“It was probably my fault,” she admitted. “I told him to go out and earn his keep.”
“You know what they say,” Drake said, grinning at her. “Be wary what you ask for lest you get it.”
She glared at him, then burst out laughing. A warm glow suffused her when his laughter mingled with hers.
She was still smiling when the faint glow of streetlights came into view.
Drake pulled up in front of a large hotel with an old-fashioned ambiance. After turning off the engine, he got out of the car, then came around to open her door for her. Taking her by the hand, he ushered her into the hotel. After securing a room, he asked if she was ready to dine, and when she said yes, he escorted her into the hotel’s elegant restaurant.
It was quite the loveliest place she had ever seen. The lighting was subdued, the walls papered with an elegant rose and cream stripe. The tables were laid with rosecolored damask threaded with gold, gleaming silverware, and crystal goblets. She looked at Drake, her brows raised, when all he ordered for dinner was a glass of red wine.
“Don’t tell me you’ve already eaten?” Elena said, disappointment in her tone. “I know you like to eat alone, but I thought you might make an exception tonight.”
“Sorry, sweet wife, but do not let my abstinence spoil your supper. I am told the cuisine here is quite good.”
The roast, country potatoes, green beans, and bread looked good, smelled wonderful, and tasted even better, but when she offered Drake a bite of roast dipped in gravy, he refused.
“I don’t understand why you won’t eat with me,” she said with a pout. “Are you embarrassed by your table manners or something?”
“Yes,” he said with a wry grin. “Something like that.”
She made a face at him. “I don’t believe you.” He was so polished in every other regard. His clothing was always impeccable, his speech refined. She decided then and there that, one way or another, she would discover what he was hiding.
After dinner, he took her walking down Republicii Street, which was lined with quaint storefronts reminiscent of days gone by. Most of the smaller shops were closed for the evening, but a few of the larger ones remained open. They passed stores that sold clothes, books, souvenirs, jewelry, electrical appliances, and even art, as well as cafés and restaurants. No cars were allowed here, which made it ideal for an after-dinner stroll.
Elena was treated to more evidence of Drake’s generosity when he insisted on buying her another new dress—this one the color of a ripe plum. He also bought her a pink sweater, a pair of shoes, and a fur-lined jacket, and instructed the clerk to send it all to the hotel.
“Is there anything else you would like?” he asked as they continued down the street.
“I need a mirror. I can’t believe you don’t have any in the castle.”
She couldn’t be sure, but she thought she heard him swear softly. And then he smiled at her. “Of course.”
He bought her a full-length, antique, stand-up mirror framed in polished mahogany. When she protested, insisting it was too costly, he silenced her by saying, “Consider it my wedding gift.”
She could hardly argue with that.
After leaving the shop, he asked if she was tired. Elena shook her head. She felt as if she could walk for miles. It felt good to stretch her legs, to feel the breeze on her face. To feel Drake’s hand holding hers.
They crossed the street at the corner and walked back toward the hotel. Elena paused to peer in the window of an old-fashioned tea shop, charmed by the unusual teapots and cups, the old-fashioned tins of tea. Moving on, they passed a bridal shop, several restaurants, and an ice-cream parlor.
A narrow alley took them away from the city. There were no lights here. Elena clung to Drake’s arm, visions of muggers racing to the forefront of her mind.
“What are we doing here?” she asked, glancing nervously from side to side.
Drake quietly cursed himself. What was he thinking, bringing her here? His only excuse was the scent of prey being carried to him on an errant breeze. It quickened his hunger, made his fangs ache with need. But he couldn’t hunt now, not with Elena on his arm.
An abrupt turn and he headed back toward the hotel.
“But I’m not ready to go to bed,” she protested as he escorted her up to their room. “I’d like some dessert and a cup of coffee.”
“I need to go out.”
“Where are you going at this hour?” she asked, glancing at her watch. “Why can’t I come with you?”
The lie came quickly to his lips. “I’m going to one of the clubs.”
“What kind of club?” she asked suspiciously.
“A casino.”
“Why can’t I go? I’ve never been to a casino.”
“Stay here and behave yourself. I won’t be gone long.” He dropped a kiss on the top of her head and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Elena stared after him. He was lying, but why? Was the truth so horrible? Before she could change her mind, she followed him down the stairs, determined to find out where he was going.
She hadn’t expected it to be so easy to follow him, had been certain that, within minutes, he would discover she was behind him and send her back to the hotel. But he appeared to be lost in thought as he walked quickly down the street, his hands shoved into his pockets. She trailed behind him, her gaze darting right and left. What was she doing, following him down dark streets in a strange city? Sometimes it seemed as if he wasn’t real. His black attire made it easy to believe he was a part of the night, like the darkness and the shadows and the mare’s tail clouds drifting across the moon.
Ahead, Drake turned right, into a park. What was he going to do there at this time of night? Was he meeting someone? But who? A woman? The thought of Drake with another woman hurt more than she would have believed possible. Still, she had no one to blame but herself. She had told him she wanted a marriage in name only, certain, at the time, that she meant it. But that had been before the wedding. And even though it was just a sham, she was his wife and he was her husband.
She ducked out of sight behind a tree when two disreputable-looking men strolled out of the shadows and approached Drake. She heard the taller of the two strangers demand his wallet and when he refused, the tall man and his companion both pulled knives hidden under their shirts. Moonlight glinted on the blades as the muggers lunged forward, their weapons driving toward Drake’s chest.
Only Drake wasn’t there. Miraculously, or so it appeared to Elena, he materialized behind the men, his hands curling around their necks, slamming their heads together with a sickening thud. The knives fell from their hands, clattering to the walkway as Drake dropped the bodies to the ground. She couldn’t tell if the muggers were unconscious, or dead, but there was no mistaking the dark stains that spread out on the cement.