The Professors Memory

Chapter 17

Olive had been freed from the nightmare that was dinner. She had been as polite as she could be but knowing that there were several pairs of eyes casually glancing in her direction from time to time, she couldn't help but be a little freaked out. To make matters worse, the four ghosts joined them for dinner. Olive didn't mind that they were there, their conversations were amusing and enlightening. But the fact that they didn't eat and just sat there, watching them, it was disconcerting. She did her best and ate as politely as she could, not knowing proper dining manners she hoped that her efforts were reasonable. For most of it she watched Danika who was sitting opposite her, hoping that what she was doing was right.

Soon after dinner, Olive and Phabel retreated to their wing of the castle. Olive liked to think that it was their own private sanctuary, even though she knew that nothing would be happening this weekend. As much as Phabel had said his parents would never truly mind nor care, Olive felt a little insecure about the whole situation. Time was theirs now, they didn't need to rush their love. With each passing moment her confidence was growing, Phabel's love and attention was pushing her towards being a little less shy. His eyes could hardly detract from her. Whenever she caught him looking at her, he would always smile at her, causing her heart to skip a beat.

His room was a mirror image of hers, on the opposite side of the corridor. At the end of their corridor was a door, it created a bedroom wing with the two bedrooms. It sat off the main corridor that led to other rooms and the stairs that went down to the ground floor. They had privacy by merely shutting this door, no one would know what transpired behind it. But they had both agreed to not give way to temptation and get to know each other first.

The fire in her lounge room was warm, swamping them with heat. Olive didn't mind, the evening was cool and to sit on the lounge by the fire was pleasant. She was resting against Phabel, he had one arm draped around her as she looked over one of the books Islana had brought. It was the one about the animals, she was curious as to how different they were to the ones from this world. She noted that there weren't many that were too different, that learning their names would be easy.

She yawned, feeling the weight of a very long and stressful day bearing down on her.

'Rest with me.'

Phabel smiled at her, she could see the wicked glint in his eye as he lifted her to her feet.

'I would love to lay beside you and do nothing more than hold you.'

'And your parents won't mind?'

'It's none of their business.'

'Phabel please, I would like to not be seen as...'

'Stop it right now. My parents would never think of anyone like that, least of all you. Could you not see how much they adore you?'

He wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her tight. His fingers trailed over her cheek, feeling the sweet touch of her soft skin.

'Do you not see how delighted they are that you make me happy? Never think negatively, they approve wholeheartedly. Now while I am retrieving my clothes, you must hurry and dress for bed.'

A dark grin curled into one side of his tender lips.

'If I happen upon a beautiful woman in nothing but her underwear, who knows what this devil might do?'

'Help her out of said underwear?' she fluttered her eyes coyly at him.

'I think you are a naughtier devil than I am aui leabu. I fear you might take advantage of me.'

'I believe you fear correctly.'

Olive flashed him a seductive smile and pulled from his embrace.