Page 72 of A Wild Darkness

“Like, if any of them mentions doing this every year?” I think on the spot. “I could use that as a way of talking about whether it’s worth it or ask their opinion on the benefits. Something like that.”

“Okayyyy,” she drawls, not completely convinced with my explanation. “Well, I should get changed.”

I swallow hard and drag my focus away. “Yeah. Of course.”

Stevie smiles, her cheeks crimson. Then she steps past me and into the bedroom.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

STEVIE

After Sebastian and I both change, we grab the picnic basket and head out into the vineyard on the property.

It’s a beautiful afternoon with the sun shining and a warm breeze that floats across my bare shoulders. I follow close behind him as we walk for some time, through the carefully manicured rows of vines, until we find a small clearing with a patch of green grass. It’s some distance through the vineyards and away from the chateau, but still on the property. Once we reach the edge, we stop at a small clearing with grass that overlooks another winery.

“How’s this?” Sebastian gestures with the wicker picnic basket in one hand.

“Works for me,” I say.

He pulls a cream linen from the basket and spreads it across the grass on top of the hill. Then remove the chilled bottle of rosé, a tiny jar of olives, artisan crackers, and a little wheel of cheese wrapped in paper as if it had graduated from finishing school.

“Shall we?” Sebastian lowers himself onto the blanket with the ease of a man who had never once worried about grass stains. He’s rolled his shirt sleeves to his forearms, and the breeze slightly tousles his hair.

“This feels like a curated hostage situation.” I lower to sit across from him.

“It’s a romantic picnic at a winery.”

“The grapes are watching us.”

He glances toward the vines stretching in perfect rows along the hillside. “Or Silas. So, you better start acting like you’re enjoying this.”

I smooth out the hem of my black dress over my thighs. “So, what are we supposed to talk about?”

Sebastian picks up a cracker. “Nothing we wouldn’t want the Society to overhear.”

“Well, this is going to be a fun afternoon, isn’t it?”

He chuckles. “You know what would make it better?”

“What?” I grab one of the plastic champagne flutes.

“If it were cloudy and a little rainy.”

A laugh bubbles up. “We’re on the ground in the middle of a vineyard with nothing above us, and you want it to rain?”

He takes the glass from me and grabs the unopened bottle of rosé. I give him an unsure glance, remembering that he had made it very clear we weren’t supposed to eat or drink anything they give us.

“It’s okay. It’s an unopened bottle, and these snacks are sealed as well. They’re safe.”

I sigh in relief, craving to have a glass of those cool bubbles. “Okay, because I would love a tall gl⁠—”

Sebastian lifts a brow. “One glass and you need to sip it.”

“Fine.”

“We have the barrel room tasting in a couple of short hours, and we both need to be levelheaded,” he says sternly.

Through a small clearing, several couples lounged beneath white umbrellas. A few watch us with polite curiosity. Which, I guess, is the entire point. We have to show our fake relationship to the possibility of the Society’s watchful eyes. And appear natural in a casual setting with just the two of us.