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A Painter’s Embrace

Chapter Ten

Master List | Steve Rogers Master List | Series Master List

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Pairing: Alpha!Steve Rogers x OFC | Word Count: 6042 Warnings: none

This update brought to you thanks to @horrsegal and @texmexdarling through Coffee Updates. Thank you for your love and support.

Natasha glared down at Barnes angrier than she’d been in a very long time. “How dare you act like nothing happened.”

“Natalia…”

“Do not speak!” She pricked his skin with the point of her dagger. “You haven’t the right.”

Sam crouched down a few feet away. “Natasha, I know he’s been beetled-headed of late-”

“Wilson,” Barnes growled.

“-But he came for Peter.”

She snapped her wings up and outward, allowing the deep black of her Widow’s persona to overcome her. “You listen to me, Lord Barnes. Miss Stark has become a dear friend. The wrong you have done her will not be easily forgiven. Do not seek to enter my home while she is here. Your presence is not welcome.”

It appeared the shock had worn off for Barnes Will began to pour from him. “Natalia, remove yourself from my person.”

She gritted her teeth and dug her knife in deeper. “Not until you understand the severity of my words.”

The sharp tang of metal filled the air, his eyes turned red, and his right hand snapped out to wrap around her throat. “Remove yourself this instant, woman!”

His Will hit her like a slap, causing Natasha to jerk backward. “I gave my word to Lord Stark. Distress his fledgling, hurt her in any way, not even your Will shall keep me from slicing you open.” She stood and took a step back. “You destroyed her. She does not eat. She barely sleeps. She smells of death and a broken heart. It took hours of Lady Heartright’s pleading to see Miss Stark agreeing to accompany her. I will not allow you to hurt her again. She’s important to Lizzy, nearly a nestmate, and Lizzy is Steve’s omega. You would not want to be responsible for upsetting Lizzy. Not with Steve so close to his rut.”

Bucky picked himself off the ground and shook out his wings. “Steve will not be in rut for a few weeks yet.”

She shook her head and glanced at Sam. The other beta nodded his agreement. “If you bothered to use your nose, Lord Barnes, you too would smell the change around him. Instead, you think only of yourself.” She spat a sentence at him in Russian, one best not translated, and turned to go only to pause on the stairs. “You are a fool when it comes to Miss Stark. Constance is a wonderful woman you have hurt quite brutally. Until such a time as you pull your head from your arse, do not try and see her. Do not be in her presence. Do not even attempt to speak to her. And remember who my mate is. Your Will cannot stop an arrow, Lord Barnes.”

Bucky’s eyes were still red when he glided toward her. “I wished only to offer greeting before I left for Winter Hall. Would you have me be rude, Natalia?”

“You have already proved yourself a cad and a rake, breaking her heart, James Barnes. Being rude is the least of your concern.”

His face fell, the red leaching from his eyes. “I cannot be her alpha.”

Natasha lifted her chin. “You boneheaded fool. You already are.” She flicked her wings, returning them to their unassuming brown, and walked away.

Moments later, the snap of down-swept wings was followed by another as Bucky left the keep and Sam went with him.

***

“Will Miss Romanoff be alright dealing with Lord Barnes?” Jarvis asked the woman gently holding his arm.

She was radiant in her red glory. She did not downplay her colouring by attempting to offset it with a contrasting dress but wore a gown as red as the rest of her. It was bold. Daring. He suspected it expressed her personality quite well.

He could smell her scent on the wind. Subtle. Soft. Sweet. Raspberries and sugar. It made his mouth water as no female ever had before. Only a beta, he had not the drives nor instincts the alphas did, but still, this stunning female called to his inner beast. But something about her, about the way she moved and smelled, it bespoke omega yet… not. Like the boy on the steps, she was more than she seemed.

“Natalia is most skilled. Lord Barnes will know his place. He has angered the entire weyr with his callous behaviour. If worst comes, he will not win out against the Colonel and myself. But… I have faith, da? He is,” she waved her hand, “confused. His mind is very mixed up after his time in France.”

“Pray forgive my ignorance, Lady, but how would you be of assistance to the Colonel against Lord Barnes?”

Wanda smiled up at him, giving him a hint of fangs. “You think me omega, da?” Her grin widened when Jarvis nodded. “I am not. I am alpha.”

She spread her wings behind them, high and wide, and he felt it — the brush of Will that wrapped him in a ribbon of sensation. It poured through him, covered him, coated him in more of her delicious scent, very nearly sending him to his knees.

“Alpha,” he breathed and stopped at the bottom of the secondary keep’s stairs. “My lady. May I be so bold as to inquire if you are… attached?”

A blood red brow lifted and amusement scented the air. “Why do you ask…?”

He collected her fingers from his arm and bowed over her hand. “Viscerion. Viscerion Jarvis. My mother called me Vis while my father preferred Vision. And it is Sir though I hold to no title but Majordomo for the Starks.”

She tilted her head and stepped closer. “Why Vision?”

“I can see very great distances and pick up minute changes in the space around me.”

“Such… beautiful eyes.” Her free hand lifted to his face.

He did not look away from her eyes when her grip on his hand changed, and she brought it to her nose. He extended his wrist, aware of what she was about, and exposed the gland hidden by his sleeve cuff and glove. The rumbled purr she produced upon finding his scent tightened his loins substantially.

Jarvis curled his wings around them, unwilling to share a moment more with what staff bustle about to bailey. “Lady Maximoff… I am but a humble servant in the Stark household, yet I find... that is to say, I am most… overcome by your presence. It appears I… I hold a high esteem for you upon this, our first meeting, and I-”

“Vis,” Wanda purred. “You will stay with me.”

His face flushed. “I must stay near Miss Stark. Her father is my alpha, no matter my feelings for you.”

Red seeped into the white of her eyes. “Then is good I have rooms in both keeps, da? Is very bad for me to be in main house during the Colonel’s rut, and I like the company of the women. I will stay here. With you.”

His heart skipped and pounded in his chest. “I would… I would be most… most pleased for your company.”

She chuckled and patted his cheek. “You are so shy, English, but never worry. I won’t break my beta.”

Jarvis swallowed thickly. “I am Lord Stark’s sworn beta.”

“Da.” She shrugged and tugged on his cravat. “Is not a second I look for, Vision.”

“What… what…”

She pulled a little harder until his neck was fully bent, and he felt drunk on the scent of her. Everything inside him screamed for him to grab and seize and claim the woman standing before him, but he hesitated, uncertainty swimming inside him. Her face came incrementally closer until it bypassed his, and her nose skimmed the edge of his jaw. It tucked into the space just above his cravat and below his ear sending shivers of desire streaking through him.

“You smell like… dinner.”

“Gods save me,” Jarvis groaned.

“My head swims with your scent. My heart pounds. The bloodlust in me surges with my desire. I wish for no second. I will have no weyr save this one. The Colonel is the alpha I look to, but my heart, my soul, my nature cries... mate.”

Jarvis snarled and sought her mouth, unable to maintain his composure when she stood there before him, a gift and an offering. The first taste of her was exquisite. Sugar and spice and the barest hint of the copper tang of blood. It made her all the more addicting until she pulled her mouth from his and panted against his lips.

“It seems the Colonel is not the only one to find his mate,” Natasha said as she passed them, her feet nearly silent in the gravel. “I take it you will be staying with us, Wanda?”

“Da. Spasibo tebe, sestra.”

The smug smile Natasha sported was more approving than teasing. “Pozdravleniya, sestrenka. Come, Sir Jarvis. Be welcome in our home. There will be time for you to enchant our fire dragon when Miss Stark is settled and returned to calm.”

“Your understanding is appreciated, Lady Barton.”

Natasha froze on the steps; her eyes narrowed his direction. “Natasha or Natalia is perfectly acceptable, seeing as how it appears you will be joining our weyr.”

“I remain ever loyal to Lord Stark.”

“As you should. That does not mean you will not have a home here. Do come in. While my mate is a fine man, he lacks social graces.”

“I heard that!” shouted the man in question from within the keep.

“See?” Natasha smiled and swept through the open door.

“Is she always like that?” Jarvis asked Wanda.

“Da, as long as I’ve known her. She has the mannerisms of a grand lady but refuses the title.” Wanda returned her hand to his arm. “Introduce me to your Miss Stark. I wish to be very good friends with her.”

He smiled down at her with such appreciation, Jarvis knew he must look utterly foolish but could not find the will to care. “I would be in your debt if you helped soothe her poor heart. She has been my charge from her earliest days in the nest. This upset.” He shook his head. “I want nothing but to see her smile again.”

Wanda nodded thoughtfully. “I understand the pain of heartbreak, perhaps better than most. It was like that when Pietro, my brother, was killed. Let me see what I can do.”

“You are a great lady.” He stole her free hand and brought her knuckles to his lips. The happiness in her eyes and pleasure in her smile were all the reward he could ever hope for.

***

Lizzy was speechless, her gaze upon the grand hall and ornate ceiling above her. It would rival that of some churches: soaring stone arches and grand buttresses mixed with colourful glass. Ornate columns held it all aloft, great stone pillars upon which more great arches rested. At the height of one of the magnificent windows, she caught the glimmer of rainbow wings and realized the boy, Peter, had hidden away in the buttresses.

What an incredible home for a fledgling to spread their wings. The idea of it, of seeing a variety of young ones spread their wings to flit among the arches made her smile. “Steven, this is splendid!”

He relaxed and smiled for her as he divested himself of his hat and gloves, handing both off to a waiting servant before assisting her with her coat and handing it off as well. “Father had… ostentatious tastes.”

“No, no!” Elizabeth took his offered arm. “It’s very grand but not at all pretentious. It makes a most wonderful first impression.”

“I’m pleased you think so.” He gently clasped his hand over hers. “Darling, this,” he nodded to the man standing stiffly with Steve’s coat over his arm, “Is Everett Ross. He is the butler of this house. Ross, my lady, Miss Heartright, soon to be Lady Denton.”

The man was quite short with bright blonde hair. He stood very tall and held his wings most tightly. The same pale blond, the colour reminded Lizzy of a palomino mare her mother had once owned. The smaller size proclaimed him beta, as did his scent, and though he stood as if his spine were made of steel, he smiled brightly. “I am honoured to meet your lady, my lord Earl. Lady Heartright.” He bowed deeply to her.

Lizzy tilted her head. “A pleasure, Mister Ross.”

“Ross, see Miss Heartright’s things placed in the Rose Room.”

Ross’s eyes grew round, but his smile spread all the wider. “At once, my lord Earl.” He bowed again and hurried off, barking orders to the waiting servants. Most, to Lizzy’s surprise, were Landeds.

Steve led her down the gleaming parkay floors, motioning to the set of narrow arched windows at the far end of the keep. “Through the doors there you’ll find a courtyard of cobblestones and a small fountain. It is quite narrow, separating the main house from the servants quarters, but tis a nice place to spend time outside without leaving the safety of the keep’s walls.”

“It sounds lovely.”

A wide stairway led up to the East wing and another to the West. He led her into the West wing where a third broad flight of stairs ascended to the second story. Like the grand entrance hall, it was made of stone, and she marvelled at the mastery of masonry which would have gone into its creation. Even the balustrade and stair railing was of carved and polished stone.

Steven’s smile was indulgent when she paused to pass her fingers over the curled newel post. “Come, darling. There is much to see.”

Vast halls and high ceilings led to keeping rooms and parlours, sitting rooms and studies. One salon led into another, and Lizzy gasped a little with each newly revealed room. The ceilings were painted with beautiful medallions, each the work of a master artist. The colours flowed and complimented, changing from pale minty greens into soft peach, lightening into the calming blue of a summer sky before sliding into a deeper sunny yellow.

Though a touch out of date, the furniture was lovingly polished and great care had clearly been taken to keep up the house. All the clocks ran on time. The windows shone streak free. There wasn’t even a hint of dust to be found on any flat surface or mantle.

Lizzy flicked her fingers over the edge of a heartily fluffed pillow. “Your housekeeper must be a quite the taskmaster.”

“Mrs. Danvish is strict but efficient. Since her enrolment in this house, I have had no qualms about leaving it in her capable hands when I’ve been away. Between her and Ross, there have been no complaints.”

“You seem to have an abundance of Landeds in-house.”

He looked at her with an arched brow. “I did not think that would bother you.”

“It doesn’t. Not at all. I find it… progressive.” Lizzy beamed up at him. “You’re a kind man, Steven.”

“I own a large estate. It is not always possible to employ one of winged kind. The Landeds are hardworking and grateful for the opportunity. I show them my trust, and they, in turn, give me their loyalty.”

Lizzy only smiled, her face a touch tender from how wide her cheeks had spread. The entire home was a marvel — a wonder to behold. She found so much about it she adored. “What’s next?”

Steve took her hand and drew her out the door of their current parlour toward another stairwell. This one was as wide as the stone one of before, but of wood and carpet, it appeared a touch shabbier, as if well used.

“You are welcome to make whatever changes you wish, darling,” Steve said as if he could read her mind.

“It truly is so grand. I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

“Possibly with refurbishing the stairwell?” He chuckled softly as he led her up it.

“Well.” Lizzy blushed and bit her lip.

“It is the closest stairs to my suite and studio. They are well used.”

She looked up at that, excitement humming inside her. “May I see it? Your studio? I would love to see your artwork.”

“You already have, sweet dove. Many of the paintings throughout the house are mine.”

“And you didn’t point them out?” She tsked, disappointed to have missed them.

“Let me remedy my error?” Steve led her to a door on the south side of the keep and motioned for her to open it.

A trickle of nerves ran through her, but Lizzy did not think she would dislike his work. In truth, she hadn’t seen a piece of art she hadn’t admired. Still, he’d been so kind about her talent, she wanted to feel the same about his and pushed the door inward with some hesitancy.

Light beamed across the honey-toned hardwood floors from the wall of windows. Shadows cast themselves over canvases and easels set between the bright white light pouring into the room. It caused Lizzy to squint momentarily as her eyes adjusted. The smell of paint and canvas, cleaners and a hint of dust tickled her nose.

Then her eyes adjusted and Lizzy could only stare in amazement. Her slippers made no sound as she padded across the floor to stare in awe at the work on the canvases. Many were portraits, some of the risque variety, but others were of animals, landscapes, and ships at sea. The one upon the easel, a storm swept vista of billowing, angry clouds in blacks and greys rolled against the writhing sea where a boat, small and fragile, was tossed amongst the waves. Greens and deep dark blues curled into white foam where it frothed against the hull, while the creamy white sail rippled in the wind, torn from its mast. A man of indeterminable age fought a battle with nature, with sea and sky, and left Lizzy breathless in wonder and a strange sense of foreboding. Did he win? Did he fight the battle and outlast the storm? Did he make it home to his family and weyr? Or did the storm triumph, taking boat and sailor to the bottom of the sea?

“Oh… oh, Steven. Faith… I’ve never seen such skill.”

Relief rolled off him when he stepped into her spine. “It’s unfinished.”

“You could leave it unfinished, and it would still fetch a fortune if you wished to sell it. But I pray you keep it. I feel…” She pressed her hand to her chest. “I feel real fear for the man, but a sense of hope too. No matter the storm that rages, those who fight, who never give up, those are the people who live on and succeed. Oh, Steven.” She wanted to touch it but could smell the day's old paint and knew the canvas would still be tacky.

“Then when it is finished, it will be yours to do with as you please.”

“It must hang in the parlour. Somewhere where all who visit can see it.”

“Perhaps we’ll need to redecorate. Change one of the rooms to suit a nautical theme, for if mine must hanging in the parlour, then so too must yours, my love.”

A deep blush burned through her cheeks. “I have not this skill.”

“You have. You simply do not see it.”

Lizzy tucked her chin and moved deeper into the room. More paintings stood finished against the far wall, setting her shaking her head in wonder. “How are you not the talk of the Ton? How is it people are not clamouring for an Earl of Denton painting to hang in their home?”

“It is a hobby, nothing more. A way to relieve stress and calm my mind, Elizabeth.”

She shook her head at his humility, then gasped at the portrait of Natasha. “Does your beta know you have this?”

Pink caressed the alpha’s cheeks. “The sketches. She knew of the sketches.”

Lizzy shifted three paintings out of the way to bring the one of Natasha forward. She appeared as a phantom crouched upon a boulder. Dressed in all black leathers, the buckles of her clothing reflected the silver of the moon’s glow. It appeared to kiss the arch of her wings and absorb into the midnight black of her feathers. A hood hid the vibrant red of her hair, but small curls escaped around her face and across her forehead. Her green eyes were ethereal against her milk-pale skin; her lips the red of Lizzy’s favourite rose, but though she appeared beautiful, the gleam in Natasha's eyes bespoke danger. She was a woman not to be trifled with. A fact driven home by the sword, daggers, and guns strapped to her body.

“You capture her likeness and her personality in an image that astounds one’s eye.” Lizzy turned from the portrait and slowly shook her head. “Your talent… it is a blessing from the gods, for surely only they could create such works of wonder.”

He stared at her for a long moment before his gaze drifted from her face to her wings. “I wish to try with you, Elizabeth. To paint your likeness on a portrait to hang in my room. One only I will ever see.”

“You and the servants,” Lizzy teased.

A smile tugged his lips. “Would you agree to sit for me?”

“You know I would.”

The smile grew. “Not now, but soon. I know precisely how I want you.”

Lizzy glided toward him. “And how is that… alpha?”

Steve growled and took her by the waist. “You will see. Come. There is more yet.”

“I find I desire to see my suite. Though, in truth, I would rather share yours… alpha.”

“Elizabeth.” The word purred from his lips and trembled through her body. “The Rose Room is the suite which adjoins my own. It was my mother’s, as my father’s is now mine. The linens and bedding have all been replaced, but the furnishings have not changed. It is yours to do with as you wish.”

“Oh…” Lizzy frowned. “I had thought… I mean…”

He seemed to know what she was thinking again and cupped her chin to lift her face. “You will nest in my room, omega. I simply offer you a space free of me should you need a quiet place to retreat to.”

“Why would I ever want that?”

“I have it on good authority mates of the male persuasion can be exasperating. Natasha and Hope have informed me thusly many times when they have requested I take Barton and Lang hunting.”

She giggled, couldn’t help herself, and dropped a small curtsey. “Then I thank you, kind sir, for considering my future need to be rid of you.”

Something dangerous flashed in his eyes. “Let us pray that day is not soon in the offing.”

Heat licked at her womb as Lizzy licked at her lips. “I certainly hope not.”

“‘Mega.” More growl than word, it was her only warning before Steve’s mouth was on hers, seeking access, sweeping inside, and caressing the sharp tip of her swiftly lengthening fang with his tongue.

The brush of his wings against the edge of hers made Lizzy moan with the intimate embrace. Steve’s arms were tight bands, keeping her close while she clutched ardently at his clothing. He broke the kiss to lean his forehead against hers and breathe slowly, noses brushing as they clung to each other.

“Steven.”

“I find my passions are boiling over, Elizabeth. I long to take you to my suite, lock the door, and keep you there till morning.”

“Why do I feel there is a but coming?”

“Dinner. We must make it through dinner. If I were to start now, we would not be seen until breakfast. But by the gods, Elizabeth! I want you.”

A quiet cry escaped her when his teeth closed on her throat. “How long till dinner?”

“Too long.” His tongue swept over her skin.

She tugged his cravat, pulling until it came loose in her hand. “I find food is not what I yearn for.”

“Dammit, Elizabeth,” Steve growled against her shoulder, grabbed her hand and pulled her from the room. “We will finish the tour.”

The ache in her womb made her legs shake. Frustration and urgency scented the air around Steve when he drew her down the hall. He led her through the doors not far from his studio into a room with pale ivory walls and stunning floral rugs. The cornice mouldings around the ceiling were quite ornate and beautifully carved. It was a lady’s study with the decor of pinks and creams, mirrors in gilt frames, porcelain figurines, and elegant furnishings.

“This was my mother’s study. It was her favourite room. Now it is yours.”

He looked at her expectantly, but the fire of desire continued to hum in Lizzy’s blood, taking a moment to clear enough for her to smile up at him. “It’s a lovely room. I’m certain I can fit a good amount of my books in here.”

A predatory sharpness gleamed in his eyes before he took her hand without a word and walked across the hall. “You will not need to house your collection in your study, darling.”

The door opened, and Lizzy gasped.

“Welcome… to my hoard.”

She rushed forward to stand at the iron railing and gape at the room before her. It spread over two floors, opening into the one below them, a library the likes of which she had never seen before. Dark wood panelled the walls. Chairs and couches, even a lounging divan waited in cozy groupings around rugs of beautifully worked dark colours. A massive fireplace stood at the far end with a tapestry hanging above it. But it was the ceiling she gaped at. A sky full of winged folk flew against the cloud covered blue background.

Tears pricked her eyes as Lizzy brought her hands to her mouth, overcome with emotion. If she’d had any lingering doubts they were meant for each other, seeing this, his hoard, would have wiped those thoughts from her mind. The tender brush of his hand between her wings had the sob she’d been fighting breaking free.

“It’s yours, ‘mega. Every book, every scroll, every written word. All of it is yours.”

Lizzy turned and threw her arms around him. “Oh, Steven! How am I ever to read them all?”

“You have a lifetime with me to try.”

She framed his face with her hands and pressed kiss after kiss to his lips. “Thank you, alpha. Thank you so much!”

Before he could do more than chuckle, Lizzy spun away and darted down the second-floor balcony, her fingers walking the spines of all the books. There were so many, and it seemed they were in no sort of order as she found Shakespeare mixed with Blake and tomes on botany. One particular book bound in old leather and embossed with gold leaf along the spine had her inhaling sharply.

“The Iliad?” She pulled it from the shelf and opened the cover. “And in the original Greek dialect!”

Steve leaned against the railing with another indulgent smile. “It’s fascinating.”

“You’ve read it?” Lizzy skimmed her fingers over the page in wonder.

“Not in Greek, but yes.”

She smiled at the first page and touched the words written there with gentle fingers. “O muse! Sing the accursed wrath of the son of Peleus Achilles, which caused countless woes for the Achaeans and hurled many valiant souls of warriors to Hades, and made their bodies a booty for dogs and a feast for vultures, and the will of Zeus was being accomplished.”

“Impressive.”

“My father. He read those words to me when I was but a hatchling. Afterward, I couldn’t put them down. Books became a window into a world I knew nothing about. Then they became an escape and a way to remember him.” She pulled the book to her chest and held it there, eyes closed. The scent of the dusty tome reminded her of the hours she’d spent listening to him read to her.

“Everyday you find another way to impress me, my dove.”

She opened her eyes to find Steve standing close, the soft affection and adoration in his eyes making her blush. “You do the same, Steven. So it is only fair.”

He plucked the book gently from her arms. “While I hate to drag you away from what is clearly your first love, I think it best I show you to your room. I imagine Ross and Mrs. Danvish have gotten you sorted by now, and I am certain you would like to change after our ride. Perhaps rest before dinner?”

Lizzy headed for the door but glanced back at him over her shoulder. “Would you be joining me for this rest, Colonel?”

“I think, Elizabeth, it is perhaps best if I check to see if I have any pressing messages.”

“Spoilsport.” Lizzy pouted.

Steve chuckled but held out his hand and led her down the hall to the far end of the West wing. A host of servants were bustling about, mostly female but for the few men who were packing trunks into the room.

“That’s the last of them,” Ross said, patting the first of the two men on the shoulder before noticing Steve and Lizzy. “My lord Earl. Lady Heartright. We will be but a moment longer.”

“It’s fine, Mister Ross.” Lizzy didn’t want anyone to feel rushed in their duties.

“Ma’am, if I may be so bold.” Ross shot a glance at Steve and bowed deeply. “Just Ross is perfectly acceptable. I am evermore your humble servant.”

Lizzy smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Ross.”

“May I introduce you to Mrs. Danvish?” Again he glanced at Steve.

“I’m perfectly capable of introducing myself, you daft man.”

The woman who bustled from the room should have looked severe in her black dress, but no one could appear strict with such pretty wings. Iridescent blue tipped in black, they fluttered out behind her, rounded like a sparrow's. Her scent read as omega, but the old silver scar on her throat showed she’d been mated for quite some time.

She wiped her hands on her apron as she bustled closer, then descended into a deep curtsey once she arrived at the door. “Lady Heartright, it’s an extreme pleasure to meet the Lady who tamed this overgrown alpha.”

“Mrs. Danvish!” Ross scolded, though Steve only smiled, clearly used to her plain way speaking and not at all offended.

She ruffled her wings and ignored Ross’ stern glare. “You must be exhausted, riding all the way here from Iron Hall. Come, come. I’ve had the maids strip the excess bedding, knowing there will be a trunk amongst all these with your preferred nesting things. I’ve Mary and Jane unpacking and pressing your dresses, and Sarah should be back any moment with- ah! There she is. Put the tray by the window, girl!”

Mrs. Danvish shooed Ross out of the way as the girl, a Landed, bobbed a quick curtsey without upsetting the tea service, before hurrying toward the table set before the window seat.

“I shall leave you to settle in, darling,” Steve said, leaning down to place a kiss on her cheek. “My study is on the first floor off your library if you need to find me, or send one of the maids to collect me and I will return to you.”

Lizzy wanted to pout and ask him to stay with her but knew all too well how busy he must be. He was an Earl and a Colonel. It was likely he had many missives to answer after being away these last few days. “Will you come collect me for dinner?”

He smiled gratefully down at her. “Of course, sweet dove. I look forward to it.” Steve shifted his focus to Mrs. Danvish. “See the door between the suites is unlocked. Elizabeth is to have whatever access she wishes to my rooms.”

“Of course, my lord Earl.” Mrs. Danvish beamed and curtsied. “I promise to take excellent care of your lady.”

“I know you will, Mrs. Danvish.” Steve collected Lizzy’s hand and brought her knuckles to his lips. “She’s my queen.”

A host of giggles and sighs erupted around the room, but Lizzy could no more look away from Steve than he could from her. “Alpha. Until later.”

“Until later,” he purred, turned her hand and inhaled at her wrist before stepping back. “Ross. With me.”

“My lady.” Ross offered her a bow and scurried after Steve.

“I’ve been a mate thirty years, but I never tire of seeing an alpha find his omega,” Mrs. Danvish murmured, then smiled at Lizzy. “Come, Lady Heartright. Let us get you settled on the window seat, and I will introduce you to your maids.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Danvish. I find I am rather tired of a sudden.” And hungry now that the scent of tea and small sandwiches adorned the air.

“Of course you are, my lady.” She shooed Lizzy toward the wind. “You rest yourself there a spell, and if you don’t mind the bustle of the rest of us, we will see your things settled while you take in the view.”

Lizzy sat and glanced out the window, only to gasp softly at the wonderful vista. “And here he said his garden needed help.”

Across the lake which surrounded the castle sat a wooded area where hedges had been cut to create mazes lined with gravel pathways, and in the distance, she could just make out a stone rotunda set at the edge of the water, a white bridge connecting the structure to the land. Beyond it, peaking through the canopy of foliage, a roof of shining glass glinted back at her.

“Is that an orangery?” Lizzy asked, taking the cup of tea offered by the Landed girl, Jane.

“It is, my lady.” Mrs. Danvish bustled toward a pair of doors to the left of the white-mantled fireplace and began sorting through her keys. “It’s a travesty of overgrowth, as is the rest of the garden. His lordship’s attention has been focused on the war, and it has slipped his notice. Not that I’m in anyway casting blame. Though, if I were, t'would be on that Napoleon fellow. Too big for his britches he is. Tis just a shame. The Earl often speaks of the garden parties his lady mother held with such fondness.”

Lizzy squinted a little. “It doesn’t look so bad from here.”

“I assure you, my lady. It is quite worse than it looks from here.” Mrs. Danvish approached Lizzy’s dark blue trunk and reached for the latches.

“Oh! No! I’ll take care of that one.” A blush filled Lizzy’s cheeks when the older woman straightened and smiled knowingly. “They’re…”

“I know, dear. I may be past the blush of my youth, but I am still omega, even if I was born of humble roots.”

Lizzy nodded slowly, relieved in a way to have someone in the house who understood her. There were a lot of betas and alphas, but what omegas claimed a home in this weyr seemed few and far between. “Thank you, Mrs. Danvish, for your kindness.”

“Of course, my lady. Of course. I will see the girls are properly instructed when it comes to seeing to your nest.”

Again Lizzy felt some of the tension flow out of her. “It appears you are sent by the gods, Mrs. Danvish.”

The woman smiled and nodded her thanks before bustling into the dressing room to hurry the other maids along.

“Can I get you anything else, milady?” Jane asked.

Lizzy glanced up but shook her head. “Thank you, Jane. I am content for the moment.”

She bobbed a quick curtsey and went to assist the others, leaving Lizzy to her thoughts as she gazed out the window at the garden.

Next Chapter

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