The Cursed Prince by Teresa Roman (reading e books txt) 📕

was used to women ogling him. Perhaps that’s why he preferred to stay out of sight.

“Shall we return to the drawing room for a final nightcap?” Alexander asked, getting up from the table.

A part of me wanted to say yes, but I was tired, and not over the embarrassment my encounter with Nicolai had caused me. “Actually, I think my father and I should get going.”

We both stood from the table.

“Thank you very much for having us here,” my father said. “Your home is even more beautiful than I imagined it would be.”

Maxim gave us a slight bow. “You are kind to say so.”

Frederic offered to walk us to the door, but I insisted that we could show ourselves out.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” I said before turning to leave.

It was deathly quiet outside of the castle. Its location on top of a hill meant we were far enough removed from the main road that one couldn’t hear cars as they drove by. The silence left me with an eerie feeling. I tugged on my father’s hand. “Let’s go.”

Once my father and I were inside his car, he asked, “Is there a reason why you were in such a hurry to leave?”

“I did something I shouldn’t have,” I confessed.

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“While I was looking for the restroom, I took a little detour.”

“I wondered what was taking you so long,” he said. “I wouldn’t worry about it, though. I’m sure the brothers just assumed you were fixing your makeup.”

I shook my head. “The room I went into wasn’t empty. I literally stumbled on the fourth Korzha brother. He was sitting all alone in the dark. It was really strange. I’m sure he’s going to tell his brothers I was snooping.”

“And so what if he does? It’s not like you committed a crime.”

“I know, but it’s embarrassing.” My heart skipped a beat as an image of Nicolai flashed in my mind. I wanted to see him again, to talk to him and ask him why he was all alone in that dark room. He’d said he didn’t like dinner parties, but I couldn’t help but think there had to be more to it than that.

My father laughed. “This was one strange evening, wasn’t it?”

He was right about that. I’d expected dinner in an old castle with three men I’d never met to be a unique experience, but this evening had turned out quite differently than I’d anticipated.

I had a hard time falling asleep that night. As I lay in bed, I kept replaying my visit to the castle over and over in my head. For some strange reason thoughts of Nicolai consumed my mind. He was a mystery I felt compelled to solve, but I couldn’t think of a way to make that happen. With a sigh, I turned on my side and finally managed to drift off to sleep.

Early the next morning, I woke to the sound of the doorbell. I dragged myself out of bed mostly because I was curious about who in the world would be at my door so early in the morning.

I swung the door open. In front of me stood literally the last two people I’d expected to see. My eyes widened. Frederic and Maxim.

It was barely seven in the morning, and both were dressed formally, as though they were headed to a fancy restaurant.

“What are you two doing here?” My heart pounded in anticipation of the lecture I was sure they were going to give me about invading their privacy. I couldn’t think of any other reason they’d show up at my house.

“We’d like to invite you for dinner at our home again this evening,” Maxim said.

I stood up a little straighter. “This evening?”

“Yes,” Frederic replied simply.

“We know it’s not a lot of advance notice, but it would mean a great deal to us,” Maxim added. “We can even send a car for you if that would make things simpler.”

I glanced back and forth between Frederic and Maxim. I’d never heard of anyone receiving a second invitation to the castle. “Why me?”

“I’ll be direct with you, Willow,” Maxim replied. “We know you met our brother Nicolai last night. He was … intrigued by you, and disappointed that he was unable to attend dinner. He’d like a chance to get to know you a little better.”

Had he really told his brothers that? I somehow doubted it. This whole thing raised so many red flags in my mind, yet I couldn’t bring myself to say no.

“Can I bring a friend with me?”

“We’d prefer if you didn’t,” Maxim replied.

“That’s right. You come alone, or you don’t come at all.”

Maxim glanced at his brother out of the corners of his eyes. “What my brother Frederic means is that we’d prefer the pleasure of your company and your company alone.”

Frederic’s stern expression softened. “It would mean a great deal to us. You see my brother Nicolai, well, he’s rather shy, which is why he rarely attends our dinner parties. But he seemed rather taken by you, and it would do Nicolai good to socialize with someone other than his brothers.”

The opportunity to talk to Nicolai was something I just couldn’t pass up, and maybe this time I’d get to see more of the castle. “I … uh. I guess,” I said, not wanting to seem too eager. “But I don’t need you to send a car. I can drive myself.”

“Good.” Maxim clapped his hands together and smiled. “It’s settled then. We’ll see you this evening, at say, six o’clock.”

After they left, I closed the door and stood there for a few moments with my back pressed to it. It was only then that it dawned on me what I’d just agreed to. Dinner with four men I barely knew. Perhaps I was crazy for agreeing to it, but the Korzhas had lived in Beaver Falls for almost two years, and before that they’d visited every summer. In a town as small as ours, if any of