other, unnameable emotion.
“Return?”
“Oh.” Bella fumbled, feeling a flush of embarrassment.
“If my work hasn’t pleased you, of course – ”
“No.” The Baron cut her off with a single, decisive
gesture. “Your service was satisfactory, Ms. Peters. I meant that you can’t
leave.”
Bella gaped. “Sir?”
The Baron turned away from her and stared out the window
at the setting sun. It illuminated his face with an orange glow, filling it
with fire and shadow and coloring the strange look in his eyes. “While you are
in my employ, you must stay here. It isn’t safe that you leave this castle so
late at night.”
“But sir…” Bella hesitated. “My father needs care.”
He cut her off once more. “Am I not paying you so that
your father can receive care? I ask very little from those in my employ, Ms.
Peters. This is my condition.”
Bella bit her lip. “Yes, my lord. I will be happy to
stay the night. But I must make arrangements for my father tomorrow.”
“Good.” The Baron brooded, his gaze far off in the
distance. “And Ms. Peters?”
“Bella, my lord. Please.” She tried a smile, but he did
not look her way.
“Bella.” He said the name slowly, as though tasting it.
“Do not leave your room at night. Strange things have happened in these halls,
and it is my duty as your employer to keep you safe.”
A thrill of foreboding passed through Bella, making her
knees weak and strangely bringing forth the inappropriate thoughts she had had
about the Baron previously to the fore. “Yes, my lord,” she stammered, trying
to keep the image of him shirtless from her mind. She was sure her face was red
once more. “I will do as you ask.”
“Good,” he said again, never looking her way. “You may
go. You will find rooms at the end of the hall have been made up for you. If
you have any problems, you may let me know.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“And Bella?”
She paused, in the middle of letting herself out.
“Yes, my lord?”
The Baron turned back to her finally, a hard look in
his dark eyes. “Your problems can wait until the morning. Don’t disturb me
before then.”
She swallowed against the threat in his voice. “Yes, my
lord. I understand.”
~
That night, as Bella lay awake wondering what she had
gotten herself into, she heard strange noises long into the deep twilight
hours. Several times, it sounded as though heavy footfalls were echoing through
the halls. Each time she sat up, shivering, and stared at her door in a panic.
But the knob never turned. Once she could have sworn
she heard heavy breathing, but the Baron’s promise seemed true: as long as she
remained in her quarters, she would be safe from whatever strange beast roamed
the castle halls.
But it was impossible to sleep. And more than once, as
Bella lay awake, she heard a long and mournful cry, as though her own sorrow
and fear were shared by something else in the night.
~
“You're being safe?”
Bella sighed and answered the question for the fifth
time. “Yes, Dad. I can handle the job. And the salary is good for us.”
“All right.” Her father's voice was querulous. “But
you're being careful?”
Bella ignored the question and continued packing up her
father's clothes. She hoped he wouldn't need to stay at the assisted living
home long, only a few weeks until she could get her employment situation
settled. The Baron had been harsh, but she didn't think he would be
unreasonable. Something in his eyes had given her the feeling there was a gentle
side to him. She only hoped it wasn't buried too deeply.
“Bella.”
She raised her head at the sharp tone in her father's
voice. “What? I'm sorry, Dad.”
“You're a million miles away. I was talking.” He gave
her a long look. His blue eyes, though faded, as always saw too much. “The
Baron von Ursus is supposed to be
“Return?”
“Oh.” Bella fumbled, feeling a flush of embarrassment.
“If my work hasn’t pleased you, of course – ”
“No.” The Baron cut her off with a single, decisive
gesture. “Your service was satisfactory, Ms. Peters. I meant that you can’t
leave.”
Bella gaped. “Sir?”
The Baron turned away from her and stared out the window
at the setting sun. It illuminated his face with an orange glow, filling it
with fire and shadow and coloring the strange look in his eyes. “While you are
in my employ, you must stay here. It isn’t safe that you leave this castle so
late at night.”
“But sir…” Bella hesitated. “My father needs care.”
He cut her off once more. “Am I not paying you so that
your father can receive care? I ask very little from those in my employ, Ms.
Peters. This is my condition.”
Bella bit her lip. “Yes, my lord. I will be happy to
stay the night. But I must make arrangements for my father tomorrow.”
“Good.” The Baron brooded, his gaze far off in the
distance. “And Ms. Peters?”
“Bella, my lord. Please.” She tried a smile, but he did
not look her way.
“Bella.” He said the name slowly, as though tasting it.
“Do not leave your room at night. Strange things have happened in these halls,
and it is my duty as your employer to keep you safe.”
A thrill of foreboding passed through Bella, making her
knees weak and strangely bringing forth the inappropriate thoughts she had had
about the Baron previously to the fore. “Yes, my lord,” she stammered, trying
to keep the image of him shirtless from her mind. She was sure her face was red
once more. “I will do as you ask.”
“Good,” he said again, never looking her way. “You may
go. You will find rooms at the end of the hall have been made up for you. If
you have any problems, you may let me know.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“And Bella?”
She paused, in the middle of letting herself out.
“Yes, my lord?”
The Baron turned back to her finally, a hard look in
his dark eyes. “Your problems can wait until the morning. Don’t disturb me
before then.”
She swallowed against the threat in his voice. “Yes, my
lord. I understand.”
~
That night, as Bella lay awake wondering what she had
gotten herself into, she heard strange noises long into the deep twilight
hours. Several times, it sounded as though heavy footfalls were echoing through
the halls. Each time she sat up, shivering, and stared at her door in a panic.
But the knob never turned. Once she could have sworn
she heard heavy breathing, but the Baron’s promise seemed true: as long as she
remained in her quarters, she would be safe from whatever strange beast roamed
the castle halls.
But it was impossible to sleep. And more than once, as
Bella lay awake, she heard a long and mournful cry, as though her own sorrow
and fear were shared by something else in the night.
~
“You're being safe?”
Bella sighed and answered the question for the fifth
time. “Yes, Dad. I can handle the job. And the salary is good for us.”
“All right.” Her father's voice was querulous. “But
you're being careful?”
Bella ignored the question and continued packing up her
father's clothes. She hoped he wouldn't need to stay at the assisted living
home long, only a few weeks until she could get her employment situation
settled. The Baron had been harsh, but she didn't think he would be
unreasonable. Something in his eyes had given her the feeling there was a gentle
side to him. She only hoped it wasn't buried too deeply.
“Bella.”
She raised her head at the sharp tone in her father's
voice. “What? I'm sorry, Dad.”
“You're a million miles away. I was talking.” He gave
her a long look. His blue eyes, though faded, as always saw too much. “The
Baron von Ursus is supposed to be
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