Chapter 64

ELIZA’S POV I woke slowly. My body was heavy with exhaustion and my mind was reluctant to pull itself from the depths of much-needed sleep. The first thing I noticed was warmth. My eyelids fluttered open, and the sight of the canopy above me made my breath hitch. Alexander’s bed. The realization hit me hard and I turned my head to the side. He sat there, leaning against a table watching me with that intense look of his. “You’re awake,” he said softly. I smiled “I am.” His eyes searched my face. “How did you sleep?” “Well enough,” I replied, stretching beneath the sheets. I did not tell him how rare such rest was for me. And then I saw it—the worry in his eyes. The way his lips pressed together, as if he were holding something back. I sat up, my pulse quickening. “What is it?” Alexander hesitated. That alone made my stomach tighten. He was not a man who hesitated. “Eliza,” he began. He seemed hesitant “I received a letter not too long ago.” His hesitation only made my heart pound harder