Page 21 of Once Bitten, Twice Mine

It didn’t matter how many times she told her that her nickname was Caro, not Cara; Valeria was committed to getting it wrong. She remembered that from the summer they spent together and how much it drove her crazy back then, but now she thought it might be a language quirk, so she ignored it.

“I can leave if that would make you more comfortable.”

“You can stay, but I do think you should actually come inside the room. It will be more comfortable.”

Her cheeks heated as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She hadn’t realized she had been awkwardly standing in the doorway for so long. She pulled the chair from the writing desk over to Valeria’s bedside, and the sick woman watched her the entire time, the corners of her lips twitching.

“I’m afraid I am bedbound, so I won’t be very exciting company.”

“I’m not sure; last night you disappeared, and I couldn’t find you anywhere. That managed to captivate me for a while.”

“You must be mistaken. I was in this room all night.”

Caroline frowned. “Unless you were hiding inside the bureau, you were not in here.” She wasn’t sure what game Valeria was trying to play, but she wasn’t in the mood. “Besides, you visited my room the other night, so it’s not like you don’t walk around the house.”

“Am I to be confined in this room then?” Valeria asked with a raised brow. She propped her head up with her hand as she stared at Caroline.

“Of course not,” she said, her cheeks heating. “I only wanted to check on you because other people are falling ill as well. You’re quite sick every day, but by nightfall you’re perfectly fine.”

“Do the other sick people in this house follow that pattern?”

“No.”

“Then there’s your proof that it’s not the same.”

Caroline didn’t know how to tell her that something about her illness was strange. Not only was it rude, but she wasn’t sure if Valeria was sensitive about her illness or not. There was something about this entire situation that didn’t sit right with her, but she wasn’t sure what it was.

“But where were you last night?”

“Oh! I know what it must be. I was looking for some extra blankets, and I didn’t want to bother anyone with such a meaningless task, so I had to wander until I found it.”

“The room with additional linens is three doors down.”

“I know that now,” Valeria laughed. “You know, you really sold this place short when we were younger. I knew it was an estate, but when you told me it was small, I believed you.”

Caroline’s cheeks heated again as she remembered what she was like at sixteen. Back then, she did think this estate was rather small. Diya’s home was a similar size, but her uncle’s house was nearly twice the size. He also had a home in Scotland they would go to on holiday that was the size of this home, but everyone referred to it as the “cottage.” It took her a bit longer to realize the way she lived wasn’t normal.

“Well, maybe if you hadn’t stopped responding to my letters, I would have been able to tell you.”

She meant the words to be teasing, but they sounded harsh to her ears, and Valeria flinched.

“You know how it is. It’s difficult keeping in touch at that age. I’m impressed we made it six months knowing we would likely never see each other again.”

Caroline wanted to tell her that she had been arranging to visit her again the following summer. She was so convinced an invitation was coming that she had lied to her parents and said she had been invited to stay the summer. They were looking into purchasing tickets for her voyage when she had to tell them her invitation had been rescinded. Flexing her hands, she fought down those long-dormant feelings to get their conversation back on track.

“I called on Dr. Murnau earlier today, and he’s coming by tomorrow to examine the other people in the house. I can have him stay until sunset so he can examine you as well.”

“I’ve already told you, I do not wish to see your doctor,” Valeria said, her gaze hardening.

“Your companion is going to fetch your doctor now, so I know you aren’t against doctors.”

“She’s getting my doctor. I don’t know who this Murnau is and I certainly don’t trust him with my health.”

“I assure you, he’s the most competent doctor. He went to medical school in Munich and is only here because he wanted a quiet life in the countryside. He’s just as capable as anyone you can see in London.”

“Are you going to force me to see this doctor? If you even try, I will become very upset.”

The back of Caroline’s neck prickled at the threat, and her heart raced. She didn’t know what kind of threat this was, but her body told her it was real.