Aristocrat | ✓

CHAPTER ELEVEN

     That night, I didn't have to force myself to stay awake because I couldn't sleep. Once it had gotten dark enough, I got a hold of the oil lamp sitting on my drawer before slipping out of my chamber. As I have been doing for the past month, I walked through the hallway and headed up the stairs to the Lord's room.

     Who is Sawyer? The question was on the tip of my tongue, but I had promised myself not to ask the Lord that. I saw how upset it made him on our ride back to the castle. I didn't want to see that expression on his face again, even though curiosity was clawing at my chest. I knocked on the Lord's door. Once, twice and when he didn't answer at the third knock, I let myself in.

     The door creaked open, and the first thing I saw was the Lord sitting on his bed, looking through papers. Troy was laying at his feet. The dog raised his head, and Lord Evenus turned to look at me.

     "I didn't hear you..." he trailed before the room fell into silence. "Did you knock?"

     "I knocked," I muttered, closing the door behind me.

     "Oh, that's alright," the Lord said, looking away from me before putting the papers in front of him away. I wondered what he was looking through. I knew the Lord also did the bookkeeping for the castle, but I had a suspicion those papers had nothing to do with finances.

     "Come join me," the Lord muttered, scooting a bit before tapping the space beside him. I opened my mouth, but I didn't have anything to say. A sigh left my lips before I nodded and went to the drawer to drop my lamp.

     Troy got off the bed, and I made to climb in. Crawling into bed with the Lord made my chest squeeze up even though I've done it a few nights a week for the past two fortnights or so. When I had settled in, I turned to find the Lord staring at me. His gaze was deep, and his brows were furrowed. It seemed like he was trying to read me for something somehow, but I didn't know what.

     He reached out a hand to touch my face before brushing back the hair by my ear. I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath as I felt my heartbeat against my ribs.

     The covers made a sliding noise as the Lord came closer to me. He pressed our foreheads together before closing his eyes. I didn't close mine. I watched as a series of expressions play on his face as he took deep breaths. He hadn't shaved in a while, so his stubble was back to cover his strong jawline.

     "Is something the matter?" I said, feeling my voice shatter the silence as if it were delicate glassware.

     Lord Evenus didn't say anything to me, he remained silent. He leaned off me soon after, but he took my hand in his, squeezing it as he hummed under his breath. I noticed the bags under his eyes when the moonlight caught his face as he moved a bit.

     He hasn't been sleeping in a while. I bit my bottom lip at the realization. I wondered what was on his mind, but I didn't think it was my place to ask. I would just have to wait for him to share his thoughts with me.

     "Manfred, do you know what my first name is?" I tried to think about it, but now that I thought about it I had never heard anyone call the Lord by his first name, not even his guests did. I knew Evenus was a family name—but the Lord hadn't been related to the last Lord Viscount of Barcombe.

     I shook my head, and the Lord gave me a small smile as he rubbed the base of his thumb over my knuckles.

     "It's Bennett," he said, looking out into the room like it was strange to hear his own name.

     "Will you call me Bennett?" He asked and I froze. I couldn't even drop his title without being uncomfortable. I didn't think I could do that.