“Oh, much better,” Mrs. Greville responded. “I couldn’t believe that the princess decided to choose our son, choosing him to get married to.”
Lucy had never said anything like that, and her eyes fell on her mother, who looked back at her with a smile as if it was true.
“Samuel and Lucy have been spending quite some time together here in the castle, they seem comfortable around each other, it was only a matter of time this was going to happen,” laughed Lady Samara.
While the people at the table continued to talk, Lucy felt like she was sitting with strangers. Everyone was busy talking to each other, and it left Lucy alone. Her eyes slowly moved to look at Theodore, who was not looking at her. Since she had arrived in the dining room, Theodore had not made an effort to meet her eyes even once. Her silence only continued to allow the people who wanted to see her marriage complete for their benefit.
Her family and Samuel’s family had started to discuss the date of the wedding that would take place soon. Lucy was too hurt with everything going on around her, and she had shut herself down from the world.
But Calhoun was at the table. He looked at Lucy, who stared at her plate as if the discussion at the table didn’t involve her.
When the dinner was finished, and the guests had left, Calhoun and Lucy were crossing paths in the corridor, and he asked,
“You barely spoke at the table tonight.”
Lucy smiled at his words, glad to know someone had noticed, “Is that so brother Calhoun. I must have been too tired to interact. Speaking to strangers all the time is exhausting.”
Calhoun didn’t know what was going on between her and Theodore, but he doubted something brewing between them. But now, it seemed like it had disappeared as both of them didn’t look each other in the eye.
“Can I ask you something, brother Calhoun?” he nodded at her question. “Did the Queen or my mother speak anything with you about my marriage?”
“No,” he answered, and she gave him a nod.
Lucy replied, “I see. I should go now. It’s been a tiring day.”
Calhoun didn’t stop her, “Have a good sleep, Lucy.”
“You too. Goodnight,” and she continued to go on her way to her room.
Calhoun was about to leave when he sensed Theodore’s presence behind the wall, who had not come forward in front of Lucy. But with her gone, he appeared and informed, “I heard the High House has fully formed and they plan to start working in two weeks.”
“Good. It will be easier to get the castle investigated with what Morganna is hiding in here,” replied Calhoun.
The next few days, Lucy continued to either stay in the study room or her very own room unless Samuel came to meet her, where they either took a walk in the corridors of the castle or outside the garden. Like many other mornings, the sun was bright, and the atmosphere was light compared to how Lucy’s mind was. Though she was with Samuel, she spaced out, and the man noticed it. Unable to keep it to himself, he said,
“Are you not happy with our marriage that is going to take place in a few days?”
Lucy snapped out of her thoughts, and she pursed her lips. She looked into Samuel’s eyes that looked at her with patience and politeness.
Samuel continued to say, “Lady Lucy, we have been spending a lot of time with each other. I finish my work as soon as I can so that I can spend time with you. But I feel you don’t feel the same way. It’s like your heart and mind isn’t here.”
“Pardon me for my inattentiveness, Mr. Greville,” Lucy apologized.
“Is there something you would want me to change in my behaviour or something that you would want to see in me? I will make sure to make an effort to change myself into the person you want me to be,” said Samuel and Lucy’s thoughts started to drift again.
Could the man wear glasses that were round in frame? Could he look more mature as if nothing bothered him?
“Do you smoke, Mr. Greville?”
“Sorry?” Samuel was taken aback by the princess’ question.
“Do you smoke cigars to blow smoke from your mouth?” Lucy explained to him as if he didn’t know what smoke meant. “Do you have it with you now?”
A startled Samuel put his hand in his pocket before bringing out a small metal box that held cigars, “I don’t smoke often, Lady Lucy. It is only on rare occasions. During the gatherings.”
Lucy didn’t care if Samuel smoked or not, “Do you think I could borrow one from you?”
Samuel would have never pegged that the princess had the habit of smoking, but he shared one of the cigars with her in an attempt to get closer to her.
“Would you want me to light it for you?” he asked politely. “Maybe away from the prying eyes.”
“No, that is fine. I just wanted to have one. Thank you,” Lucy offered him a smile.
“I don’t smoke,” she clarified, waving her hand. There was another reason why she had borrowed a cigar from him.
Samuel chuckled, his eyes twinkling as they looked at her, “I never thought you did. You don’t seem like you enjoy the smell of the cigar. Not that there’s anything wrong in smoking because it doesn’t affect vampires’ health.”
Compared to the many suitor’s Lucy had met in the past few days, Samuel was the only person who was easy going and he didn’t impose things on her, and that was before their parents met for dinner. He was still the same, and somewhere, Lucy felt guilty.
Whenever she and Theodore met, he looked at her as if she didn’t exist, and it hurt her, pushing her away and to Samuel’s arms. She wondered why life was this difficult. Was love supposed to be this hard?
She had dodged Samuel’s question for now, and she was glad he didn’t press her for an answer. When the time came for Samuel to leave the castle, he picked up her hand and gently kissed the back of it.
“I was thinking if we could go and visit the town tomorrow. Away from the castle to get some fresh air,” proposed Samuel. “I heard you haven’t left the castle for some time. Is there any place you would like to go?”
Lucy pursed her lips and then said, “The royal cemetery.”
“Of course,” he nodded his head while looking at the girl, “I had a lovely time with you, Lady Lucy. I will see you tomorrow,” said Samuel.
Lucy bowed her head along with him, “Me too, Mr. Greville. Thank you for visiting me.” She didn’t see why she should be rude to someone who wasn’t aware of her broken heart or wasn’t the person to break her.
Samuel bowed his head, and as he turned towards the carriage, making his way there, his expression changed like a chameleon. The polite and kind nature he appeared in front of people with a gentle smile on his lips, especially for Lucy, turned to one of menace.
