How to Turn a Frog into a Prince - Bree Wolf Page 0,65

parlor and saw Daphne’s and Susan’s faces pale and saddened as they slunk to their seats. After a day indoors and another one ahead of them, their spirits were low. They were constantly bickering, casting the occasional wistful glance out the window at the wide lawns, their vibrant green shimmering in the summer sun.

“I feel bad for them,” Charlaine exclaimed as they once again made their way to the lake. “They looked so very sad.”

For a reason Nathanial could not name, the lake had become their place. It drew them to its shores and the moment his eyes fell on its glistening surface, Nathanial felt at peace. “I know. But it’ll only be one more day. Perhaps it’ll teach them to treat Emma with more respect. Simply because you can outwit someone doesn’t mean you should.”

Charlaine smiled at him. “Well spoken.” She sighed and sat down in the grass, her toes playing with a tall blade of grass. “Emma is so very tender-hearted. She never speaks much about her past, but she seems so very fearful at each and every step she takes as though she is afraid that the world will open and swallow her whole.” She looked at him. “I wonder what happened to her.”

Seating himself beside her, Nathanial glanced out at the water. “Why do you think something happened? Perhaps she’s simply shy.”

Charlaine shook her head. “No. She’s not shy, she’s…worried, on edge, and no one feels like that day in and day out without having a good reason.” She leaned back on her elbows and stretched out her legs. “I’ll speak to her.”

Nathanial laughed. “Another soul in need of a friend?” he asked teasingly. Deep down, however, he knew from personal experience that the support of a friend in a time of need could be life-saving. Indeed, over the course of the past few weeks, Charlaine had become such an integral part of his life that Nathanial could no longer picture himself returning to Boston and his old life…without her. He could not imagine not seeing her every day, not hearing her laugh or see that warm, vivacious glow in her eyes. Who would he be without her?

A lot had changed in the past few weeks.

A small smile stole onto his face as Nathanial glanced at her bare toes, still toying with a blade of grass. Not long ago, he would have been shocked, scandalized and quite possibly run in the opposite direction, afraid to act without proper manners.

To compromise her.

To…

Frowning, he turned to look at her face, her eyes closed as she lay back in the grass. “May I ask you a question?” Oddly enough, it had not occurred to him before this very moment.

“What a coincidence!” Charlaine’s eyes opened and she smiled at him. “I have one of my own to ask. But you may go first.”

“Very well.” Nathanial cleared his throat. “I cannot help but wonder that…Pierce does not object to you and I coming here,” his brows rose meaningfully, “without a chaperone.” A dark suspicion gripped his heart. “He does know we’re here alone, does he not?”

Charlaine laughed. “Of course, he does.” Sitting up, she patted his arm reassuringly. “Don’t worry. Pierce always knows…somehow. But he trusts me, and he trusts you as well. He knows we’re friends.” Her nose crinkled as a frown came to her face. “Why should we not be alone?”

“Well,” Nathanial began tentatively, becoming more and more uncomfortable with the direction of their conversation, “as your guardian, I suppose he might be concerned for your reputation. Or he should be.”

Charlaine’s jaw dropped in feigned shock. “Why? Do you intend to take liberties?”

“Of course not!”

Again, Charlaine laughed as though the thought was, indeed, utterly ludicrous. “Then why on earth would he be concerned?”

Nathanial ran a hand through his hair, feeling slightly agitated. “Because people might talk and—”

“People always talk,” Charlaine corrected. “But their talk cannot touch me.” She sighed. “I never sought their approval, and even if I did, given who I am, there is nothing I could do to gain it.” A sad smile played across her lips. “You only need to look at me to see that I’m not one of them. They’ve been whispering about me from the start. Never will they see me as one of them.” She crossed her arms in mock outrage. Still, a hint of vulnerability lingered in her brown eyes. “Did you know that I’ve never been asked to dance? Not once!”

Nathanial frowned, remembering a similar conversation. “Never? That cannot be.