“No, not her.” The young lady waved her hand. “The little one. Callista, is it?”
“Callista?” Erin looked around, frowning harder. “I don’t see her—but she may have had to leave.” She bit her lip, feeling guilty that she hadn’t taken a little more time with her youngest sister. Who knew how long that beast had been willing to let her go? Probably he hadn’t even given her permission to stay for the entire party.
“Had to leave?” The girl’s eyebrows shot up. “Why on earth would she have to rush off from the wedding?”
“It’s kind of a long story.” Erin turned away, searching the room. Had Callista really left already? She’d thought she would at least stay and say goodbye, if nothing else.
“I’d love to hear it.” She leaned in.
“Do I know you?” Erin gave her a dark look that should have had her scampering back off just as soon as she could get her skirts out of the way to run.
Unfortunately, she seemed immune to that particular look.
“Oh.” She waved her hand elegantly—or at least, she got the feeling that it was supposed to be elegant. It was mostly stuck-up. “My name is Mary Margaret—but that’s not really important, is it?” She leaned in still closer, making Erin long to take a step backward. “You’re one of the middle sisters—Erin, right?”
Erin nodded. “It’s just—well, my sister—” She sighed. “Are you aware that we didn’t expect Callista to be able to make it at all?” she wanted to know.
“I’d heard whispers,”Mary Margaret admitted delicately.
“Well, she’s, ah, spending a year with a prince.” Erin rolled her eyes. “Apparently, there’s some curse that can only be broken if he falls in love with a maiden who stays with him for a year and a day, or some such nonsense.”
“Oh, how terrible.” Mary Margaret pressed a hand to her chest. “He’s cursed, you say? It must be so miserable for Callista to have to live like that!”
“I thought so,” Erin muttered, remembering her own mad dash home and how she’d felt about the entire experience. “But Callista doesn’t seem to be having any such problem. Honestly, the way she’s acting, you’d think she wanted to be there.”
Mary Margaret’s gaze sharpened. “How long was she here?” she demanded.
“Just a few hours.” Erin rolled her eyes. “I understand that she has to get back—that was one of the terms of the deal—but really, she couldn’t even have made it through the entire reception? Honestly, you’d think she was starting to have feelings for that—that beast!”
“He’s a beast, is he?”
“Oh, you wouldn’t believe it. He wears this mask—well, Callista says she doesn’t make him wear it, but she’s stronger about that sort of thing than I am. Honestly, he’s terrifying!” Erin shivered dramatically. “Just looking at him—I can hardly imagine what he must have done to end up cursed that way, but does my sister see it? Oh, no, she keeps going on about how kind and generous he is, and how I should have just gotten to know him a little bit better!” She hadn’t meant to go on quite this much about it. Callista’s current predicament was, after all, something of a family secret, and she wasn’t in any great hurry for the knowledge of her father’s gambling habit to get out. But still, the fact that her sister had yet again disappeared into the monster’s clutches, acting as though she somehow belonged there, when he was so hideous and so—so—well, it wasn’t like this girl would remember it anyway. She’d probably forget all about it right in the middle of the conversation!
“You don’t think he has her under his spell, do you?” Mary Margaret wanted to know. “I mean, that year and a day stuff—that sounds like a spell to me.” She leaned in still closer, lowering her voice to a whisper, but this time, Erin didn’t feel quite so much like pushing her away. This time, she was starting to think that maybe Mary Margaret had the right idea after all. “Your sister—she’s not the susceptible type, is she? Believes in fairy tales and all of that?”
“Callista? Oh, well, I—” Erin stopped, slowly thinking about her sister—really thinking about her. Callista, who had always stood in their shadow. Callista, whose quiet beauty didn’t quite hold a candle to her sisters’ flashier appearances. Callista, who preferred books to people, and who always thought the best of everyone around her, even when they were all being, well, blithering idiots.
“She is, isn’t she?” Mary Margaret shook her head. “How much time does she have left? If it’s a long time—well, maybe he’ll tire of her and send her away.”
“Weeks, maybe.” Erin tried to do the math in her head but came up blank. She had never really thought that Callista would do it—that she’d make it the whole length of the year. How could anyone live such horror, trapped in a castle with such a monster.
“Weeks?” Mary Margaret’s voice was sharp. “How many? It’s important!”
“I—” Erin turned and looked behind her. “Theo? Theo!”
Theo hurried over to her, looking worried. “Is everything all right?” They’d all worked together—hard—to make Stasi’s wedding dreams reality. The last thing any of them wanted was to see it falling apart now; and she knew what he suspected, could see from the look in his eyes that he was half expecting to be told that some little detail had been overlooked and something they’d thought settled was falling to pieces.
It was—but it wasn’t a wedding detail.
“Quickly—how much longer is Callista spending away?” she wanted to know.
“I—six weeks, maybe?” Theo did some fast math in his head. “Five and a half at the least. Why?”
“Oh no.” Mary Margaret pressed her hands to her lips. “You must get her out of there—you mustn’t let it last the full year and a day. You simply mustn’t!”
“I don’t know that we have much of a choice,” Theo drawled quietly. “He won’t release the contract unless the year’s service is fulfilled, and Callista’s the only one who has been able to stick it out—if she comes home—” He pressed his lips together in a thin line, not completing that sentence.
“He’s released others before—at least, he has if he’s the one I think he is. She just needs to make it clear that she has to leave, that she can’t stand to be there for another—oh, dear, I just can’t imagine—” Mary Margaret turned away, clearly overcome.
“What do you know?” Erin demanded. “What’s he doing to our sister?”
“Erin,” Theo cautioned. “Really, Callista is fine. She’s happy! She—” He hesitated. She could see him thinking it through before he actually came out and made his next statement in words. “Look,” he said, his voice low, “I’m pretty sure she’s fallen in love with him. And isn’t that just like Callista?”
“Fallen…in love?” Mary Margaret stared from one of them to the other. “But she can’t have!”
“I admit, it’s kind of an odd situation,” Theo said easily. “But Griffin’s been good enough to her, and she seems to genuinely care for him. Honestly, I’m glad of it. She deserves someone who will treat her right—someone who will show her the world.”
“Oh, but you’ve got to get her out of there!” Mary Margaret protested.
“I’ve got to get her out of somewhere that she’s happy?” Theo remained unconvinced.
Erin stepped on her brother’s foot. She wanted to hear what Mary Margaret had to say—wanted to hear why it was so important that they get Callista out as soon as possible. Clearly, Mary Margaret knew something, or understood something, that they didn’t. If Callista was in danger—real danger—from that creature, she wanted to know about it so they could figure out a way to get her out of there!
“He’s got her under a spell—he must!” Mary Margaret looked from one of them to the next as though beseeching them to understand. “She can’t have fallen in love with him—not a creature like—” She took a deep breath. “I’ve been inside the castle,” she whispered. “I’ve seen the beast, talked with him. He’s not—what he’ll do to her—she’s not safe, I swear to you
she’s not, and you can’t let her remain there any longer!”
Erin grasped her hands tightly. “Tell us what you know,” she requested quietly. “We need to know how to save her.”
Theo rolled his eyes. “I’m telling you, Erin, she doesn’t need saving,” he pointed out.
“And I’m telling you, you don’t know that,” she shot back. “And I would never forgive myself if she was in danger and I just sat here, doing nothing. If it’s a spell—if it’ll come to completion after a year and a day—well, how do you explain her—her falling in love with that creature?”
“It could be that she saw beneath the surface and fell in love with a decent guy,” Theo pointed out.
“I don’t even think that’s possible,” Erin informed him.
He rolled his eyes. “Well, if you’re going to form a plan, you’re going to need the others,” he informed her. “Because none of them will ever forgive you if you stage some great rescue attempt without them.”
“We’ll need them all,” Mary Margaret said firmly. “Because you may have a very hard time indeed convincing her to leave willingly.”
“We’ll do what we have to do,” Erin said firmly.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Beauty Unveiled
It started with a letter—an odd letter, to be sure, but just a letter. Under normal circumstances, Callista might have disregarded it altogether—and probably would have, had it come from any of her other siblings. Coming from Theo, though, made her acknowledge it as something that she had to at least pay attention to.
My Dearest Callista,
I sincerely hope that this letter finds you abundantly well. You should be warned; the others are quite concerned with you. Apparently, your appearance at the wedding attracted the attention of a young lady who then pulled from Erin the details of your stay at the castle. I hesitate to tell you this, because I’m sure it’s just stirring up trouble, but chances are, you’re going to be hearing from Erin sometime soon. Be prepared, and be prepared to deal with it maturely, please.
All my love,
Theo
“You don’t think she’s going to start trying to convince me to leave again, do you?” Callista asked curiously, passing the letter to Griffin.
He rolled his eyes—much the same way she imagined Theo must have when he wrote the letter to begin with. “Who knows?” he wanted to know. “Callista, I know that she’s your sister and you love her, but honestly…”
“I know.” She sighed. “I’m sure she’ll have her own set of questions and want to tell me all about how I’m being a fool for staying here, or some such nonsense.”
“Do you think you’re a fool?” The fact that she’d come back after the wedding seemed to have quieted him, calmed him in ways that Callista hadn’t expected. He seemed more quietly sure of her now, more comfortable with her than he ever had been before.
“I don’t think I am,” she promised him, smiling.
“Then I suppose it doesn’t really matter what your sister thinks, does it?” He leaned forward, resting his hand on hers for just a moment, then took the letter and crumpled it in his hand. “Really, I’m sure Theo’s just giving you a fair warning. I’m sure it’s not comfortable for him, either, knowing that his sister is trapped in a castle, unchaperoned, with a monster.”
“You’re no monster.” She rested her hand over his, her smile softening more with every moment that passed. She wasn’t sure when it had happened, but over time, the seeds of love had been planted.
She just had to let them grow—and they were growing, a little bit more every day. She was sure that it was love, now—and equally, she was sure that he was falling in love with her, too.
Had already fallen?
Every day that they spent together was precious, now. Time was running down and running out. She found herself not wanting to go down to the village, not wanting to miss a minute with him; and Griffin was just as eager for every moment spent with her, setting aside other responsibilities in favor of a few more hours in her company.
They had only weeks left—just weeks.
When the letter from Erin arrived, it underscored just how precious their time together was going to be.
Dear Callista,
I don’t care what it costs anymore—you have to get out of there. I mean it! Get out of the castle, get out of the city. We’ll find a way to keep Papa from ending up in that beast’s clutches. It will be well worth the sacrifice even if we have to uproot the entire family and move—and anyway, what is he going to do about it? It’s not as though he can go chasing us across the globe, and that servant of his surely has more to occupy his time.
Please, leave as soon as you can. I’m hoping that you’ll use that mirror to transport yourself back to us as soon as possible. Just show up one day like you did for Stasi’s wedding—it will be worth the surprise. Don’t worry about your things. We’ll find a way to replace what we can. Just come home!
Love,
Erin
Callista shook her head as she showed the letter to Griffin. “She just doesn’t get it, does she?” she demanded.
“Is there anything to get?” he teased lightly, leaning down to brush his fingers over her cheek.
“I don’t know.” She smiled up at him, suddenly feeling shy. “You tell me.” After all, the way he treated her—so tenderly, so carefully—didn’t have to mean that he was in love with her, did it?
“I think there is.” He hesitated, then leaned in, brushing his lips across her cheek.
Callista held very still, careful not to do anything that might be perceived as pulling away. He was always so careful with her, so worried that she was going to break if he touched her the wrong way! She had long ago stopped seeing the beastly visage, had started seeing just Griffin. She wasn’t intimidated by the curse.
What was any curse compared to what was between them?
She sighed. “I suppose I should write back to Erin,” she admitted, though she leaned into him instead, reluctant to leave him, unable to imagine it.
“I suppose you should,” Griffin agreed. “Reassure her—let her know what you’re all right, and that she’s making a mountain out of nothing again.”
She disengaged only reluctantly from him; and because she’d been forced to, her letter was perhaps a bit shorter than it might ordinarily have been.
Dear Erin,
I don’t know where you’ve gotten this idea that there’s something here for me to run from! Griffin and I are completely happy, and trust me, I don’t have any plans to leave any time soon. I’m happy here. I love the castle, and all of its rooms; I love the town, and the friends that I’ve made down there; I love the stables, and all of the horses in them. I don’t know how to be clearer, sis: I’m not sure I’m coming home.
Love,
Callista
She sighed, sealing the letter and sending it off as soon as possible. Better that she put Erin’s fears to rest than that she let them stew. Who knew what Erin would invent in her own mind next, if it was left up to her?
There was only one thing Callista had left out of the letter—three words that she hadn’t yet been able to speak aloud, and so felt that she shouldn’t say them to anyone else. Even Arabelle and Juliette had given up getting her to say it.
Wasn’t feeling it enough? Surely, if their love was real, it would be enough to shatter the curse; and there would be no avoiding seeing that happen, given the fact that Griffin’s entire appearance was supposed to change when it broke.
She would always wonder, later, if she should have included those words—written them out for her sister to see and understand. If she had, would it have changed the way things played out?
She’d never know.
Callista had been down in the village, visiting Lindsey and her twins with Arabella and Juliette. The twins were beautiful; and if she asked carefully, Callista had learned that she could get Lindsey to talk about Griffin as a child, as long as she didn’t say anything that wo
uld lead her to think about the man or what might have happened to him since then. He was woven into many of her childhood memories so deeply that there would be no escaping it even with the curse; and so she got to keep the memories, albeit without any awareness of what Griffin had become since the last time she had seen him.
She could listen to Lindsey tell those stories for hours; and Lindsey might have guessed that she and Griffin meant something to one another, because she tried to have at least one at hand whenever Callista came to visit. Since she made a point of coming down at a time when Lindsey might need more hands, surreptitiously providing the help Griffin would have if he’d been able, she was always welcome, and she thought Lindsey tried to give her that gift in return.
She came back to the castle with a bounce in her step, doing her best to keep her giggles at bay. Lindsey had just told a rousing tale about how she and Griffin had decided that they didn’t want to wait for dessert to try one of the pies that had been made for after dinner, and they had concocted an elaborate scheme to make sure that they got to them without her mother noticing—which, of course, she had, albeit not until they had eaten themselves sick. The tale had ended with Griffin eating the better part of a cherry pie all on his own, ultimately making him quite sick that evening.
She was thinking about suggesting cherry pie to him, just to see what he said. According to Lindsey, he hadn’t been able to touch cherry pie since the incident—but that had been a long time ago, and his preferences might have changed over all those years.
“Griffin!” she called, bouncing into the gardens where she most often found him when she came back. If he had work to do while she was gone, he often took it out there, insisting that he wanted to at least be able to hear her if something happened.
He didn’t answer her.
Callista frowned. Now that was odd. She’d been sure that he would be out here by now, pacing and wishing that he could head down to the town to check on her. She’d been a little later than usual coming back—the twins had been fussing, Lindsey had looked like she was going to pull her hair out if she was left alone with them, and both her husband and her mother had been stuck at work. Callista had stayed, at least providing an extra set of hands to bounce and cuddle.
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