Her face hot, she said quickly, “Theo, this is Griffin. Griffin, my brother, Theodore.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.” Theo was still giving her a censoring look as he bowed.
Griffin extended his hand, immediately making the meeting more casual.
Callista sent him a fast smile. He, at least, didn’t care that she wasn’t being completely formal.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too,” Griffin said, offering Theo a firm handshake. “Callista speaks very highly of you.”
“She’s had some interesting things to say to you, too—though she apparently hasn’t been telling me the whole story.” Theo winked at her.
She blushed hotly again. “Theo, I told you—” she protested.
Griffin just laughed. “I promise I haven’t been taking advantage of your sister,” he said lightly.
“I’m sure you’re not.” Theo shot him a dark look.
Callista’s blush darkened. “Theo!”
“She’s a lovely young lady,” Griffin said calmly, clearly taking the threat in stride—impressive, since he’d never had to deal with the families of the girls staying with him before.
He was going to do it for Erin, too. This isn’t just for me. But it was very possible that his tolerance of Theo was mostly for her. It brought a small smile to her face, anyway.
“Well, I’m glad you appreciate her, anyway,” Theo said with a grin that was just a little tight at the edges. “I’ve been missing her at home.” He reached out and ruffled Callista’s hair. “Without you, I get a lot more work done, but I almost never get to just sneak out of the house and spend a day out riding.
Callista and Griffin exchanged a guilty look and a grin.
“Let me guess: you two are off running across the fields every day.” Theo folded his arms over his chest. “It would be churlish of me to admit jealousy, wouldn’t it?”
“We aren’t out riding every day!” Callista informed him.
“A couple of times a week, when the weather is nice,” Griffin said with a grin. “She’s a joy to watch up on a horse.”
“I’ve never met one she couldn’t handle,” Theo boasted.
“Someone taught her well.” Griffin studied him curiously.
“I had…something to do with that.” Theo flashed a self-deprecating smile. “But some of it is just Callista. She took quite well to it—better than I’d expected.”
“I believe it.” Griffin chuckled faintly. “I would have thought she’d have a lot more trouble with my beasts—well, horses big enough to handle this bulk are rather a lot to handle, right?”
Theo nodded.
“But no. Set her up and off she went, just like she’d been riding that high off the ground all her life.”
“That doesn’t surprise me in the least. She set herself to riding every horse in the stables at home,” Theo grinned. “And made it look easy while she was at it.”
“Of course she did.” Griffin’s eyes were a shade too fond. Luckily, Callista thought, Theo couldn’t read his expressions yet—but she could. Oh, she could.
She liked the kindness in his eyes, the way he didn’t hesitate to brag about her to her brother. She hadn’t realized that he thought that highly of her riding skills—or, for that matter, that he had taken the time to notice how much effort she put into her riding.
In Theo’s presence, Griffin gradually relaxed, becoming increasingly comfortable with, she thought, the idea that her family was coming to visit.
Good. She didn’t want him to spend the weeks of their visit uncomfortable and unhappy. She loved her brothers and sisters, and she wanted them to be able to visit here with her—especially if…
No. It’s too early to be thinking thoughts like that, she chastised herself firmly. She’d been here for only three months. That was barely enough time to know anything about him, especially since they had that little added problem where she didn’t even know what he looked like.
But still…
Callista sat back, letting Theo and Griffin chat with one another. By the time Theo’s predicted hour had passed, they were chatting like old friends, and she had the feeling that both her brother and Griffin had relaxed a great deal concerning one another.
Enough so that when Theo glanced down at his watch, Griffin didn’t tense. “Looks like it’s about time for the girls to arrive,” he said lightly. “Want to come down with me to meet them, Cally?”
“I guess I’d better,” she said decisively. “Do you think they’re here already?”
“It’ll depend on how hard they pushed the horses,” Theo admitted dismissively. “But they’ll be here soon. Even Millicent can only linger so much.”
Griffin made a small noise that could have been a snort. “My apologies,” he muttered quietly.
“I forgot you’ve had the pleasure already.” Theo made a face. “Don’t worry. I’ll escort her down for dinner personally while we’re here—she’ll be less likely to be late that way.”
“I hadn’t noticed that she had difficulty with being on time,” Griffin said politely. “But of course, we wouldn’t want to leave anyone waiting during the dinner hour, so I’m quite glad you’re here to guide her.”
It was Theo’s turn to snort. “That’s quite polite,” he informed Griffin. “Nicely done.”
“Raised and trained as a prince,” he reminded him cheekily. “I know how to say a good many things very politely.”
Callista giggled softly.
She wasn’t giggling, however, when she greeted Stasi, Millicent, and Erin a few minutes later—well, actually, several minutes later. Theo might have predicted an hour, but Millicent and Erin had somehow managed to drag it out into almost an hour and a half—and both of them looked like they could have cheerfully made it take even longer than that.
“Oh, Cally.” Millicent clucked her tongue. “I’m so sorry it took us so long to get here. We would have been here far sooner, but, ah—”
“But these two decided that they wanted to get out and stretch their legs, and then proceeded to take the shortest steps in the world.” Stasi rolled her eyes, reaching for her sister. “It’s so good to see you.” She studied Callista with a knowing eye. “You look well.”
“Do I?” Cally glanced down at herself, glowing faintly at her sister’s praise.
“Well, of course she does!” Erin declared. “After all, she’s staying in a palace. And I bet she’s had the sense to stay far, far away from that—that—”
“Actually, Griffin and I have become quite good friends.” Callista was well aware that her voice came out sounding a bit prim, but she made no effort to stop it. “He’s been nothing but kind to me, as it happens.”
“Oh, really?” Erin glare at her. “And let me guess: he’s been making you stare at that cursed mask all day every day, so that it’s such a relief to see a real, human face—”
“As it happens,” Callista informed her sister with a sniff, “he doesn’t wear the mask when the two of us are alone together. He knows there’s no need for it.”
Erin gasped. “How can you stand it?” she demanded. “That horrible, beastly face—how can you even stand to look at it for a few minutes, much less all the time?”
Callista shrugged. “It’s just who he is,” she said firmly. “And honestly, Erin—”
“He isn’t going to go around without it while we’re here, is he?” Her voice was growing shrill.
“Why are you even here, if you aren’t going to do anything but complain?” Callista snapped irritably.
Erin took a step back, stung. “I just thought—I imagined it must have been horrid for you—”
“Did you not read any of my letters?” Callista demanded. She was sure she’d made it quite clear that she was getting along fine—that she was happy, even. If they’d bothered to read them at all…
“Well, we thought…” It was Millicent who jumped to Erin’s defense—of course it was—but she looked suddenly unsure, like she wasn
’t entirely sure she believed whatever it was that she’d convinced herself of anymore. “We thought that you were just putting a good face on it—to make us feel less guilty, you know?”
“We’d been reading between the lines,” Erin sniffed. “Sure, you talked about Griffin, and going for rides, and all that; but we couldn’t imagine that it was any less isolating to go dashing across the countryside than it was to be trapped here, so—”
“So what?” Callista demanded. “You know, some of us don’t have to be surrounded by hundreds of people every minute of every day just to be happy. Some of us are perfectly content with the company of a few good friends.”
“Oh, really, Cally,” Millicent began. “You can’t really expect us to believe that this has been the most wonderful experience you’ve ever had, or whatever you’re about to try to say. We’ve been here.”
“Really?” Callista glared from Erin to Millicent. “And while you were here, did you happen to bother, just as a point of interest, to actually try to get to know Griffin? Did you, for example, carry on a conversation with him, or treat him like a human being?”
“But he’s not a human being!” Erin protested.
Callista just stared at her, shocked. “He’s every bit as human as you are,” she said icily. “And if you can’t get your head wrapped around that when you are about to be a guest in his home—for, I might add, the second time—then you might as well get back in your carriage and drive straight back home.” She spun on her heel and headed back toward the front door of the castle without bothering to look back around at her sisters.
“But—I—” Erin sputtered.
“We just go there,” Millicent protested.
“Erin, Millicent,” Anastasia said quietly.
They turned to look at her. Even Cally did, more out of the force of long habit than anything else.
“Can’t we all get along?” Stasi gave them a faintly wistful smile. “I just—this could be the last time we all have to get together, just us girls, before I get married.”
“I still can’t believe your wedding is almost here!” Callista couldn’t help but squeal the words. “Just, what, five months left? I so wish I could be there—”
“Actually, we’ve pushed it back a bit.” Stasi flashed her a faintly sad smile. “Peter’s grandmother passed away, and the family is in mourning.”
“Oh, no!”
“They’ll be in full mourning for six months, of course,” Stasi continued. “And his mother wanted a little more time after mourning has ended to plan the wedding—well, who could blame her?” She sighed. “So it will be in eight months, now.”
“I’m so sorry, Stasi.” Callista leaned forward and impulsively hugged her sister. “That’s so close to the end of the time I need to be here, too!”
“I know.” Anastasia gave her a trembling smile. “I could put it off another month, if—I mean, I know you’re sorry to be missing it, but I just—”
“No.” Callista kept her voice very firm even though she wasn’t sure that she meant it. “No, you’ve put your wedding off long enough. I know you and Peter have to be desperate.”
Anastasia reached out and hugged her again, harder this time. “Thanks for understanding,” she whispered. “I wasn’t sure you would, but Peter and I both just—we both just want to be married.”
“And you should be,” Callista said firmly. “Honestly, Stasi, don’t worry about me, okay? You schedule your wedding when it works for you and Peter.”
“Well, you can help me plan some of the details while I’m here, anyway,” Stasi declared. “I mean, you know, the details that we can plan eight months ahead.” She rolled her eyes.
Callista squeezed her hand in commiseration.
“We’ve been helping!” Millicent reminded her.
“I know you have. And I do appeciate everything you’ve done,” Stasi said firmly. “But there’s just something about having all of my sisters here together that makes it even more special.”
“Good.” Callista grinned. “Now, come in and see the castle. Do you want the grand tour, or should we just head up to your rooms?”
“Oh, I want the tour.” Anastasia linked her arm through Callista’s. “After all, how many chances in life do you get to explore a castle?”
“I know! There’s so much to see—and the artwork here is so beautiful!” Callista’s smile spread back across her face.
“Is it really?” Millicent asked curiously. “Do you know, I don’t think I even took the time to look while I was here.”
I don’t think you took the time to do a lot of things while you were here. But Callista decided not to say it out loud. She was delighted to see her sisters again, delighted to have them here—maybe not as delighted as she was to see Theo, and Anastasia might have been the sister that she wanted to see most, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t glad to see Erin and Millicent, too.
They were all going to have a bit to do in order to keep the peace. It was evident that Erin wasn’t entirely comfortable; and she wondered, suddenly, how much convincing her other siblings had done to get Erin here.
She rather seriously hoped they hadn’t coerced her. An Erin here under protest was little better than an Erin who wasn’t here at all—and actually, she wasn’t completely sure which one she actually wanted.
As she led the way through the castle, Callista was all too aware of her sister’s soft sniffs of disbelief every time Stasi stopped to exclaim over a piece of artwork, or the size of a room, or the elegance of the castle as a whole. Even worse, however, was the look in her eyes—like she was convinced, passionately, that every time Callista said she was happy with something in the castle, she must be either exaggerating or making it up completely.
“Honestly, Callista!” Erin exclaimed as the tour concluded back at their rooms. “You would think that you actually liked this place.”
“I do,” Callista said lightly.
Erin gasped theatrically. “What’s he done to you?” she demanded. “I know he must have made you say that—”
“No, honestly, Erin, I like the castle. The servants are wonderful—Mrs. Picard is the biggest sweetheart you’ve ever met, and Mrs. Martel is this absolutely amazing chef who goes out of her way to put together these incredible meals. And—” She shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just…nice.”
“Nice.” Erin snorted.
“Aren’t you lonely?” Millicent cut in, clearly trying to help both of them save face and stave off an argument.
“Not at all!” Callista was surprised to realize even as she said the words that it was true. She wasn’t the least bit lonely. With Arabella and Juliette in town, Griffin and the servants here…no, she wasn’t lonely at all. In fact, there were times when she found herself deliberately seeking solitude just to have a few minutes to breathe in peace.
“But—but you’re here all alone with just that—er, Griffin—and the servants for company!” Millicent argued.
“Which is as much company as I ever have at home, most of the time,” Callista pointed out with a fast smile. “And it’s not just them anyway. I have friends down in town—you’ll have to come and meet them as soon as you can!”
“He lets you go into town?” Erin’s nose was headed for the ceiling. Callista winced.
“Yes,” she said simply.
“Well, I—well—” Erin stammered. “Why didn’t he let us go into town?”
“Because of the curse.” Callista answered as simply as she could, trying to stave off the discussion before Erin got completely out of control. “Sometimes, people who went to the town don’t come back.”
“I’m not convinced that would be such a bad thing.” Erin folded her arms over her chest.
“Well, I came back,” Callista informed her. “And I’m not sorry I did. It hasn’t been so bad here, honestly.”
“Sure it hasn’t,” Erin muttered.
“Enough, Erin!” Anastasia sighed. “Callista, I’m glad you’re happy—and glad
to see that it’s true, and not just what you’ve been putting in your letters.” She hugged her impulsively. “Let’s all have a peaceful visit instead of bickering, all right? Now—how long until dinner?”
“It should be in just about half an hour.” Callista hugged Anastasia back, maybe a little harder than was absolutely necessary out of gratitude. She didn’t want to fight with her sisters—not any of them.
“Then we’ll take some time to tidy up and we’ll see you down there,” Anastasia informed her.
Callista accepted her dismissal with good grace. “If you get lost, just call out,” she suggested. “The invisible servants will help you find your way back to where you’re supposed to be.”
“The—what?” Stasi looked surprised.
Callista giggled. “Invisible servants. It’s part of the curse, Griffin thinks—to keep the castle from falling into ruin, since it is important to the kingdom. Watch.” She dropped the handkerchief out of her pocket onto the floor and snapped twice.
It immediately floated back up to her hand as though an impatient servant was saying, “Here, put this away so I don’t have to tidy it up later.”
Anastasia gasped.
Erin rolled her eyes. “It’s not that impressive,” she muttered.
Anastasia gave Erin a dark look—and she included Millicent in it, too. “I believe,” she said sternly, “that you two might have left a couple of things out when you discussed what it was like to live in an enchanted castle.”
Erin blushed darkly. “I did say it was enchanted,” she muttered.
“In the room,” Anastasia insisted.
Callista slipped away—but not quite fast enough. As her sisters’ door closed behind them, she heard, “Honestly, Erin, she’s happy. Please keep your negative opinions to yourself instead of ruining it for her!”
She grinned. At least Anastasia was on her side now. That seemed like an extraordinary step in the right direction.
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