“Supper?” Remi couldn’t imagine having a stimulating conversation with him, not after he’d snuffed her so thoroughly.
“Yes.”
“But—”
Elise’s expression hardened. She looked like her mother when she was serious. “His father died—your husband.”
“You needn’t remind me.”
Elise took the first two steps up, a gesture for Remi to follow. “Supper will be soon. Perhaps we should get you changed.”
Remi responded with a shiver.
The thought of changing into something dry and drinking a cup of warm tea brightened her a little, but as they reached the second floor, Remi heard Ben’s voice, and her earlier anxieties returned with a vengeance. It was warm and friendly, and it surprised her to see him conversing so easily with Slyvie, who was seemingly dazzled by him. So, he could be a charming gentleman. Neither of them paid any mind to the two women ascending the stairs. It would have been the perfect moment for Remi to slip by unnoticed if Elise hadn’t stopped her halfway from retreat.
“Not so fast, cousin,” Elise hissed, giving her a push in the opposite direction. “Go and talk to him. I’ll gather your garments.”
“I would prefer not to,” Remi argued.
A devious smile curled along Elise’s lips. “Remember what Mother would say.”
Remi frowned. “You are a cruel torturer.”
Elise batted her eyes and flipped her hair back dramatically. “I know.”
An unspoken ‘you’ll thank me later’ passed between them as Elise left her one step from the landing. Ben and Sylvie had moved further away now, closer to an open door down the hallway to the guest quarters. Their voices still reached her, though their words were muted.
He’s just a man, Remi thought as she pulled her blanket tighter. It was damp from her clothes, its warmth completely lost. I won’t let him intimidate me!
“A warm bath would be nice,” Ben said as Remi came closer.
“Of course, sir.”
“Thank you, Sylvie.” He moved from her side and lingered in the doorway, turning at the sound of Remi’s approach.
Elise was right—Ben was handsome. Sixteen years marked itself on him, and even Sylvie could not be faulted for lingering. He was unlike any of the other men on the island. He could sport any number of expressions, and still, his charm would make itself known. His jaw was strong, like his high cheekbones, and his nose was long but regal. The confidence he exuded was an undeniable part of his appeal. None of the hours and days she spent fantasizing about him could hold a candle to the man standing before her.
“Oh, Madame! I didn’t see you there.” Sylvie startled, nearly dropping the laundry in her arms.
Ben’s thick brows raised with interest. In the slight glow emanating from his room, the dark complexion of his forever sun-kissed skin seemed to glisten.
“Sylvie,” Remi addressed her with as much authority as she could muster. It was hard to keep her focus when Ben’s attention focused on her heavily. “I just wanted to be sure our guest was settled. Does he have everything he needs?”
“Yes, Madame.” Sylvie didn’t move. “Monsieur was just asking for a bath.”
“Before supper,” he added, leaning against the doorframe.
“Then we should tend to that presently,” Remi pressed.
“Yes, Madame. Excuse me.” Sylvie’s eyes widened, and she ducked her head as she passed.
A frigid moment of silence passed between them, his dark eyes hard and empty.
Remi tightened her grip on the blanket and opened her mouth to speak. “I hope—”
“Don’t.” Ben held his position.
Remi sucked in a breath. “Have I done something?” she asked. “I apologize if—”
“Madame.” His voice was deep, a rumble in his chest that she could practically feel rattling in her breast. “I need none of your apologies. We are beyond such formalities. I’m not here for you.”
The emphasis of his words was like a smack to her cheek.
“I was under no such impression.” She never expected him to come back for her, not after he’d rejected her so thoroughly. If not for Edgar’s death, she knew he might never have returned at all.
Ben straightened an inch.
“Let me make myself clear,” he started, a trace of poison lacing his tone. “I do not care to know, nor do I have any interest in the relationship you had with my father. Your condolences and sympathies are unnecessary for me. In fact, they are most unwelcome.”
She tipped her chin up in defiance. His eyes lit up, half-amused, though he was still visibly angry.
“If you intend for us to share in our grief, then you are to be sorely disappointed, Madame.” The sound of footsteps on the stairs echoed as the last syllable reached Remi’s ears.
“I haven’t the slightest intention to share my grief, as it were,” she said coldly. “You may not approve of the circumstances of our unique situation, but we can at least come to some sort of understanding.” Wet and dripping a sizable river along the floor of the hallway, she refused to be dismissed again.
“And what sort of understanding is that?” Ben sneered, a mocking smile plastered on his face.
“Until the reading of the will, I am the lady of this estate.” She paused for a breath. “And while you’re here, you’ll treat me with some modicum of respect.”
