by Lily Thomas
Melted by Love
Lily S. Thomas
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 by Lily Thomas
Cover created by SelfPubBookCovers.com/Ravenborn
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce the book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information email [email protected]
www.lilythomasromance.com
ISBN:
ISBN: (ebook)
Chapter 1
Jasmine couldn't wait to grab a book so she could read in the expansive manor gardens. Quickly, she pinned up her curly brunette hair, donned an older dress, and slipped on a pair of worn shoes, so her toes wouldn’t be pinched. The newer fashions were getting more constricting on the body.
Once dressed, Jasmine checked her reflection in the mirror. With a nod of satisfaction, she was ready to go.
“Perfect! Just a perfect day!” With a wink at her image, Jasmine left her room and headed for the manor library.
Before her parents died, they collected all the books they came across during their travels. Jasmine wished they were still alive so she could share the joy of reading with them. She’d been young when they were killed and attacked by thieves while traveling to the king’s castle.
Just as she reached the library, horns blared the coming arrival of guests approaching the manor.
“Jasmine!” An excited voice called out from behind her.
Jasmine stopped mid-step and sighed. Of course, she wouldn’t make it to the library without someone wanting her. She turned on her heel to see her older sister running full tilt toward her. The layers of her dress flapped about her fashionable but impractical shoes, and Jasmine wondered how her sister kept from tripping.
Jasmine couldn’t help smiling. Now here was the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. Adorra, two years older than Jasmine, usually carried herself with an air of prestige and always wore the current fashions. Jasmine just needed something to wear, preferably something comfortable that she could walk the gardens in or wear while riding a horse.
“Who’s arrived?” Jasmine asked. It was rare to receive any visitors at the manor, and no one was due to arrive for several weeks.
“He has!” Adorra said dreamily, as she clasped her hands together in front of her chin.
“Adorra, who’s arrived?” Jasmine watched the excitement build in her sister's eyes and grinned in response. Her sister’s exhilaration was nothing if not contagious. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll never know who has come calling.”
With a sigh, Adorra explained as though Jasmine was an ignorant child. “Lord Gothar is here! I know, he is early, but isn't it wonderful?”
“I’m happy for you, Adorra,” Jasmine said, as she hugged her sister.
They were close since they had no one but each other, and now her sister was getting married. A small part of Jasmine broke, thinking she might in some way lose the close love they had, but she was also glad to see her sister so excited about her impending marriage to Lord Gothar. It’d been a long time since there was a reason to celebrate at the manor.
“Will you join me in greeting him?” Adorra asked as she hooked her arm through Jasmine's.
Laughing, Jasmine replied, “Do I get a choice, dear sister?”
“No, now come on. We must get to the courtyard before he does, or we will have failed in our duties as hosts to greet our guests.”
“And we wouldn’t want to be rude.” Jasmine rolled her eyes. She wasn’t keen on meeting the man who was coming into their close-knit lives. She couldn’t help but think he was going to change everything.
By the time they made it to the doors of the manor, the servants and their advisors were lined up beside the steps leading up to the manor house. They looked proper and well managed, always making a good impression on visitors.
The servants were more like family, even more so since their parents had died that tragic day, but they knew when to keep up appearances for guests. Outside of their manor, servants were nothing more than hired hands.
Turning Jasmine to face her, Adorra ran her hands over her dress nervously. “Do I look ready? Nothing out of place?” Her sister patted her hair down with frantic hands.
“You’ve nothing to worry about. You’re always beautiful.” Jasmine captured her sister’s hands in her own and squeezed it gently.
Jasmine turned to watch the carriages pull up to the manor, but she also watched her sister out of the corner of her eye.
Mentally, she shook her head. Adorra was always fretting about looking her best, while Jasmine was just worried about having a good novel in her hand. Then again, Adorra was set on marriage and children, while Jasmine just enjoyed life. No man had yet to catch her undivided attention.
Jasmine focused on the carriages. She had yet to meet the much talked about Lord Gothar. She barely went to court, since most of those people were frivolous busybodies.
Lord Gothar had to be an absolute heartthrob and catch since Adorra wouldn't have fallen for just anyone. She was a high maintenance woman, and she would’ve demanded the best husband.
The first carriage stopped, the door popped open and out came Lord Gothar, or so Jasmine assumed.
No wonder her sister had fallen in love with him. He had a full head of golden blonde hair, and the most dazzling green eyes Jasmine had ever seen. Both she and her sister curtsied and then descended the stairs.
“Welcome to our manor and home. These are my advisors,” Adorra pointed to the group of older men standing to the side, “and the servants will take care of your belongings, carriages, and horses.” Adorra smiled up at him, seeming completely love struck.
Lord Gothar took in the servants in front of the manor with a disdainful look in his eyes, then stuck his nose high into the air. Jasmine’s eyes narrowed. He appeared to be judging their manor house. Jasmine felt her hackles rise in defense. What was there to judge about their manor house?
“My man, Keir, will oversee them.” He moved to the side to let another man exit the same carriage. Without so much as a smile in Adorra’s direction, Lord Gothar strode up the front steps. “I will be shown to my rooms now. I need to get refreshed, after such a long journey from the king’s castle.”
So straightforward, hard, and unmoving. So far Jasmine wasn’t fond of this great love of Adorra's, yet, there had to be something there to attract Adorra. Maybe he was a dusty gem, and Jasmine just needed some time to see beyond the grime.
Without missing a beat, Adorra motioned one of the servants forward. “Please show Lord Gothar to his rooms.”
The servant curtsied and nearly ran up the stairs in her haste to open the door before Lord Gothar reached it.
All of these courtly manners were so foreign to Jasmine, and she knew she was bound to make more than a few errors, while Lord Gothar was here.
“Did you hear the way he said that?” Jasmine whispered as they followed him inside at a slight distance.
“What do you mean?” Adorra whispered back to her.
“He seems stuck up, frankly.” Jasmine stared at his back with disdain, until he disappeared down a different corridor ahead of them.
“He comes from the king's court, and you aren’t familiar with the way they’re raised.” Adorra begged Jasmine, “Just give him a chance. Once you get to know him, as I have, you will see he isn't a horrible man. He is just straight to the point, and I find it so refreshing, especially since it’s so rare at court.” As Adorra said the last sentence she gripped Jasmine's hands in her own and looked deeply into Jasmine's eyes.
/> She couldn’t look away from her sister’s intense gaze. “Only because he caught your heart will I give him a chance.”
“Shall we see to the evening meal? Lord Gothar will expect certain foods served at specific times. I want to impress him with how we run our manor. He’s only known the comfy castle life.” Adorra smiled and pulled Jasmine along with her.
Later that evening, Jasmine sank into a chair at the dinner table in relief. The afternoon had been a blur of last minute tasks in response to Lord Gothar’s early arrival.
“How did you find your rooms?” Adorra asked, and Jasmine looked up in surprise from where they sat to see Lord Gothar approaching. After a slight bow in their direction, he pulled out a chair and took a seat.
“Frankly, I was disappointed with the size of my suite. Is there nothing larger I can stay in?”
Adorra shook her head. “Unfortunately, not.”
Jasmine prickled and found herself unable to stay silent. “Our manor was built in a simpler time. Back when our father’s ancestors were more worried about defense against the ice giants than fashionable clothes and the size of their living quarters.”
Adorra flushed. “Obviously, times have changed. You could say that our manor is not up to date.”
Lord Gothar looked between them. “Hmm.” Turning his attention to the food laid on the table, he asked, “Is this what we are having?”
Jasmine’s eyebrows rose. His face betrayed no feelings, but his tone of voice said it all. He was disappointed in the rooms and the food. Her sister was wrong. There was no possible way Jasmine would grow fond of Lord Gothar. He found complaints about everything around him.
He didn’t appreciate all the food her sister had gone to great pains and expense to prepare. They should have just served him some soup and bread and saved the money.
Adorra had spent so much time with the cook, while they prepared the menu and figured out the timing of the dinner. He wasn’t just insulting the food. He was abusing her sister and their manor’s cook.
Jasmine forgot there were people all around them and glared daggers at Lord Gothar and his stuck-up nose.
“Did I ever tell you how I shared a private dinner with the king, Adorra?” Lord Gothar asked. “A deliciously roasted rabbit was served for the first course. You should have seen the table. It was grand!” Lord Gothar pushed his plate away from him. “Everything was done with style. The pigeon pie had to be my favorite dish out of them all.”
Jasmine’s eyes darted over their table where a roasted chicken, vegetables, bread, and small meat tarts were spread out. It might not be rabbit or pigeon, but Jasmine thought everything smelled and tasted fantastic.
Adorra pinched Jasmine’s thigh, and she jerked a bit but hid her sudden movement with a cough. Adorra gave her a couple of stern looks for glaring at Lord Gothar. Was no one hearing his slights other than her?
Trying pleased her sister, Jasmine turned her gaze down to her plate, while she listened to the conversation around her.
“As we traveled here, I glimpsed some of the land around your manor. I thought it would be more extensive.”
Clearly, manners weren't taught at court. Jasmine refrained from glaring at him again for insulting their property.
Adorra blushed. “We may have a small manor, but we take great care of it. With the help of our advisors, we’ve built enough income that we could expand our land and the servants we employ.” Adorra smiled across the table.
It pained Jasmine to see Adorra trying her best to impress a man who refused to be influenced by anything she showed him.
“Perhaps I’ll take a look at the books before you decide to buy any more land. Since I’m to be your husband soon, I would like to start taking on the role.” His chin rose in the air with his self-importance.
The urge to reach over the table and smack him rushed over Jasmine, but she restrained herself and spoke through clenched teeth instead.
“I’m sure the books will still be there for you to look at when you two have finally wed.” He wasn’t Adorra’s husband yet, and he had no right to their books.
How much of this was she supposed to endure? This man was impossible.
Lord Gothar’s green-eyed gaze turned to her, and goosebumps crawled all over Jasmine’s skin. Something about him set her nerves on high alert, but she couldn't place it. Maybe it was just his snotty attitude.
“I am only concerned about the well-being of the manor and the land surrounding it.” His jade-eyed gaze tried to stare her down, but she stared back until he glanced away, pulling his plate back toward him and meticulously selecting from the platters in the middle of the table.
“I’m sure you are,” she whispered under her breath so no one would hear.
Jasmine watched all night as her sister and Lord Gothar interacted. Jasmine was upset to say it looked like her sister was the only one in love. Adorra would stare up at him adoringly, smile, and reach out to touch his arm, but he never did any of it back. He seemed focused just on himself and seeing their books.
Why did her sister feel anything for this cold, heartless man? Perhaps love genuinely was blind.
Deciding she’d seen enough, Jasmine excused herself early so she could retire for the night.
She didn’t want to watch her poor sister pour her heart into a man who apparently didn’t feel the same. It appeared Adorra couldn’t see his lack of love for her. Then again, how many marriages in life were formed because of love? At least Adorra loved the man she was to marry, even if he didn't return her feelings.
It was still better than most marriages. He might only be interested in what wealth Adorra could bring him, but that meant he would do his best to ensure their land stayed profitable. Lord Gothar was rude, but the servants assigned to his quarters had reported back to Jasmine that he was more dismissive than cruel. And he still had his youth and status.
Yes, there could be far worse marriage prospects. Plus, outside of the glamor of the king’s court, there was the chance Adorra might see Lord Gothar in the same light as Jasmine. Or perhaps Lord Gothar would relax, and Jasmine would know the man her sister had fallen in love with while at court.
Jasmine closed her bedroom door behind her and walked over to the balcony. Opening the double glass doors, she stepped out into the fresh air of the night. She stood there for a few minutes listening to the sounds of the wind rustling through the leaves of the trees below her.
With a sigh, she plopped her head down on her arms, as she laid them on the balcony railing. The night sky was perfect, bright lights high in the sky glistened down on her, and the moon lit up the manor courtyard.
Never could she imagine herself at court, but she knew that at some point she would wind up going there.
She’d never find a husband all the way out here. Her heart ached because when she did find a husband, she knew he might have the same personality as Lord Gothar. He’d be a man of wealth and status, but he wouldn’t love her. Instead, he would just want children, which meant they would have to share a loveless bed.
When Adorra married Lord Gothar, he would be taking over Jasmine’s life as well. As lord of the manor he would, of course, want to find her a husband, and then she would be expected to live at her husband's home.
A shiver shook her. “I don’t want to leave the manor,” she whispered to the cool night. “It’s all I’ve ever known and all that I want to know.” She could barely imagine a life without her sister nearby.
Jasmine shook her head and decided to find a good book to read. It would distract her mind from the future, which now looked so bleak.
A knock on the door jolted her awake. Jasmine squinted at the sunlight streaming in through her open balcony doors. She let out a groan and rolled over on top of the book she’d been reading the night before.
Prying it out from under her back she threw it onto the other side of her bed.
“Come in!” She all but barked. She’d stayed up way too late reading.
Adorra ente
red, and her hazel eyes went wide, as she saw Jasmine still in bed. “I have never known you to sleep in past daybreak. Are you feeling ill?” Adorra rushed over and placed a hand on Jasmine’s forehead.
“I’m fine, mother.” Jasmine brushed her sister’s hand off her forehead.
“You can’t blame me for being concerned,” Adorra huffed. “I’ve been looking out for you since we were children.”
“I sat up reading for quite some time last night.” Then Jasmine added, “I needed to calm down from last night’s meal.”
“Jasmine, I know he isn't perfect, but no one is. I hoped you would accept him as I have.” Adorra explained. “Trust me. Out of all the men at court, he is one of the finest.”
“He doesn't even love you back. Even a blind person could see it as clearly as I have.”
Adorra turned her gaze away and rubbed one of her arms.
“I’m sorry—”
Adorra interrupted her. “Not all marriages start with love. Love has to be earned, and it grows with time, Jasmine. He will provide us with a good living, and the two of us can’t stay unmarried forever. If we don’t choose, you know the king will choose for us.”
Adorra met Jasmine's gaze, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Rushing over, Jasmine hugged her. “I’m sorry. I just want to make sure you truly wish to marry him and don't feel like you’re obligated to marry him.”
Setting Jasmine an arm’s length away Adorra said simply, “I accept him, and now I need you to do the same. Will you change so you can join us for the mid-day meal?”
“Mid-day?” Jasmine's jaw dropped, momentarily distracted from their intense discussion. “I will be down there in a minute. Please go, and begin without me.”
Adorra sent her a small smile, sucked in a deep breath, and left the room.
Jasmine slipped quickly into a blue dress with matching slippers, grabbed some jewelry, and ran for the great hall.