On the way back inside, she saw Nicholas talking to the head council about something of high importance as their discussion went back and forth. It was about the recent Edict that took place.
"We have already given the exception of the Lady as there"s a truce but you cannot withhold other people who moved. You do know-"
Nicholas interrupted him, "And I already told you, I don"t believe in the divide the council have put. Isn"t it suspicious to have it at a time like this when he could have done few years ago when there was ma.s.s murder going on in Mythweald? Not to forget he"s picked a precise time. He"s planning for something big."
"I am aware of it Nicholas. We are fis.h.i.+ng for the ones who spiked the majority during the vote because when I spoke to the council members weren"t in favor of it. Why didn"t you hold another vote?"
"You know that isn"t how it works. Once done is done," the old man rubbed the back of his neck tiredly, "It is a good thing he hasn"t kept too many tabs on you and instead just on Alexander. It would only add extra work for me. I spoke to Alexander and it looks like he has already drawn a plan for what is going to take place."
"What about his wife?" Lord Nicholas enquired.
"I heard she"s always sick due to her ill health."
"Are you sure about it?"
"Why do you doubt?"Reuben furrowed his brows.
"Well," Lord Nicholas drawled, "The last time I heard, she was in Valeria taking a stroll in the woods and town. If I am not wrong, it must be the time during the Hallow."
It wasn"t like Heidi was eavesdropping as the two men stood on the other side of the main entrance, talking to each other. Meeting the head council"s eyes she bowed her head both to him as well as the lord. The following day, Heidi accompanied Warren to the next town. Like he said the visit was short. He had taken her to a newly opened confectionary store in the town. After Warren had tried kissing her last night, she felt slightly awkward around him. Nonetheless, she was polite to him. Reaching back home before the time of lunch, Heidi handed the little boxes of cake to Stanley. The butler thanked her with star gazed eyes whilst looking at the boxes. She was glad that she had given it to him.
At the piano room, Heidi took a seat, opening the cover to the keys. She pulled the sheet which she hadn"t seen previously. There were only two lines written on it. Cracking both of her knuckles, she began playing it. It was odd yet beautiful. She wondered if Nicholas had used the piano room when she wasn"t around as she had never caught him playing the piano.
She continued playing it continuously when suddenly two hands appeared out of nowhere, long fingers that pressed the keys.
"Continue playing," Nicholas nudged her and she did, working her hand in constant intervals of time. Both of them played together as he added music to it, harmonizing it with the one he had previously written. In the calm and serene atmosphere, Heidi could feel her heart soar with every note of the key that filled the empty room.
Seeing him move away one his hand from the keys, she used her free hand to play the music, imitating his other hand which was still playing the keys. As they played, Heidi felt Nicholas push her open hair away from one side of her shoulder to another gently. She tried hard to concentrate but when Nicholas" breath hit the nape of her neck, she couldn"t concentrate. Her heartbeat rose steadily, the tip of his nose gliding so ever lightly over her soft skin making her s.h.i.+ver to his delight. She didn"t know when the lips replaced the nose but when she did, her hands stopped to only be caught by his hands.
"Nicholas," she whispered.
"Hmm," he hummed in response, "You have a really soft neck. Softer than I expected it to be," his voice reverberated against her neck. His hands that were on top of hers squeezed along with her heart making her gulp.
"I have been waiting to catch but it seemed that you have been quite a bit busy than usual. Were you by any chance trying to avoid me? Especially after returning back from forest," his fingers linked between her fingers in a combination of small and long fingers.
"Why would I? I have no reason to avoid you," she answered.
"Is that so? Hmm, well I could list many. I have to say, I didn"t expect you to turn the tables around. Hypocrite as I am, I don"t like anyone touching you. Or trying to."
Heidi felt herself smile by his words. It looked like he didn"t like the taste of his own medicine.
"I feel guilty and bad for Warren," she confessed.
"Don"t worry about him. Like he said- he was out of line by trying to do something he wasn"t supposed to do," was he listening to their conversation while talking to the head council? They were interrupted when Stanley knocked on the door which Nicholas had closed.
Heidi tried to pull away her hand but Nicholas had something else on his mind as his hands held hers not letting it go nor moving away from her.
"What is it, Stanley?"
"Ah, master, you asked to prepare the carriage."
"I changed my mind," Nicholas said kissing Heidi"s neck, "Send a letter to Wallace that the meeting will be held next week."
"Yes, master," she heard the footsteps fade away and at the same time, something sharp grazed over her neck.
"Shh, don"t move. I won"t bite you," he chuckled, "But I cannot deny... that the thought of sinking my fangs in your skin feels so very tempting," he gave her neck another kiss and pulled back.
Moving around, he came to sit next to her.
"Your family must be missing you immensely," he said with his hands back on the keys.
He knew about the letter. Of course he did. She remembered him saying how all the letters went through him here before it would be handed to her. Even though the butler had given it to her, the letter had been unopened by her, still resting on the side of her bed. It was stupid of her to think if she didn"t open the letter she could believe that the letter had never come to her hands.
"Will you be leaving tomorrow?" he asked her.
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes. I saw that it was your sister Nora"s birthday. You must want to go home," Heidi began to worry again. She knew it wasn"t her family but the Duke who wanted to talk to her. She feared to go back there, "It shouldn"t be much trouble after all thanks to the edict pa.s.sed you can visit freely wh-"
"Please don"t make me go," she said making him stop playing the keys and he c.o.c.ked his head to the side.
Nicholas noticed the anxiousness and the fear behind those hazel eyes. He didn"t question her words.
"You don"t have to go if you don"t want to. Stay here with me instead."