gnomes were wrong. She needed to be here. More than anyone else, she needed to spend some time in this world.”
What the devil did she mean by that? He dropped the slipper back into the trunk. “Did she say anything to you?” he asked. He watched Ainsley’s face closely.
She winced. “It’s what Cecelia doesn’t say that you have to pay attention to.”
“Why would she leave her things here?” he asked.
“That would only happen if there were an emergency and she had to leave,” Ainsley said.
“What could be such an emergency that she would leave without saying good-bye?”
“Only the worst kind,” Ainsley whispered.
“Tell me what you know, Ainsley,” he warned.
But she was already walking out the door. “It’s not my secret to tell.”
“Does she have a fiancé at home?” Marcus blurted out. Perhaps there really was someone in the land of the fae.
“No one at home has her attention the way you do, Marcus,” Ainsley said. She knew something. Marcus could tell.
“Please tell me what you know,” Marcus pleaded. Much more of this and he would be on his knees begging.
“They sent the wind for her.”
Marcus spun around quickly. “Last night?”
“Yes, late.”
The fae only sent the wind to and from the land of the fae in dire emergencies. “What was the emergency?”
“I don’t know,” Ainsley whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.
“But she, specifically, was needed.” It was like putting together the pieces of a puzzle. But too many pieces were missing.
Ainsley nodded. “Apparently.” She met his gaze. “Things have been different at home since her mother died.”
Cecelia’s mother had died? When?
He didn’t even get to ask the question before Ainsley said, “Right after you left six months ago.”
Marcus sank down onto the side of bed, afraid once again that his legs would not support him. Cecelia hadn’t told him that her mother had died. It had been more than six months, and he hadn’t even paid his respects. “How?”
“A carriage accident when she was on a mission in this world.”
“How is her father doing?”
“Poorly.”
“Is that why she had to go back? For him? He’s not ill, is he?”
“He has been ill for a while. But it’s not my story to tell.” She squeezed her lips shut and refused to say more.
“Can you tell me anything?” Marcus was desperate.
“Can you go to the land of the fae? Can you set all this to the side and go to her?”
“I can’t go until the moonful, if then.” He couldn’t walk away from his obligations to find a woman who might or might not want to see him. He had too much to learn here. And he wasn’t at all certain of Cecelia’s feelings toward him.
“Then you don’t deserve her,” Ainsley spit out.
Then she turned on her heel and quit the room.
“Good God,” Marcus breathed. He scrubbed a hand down his face. “What do I do now?”
***
Ainsley barreled directly into a hard chest and threw her hands out to catch herself. But strong arms wrapped tightly around her instead. “Ainsley?” the man asked. “What’s wrong?”
It wasn’t an aging butler who’d caught her. It wasn’t a startled maid. If anyone had to see her upset, she supposed it might as well be Allen. “Nothing,” she squeaked.
He set her back from him momentarily and looked down at her, his dark eyes piercing a little too deeply for comfort. “You lie poorly,” he warned. Then he pulled her back into his arms and didn’t insist she say a word. He didn’t try to coax any thoughts from her. He didn’t try to trick her into baring her soul. But that just made her want to do it more.
He inhaled deeply and held her tightly against him. She fit beneath his chin like he was made for her. Was he? She lifted her chin and looked up at him. “You want to kiss me, don’t you?” she teased.
“No,” he blurted out, setting her back from him. Ainsley felt the loss of him immediately.
“Yes, you do,” she teased.
“Where did you
What the devil did she mean by that? He dropped the slipper back into the trunk. “Did she say anything to you?” he asked. He watched Ainsley’s face closely.
She winced. “It’s what Cecelia doesn’t say that you have to pay attention to.”
“Why would she leave her things here?” he asked.
“That would only happen if there were an emergency and she had to leave,” Ainsley said.
“What could be such an emergency that she would leave without saying good-bye?”
“Only the worst kind,” Ainsley whispered.
“Tell me what you know, Ainsley,” he warned.
But she was already walking out the door. “It’s not my secret to tell.”
“Does she have a fiancé at home?” Marcus blurted out. Perhaps there really was someone in the land of the fae.
“No one at home has her attention the way you do, Marcus,” Ainsley said. She knew something. Marcus could tell.
“Please tell me what you know,” Marcus pleaded. Much more of this and he would be on his knees begging.
“They sent the wind for her.”
Marcus spun around quickly. “Last night?”
“Yes, late.”
The fae only sent the wind to and from the land of the fae in dire emergencies. “What was the emergency?”
“I don’t know,” Ainsley whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.
“But she, specifically, was needed.” It was like putting together the pieces of a puzzle. But too many pieces were missing.
Ainsley nodded. “Apparently.” She met his gaze. “Things have been different at home since her mother died.”
Cecelia’s mother had died? When?
He didn’t even get to ask the question before Ainsley said, “Right after you left six months ago.”
Marcus sank down onto the side of bed, afraid once again that his legs would not support him. Cecelia hadn’t told him that her mother had died. It had been more than six months, and he hadn’t even paid his respects. “How?”
“A carriage accident when she was on a mission in this world.”
“How is her father doing?”
“Poorly.”
“Is that why she had to go back? For him? He’s not ill, is he?”
“He has been ill for a while. But it’s not my story to tell.” She squeezed her lips shut and refused to say more.
“Can you tell me anything?” Marcus was desperate.
“Can you go to the land of the fae? Can you set all this to the side and go to her?”
“I can’t go until the moonful, if then.” He couldn’t walk away from his obligations to find a woman who might or might not want to see him. He had too much to learn here. And he wasn’t at all certain of Cecelia’s feelings toward him.
“Then you don’t deserve her,” Ainsley spit out.
Then she turned on her heel and quit the room.
“Good God,” Marcus breathed. He scrubbed a hand down his face. “What do I do now?”
***
Ainsley barreled directly into a hard chest and threw her hands out to catch herself. But strong arms wrapped tightly around her instead. “Ainsley?” the man asked. “What’s wrong?”
It wasn’t an aging butler who’d caught her. It wasn’t a startled maid. If anyone had to see her upset, she supposed it might as well be Allen. “Nothing,” she squeaked.
He set her back from him momentarily and looked down at her, his dark eyes piercing a little too deeply for comfort. “You lie poorly,” he warned. Then he pulled her back into his arms and didn’t insist she say a word. He didn’t try to coax any thoughts from her. He didn’t try to trick her into baring her soul. But that just made her want to do it more.
He inhaled deeply and held her tightly against him. She fit beneath his chin like he was made for her. Was he? She lifted her chin and looked up at him. “You want to kiss me, don’t you?” she teased.
“No,” he blurted out, setting her back from him. Ainsley felt the loss of him immediately.
“Yes, you do,” she teased.
“Where did you
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