The door opened. Samantha swung around at her vanity, her heart surging with the expectation of seeing him once again.

Lady Helena stepped into the room, closing the door behind her, like a spy afraid of being detected by the enemy.

"I saw him leave."

Sammy released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "Headed for the pools."

Helena leaned back against the door, her eyes wide as she stared at the feathers strewn across the bed. "What

what happened here?"

"I made the mistake of hitting him with my pillow. Next time I shall try something more substantial." Samantha smirked

as she imagined her next battle, in...