One Bite Per Night Read Free Page B

carriage.
    â€œYou had best hurry inside,” the driver grunted as the trunks were unloaded. “A storm approaches.”
    Lydia only half heard him as she stared up at Castle Deveril. Iron-gray stone gleamed in the waxing moonlight. Wind howled through ancient arrow slits, and shadows engulfed the turrets. A thrill rushed through her body at the realization that she would live in a real castle, just like a princess in the stories Mama used to tell.
    Mama … Lydia’s eyes stung with unshed tears. She blinked and focused once more on the castle. Could this place become her home? Much of that would depend on her guardian. She peered toward the towering entrance.
    â€œCome now, Lydia,” Miss Hobson urged as the wind picked up and clouds raced across the face of the moon.
    Lightning flashed, and a figure seemed to materialize before them on the stony path. Emma let out a cry that was immediately drowned out by a crash of thunder.
    Miss Hobson remained composed, though her voice cracked. “My lord, you startled us.” Straightening her spine, she continued. “As you can see, Miss Price has arrived safely.”
    The Earl of Deveril stepped forward with a bow. Long, wild hair fell forward to shadow his face. “Miss Price, welcome to my home. I hope you will be happy here.” His accent held the same musical cadence as Emma’s.
    With shaky legs, Lydia managed a curtsy. “Thank you, my lord.”
    Entranced, she looked up at her new guardian. Tall and lean, he loomed over her like a specter, his greatcoat flapping in the wind. Lightning illuminated his silvery-blond locks sweeping across sharp, angular features.
    Her spine tingled. Never had she seen a more striking person. Though his hair was the color of moonlight, his face and form were those of a young man. Lydia choked back a gasp. She longed to render him in charcoal…no, oils .
    Lord Deveril interrupted her thoughts, his lyrical voice holding her captive. “Please, go inside before the storm strikes. A warm bath and a hot supper await you.” Genuine kindness filled his tone, a soothing balm from the coldness and pity she’d faced from others. “We may further our acquaintance tomorrow evening. Tonight you must rest from your long journey.”
    â€œI am well, my lord. Where are you going?” The thought of this mysterious stranger who held her entire fate in his hands leaving her so suddenly was alarming.
    Her grandmother’s rejection taunted her. Perhaps she was cursed. As if to concur, a lock of her hair slid from its pin to slap her cheek in the biting wind.
    Paying the weather no mind, Lord Deveril regarded her calmly. “I am going for a walk.”
    The absurdity of his statement made her chuckle. “But it is dark out, and a storm is coming. Surely you should not risk your health in such inclement conditions.”
    Miss Hobson made a small sound, no doubt to scold her for such pertness. Lydia didn’t care. She didn’t want him to leave. He was to be her only link to her new life, her only sense of stability. What if he didn’t want her either? Was that why he was so eager to remove himself?
    Lightning flashed again, illuminating his eyes. A captivating shade of blue tinged with gray, they glittered like the turbulent sea. Her breath halted. It was as if his eyes were the storm.
    Lord Deveril smiled, displaying gleaming white teeth. “Your concern is most touching, though unnecessary. I have taken my nightly walk every evening for many years. The weather never stops me.”
    He stepped closer, gently lifted the loose lock of her hair with long, graceful fingers, and tucked the strands behind her ear. Lydia’s heart pounded at his whisper-light touch. The earl bowed once more and departed with smooth, powerful strides. Lydia’s stomach quivered as if she were back aboard the ship.

Three
    An old man stumbled out of the pub, singing an ancient Cornish love song,