for a moment, Theo felt as if she was standing in the middle of an ancient cathedral. She left the lights off. There was enough to see by, and she didn’t want to ruin the beautiful atmosphere of shadows and light.
Once at the desk, she turned on the small lamp there. Then she took out the supplies she needed, sat down, and jotted a quick note to her father about Robin’s offer. She tried to keep it as neutral as possible so that her father’s decision would be his own, but she knew some of her enthusiasm came through.
How could it not? A life here would be beyond anything they had in Limbo. More comfort for both of them. Less work for her. And a chance for her father to spend his last days away from the heavy burdens of his debt.
Plus, she didn’t see how he could gamble here. Not if certain precautions were taken, like spreading the word that no one was to engage him in such activity.
She thought it was very likely that, once she finished her schooling, she could easily get a job with the stonecutters here that would allow her to pay off the remainder of his debts in five years or less.
She finished the letter, sealed up the envelope, stamped it, addressed it, and sent it down the chute.
With that off her mind, she finally went to bed. But even as she lay there, her thoughts wandered to Robin. She understood why he had trust issues. She also understood that if she broke his trust again, regaining it would be exceptionally difficult.
In fact, it might not happen at all.
* * *
For the second night in a row, Robin slept with the ease of a cat in the sun. He woke with a smile on his face and Theo on his mind. It was early, and he knew she was busy, so he languished in bed, enjoying the feeling of being well rested. It wasn’t something he got to appreciate often. Maybe his days of sleeplessness were behind him now.
Maybe the distraction of Theo was all he’d needed.
That thought only made his smile bigger. He yawned. As comfortable as the bed was, the thought of coffee appealed even more. Then his stomach rumbled, and he was reminded that with everything that had gone on last night, dinner hadn’t happened beyond the salad.
Oatmeal cookies and half a hot toddy were no replacement either.
He got out of bed and went straight to the shower. He swore he could smell coffee and biscuits, but was that actually possible two floors away? He wasn’t sure. Probably just his appetite working overtime.
A hot shower, a quick shave, then he pulled on his uniform of track pants and T-shirt and headed downstairs.
The delicious aromas intensified the closer he got to the kitchen. It wasn’t just coffee and biscuits, though. There was another note to the aroma that was vaguely familiar and a little sweet. He couldn’t quite figure it out. Maybe Mrs. Applestock was working on a menu item for tonight’s dinner party? Whatever it was, he planned on stealing a bite.
He walked into the kitchen and found Theo in an apron and thermal mitts taking a large tray out of the oven. A smudge of flour clung to her jaw. “Well, hello there. What are you up to?”
She jumped, nearly dropping the tray. “You scared me. And you’re not supposed to be up yet.”
He grinned. There was something incredibly charming about her when she was a little miffed and slightly bossy. He took a seat at the island. “I’m not? Did I forget that I asked for a wakeup call?”
She frowned at him. “I thought you’d sleep in is all. I was going to surprise you.”
“With?”
She put the tray on the marble countertop between them. “Nightberry scones. My mother’s recipe. Of course, at home we always made them with currants because that was what we could afford, but in the royal kitchens…” She shrugged.
“I remember those.” He closed his eyes and inhaled. The aroma made sense now. And it brought back so many memories. All good. Happiness filled him. He opened his eyes. “That is an outstanding surprise.”
Mrs. Applestock came in with a basket of ingredients. “They smell divine.” She looked at Robin and shook her head like she was disappointed in him. “All these years, we’ve had these delicious things growing in the garden, and you never said a word.”
“I really didn’t know,” he tried to explain. “Sorry.”
Mrs. Applestock