Klaus and Papa retreat to Papa's workshop while I drag the large tub into the center of our house and fill it with steaming hot water from the stove. I groan with pleasure as I sink into the tub's wooden depths, contorting my body so everything but my head is underwater. As I wash up, my thoughts drift to how different Klaus's and mine lives are. Papa and I are barely scraping by whereas Klaus has everything at his fingertips. It wasn't difficult to notice the disdain in his father's eyes when he saw where we live.
Does the duke believe that I'm merely out to get my hands on Klaus's fortune? I wouldn't doubt it. That seems in line with most of the gently-bred girls I've seen in Rollinsville.
I don't want to keep Klaus waiting, so I exit the tub while the water is still warm. I'm a little tired, but at least my teeth don't chatter and my veins no longer flow with ice. A good meal and some conversation will undoubtedly replenish my energy.
After wrapping myself in a worn towel, I pull the drain on the tub and watch as the water flows down into the drain in the middle of the room. Once it's empty, I recork the tub and put it back in its corner.
There is only one outfit Klaus hasn't seen me wear before and it's a simple brown skirt and blouse patterned with blue and green flowers. I wring out my long hair as best as I can and fashion it into a heavy plait. Slipping my feet into a dry pair of boots, I grab my satchel, intent on paying for at least some of this evening's meal.
When I enter Papa's shop, he and Klaus are deep in conversation about different varieties of traps. The rain has finally eased, but I carry an umbrella with me anyway.
"You look lovely, Sina," Klaus says, smiling.
"As opposed to a hideous, rain-soaked rat?" I replied blithely, going up to Papa and kissing his cheek. "Shall I bring you back anything?"
He laughs softly. "I am capable of fending for myself, child."
"Fine," I counter, grinning. "No dessert for you."
Papa nods idly and turns back to his traps. "Enjoy yourselves tonight."
I notice that he doesn't give Klaus any instructions on when to have me home. Perhaps they worked that out while I was getting ready.
"May I?" Klaus asks, holding out his hand for my umbrella.
I pass it to him and loop my arm through his as we walk out of the workshop, heading up the bank to the village. "I am helping to pay for tonight's meal," I tell Klaus. At least in the village, I can afford a meal for two, unlike Rollinsville.
"If you insist," he replies with a wink. "Far be it for me to tell the witch who tamed the sea 'no'."
I have to chuckle. I've done that, haven't I?
Klaus hums softly and pulls me close, dropping a kiss on the top of my head. A warmth that has nothing to do with the summer air or the bath I just had flows through my body. Klaus kissed me in the same chaste fashion back in Rollinsville and I was content. But now, however, I desire more. I tilt my head up and Klaus smiles.
"Are you looking for a kiss, Sina Fisher?" he asks playfully, blue eyes dancing.
"Perhaps," I reply with a coy shrug.
"I was hoping you would ask," he says softly, leaning down to kiss me gently on the lips—in full view of the villagers of Farbarrow.
While I have read a lot of romance novels, the dream of falling in love and marrying does not dominate my everyday thoughts. I did not know what to expect, but what I felt in the moment was beyond anything I could have imagined: beautiful, tender, and comforting.
"Oh," I whisper as Klaus pulls away, the subtle scent of his cologne lingering in the air. My body is flush with heat and my lips part in wonder.
"Have some propriety, Melusine Fisher!" an elderly matron walking by with her granddaughter shouts at us. "I'll tell your father what I saw you doing!" She shakes her cane at us as her granddaughter desperately tries to drag her away.
My flush deepens and I turn away from the matron, lest she see me laughing. Klaus waves to the older woman and says to me, "Well, I'll just have to give you your second kiss somewhere more private."
"Indeed," I agree wholeheartedly, which causes Klaus's eyebrows to rise. Then his bright, cheery smile shifts into something I can only describe as amorous. A wave of heat washes over me again and I cling to his arm more tightly. I don't know what has come over me, but I'll be damned if I stop it.
"Well, then," he says, taking a deep breath. "Why don't we have dinner before we cause a matronly uproar?"
Giggling, I direct him to Kilburg's Tavern. As soon as we enter, it seems all eyes are on us. I'm not certain if it's because the sea witch has come to patronize the establishment, that Klaus is obviously a well-bred outsider, or that I am in the company of a man who is not my father.
Perhaps it's a combination of all three.
Mireille Hausemer, a girl who I went to school with, greets us with surprise and shows Klaus and me a table in the corner. I've kept in touch with Mireille over the years, as she was one of the few children who stopped by to see how I was after the Miss Templeton incident. Mireille is short and plump, with a pleasant face and red-brown hair caught up under a green paisley kerchief.
"Sina," she breathes, looking between the two of us. The flash of a pewter ring on her right hand catches my eye. When did Mireille get married? "I'm surprised to see you here—especially after finding the Krier boy. You must be exhausted."
"A little," I admit. "But nothing a good meal can't cure."
"And the company of a handsome man," Mireille comments with a twinkle in her eye. "Welcome to Kilburg's Tavern, my lord," she says, looking at Klaus.
Klaus smiles. "My pleasure."
Mireille glances approvingly at me and begins to rattle off the evening's menu. I order the mutton stew and a glass of wine—I think I deserve a little treat—while Klaus asks for the roast sand quail. "And I'll take the whole bottle of wine, please," he adds.
I wish he wouldn't do that, but since I really would like more than one glass of wine tonight, I let it be.
"He's a keeper," Mireille notes with a grin as she breezes back to the kitchen.
I look across the table at Klaus, taking in his handsome features, along with his kind, gentle demeanor, and sharp mind. Yes, I think she is right.
"So, you actually have friends," Klaus says, folding his arms on the table and leaning forward.
"Acquaintance, more like," I admit. "She was friendly towards me in school and didn't make fun of me when I left."
Klaus nods thoughtfully. I had told him a little of my back story in Rollinsville. "It's hard to make friends when most people are afraid of you."
They weren't afraid of me back then, I almost say, but then I realize what he's alluding to. A son of a duke, born to wealth, privilege, and power. "It must have been difficult to find people who you can trust."
"Yes. Even now, I question the motives of two of my companions."
"How lonely," I remark sympathetically. I mean it, not just a handful of socially-acceptable empty words that I would tell others
Klaus smiles wryly and reaches across the table to take my hand. His thumb gently strokes my skin as he says, "I don't feel lonely with you."
My stomach flutters and I feel myself falling for him more and more.
Klaus continues to hold my hand while we wait for our meals to arrive. Does it attract attention? Yes. Do the other patrons whisper amongst themselves? They certainly do, but this time, I don't care.
A little while later, Mireille appears and sets our food down, along with a bottle of wine and two glasses. She gives me a little wink before leaving us to enjoy our meals. I dig into the mutton stew, savoring the rich broth and seasoned vegetables. As soon as the first mouthful hits my stomach, I immediately feel better.
Delicious.
Klaus releases my hand long enough to eat and gesture while we talk; but as soon as we clean our plates, he reaches for it again.
"Let me pay first," I tell him with a laugh, gently extracting my fingers from his grip to open my satchel. He pouts comically but pulls several coins from a pouch on his belt to pay for the wine.
The sun is starting to set when we leave the tavern. Smoke from nearby chimneys rises into the air, dancing like sprites in the oncoming twilight. The heavy scent of brine is alleviated by the sweet aroma of flowers off the nearby hill, where hunters look for sand quail. "Where to next?" Klaus asks, pausing near an alleyway between the tavern and a milliner.
I honestly can't think of anything. The combination of good food and Klaus's company has muddled my thoughts, as if someone has wrapped a warm blanket around my brain and tucked it in for the night.
"I've no idea," I admit, grinning and spreading my hands helplessly.
"Hm." Klaus pauses and looks around before pulling me into the alleyway.
My mouth pops open, startled, but he swiftly covers it with his own. His lips are soft and I can taste the sweet wine we just finished. My head begins to spin in fanciful circles and I instinctively grab onto Klaus's shirt to remain steady. He pulls back just far enough so that our noses are inches apart and says, "I told you I would kiss you somewhere more private."
"Then why are you stopping?" I ask, my heart beating quickly.
He flashes me a wicked grin before kissing me again. My back hits the tavern wall as Klaus presses up against me, the heat of his body melting into my skin. I feel his hands urgently tugging at my blouse and I gasp.
Immediately, Klaus breaks away and takes a step back. "I should stop," he declares breathlessly, raking a hand through his touseled hair.
My chest heaves up and down and I'm sure my own hair has come loose from its braid. I swallow hard and look up at him. His blue eyes, wide and wild, gaze back into mine. I could stop this at any moment—I could have Klaus walk me home and see him another day. But I do not want to.
I had a taste of power on the boat.
I want more.
"This way," I find myself saying. I grab Klaus by the hand and pull him out of the alley.
"What—?" the viscount exclaims as I walk quickly through the streets.
Thankfully, in a village where most of the inhabitants have to get up before dawn to set sail, there are few witnesses to our march back to the beach. Anyone moving around at this hour is usually drunk or trying to attain that state.
"Sina," Klaus protests as I skirt the usual path down to our hut, "where are we going?"
I pause and look up at him. "Somewhere private."
His eyebrows lift. "Are you sure?" he asks quietly as the sea breeze stirs the grass around our feet.
"I am. Are you?"
Klaus laughs softly and squeezes my hand. "I am very sure."
There's a little cave a few hundred yards from our hut that Bippi found for me to practice magic. Although I keep most of my potion- and charm-making materials in my room, there are a few ingredients I prefer to remain hidden. Papa doesn't enter my room often, but I doubt he would appreciate knowing his daughter collects vials of insect legs and water snake parts. In the back end of the cave is a small altar dedicated to the Grey God.
"What's this?" Klaus asks as I pull aside the heavy curtain shielding the entrance from sea spray and other creatures.
"My workroom," I reply, turning around to secure the curtain with rocks and hooks to keep it from moving. I wave a hand and a dozen fat candles spring to life, illuminating the high natural ceiling with limestone stalactites jutting downward. A small pallet, blanket, and pillow rest up against the wall. I haven't slept here that often lately, but I've made sure to keep the pallet and linens fresh. No one needs to smell moldy bedding when they're trying to work.
Klaus eyes the pallet. "Are you sure?" he asks again.
I'm tired of talking, so I simply draw him down to the floor.