15
11:34 p.m.
“Richard?”
At the quiet call, he looked over his shoulder. Hugh was hovering in the doorway, his forehead wrinkled in concern.
“What is it?” his brother asked.
“Nothing.” He swallowed his sadness. It dropped like a bomb of acid and exploded in the mouth of his stomach.
He was probably not very convincing, because Hugh raised a black eyebrow and walked to his side.
From his bedroom window, they could see almost all Lakeside Manor gardens, but more important, they could see clearly Giulianna standing by the dessert-bar, her blonde hair gleaming in the light of the lanterns and candles hanging from the trees while she refilled the dessert table.
Disguising that void in his chest as he watched her running away from him had been too painful, yet Richard had endured his reh
