16
JESSA
Thomas and Margaret excuse themselves after the tour is over, leaving Anton and me alone to enjoy their gorgeous view of the garden.
He’s sitting opposite me, looking out at the pink and white azaleas lining the pathway, but I can tell he’s not really seeing them. He’s lost in his own thoughts. And from the looks of it, they’re not good ones.
“Anton?”
“Hm?”
“Thanks for bringing me here,” I say.
He turns to me, his eyes coming back into focus. “I thought you might like it.”
“Like it? I love it. This is exactly my kind of world. I used to dream about a version of this. Obviously, I wasn’t thinking about England in particular. But I did dream about a big house somewhere far-flung where I could have a garden big enough to feed my family.”
“Have you always wanted a family?”
“Always,” I say without missing a beat.
He doesn’t say anything to that, though I wish he would. He just sinks back in his chair, face half cast in shadow and half in sun.
He looks like he belongs here. Like aristocracy is in his blood. This life, this place—it suits him the same way everything else does.
I wish I looked half as good.
“So… they book out rooms here?” I ask, mostly just to break the silence. “I haven’t seen any other people.”
“No. You won’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because I booked out the whole place while we’re here,” he says. “It’s ours for as long as we want it.”
I stare at him in disbelief. “Are you serious?”
“Am I ever not?”
“Anton…” I stammer. “That really wasn’t necessary. I’m okay with sharing.”
“I’m not,” he says with whiplash finality.
I chew on my bottom lip, real life creeping into the fantasy world the manor has created. “You seem on edge.”
“I’m fine.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re worried about Marina.”
“Why should I be worried about a walking corpse?” he snarls.
I feel goosebumps on my skin instantly. “Anton… you’re not going to do anything crazy, right?”
“Define ‘crazy.’”
Before I can figure out how to respond to that, Thomas sticks his head in the door. “Any final preferences for dinner tonight, Jessa? Margaret is in the kitchen right now setting the menu.”
“Actually, can I come with you? I’d love to see the kitchen.”