“So he just, what, sends his henchman out to—”
“To find ways to bring girls here? Yes.” Callista’s chest heaved as she drew in breath, doing her best to stay calm and well aware that she was failing miserably. “But I’ll let you in on a secret, Erin: he’s never kept anyone here who made it obvious that she didn’t want to be here. Some of them forgot all about him the moment he allowed them outside. Some of them went dashing off because they couldn’t stand the mask, or because they guessed what was underneath. And he’s never pursued any of them. He made sure they were better off for their time here, not worse.”
“Well, I didn’t want to be here,” Erin snapped.
“I know.” Callista felt tears stinging her eyes. She wasn’t sure if there were tears of sadness for all that Griffin had endured—for all the girls just like her sister who had come through here, making demands of him and yelling at him and never taking a moment to get to know the man himself—or tears of anger at her sister’s attitude. “But I do, okay? So just—back off.”
Erin stared at her. “How can you actually—do you have feelings for him?”
“He’s my friend,” Callista said firmly. That much, at least, she was sure of. “I don’t know if I have feelings for him or not. I don’t know if I’ll fall in love with him or not. But I do know that I’m not going to go running off before I have a chance to find out. So stop acting like this is some massive inconvenience for me. You don’t want to be here? I’m sure you know the way home.”
“I—” Erin’s voice was a small, soft squeak. She darted a look at Stasi—basically confirming Callista’s guess that her eldest sister had done some fast talking to convince Erin to be here at all.
Well, good for her. She appreciated Stasi’s effort.
She kind of wished Erin—and Millicent, too, now that she thought about it, because Millicent would back Erin up no matter how crazy she was being—had just stayed at home, where they couldn’t spew their bad attitudes all over what was supposed to be a happy time.
“Let it go, Erin,” Stasi suggested quietly.
She folded her arms over her chest, huffing out an exasperated breath—but at least she kept her mouth shut this time.
“We still have a little while left before dinner.” Callista shoved open the door to the castle, and she was convinced that at least one of the invisible servants had to be standing by, because it didn’t slam open in spite of the force that she put behind the gesture. “I’m going to go up and see Griffin.” She glanced around her. “Someone want to give me a direction?”
A tug at her dress suggested that he was more than likely in his room, since that was the direction the servant pointed her. Good. She wanted him to herself for a little while—preferably with that blasted mask off.
She knew very well what was beneath it, and she wasn’t the least bit intimidated by it, either.
“Cally.” Stasi’s voice was soft.
She turned back to look—because it was Stasi. If it had been Erin, she wouldn’t have gone anywhere.
“For what it’s worth, I agree with you,” Stasi told her quietly. “I think he’s a good man who has just been put in a bad position—though I would very much like to know why he ended up cursed to begin with.”
“Does it really matter?” Callista asked tiredly.
“I—yes. Yes, it does.” Stasi firmed her shoulders, clearly aware that she was walking on ground that was very much in danger of crumbling beneath her feet. “I know it doesn’t matter to you because you care for him, but—”
“Even if he did something bad to someone else, he’s been—” So much more than kind to me. Kind doesn’t even begin to describe it, really. But how could she say that to her sister? Could even Stasi, who had been told that she was Peter’s from the time she was a little girl, imagine what it was like to look into Griffin’s eyes and see, know, what he was dealing with, but that he would never burden her? To watch him fight the beast down, because it wanted him to rage, but to know that he was holding it in check because of who he was and everything that he wanted to be?
No. No, she couldn’t.
Callista just shook her head. “I’m going upstairs,” she said quietly. “I’ll be in Griffin’s rooms, I’m pretty sure—and in case you weren’t clear on the castle rules, none of you are welcome there.”
“And you are?” Erin demanded haughtily. “When I was here, he told me that no one else was allowed inside.”
Callista smiled just a little bit. “Yes,” she said softly. “I’m allowed inside.”
“You look upset.” Griffin was well aware that his voice was a shade too low, but after the day he’d spent with Theo, he wasn’t sure that he was back on level footing yet. He liked Callista’s brother—the one that she had described as her favorite—very much. In fact, he was rather sorry that Theo was going to have to leave quite so soon. It had been a very long time since he’d had another young man to talk with—to race in the fields atop his favorite horses, to talk about young ladies with, to simply socialize with.
They’d done more than that, though. Theo had pointed out a few things to him concerning his desire to spend more time with Callista—and Theo, it seemed, had taken the time to do some research of his own into the curse and everything that it meant. It made Griffin think better of him even as it made him a little bit nervous, because with Theo’s understanding, there was no dancing around what he was doing here.
What Callista was doing here.
He’d tried; but Theo hadn’t been willing to take that for an answer. He knew, absolutely, that he was courting Callista—and he knew what it meant that she was not only still here, but clearly enjoying herself.
“I—oh, it was just Erin being Erin.” She waved it off, but the two spots of color high on her cheeks told him that she hadn’t quite managed to calm herself all the way down yet.
She didn’t want to talk about it, however. That much was obvious—so instead of pressing her, Griffin simply sighed. “Did you have a nice time in town, at least?” he wanted to know.
“Yes. Oh!” She suddenly turned a smile on him, holding out the bag in her hand.
He couldn’t help but smile back. She’d remembered to bring him back dessert when she had been in town for a day with her sisters, who she hadn’t seen in months?
Of course she had. That was just Callista: she would never have forgotten him, would never even have considered it.
“Thank you.” He hesitated, but held out his hand to her anyway.
She wrapped hers around it, squeezing it tightly.
“I’m sorry your sister has been giving you such a hard time.” He was trying to feel his way here—trying to work his way toward the conversation that he really wanted to have with her. It might be better to wait until her sisters were gone—until he didn’t have Erin to contend with—but he was impatient, now that Theo had pointed out the obvious to him.
The obvious? Maybe not. Maybe it wasn’t as clear as he would have liked; but his way forward, at least, seemed perfectly clear enough.
“It’s all right. Erin’s just being Erin.” She flashed another smile, but it was tighter this time, with as much irritation as humor behind it.
“Is there anything I can do to help make the situation easier?” There. That was light enough, wasn’t it?
“No.” Callista sighed. “She’s determined to be as difficult as possible about this—and I can’t blame her, not really. She doesn’t—” She colored again, but this time, he didn’t think it was anger that sent the blush stealing across her cheeks. “She doesn’t see you the way I do.”
“She sees only the beast.” He sighed—but she’d offered him the opening. He’d take it. “What do you see?” he asked quietly.
“I—what?” She blinked at him, surprised. He’d caught her off-guard.
Well, so be it. He’d opened this door; now, he was going to go through it. “When you look at me.” He raised a furred hand, keeping his grimace of disgust to himself. Ca
llista didn’t like it when he reacted that way to his own appearance; and since he was equally frustrated when she chose to complain about hers, he supposed that it was fair. “What do you see, Callista?”
“I see my friend. I see you.” She darted that confused look up at him. “I don’t—why are you asking me this?”
“I had a very long, very interesting chat with your brother today.” And Theo had a lot more experience with women than he did, which had been nice. He supposed there ought to be some use to having four sisters.
“With Theo?” Now she looked really confused.
“Did you sneak in another brother while I wasn’t looking?” She did have two more. He’d have to meet them eventually. Actually, he was somewhat disappointed that they hadn’t come along on this trip—and wasn’t that surprising?
“I—well, no, but—”
“I asked…” This was more difficult than he had thought it would be. Maybe it would have been easier if so much hadn’t hung in the balance, but he rather doubted it. No, he thought the weight would likely have been just as heavy even if he had done this before the curse—because it was Callista, and because she mattered.
Would he even have noticed her, if it hadn’t been for the curse? Maybe not. She wasn’t the traditional beauty he would have pursued in the pre-curse days. He would have overlooked her—her less refined manners, her fascination with books, her quieter demeanor—in favor of a young lady with more energy and excitement, one who was more likely to go head to head with him.
He would have missed so much.
“You asked him what?” Callista pressed softly.
“I asked for his permission to court you.” Griffin took a deep breath. “And he gave it…but I would like yours, as well.”
“Isn’t that the entire point to me being here?” Callista wanted to know. He could see the dawning understanding in her eyes, but she wasn’t quite there yet—hadn’t quite made that last leap.
“It is,” he agreed quietly. “But I’d like to take it a step further. Callista, I want to pursue you with an eye toward marriage.”
She gasped softly. “Really? I mean—of all the girls you could have chosen—”
“Callista, I’ve never seen in any of those other girls what I see in you—and I never want to.” He felt a little self-conscious as he managed to get the words out. Who knew it would be so difficult to simply pursue a young lady? And yet…. “I love spending time with you. I find myself wanting to know your opinion on things even when it’s a subject you have no interest in. I’m interested in getting to know all there is to know about you.” He hesitated. “I won’t say that I’m in love with you until I mean it. Curse or no curse, those are serious words; and when I fall in love, I fully intend for it to be for a lifetime. I just know that I would like to see where this thing between us could go—whether or not it could lead us to true love.” He forced himself to keep his voice low and steady. “I believe that God intends for love to be for a lifetime, and I think that, curse or no curse, God is the one who has brought you into my life. I want to do this his way. No stolen moments, no rushing—just taking our time and getting to know one another.”
“I’d like that, too,” she admitted softly.
He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, feeling some of the tension slide away from his shoulders. “Do you think you could spend a lifetime with me, even if this is all I ever am?” he wanted to know.
“I think that I’d like to find out, but Griffin…” She licked her lips, looking uncertain. He had just poured his heart out to her and she was uncertain? Well, at least they were on the same page, here. “I’ve never seen the beast. You have to know that. If this is who you are, then—then I’m all right with it.”
He felt his chest swell with appreciation for her. This girl—there was something so special about this girl; and for the first time, he wasn’t frustrated or infuriated by the curse that had turned his life upside down.
Without it, he might never have met her.
“Well.” He cleared his throat. “That’s a start, then.”
“That’s a start,” Callista agreed.
They smiled at one another, both of them a little awkward, a little uncertain, but both of them ready to see where this new journey would take them.
He had the feeling that it was going to be quite the adventure—and for the first time, he couldn’t wait to find out where the next few months would go.
As they went down for dinner a few hours later, Griffin felt lighter than ever. He had Callista on his arm, her smile bright and sure. They were going down to have dinner with her siblings—and while he might not be sure of Erin and Millicent, he did like Theo, and he had the feeling that he was going to end up liking Stasi very much, too.
It had been a good day. In fact, he was delighted that her siblings had come, no matter how difficult it might be.
Callista had decided that she wasn’t going to tell Erin and Millicent that he had asked for permission to court her. It was, she’d said, just asking for trouble; and she wanted to enjoy their visit without having to worry about it.
He wondered how she’d tell Stasi. A quiet whisper, off to the side somewhere, when no one else was paying attention? That seemed the most likely, he thought. Theo might even help distract Erin and Millicent. Or perhaps the two of them would go off alone after dinner, giggle about it in a corner of the gardens.
He wished he could watch them. He liked seeing Callista with her sisters—liked seeing her open up and come alive in a way that she didn’t when she was with him. He wasn’t envious. This was a side of her that was meant for them, not one that was meant for the relationship that they shared. But seeing her giddy with excitement over their courtship…yes, that, he would love to see.
He rested his hand on top of hers—and then stiffened.
Callista felt it immediately. “What is it?” she whispered.
“I—” He swallowed hard. “I forgot the gloves,” he admitted, his voice low.
She laid her other hand on top of his. Her touch still made his breath catch—the touch that only she was willing to give him, as long as he lived in this monstrous form. “Don’t worry about it,” she whispered.
“But Erin—”
“Erin is going to be Erin whether you wear them or not.” She shot him a mischievous look. “Personally, I think you ought to just take the mask off and let her live with it.”
“I’m not going to—”
“I know you’re not.” Though she sighed a little as she said it. “But it’s a nice thought, don’t you think?”
“I think that spending the evening with you is a nice thought,” he temporized.
She giggled. He wondered if, perhaps, that giggle was a little bit sillier, a bit more breathless, than it had been yesterday—and discovered that he liked the idea that he had that kind of power over her. “If you want to go back upstairs…”
“If I go back upstairs, I’m going to be late for dinner.” And he wouldn’t get to walk in with her on his arm—which was, he had discovered, one of those little things that he quite enjoyed.
“Then I guess,” Callista informed him, “you’re just going to have to live with it.”
He never would have forgotten the gloves with strangers in his home before. He had become too caught up with her—too excited over the possibilities ahead of them. Had he been a fool?
Maybe. Probably.
He didn’t care—because for the first time, he wasn’t thinking of a young lady who had come to visit in terms of whether or not she was the one who would be able to break the curse.
He was thinking in terms of whether or not she was the one he could spend his life with—and when it was Callista, he was rather desperately hoping that the answer was yes.
Perhaps they were leaning in a bit too close to one another as they came into the hallway. Perhaps it was just the fact that he wasn’t wearing his gloves, and the reminder of all that he was—all too apparent with his
inhuman hands on display—drove her to distraction. Whatever it was, Erin gave him a scathing look that should have made his mask catch on fire as he and Callista came into sight.
He sighed.
“Just ignore her,” Callista whispered. “It’s what I’m going to do.”
He squeezed her hand gratefully.
Erin shuddered. He did his best to do as Callista had asked and simply ignore it. Erin was her sister, and she loved her.
That didn’t mean, however, that he had to like her—and he wasn’t sure yet whether or not he was going to be able to get past the way she was acting and do so.
I will, God. I’ll learn to like her, even to care for her, for Callista’s sake. If Callista is mine, then Erin will become part of my family. Which would place her quite squarely under his protection—and that was something that he wouldn’t consider changing. Callista loved her sister. He wouldn’t force her to choose between them, nor would he put her in a position of becoming distant from her family because of him. That was one of the hard, fast lines he simply would not cross.
No matter how difficult it might be.
“So, tell me about the town.” Theo cleared his throat as they walked into the dining room together, clearly aware of the tension that had Erin’s shoulders nearly as high as her ears.
“Oh, it’s lovely!” Millicent’s eyes lit up. “So many little shops—and there’s a gorgeous dressmaker’s shop. We have to take the time to visit it before we leave.”
“And there are some very sweet people in the town,” Stasi added with a softer smile. “I think Callista has made some true friends here—they’re going to have a very hard time letting her go when her year is over.”
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