[Isolde]
Nikolai's gaze had roamed over the line of servants and landed directly on me.
For a split second, our eyes met again. But his expression didn't change at all.
Not the slightest bit of recognition or of guilt or discomfort or anything that suggested the past two days had meant something to him. He looked at me the way he'd look at any servant—with polite disinterest bordering on dismissal.
Either he was an exceptional actor, or I'd been a complete fool.
I was betting on the latter.
Phoebe kissed his cheek again, clearly, the young woman was in love with him, and I watched as his arm gradually eased off her waist, not pushing her away but not pulling her closer either.
"Phoebe," he said, and there was genuine surprise in his voice. "What are you doing here?"
Before she coul
