Belle was more than certain it was Jamie, because just as she was staring at him, he was staring back at her. He wasn't part of the guests, he wasn't wearing a suit like the noble men, but the uniform of the servants serving drinks and snacks on a tray.
He stopped in the middle of serving a couple and stared at her from across the space, his blue eyes holding a look of longing and melancholy that made her heart squeeze guiltily. He had lost a great deal of weight and looked leaner than the last time she had seen him in Aragonia.
He had always been a lean man, but not this lean. He looked haggard and exhausted, as if he hadn't rested. She couldn't believe he was here.
What was he doing here? Belle wondered as she saw him give her a small smile and then turn away to walk out a door that led inside the castle. She got up from her seat even before she thought about what she was doing. She needed to speak to him. He shouldn't be here! Why did he come to Nightbrook?
