“I look forward to it. Dana? Could I have a word with you, in private?”
“Sure.”
Rowena stretched out a hand, and took Danas to lead her out of the room.
“Did I ever tell you I like what youve done with the place?” Dana scanned the colorful mosaics on the floor, the silky walls, the gleaming furniture. “I especially like it now that Ive seen what it could look like under less hospitable circumstances.”
“It will be yours soon.”
“Still hard to imagine that.” “I keep meaning to show you this particular room.” Rowena stopped in front of a double pocket door, swept it open.
And ushered Dana into a book lovers version of heaven.
It was a two-level library, with a lovely ornate rail encircling the second level. A fire was snapping away in a hearth of rosy granite, its light, and the light from a dozen lamps, glittering on the polished wood of the floor.
High above, a mural was painted on the domed ceiling. She saw dozens of figures from the most romantic of faerie tales.Rapunzel , spilling her golden hair out of a tower, Sleeping Beauty just wakened by a kiss, Cinderella slipping her foot into a delicate glass slipper.
“Its incredible,” Dana whispered. “Beyond incredible.”
Wide, deep chairs, long, deep sofas were done in leather the color of good port. There were other small treasures in tables, in rugs, in art, but Dana was dazzled by the books. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of books.
“I knew you would enjoy it,” Rowena said on a peal of laughter. “You look as though youre about to be well pleasured by a particularly skillful lover.”
“You know, I have to be impressed by your being a god and all that sort of thing. But this goes way over the top. I bow to you.”
Delighted, Rowena perched on the arm of a chair. “When Malory completed her quest, I offered her a gift of her choosing. Any boon that was in my power to grant. I offer you the same now.”
“We made a deal. We both kept our part of it.”
“So she said, or something close enough to the same. I gave her the portrait shed painted while Kane held her. It seemed to please her. Id like to offer you these books, all thats in this room. I hope that will please you when youre mistress of this place.”
“All of them?”
“Yes, all,” she said with another laugh. “And all inside this room. Will you accept?”
“You dont have to twist my arm. Thank you.” She moved toward one of the shelves, then stopped herself. “No, if I get started, I wont get out of here for the next two or three years. Ill take very good care of them. Ill treasure this room,” Dana told her. “And everything in it.”
“I know you will. Now, let your man take you home. Let him cherish you tonight, as he wants to.”
“I can do that. You already gave me a gift,” she said as they walked out of the room. “You gave him back to me.”
“You took him back. Thats entirely different.” She paused when they reached the door to the portrait room. “Hes very handsome, your warrior.”
“Yeah.” She studied him, watched the way he turned his head, the way his eyes met hers, held hers while he slowly smiled.
“See that look there?” she murmured to Rowena.
“Thats the one that turns me to jelly. If he knew that, hed use it on me every time he wanted his way.”
“WHAT were you and Rowena grinning about when you came back in?” Jordan asked.
“Thats our little secret.” Instead of opening the car door, she walked past it, then turned to look back at the Peak. “Its going to be ours. Im still trying to get my head around that. Were going to live here, Jordan.”
He moved behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her to him. “Well be happy here. The house wants happiness.”
On a sigh, she tilted her head, pressed her lips to his cheek. “Im already happy.”
They drove away from the Peak, and neither saw the cloaked figure standing on the parapet under the thin light of the crescent moon.