Her gaze slid away from Colin and the rest of the family glanced at each other then finally Bertie asked, “If that’s all right with you, Colin.”
Colin looked first at Bertie then directly at Mags. “You’re welcome at Lacybourne for as long as you wish to stay.”
Mags beamed then instantly offered, “I’ll take the bedroom the farthest away. Give you both some privacy.”
Sibyl glanced at the ceiling, praying to the goddess for patience which, luckily, the goddess bestowed on her and the rest of the day went without incident.
* * * * *
Late in the evening, after their visit to Mrs. Byrne and Angie, dinner and everyone was in bed, Sibyl found (not surprisingly) she was unable to sleep. Listening to Colin’s even breathing, she gently slid out of his arms, out of bed and pulled on the plaid dressing gown her father had discarded years before but she’d saved from the Goodwill bag and she’d used ever since.
She stepped over Mallory whose body was twitching, running after something in his sleep that he would never chase when he was awake and went to stand by the window. In order to be quiet and not disturb Colin, she carefully opened the drapes and stared out into the moonless night. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light from the streetlamps that barely filtered through the heavy tree line and tall shrubbery at the edge of the estate.
She could see the outlines of the trees and thought of Royce and Beatrice dying hideous, bloody deaths somewhere out there hundreds of years ago.
She hadn’t been back to see Royce in her dreams in weeks. Now, she wished to go back, was desperate to go back so she could talk to him, warn him, tell him what awaited him and Beatrice. If she was able to convince him, she could stop the curse before it started. Even though she wanted it, her nights were dreamless and, it seemed, she realised with a heavy heart, Royce was lost to her.
“Sibyl, get away from the window.” Colin’s low voice startled her, she jumped and turned toward the bed.
“I didn’t know you were awake,” she whispered as if he was still asleep.
The covers snapped back, he knifed out of bed, took a great stride toward her (a distance that would take her at least three), snatched her wrist and yanked her back to the side of the bed. He then went to the window and slapped the curtains shut.
“What are you doing?” she asked, watching him.
“Has it occurred to you that someone out there wants to hurt you, me or both of us and standing by the window in the dead of night gives them a clean shot?” he asked in return, his tone sharp.
The thought jarred her to her senses and she replied quietly, “I didn’t think.”
“Sometimes you don’t,” he muttered this on a weary sigh and she was stunned to hear that this was said non-judgementally, devoid of insult or even mild annoyance (well, perhaps, there was mild annoyance but it was very mild annoyance).
And, because of that, because he understood that failing of hers and accepted it (with only very mild annoyance), Sibyl very nearly blurted out right then and there that she loved him.
But, luckily, before she could, Colin pulled her back into bed with him and settled himself behind her, his arm wrapped around her and his body pressed down her length.
Then he asked, “Why were you up?”
His deep, velvet voice rumbled through her and she decided she loved that too.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she explained.
“I gathered that,” he muttered drily in return.
She smiled and she decided she loved that about him too and she didn’t even know what that was.
Then she whispered, “My family is leaving tomorrow and it makes me sad.”
“Your mother is staying,” Colin offered in consolation but his arm tightened comfortingly and his breath stirred her hair and her love bloomed even more. That thing inside her she thought was long since ash, she knew now, was alive and flourishing.
“My mother is staying tomorrow and that makes me worried,” she replied.
She felt his body shake gently with his chuckle and her smile deepened at the thought that she was able to make him laugh and she decided she loved that too.
“At least things will be more interesting with her around,” Colin remarked.
He had that right and he likely didn’t even know how right he was.
But he would find out.