Chapter 41 - What Exactly Did You Do? (1/2)

I saw Al briefly at lunch but we didn't get to talk much and I was quickly whisked away by Madame Chalaise afterwards to continue my grueling lessons until mid-afternoon. She was not pleased that my visit with Mariela had lasted so long.

The first thing he did when I was freed was lean against the wall in front of me, eyeing me suspiciously.

”What exactly did you do?”

I frowned, feeling oddly wronged. ”What do you mean? I didn't do anything.”

”I have NEVER seen Franz and Mariela talk so much to each other at a meal before. They were off in their own little world. I saw Madame Chalaise earlier when you were supposed to be in a lesson and she said Mariela took you away for tea. You must have said something while you were there that caused this.”

Well, he wasn't wrong, but I was baffled how he figured that out.

”I ran into Franz when I got lost before. I suggested he utilize his wife's brain, that's all. He barged in on us when we were talking and took my advice. I guess it went well.”

”You guess it went well,” he repeated dryly.

”Katie, Mariela has lived here for nearly a year and that is the most animated I have ever seen them. I know my brother. He's too wrapped up in his own business to even remember he has a wife half the time. That display of affection was borderline obnoxious.”

I smiled, pleased with myself for being a successful matchmaker.

”It wasn't that bad. I think it's sweet. Your brother just doesn't have enough experience with women so he doesn't know how to treat one. He definitely likes her so why shouldn't they act like couples are supposed to?”

Al raised an eyebrow at me. ”You think couples are supposed to act like that?”

I nearly forgot that this world didn't exactly have a concept of romance.

”I've already told you, I believe in love. They're married. Why shouldn't they try to improve their relationship and be happy together?”

”We're a couple,” he said slowly. ”Is that the sort of thing you want from me?”

The look I gave him clearly indicated that he was crazy.

”No way! We're only pretending. But someday…I'd like to have somebody look at me like that when we talk.”

”Like what?”

”Like I'm the only person in the world,” I said a bit dreamily.

Fiction had given me unrealistic standards. It was no wonder that I'd never had a boyfriend.

”He did come off that way, didn't he,” Al muttered. ”Good to know.”

”What?”

”Nothing!” he said unconvincingly. ”So, what are we going to do today?”