Mostly the way her eyes crinkled when she laughed.
If he were capable of it, he would have used his power to bring Theo’s mother back. It was obvious that Theo missed her dearly.
The bell rang, and Elswood opened the door. “Good evening, Ms. Marchand and guests. Welcome to Gallow House.”
“Thank you for having us,” Amelia responded. She found Robin immediately and handed him a bottle of wine tied with a purple bow. “A little something for you.”
“You didn’t have to do that.” Robin took the bottle, nodded in appreciation, then handed it off to Elswood.
“I couldn’t come empty-handed.” She smiled at him. “Don’t you look nice, Robin. And, Theodora, that dress is very becoming.”
“Thank you,” Theo said shyly.
Robin put his hand on Theo’s back. Amelia’s caftan was an explosion of peacock colors. A few actual feathers decorated her turban. “You look beautiful, as always, Amelia.”
With a smile, she touched the arm of the dark-haired young woman who’d followed her in. “This is my niece, Emeranth. Em, this is Robin Gallow and his companion, Theodora. Robin, you know Deacon, but I’m not sure you’ve met his sister, Grace.”
“I haven’t. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Grace.” He shook both of their hands.
“Thank you for inviting us to your beautiful home. Call me Gracie, please. Everyone does.”
Robin nodded. “Thank you for coming. I realize venturing into the Dark Acres isn’t everyone’s idea of a good way to spend their evening.”
The pretty blonde laughed. “I wouldn’t have missed it.”
He introduced Theo. “As Amelia mentioned, this is my companion, Theodora Middlebright.”
Theo nodded and shook their hands as well. “Please call me Theo.”
Emeranth smiled. “Theo it is. And you have to call me Em. Your hair is just too gorgeous.”
“It is,” Grace agreed. “You have to tell us what you use to get it to shine like that.”
Theo laughed. “That’s a goblin thing, I’m afraid. See Robin’s hair? He has it, too.” She nodded at the butler. “So does Elswood.”
The two women glanced around. Em shook her head. “Well, how about that? I guess I’m out of luck.” She laughed. “Maybe there’s a spell I can learn.”
“Oh, are you a witch, too?” Theo asked.
“I am.”
It pleased Robin to see the three women getting on so well. Theo needed friends, and he couldn’t imagine any better than Amelia’s niece and Deacon’s sister.
Tonight was going to be very good. He could feel it. Why on earth had he waited so long to do this? Because he hadn’t had Theo at his side. Feeling more royal than he had in ages, he gestured toward the dining room. “Shall we go in to dinner?”
* * *
As soon as they were close to the table, Theo saw that someone, Mrs. Baton maybe, had put little cards at each seat with their names on them. Assigned seats? Was that standard at a fancy dinner party? She wasn’t sure. But she didn’t like that she and Robin had been separated.
Although maybe that was how it was done. Theo wished she knew. Probably time to get an etiquette book from the library next.
Robin was at one end of the table, while Theo was at the other. At least she could see him over the low centerpiece of flowers and gem-encrusted candlesticks. She recognized all the flowers from the garden outside. She supposed the purple roses were a nod to Amelia. There was even some of the vine that covered the pavilion woven through. The little white flowers gleamed like stars. She liked the arrangement very much. Whoever had made up the centerpiece had done a good job.
On either side of Robin were Amelia and Deacon. On either side of Theo were Emeranth and Gracie. That kept family together on each side of the table. That seemed right. Except Em and Deacon were a couple.
Theo started to think maybe couples weren’t supposed to sit next to each other at fancy dinner parties. A second later, she smiled. Had she just thought of herself and Robin as a couple? That was new and interesting. She liked it, though.
Elswood and the new footman took care of filling wineglasses.
Deacon held his hand over his glass. “I’m more of a beer man, myself.”
Robin looked at Elswood. “Bring the man a beer. We have that, don’t we?”
Elswood frowned. “I don’t know.”
“I’m sure Henry has beer,” Robin countered.
Deacon lifted his hand as if to say stop. “Don’t go to any trouble. Water is fine.”
Robin shook his head. “It’s no trouble.”
“No, sir,” Elswood said. “Not at all.”
Robin seemed immensely happy to Theo. And very much at ease. But then, big dinners and fancy parties must have been regular occurrences when he was king.
She liked watching him. Not just because he was incredibly handsome or because he’d declared his affection for her, although neither of those things hurt, but rather because he was so charming and carried the evening like he’d been born to the noble life.
Quite a feat for someone who was as common as she was. It gave her hope that she could do all right as well, shake off her nerves and behave like a civilized being. She really didn’t want to make a mistake that would embarrass Robin in front of his guests.
But Em and Grace were so nice that they’d already put her mostly at ease. Having people be kind to her was new. Of course, these women didn’t know her reputation, and they hadn’t been subjected to her mean side, nor would they be.
Theo was done with that part of herself. At least while she lived here. If she had to go back to Limbo, which was a possibility if her father didn’t want to move, she’d have no choice but to become Moody again.
It was her best protection against that world.
The new footman finished filling everyone’s glasses, and Elswood brought Deacon a beer.
When everyone had their beverages, Robin raised his glass. “Here’s to new friends.” His gaze was on her as he smiled. “And new beginnings.”
They all drank to that.
Theo took more than a little sip of her wine, just to take the last bit of edge off her nerves. They were fading, but she still worried she’d do something stupid.
Gracie set her glass back down. “That green really suits you.”
“Thank you,” Theo answered. She almost blurted out that it was a hand-me-down from the queen that the queen knew nothing about, but she caught herself at the last moment. Probably wise. Like her mother had always taught her, she needed to listen more and speak less. She chose her words carefully. “Your dress is very pretty, too. Both of your dresses are.”
She imagined they were brand new from one of the shops in town. She’d seen a few on her walk here.
Em leaned in like she had a secret to share. “There is the most amazing secondhand store in town. We have got to take you.” Then she got an oddly worried look on her face. “I mean, if you like that sort of thing. I know thrift shops aren’t for everybody. There are some nice boutiques in town, too.”
Theo laughed harder and louder than she’d meant to. “I’m sorry, but…” She shook her head. “I am definitely a thrift shop kind of person.”
“You are? I didn’t think someone like you would be into that.”
“Someone like me?” Who did they think she was?
Moody And The Beast (Shadowvale Book 4) Page 18
