Manservant

8

I was just checking my reflection in the mirror that night when I heard the knock at the door.

I pinched my cheeks one last time to get up a natural, little blush (a trick Maia had taught me), before turning and standing up straight. "Come in."

The door opened, and a tall, muscular frame filled the doorway, carrying a bundle of firewood. "Miss Alicia," Theo greeted, not quite meeting my eye in that dim, fire-lit room. "Here's that firewood you needed ... for ... " he trailed off as he saw the heap of wood sitting next to the hearth.

"It's a cold night," I quipped.

He didn't say anything, going over to add more firewood to the pile. Meanwhile, I snuck behind him, carefully shutting my bedroom door.

Noting the click of the door, Theo glanced over at me. "Are you sure you know what you're doing, Miss Alicia?" he asked, giving me a long, searching look. "Your mother is in the next room."

"Are you afraid, Theo?"

"A little fear can be healthy," he murmured, shrugging his big, broad shoulders. I imagined running my hands over them, down his chest, all over that tattooed body of his.

"I just wanted to get your opinion on something."

One of his brows perked up in interest. "Oh?"

I went over to my closet, pulling out a bunch of dresses. "I was hoping you could help me decide what to wear for this get-together I have to go to in a few days."

"And what makes you think I would be the authority on such matters?" he asked, his voice teasing.

"Why not?" I asked, pulling off my nightdress and standing in my undergarments. His eyes widened, while I drew on a dress at random.

Without Maia to help me though, I couldn't quite lace myself up in the back. "What do you think of this one?" I asked, facing the mirror and taking satisfaction at the sight of his stunned expression. "I like the way it brings out my eyes but Mother and Felicity say the fashion's a little dated ... "

Silently, Theo swept up behind me, his hands reaching around and circling my waist. He leaned his head down low, lips just next to my ear. "What are you doing, Miss Alicia?"

"Getting your opinion. We still have a few more dresses to go, by the way."

"Tell me. What is this 'get-together' of yours that you have to go to? Is this another of your mother's designs to find you a suitor?"

"No, this is – " I stopped myself mid-sentence. "It's, uh, just a gathering at a friend's, that's all."

Theo paused, seeming pensive. With a gentle tug, he tugged me backwards, so that I bumped into his chest. "Would this friend happen to be the same friend I saw speaking to you this afternoon?" he wondered.

"He's just an old family friend, that's all."

"An old family friend who's been coming by a great deal," he pointed out, nipping gently at my earlobe.

"He just came back from the war, after all."

"That's right," he said, his voice altered slightly. "A war fighting against my people. I hear he even won two medals of honor."

Clearly, I was entering dangerous territory here. I warned myself to be careful about what I said next. "I can't presume to understand how that makes you feel," I told him. "But he's not a bad person. Please don't hate him."

"My hatred is too big to be spent on one youth."

That made me frown. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing. Nothing that concerns you," he said, a sigh falling past his lips with the words. He reached up from behind, tipping up my chin so that we could explore each other with a kiss.