Beauty Tempts the Beast (Sins for All Seasons #6) - Lorraine Heath Page 0,98

to shadows lacked color.

“I’ll go pass them around, shall I?”

After he nodded, he watched as she first approached his mum, and he saw the delight illuminate his mum’s face. It seemed the perfect way to honor their love of reading.

Aiden was suddenly crouching before him. “I forgot to mention . . . you might let Gillie know there may be a mouse in the room in which you were sleeping. I heard a squeak coming from it near dawn.”

He clamped down on his back teeth. “No need to bother Gillie with it. I took care of it myself.”

Aiden grinned an all-too-knowing grin. “I’m sure you did.”

“Say another word and you’ll feel the weight of my fist.”

“I like her.”

He sighed heavily. His brother couldn’t not say another word but at least he’d chosen words that lessened Beast’s irritation with him. “She has plans, Aiden. They don’t include me. She’ll only be about for a little while longer.”

Aiden twisted around on the balls of his feet and his gaze swept over the room. “I’m sorry to hear that. You seemed well matched.”

“As though you know what constitutes well matched.”

Once again Aiden was facing him. “Not being able to take your eyes off her for one thing. Spending the night in a grand residence when you hate grand residences. To arrange for her to give an arse a drubbing.”

“Originally, I was going to do the drubbing.”

“But you gave up the satisfaction you’d feel so she could have it.”

“I remember a time when you didn’t spout such wisdom.”

“Love changes a man.” Putting his hands on his knees, he straightened. “The snow didn’t fall as thickly as we thought it might. Traveling might be slow going but not treacherous. Lena and I will be heading off soon to spend the remainder of the day with her family. Take care of the little mouse.”

As his brother strode away, Beast wasn’t certain he knew how to take care of Thea, how to determine exactly what she needed to be happy.

She was kneeling beside Robin, talking with him, petting Lucky. He wondered if she’d ever had a dog. So many things about her that he didn’t know.

A clapping drew his attention to Fancy, who was standing in the center of the room with her husband. “We wanted to be last, after everyone else had given out their gifts. Our gift requires a bit of patience on your part—and ours—as it won’t arrive for several more months.”

Rosemont threaded their fingers together and brought her hand to his mouth for a kiss.

“We’re going to give you a new person to love,” Fancy announced.

Cheers followed, with the ladies rushing to surround Fancy, and the gents shaking Rosemont’s hand as though he’d done something truly miraculous when all he’d done was make love to his wife.

“That’s a wonderful gift, isn’t it?”

He glanced up at Thea beaming down at him. Time spent with her was turning out to be a wonderful gift. He rose to his feet. “I have something for you.”

Her smile softened. Damn it all. He’d spent hours striving to determine what to get her. Something meaningful but not too personal. Something that would be appropriate for her to accept. “It’s a silly thing, really.”

She waited expectantly. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew the small box and handed it to her.

Gingerly, she removed the lid. “A match safe. Very much like yours.”

Except hers had roses circling her name etched in the silver.

“No matter how dark things get, you’ll always have light.”

A fine sheen of dampness was in her eyes when she lifted them to him. “I’ll always treasure it.”

He would always treasure his memories of her.

Chapter 23

The winds of change did not blow in gently. Sitting in the library, in a reflective mood, Althea was amazed by the difference three weeks could make in a life. She shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, at twenty-four her life had changed overnight. She’d felt powerless, like a leaf caught up in a whirlwind that had no say in the direction it traveled or where it eventually landed.

But now she was in control, and as other lives began to take different shapes, she began to carefully consider and mold hers into what she wanted, discovering she wanted something very different than what she’d originally thought she wanted when Benedict had first come into her life.

Although it wasn’t only him. It was everything happening around her that was causing her to look at things slightly differently. Nothing stayed as it was. Which was clearly evident