But Sylph just shook her head. “No, Father wouldn’t allow it.”
Maybe the countess hadn’t had such strict, bigoted parents. Ormaybe, if she was close to her servants, it was because she didn’t have anyoneelse.
A rustle of fabric preceded the countess’s arrival. Thana stoodas she always did when someone entered a room. Sylph stayed seated, but shedidn’t command Thana to do the same. No doubt Thana had complied with somestatus rule without knowing.
Like her house, the countess seemed to date from some years ago. Herdress was nothing like the tight trousers, frilled shirts, and coats or vestspopular in Marienne. Made from blue silk, it had a high collar, and laces randown the side from her left shoulder to her waist, the cord and eyelets instartling silver. Maybe she wanted to match her house.
Or maybe she was saving her money for the fight she knew might beahead.
Her graying blond hair was pulled behind her head, but strayringlets lay over both shoulders. She seemed very pale in the dim room, but herdark eyes snapped like fire as she glanced between them. Thana bowed, happyshe’d received protocol lessons from Gunnar even when she didn’t want them.
“Lady Sylph, Miss Justine,” the countess said. “Welcome to myhome.” Icicles could have formed in the wake of her words. Her face didn’ttwitch. She didn’t sit, which meant Thana couldn’t either, and her eyespractically screamed at them to state their purpose.
“Thank you, Countess,” Sylph said. “My companion and I were outriding, and I’m afraid time escaped us. Now that night has fallen, we have cometo beg accommodation.” She smiled, and it had some charm, Sylph putting on thelady-in-distress mask like a professional actor.
“Of course,” Countess Carisse said, and she seemed a littlerelieved, though Thana didn’t know what she was expecting. A challenge to heror her daughter? A marriage proposal? Maybe she thought they’d at least pretendto be suitors, but when they didn’t propose, she decided to relax.
“This way.” She led them up the stairs.
Thana wondered why she was leading them herself. Maybe she knewSylph was the daughter of a duke simply because of her name. Maybe it was merestatus that made the countess nervous.
Thana had never met Sylph’s father, but the fear he put ineveryone didn’t make her anxious to do so.
“With the disrepair of the east wing,” Countess Carisse said,“I’m afraid we have only one guest room available.”
Thana’s stomach sank. One room. With Sylph. Who Thana had beenfantasizing about since they’d met. She didn’t know whether to be overjoyed orhorrified. They’d also been arguing since they’d met.
When Sylph said, “Of course,” in that smooth manner, Thana groundher teeth. Sylph would probably command her to sleep on the floor. Spirits,Sylph might have demanded that Countess Carisse give up her own room, but thatwould probably cause a diplomatic incident.
When the countess let them into a room with a huge wooden bed anda near-acre of mattress, Thana let out a breath. In that monstrosity, they’d behard-pressed to findeach other, let alone make love. People in the old days must have lived inthem. Or maybe they’d hardly ever changed the sheets and just slept in anothercorner if one got dirty.
“Dinner will be soon,” Countess Carisse said as she left and shutthe door.
Thana breathed out and stretched. She’d been holding herself sostiffly that her back was starting to ache. “I’ll have to remember the prince’slessons on table manners,” she said, and her stomach growled in approval.
Sylph smiled faintly. “Just copy me, and you’ll be fine.” Sheglanced at the bed, and her cheeks colored as if she’d just realized they hadto sleep together. Thana waited for her order to take a blanket and find a spoton the carpet. She’d tell Sylph to take her blanket and shove it. Then they’dfight, and then…
“Left or right?” Sylph asked.
Thana blinked. “Pardon?”
“Side of the bed. Which do you prefer?” She had wide, innocenteyes, but she wasn’t demanding anything. If Thana had been reading her right,that meant she was nervous.
It felt good to not be the only one.
“Oh, um, I’ve never had a side.” She wished her own blush wouldtake a rest. “I’ve only ever slept in single beds.” She stopped beforeadmitting that she’d shared a single bed a time or two, at least for an hour orso, but just the thought made the spirits-cursed blood rush to her face again.She turned away.
“Oh,” Sylph said softly. “Try the right?”
Thana barked a laugh. “Sounds like you’re offering wine.” Andeverything sounded as if it had a second meaning at the moment. She wanted tobite her cheek to stop talking.
Sylph sat on the left side of the bed. The mattress sagged,lifting her feet off the floor. She gave a delighted little laugh that madeThana want to hold her even more.
And if the mattress sagged that much, they’d both wind up in themiddle, thrown together by fate…and an old mattress. Then neither of them couldbe held responsible if they—
A gong sounded from below, a deep hollow reverberation that madeSylph roll out of bed. “Dinner,” she said, all false brightness that said shemight have been thinking about that mattress, too.
Chapter Ten
Sylph tried to control the tension in her body as shedescended the stairs. The presence of Thana behind her should have given hersome comfort, but then she thought of them sharing a bed, and the anxietystayed put.
In the palace, the thought of Thana pressed close had made herexcited, eager even, despite the differences in their station. Perhaps shehadn’t been upset by it because she’d known that they could never be together.Here, on the run, adrift from their roles, forced into proximity…thepossibility seemed right in front of her.
Thrilling, terrifying, all exhilarating feelings she couldn’trecall from her former life.
But she couldn’t dwell on them at the moment. She had to shoveher feelings down and put her court face on, and it felt as uncomfortable ascramming herself into a small box. The countess was clearly wary of her and herintentions, and she had
