Free Only Pretend by Nora Flite Page B

asked gently.
    He watched me from under his lashes. "Hm?"
    My gaze bounced to the women working, then to him again. "I was wondering. Will the man I'm going to marry—ah. Will he be Russian, like you?"
    The slight way he narrowed his eyes set my veins pulsing. "Oho, so you think I'm Russian?"
    "I..." I hadn't expected that response. I thought I was being clever, trying to decipher for sure where I was in the world. If my buyer spoke Russian, too, then surely... "But you told me the language you were using was Russian."
    "That's true. It is." His fingers spread across the table like fans. "Does speaking a language reveal a person's heritage? If you learned it, would that make you Russian? I could teach you—well, perhaps." Chuckling, he propped his cheek on his fist. "It's a beautiful, difficult language. You'd need to be very clever to pick it up. Your new husband might request I teach you."
    My confusion was warring inside of me. "Then he will be Russian." Is Leonide really not? Did I just assume? But his accent! That doesn't just show up when someone learns a language, it's part of him as much as his own flesh.
    "You look upset, Celeste." Leaning across, he trapped my hands on the table where I'd left them folded. Under his palms, my balled fingers felt like frail birds. "You ask too many questions. When you do that, you risk not getting answers and being disappointed." His smile was erased, a deliberate, emotionless mask replacing it. "I'll tell you something. The man who marries you, he may be anyone. My clients are varied. It's interesting how many men desire women like you."
    I went very still. "Will you tell me where you're from? I want to understand who you are." Where am I? Where is this house? Give me answers!
    "I'm the one you must listen to." His hands slid away, tracing mine as they went. "The one who will make sure you leave here, ready to become a dutiful wife. Ready to not be tossed aside by a husband who finds you wanting. That's all you need to know about me."
    I tightened my chin, disheartened.
    "Celeste. Listen well to this. Every person has their secrets. Do not feel so inclined to probe."
    The resentment was battery acid on my tongue. "Yes," I murmured, thinking about my growing brunette roots. "Every person has their secrets."
    He furrowed his brow suspiciously.
    Quickly, I collected up our plates to drop them in the sink.
    Everyone has secrets.
    What will happen when he discovers mine?
    ****
    W andering around the house became more common for me. I started dressing myself, approaching Leonide in the morning in the dining room to get his approval. Looking pretty, cooking food, cleaning whatever room I was pointed at; my routine was solid.
    The one morning I slipped into a light blue, pleated dress and didn't find Leonide waiting for me in the kitchen...
    It changed everything.
    Flustered, I turned in place, stared at the women. "Where is he?" I asked. One of them glanced up at my voice, then looked away. "Leonide. Where can I find him?"
    A heavy-set girl with curly brown hair peered at me, lips pursed. Whatever she said, it was clipped and exasperated. All of their backs were to me, acting as if I was invisible.
    Invisible.
    Turning, I stepped quietly from the kitchen. I'd never explored the house on my own before. It sprawled all around, hallways and doors that could have led to anything. My own footsteps began to make me nervous, the only sound in my ears.
    Sliding my shoes off, I hooked them on my fingers. They kept me company while I explored, turning right down a long hall I'd never seen. The deeper I went, the lighter it looked at the end.
    The pattern of my heart was erratic. There, in a wide room with two other staircases, was a set of windows and a door. I could see the outside. The sun waved to me, coerced me forward. Is this a trick? My eyes shot behind me, at the gradient of shaded hallway. Someone is going to jump out and stop me. They have to.
    My hand quaked as it touched the door knob.