“And as for me stepping out?” she asks, her voice quiet but firm.
“No unscheduled outings. No last-minute plans.” I hold her gaze steadily. “But yes, with proper security and advance notice of at least a day, you can have your breathing room.”
A smile starts at the corners of her mouth, those dimples now melting my heart. “Supervised freedom, then.”
“Something like that,” I let the corners of my mouth turn upward.
She studies me for a long moment, her blue-green eyes searching mine, and I can’t focus on anything but their depths.
“Deal.” She extends her hand as if we're closing a business transaction.
“Deal,” I murmur as I take her hand. She lets hers rest in mine for a moment too long, and when she pulls away, I feel a pang of disappointment.
Chapter 11 - Lilibeth
For some reason, I’m nervous. I’m going to visit the place I’ve always called home, but this time around, the fact that I’m married makes it feel different.
I sit in the middle of the backseat and look right ahead as Nikolai and Anoushka’s mansion comes into view. I’m happy to see all my cousins, I truly am, and yet there’s a strange anxiety crawling through me.
I think it’s because I know they’ll have so many questions about married life, and on some level, I’m afraid they might come from a place of judgment. It’s no secret that none of them are fond of my husband. Heck, they even tried to convince me to call off the marriage until the day of the wedding itself.
I fear that today they will raise questions with their assumptions about him. I guess it’s good I’m here. Perhaps I can soothe things over.
The car comes to a stop, and before I can reach for the door, one of Agafon’s men from the convoy up front has already opened it for me.
“Thank you.” I smile and head for the house. I half-expect to be followed, but when I throw a look over my shoulder, I notice the men waiting by the cars. Agafon is trying to give me privacy and independence, and for that I’m grateful.
We've been married only four weeks, but we’re already starting to understand one another. When I said I wanted to meet my cousins, all he asked was when and handled the rest. It feels nice not having to plot and sneak around to do the things I want.
I don’t need to ring the bell since Nikolai’s guards have noted my arrival, and I’m barely up the stairs to the door when it swings wide open.
“Beth!” Nikolai rushes and sweeps me into a hug that lifts my feet off the ground. “You're here!”
I laugh as he sets me down. “Where else would I be? I promised I'd come.”
Behind him, his wife Anoushka smiles warmly as her eyes flicker behind her. “You came alone?” she asks as she leans in for a hug.
“I wanted to catch up with the family,” I explain. “Why? It’s not a formal thing, is it?”
“No, no,” she says and waves me off as she ushers me in. She then exchanges a look with Nikolai. “It’s just that we weren't sure if Agafon would let you visit without him,” she says, her eyes searching mine for signs of unhappiness.
And there it is, the judgment I prepared myself for. I know my cousins mean no harm, but hearing him thought of in this manner mildly annoys me.
“Agafon doesn’t care where I go as long as I’m safe,” I explain, which isn’t exactly a lie…now. “He sent me with drivers, though.”
“Of course he did,” Dima is standing by the doorway to the sitting room, his arm around his wife Lara. “Can't have his precious new bride driving herself like a normal person.”
“Besides,” Nikolai grins. “He might be a smart man not to trust her at the wheel.”
I laugh and spin to face Nikolai. “Once! I banged your car once!”
“And mine thrice, remember?” Dima recalls as he walks up to grab me into a bear hug.
I roll my eyes but can't help smiling. It feels good to be teased and treated normally after weeks of feeling like the mistress of a very serious house at Agafon’s. I only have the staff there for the company most of the day, and none of them are friendly, especially not since Agafon fired that guard.
I’m ushered into the living room where the others wait. Fedor immediately jumps off the couch, and Sofia and Natalia break off their little gossip session to see what has caught Fedor’s eye. On seeing me, both sisters squeal and rush over.
Suddenly, I’m surrounded, being hugged and kissed.
