Wolf's Bane

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Desiree made sure Peter returned to the dining hall and she took her seat next to Andrew once more.

He leaned closer and whispered, "Is everything alright?"

She glanced at Peter. "Everything's fine."

She'd debated whether she should tell Andrew what she'd witnessed. She figured it would be best not to make a scene, though. From what she'd gathered, it didn't seem like Peter would likely be held accountable for his actions and she didn't want to risk him retaliating were she to complain. On top of that, she figured it might be best if she spoke to Sebastian before she said anything to Andrew.

Dinner ended and she saw the guests out at Andrew's side. Sebastian still stood by the door, but no one glanced in his direction as they headed out.

As soon as the final guest left, Andrew breathed a sigh, immediately undoing his bowtie.

Desiree smiled at his expression. "Not really your thing, I take it."

"These dinners are fun to an extent," he replied. "It's just difficult to maintain my composure sometimes." He looked at her. "You did incredibly, by the way. Honestly, you're a natural."

"I didn't do much."

"I hope nobody upset you," he commented. "I know there were a lot of personal questions."

"Personal questions don't faze me that much," she assured him. "I am tired, though, and eager to get out of these heels."

"That is perfectly understandable," he replied. "I will see you tomorrow, then."

"See you tomorrow," she agreed and he headed towards his room. As soon as he was out of sight, Desiree turned back to the door, but Sebastian had disappeared. She frowned as she looked around for him, but he didn't seem to be nearby. She stopped a nearby maid and asked. "Do you know where Sebastian went?"

"I haven't seen him," the maid replied. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No, it's fine." Desiree headed up to her room, figuring she could find him later. She kicked off her heels and washed her face before pulling bobby pins from her hair. She brushed it out as well as she could, figuring she could get it back to normal by washing it the next day.

She lay down on the bed and stared up at her canopy. She was tired, but her head was racing. She wanted to know what Peter had been up to, but she wasn't sure if she should talk to Andrew about it as she hadn't gotten a chance to ask Sebastian anything. She tossed and turned for a while before getting up. She couldn't sleep unless she cleared her head.

She threw on some clothes and pulled her hair back out of her face, deciding a walk would probably do her some good. The estate was big and the night was fairly warm, so fresh air seemed like the best idea.

As soon as she stepped outside, a security guard asked, "Do you need a ride somewhere?"

Desiree had been planning to wander, but it occurred to her she might get lost. Besides, there was one spot on the estate that she knew would be perfect to help her relax. "Would it be okay for me to go down to the garden?"

"Of course." He called someone on a radio and a car was soon driven out to her.

Desiree figured it was best she not drive when tired, so she had the driver take her down to the garden, dropping her off there.

The path through the garden was illuminated as she knew it would be, having been there after dark with Andrew. Desiree took a deep breath of the floral scents, feeling slightly better already. She made her way to the morning glories, but they were closed for the night. She knew they would be, but she was still happy to see them.