Stoffel turned to her with a smile, and Maya was sure she saw a slight sheen in his eyes. “That is all I wanted for the Prince, my lady,” he said. He bowed his head. “I apologize for my deception. It was out of good intentions only, I assure you.”
“Well,” Maya said, clearing her throat awkwardly, “thank you for preparing a laboratory for me. I’m sure that was your doing.”
But Stoffel shook his head. “I only followed the Prince’s instructions. He has spoken of your work often enough that I could estimate the kind of lab work you would be accustomed to doing, and the rest was easy.”
Maya blinked, and her heart gave an odd little thump. Luka had thought of her while he’d been away. He’d spoken of her. Often enough that his aide knew how to arrange a set of rooms that would meet her requirements for a laboratory.
“I think it is time for breakfast, my lady,” Stoffel said, breaking into her thoughts. “Allow me to accompany you back to the house.”
Maya nodded, her thoughts already on Luka as they walked back to the estate. What would his mood be at breakfast? Would he still be angry, or would they be able to talk now?
But the breakfast hour came and went with no sign of Luka. As the day progressed, and he didn’t show his face for lunch time, either, Maya decided she’d had enough.
Stoffel had disappeared into Luka’s study after his absence at breakfast, and she’d given the pair of them time until the evening before she lost her patience and decided to do something about it.
Stoffel started as he saw her waiting for him outside the study, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed as he pulled the doors to the study shut behind him.
“My lady,” Stoffel said, eyes wide.
Maya hid her laugh. She really had to stop sneaking up on this poor man.
“Mister Peshkov,” she acknowledged him with a nod. “Luka is inside, yes?”
“Ah, yes, my lady.” Stoffel fidgeted with the cuffs of his sleeves. “The Prince is looking over some paperwork—”
“But these are not important papers, I suppose? They can stand to be put aside until tomorrow?”
Stoffel paused, and then nodded. “Of course, my lady.”
“Excellent.” Maya gave him a firm nod, then stepped forward to stride into Luka’s study, turning to close the doors firmly behind her.
A small smile hovered around Stoffel’s lips as he bowed to her, and Maya was cheered by his silent support of her decision.
“My lady!” Luka’s butler hurried forward to her, nearly wringing his hands. “I would’ve done that for you—”
“Nonsense,” Maya said breezily. “I can open my own doors, man. Why don’t you go back to whatever it is you normally do at this time? The Prince and I have much to discuss.”
The butler’s eyes skipped to Luka, who was sitting behind his desk, half in shadow, and at a single nod from Luka, the man bowed, and beat a hasty retreat.
“What are you doing here, Maya?”
“Always the same questions,” she said flippantly. She strode over to Luka’s desk, and sat down in the chair across from him, observing him in the candlelight.
His face looked almost gaunt in the flickering light of the single candelabra on his desk, the shadows on his face turning it into the visage of a stranger. His eyes looked flat in the dim light, and Maya frowned. She’d been right. Luka couldn’t be left to himself. He’d already had a month of solitude, without her knowing about it. He had to be brought back into the light, even if she had to do it with him kicking and screaming all the way.
“Well, Maya, are you going to answer me?”
There was a bite in Luka’s voice, and strangely, it made her want to be more contrary. Back in the Academy, they’d clashed against each other because they’d wanted the same goal, and she’d hated him for being her rival, but now, it was almost…fun, to willfully antagonize him. If it was the only way she could bring the color back to his cheek and the sparkle back to his eye, then she didn’t mind drawing his fire.
“Couldn’t I have walked in here just to see you?”
The carefree answer seemed to provoke him more, she could see his jaw clench in the half-light.
“Yes, well. You saw me. Now, I bid you goodnight.”
“Aren’t you going to offer me a drink, Prince?”
Maya’s voice was challenging, and she saw Luka’s eyes flash as he leaned forward.Good, she thought. It was as if her words were unearthing the old Luka before her very eyes.
