The Betrothed (The Betrothed #1)(40)

The kiss had been a surprise. No, not a surprise, a mistake. Certainly, Silas was easy to talk to, easy to understand. There was an undercurrent of goodness to everything he did, and the way his family so clearly valued each other made me want to be closer to not just him but all of them. And he was his own kind of handsome, with those blue eyes and that angelic smile. Yes, there was something very charming about Silas Eastoffe.

But seeing as he was not Jameson Barclay, it really didn’t matter. Charm wouldn’t give me a crown or bring hope to a kingdom. Charm was nice, not necessary.

I squared myself in front of the door, bracing myself for whatever—and whoever—might be on the other side, and I knocked.

“Lady Hollis! How nice to see you!” Scarlet greeted me, opening the door wide.

“Just the person I was looking for,” I said, ignoring the pang in my heart. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Not at all. Please, come in.” She motioned that I should enter, and I walked in, taking in the space.

There was a small fireplace and a table that was maybe big enough for four with six chairs crammed around it. There wasn’t much for decoration, but they did have some flowers on the set of drawers beneath the window. Two doors led to where their sleeping quarters must have been. I felt a little bad for Scarlet, as she must have been sharing a room with her brothers, with no space to herself.

The only thing that saved the apartment was that one window. It was large, matching the size of all the others down that particular outside wall, so that every chamber in the palace, regardless of size, had a wide pane of domed glass letting light in. I stared at it, thinking her view was so very different from mine.

“You see that building over there?” she asked, pointing to a small stone structure with a thatch roof and a large chimney that was expelling smoke even now. “That’s where Silas and Sullivan are working.”

“Really?” I asked, coming close to the window to inspect.

“Yes. And if Sullivan needs my tiny fingers to finish off a piece of jewelry or Silas needs me to polish a sword, they put a blue handkerchief in the window. I’m always keeping my eye out for it.”

“That’s such a remarkable skill they have,” I commented in awe. “I can sew, but that’s where my talents end.”

“Not so!” she protested. “You dance so well, and you are twice the conversationalist of anyone in Isolte.” I didn’t want to tell her that was hardly a compliment. “But I admire my brothers, too. It’s unique for anyone in Isolte to pursue something that might be considered artistic. And even between the two of them, what they do is so different.”

“How?” I asked, looking at the glassless window of the outbuilding, trying to make out if that was Silas or his brother moving across it.

“Sullivan’s work . . . he needs fire, but it’s much more delicate. The amount of metal he uses at one time is much smaller, so, all things considered, it’s much safer. He could probably do it indoors if he chose.”

“It looks like he sticks close to Silas as much as possible.”

She nodded. “Always has. I don’t think any of us understand him the way Silas does. People think he’s distant, but he’s not. He just doesn’t know what to say.”

I gave her a sad smile. “I know that feeling all too well. So what is it that Silas does out there, then?”

“It’s far more dangerous. He’s plunging huge chunks of metal into fire, pulling them out, and then hammering them until they bend into the right shape. He’s burned himself a few times, and at least twice we worried he’d really damaged his arm. Thankfully, we know how to stave off infection, so he’s been fine.”

“Thank goodness.” It was well known that healers in Isolte had made far more medical advancements than we had in Coroa. If Isolte could use our dances and music and art, could we not use their knowledge about medicine and herbs and the stars? I had a feeling that, if we asked, we could send people to study. My guess was both Jameson and his father would never have let their pride down long enough to make the request. “He seems to be good at what he does, though.”

“One of the best,” Scarlet bragged.

I smiled. “Well, his sister is an excellent teacher and friend, so this is for you. A thank-you for agreeing to help with Crowning Day.”

She took the parcel and walked over to the table. “For me?”

“Yes. And I want you to know that I’m trying to preemptively set at least part of my household. I’d happily have you in it, but I’m going to need some time with Delia Grace before I can convince her of your many virtues. I hope you won’t mind waiting until I can talk her into being a bit more . . . open-minded.”

She looked at me over her shoulder. “I mean this in the nicest possible way, but I don’t see Delia Grace ever being open-minded.”

I chuckled. For how little time she’d spent with her, Scarlet already understood Delia Grace better than most. I thought of her searching eyes that first day she’d walked into the Great Room; I wondered just how much this girl knew about life in the castle.

“Besides, I’d have had to turn you down anyway,” she went on. “We’re hoping to settle out in the country soon, somewhere with a lot of land and quiet.”

I wasn’t sure how to take that news. I certainly felt a twinge of sadness, but there was also a rush of relief. At some point, I wouldn’t stand a chance of running into Silas down these hallways, of seeing him awash with the colors streaming from the stained glass. I really didn’t have room for more surprises—or mistakes—in my life. I could be free of them once he was out of the palace for good.