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Lily couldn't remember the last time someone had complimented her. Not because they wanted something, and not because they expected something in return, but just because they meant it. She stared at the closed sketchbook resting on her lap long after Soren disappeared into the house. His words echoed through her mind.

Talent like this can't be taught. Don't hide your work.

It shouldn't matter. It was one compliment from a man she'd known less than twenty-four hours. He was a dangerous man who had killed someone right in front of her. So why did it matter so much? Maybe it was because he'd looked at her drawing instead of looking at her. Most men looked at her first. Her ex had commented on her body before he'd learned her favorite color. Richard Collins had only noticed her when he wanted coffee or expected another report to be finished before midnight. But Soren had looked at the pages, and at her work. He saw the real her. Not once had his eyes lingered where they shouldn't, and that unsettled her almost as much as it comforted her.

Maria found her nearly an hour later. "There you are."

Lily smiled politely. "I was just thinking."

"Oh, sweetheart." Maria chuckled. "That's always dangerous."

Lily laughed despite herself. "I suppose it is."

Maria settled onto the fountain beside her. "Walk with me?" They wandered slowly through the gardens, fragrant roses climbing trellises while butterflies drifted lazily through the afternoon sun. Everything here felt peaceful—too peaceful. Like the world outside the walls didn't exist.

"How long have you worked for Soren?" Lily asked.

Maria smiled. "Twenty years."

Lily nearly stopped walking. "Twenty?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"So, he's always been—” She searched for the right word. "Intimidating?"

Maria laughed. "Oh, goodness, yes."

"Was he born that serious?" Lily teased.

"I sometimes wonder if he was,” Maria said.

Lily grinned, and Maria nudged her gently with an elbow. “You have a beautiful smile.”

Lily immediately looked away. "I wasn't smiling," she said.

"You were." Maria's voice softened. "It looks lovely on you."

Heat rushed into Lily's cheeks. "I'm not used to smiling much. I mean, I really have nothing to smile about after everything that’s happened, but for some reason, this place makes me want to."

"I know. You deserve to be happy, Lily." Those two words carried far more understanding than they should have. “I know that you have had a hard past,” Maria admitted.

“You know?” Lilly asked.

Maria nodded. "I know hurt when I see it."

Lily swallowed. "It's not that obvious, is it?"

"It is to women who've lived long enough." They reached a wooden swing tucked beneath an enormous oak tree. Maria sat down, and Lily joined her.

After several quiet moments, Maria spoke again. "Soren scares you."

Lily snorted. "Is it that obvious?"

"To me it is,” she said.

Lily smiled faintly. “Well, he does scare me, but not all the time.”

"He should scare you, dear." Maria looked toward the mansion. "The world he lives in isn't safe."