The next morning, the house was alive with the sound of Ava and Theo's laughter as they raced through the halls. Sophie, still recovering from her flustered encounter with Lucien the day before, found herself dragged out of her room by the persistent children.
"You have to come play with us!" Ava insisted, tugging at Sophie's hand.
Sophie tried to protest. "I'm not very good at games."
"That's okay!" Theo chimed in, his grin mischievous. "We're not playing alone. Uncle Lucien is coming too!"
Sophie froze. "Lucien?"
"Yes!" Ava giggled. "It's more fun when he plays."
Before Sophie could argue, the children had pulled her down the grand staircase and into the drawing room, where Lucien stood with his arms crossed, clearly cornered by the same enthusiastic duo.
"You're joining us too," Ava declared, pointing at Lucien.
Lucien raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. His gaze flickered to Sophie, and she quickly looked away, her heart already starting to race.
"What exactly are we playing?" Lucien asked, his tone laced with amusement.
"Hide and seek!" Theo shouted. "You two hide, and we'll find you!"
Sophie's eyes widened. "Wait, both of us?"
"Yes!" Ava said, clapping her hands. "You have to hide together. That's the rule!"
Lucien sighed but nodded. "Fine." He gestured toward Sophie. "Shall we?"
Sophie hesitated before following him out of the room. The children counted loudly, their voices echoing through the halls, giving Lucien and Sophie a head start.
---
They ended up in the library, the tall bookshelves casting long shadows in the dim light. Lucien leaned against one of the shelves, his expression unreadable as he watched Sophie pace nervously.
"They're very persistent," Sophie said, trying to break the silence.
"They get it from Eleanor," Lucien replied dryly.
Sophie smiled despite herself. She glanced at him, only to find him staring at her with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat.
"You don't have to be so tense," Lucien said, his voice softer than usual.
"I'm not tense," Sophie lied, crossing her arms.
Lucien smirked. "You're terrible at lying."
Before Sophie could respond, they heard the children's voices growing louder. Lucien grabbed her hand without thinking, pulling her behind one of the massive curtains. Sophie's breath hitched as they stood close, the fabric barely concealing them.
"Stay quiet," Lucien whispered, his voice so close that she could feel his breath on her ear.
Sophie's heart pounded in her chest, louder than she thought possible. She prayed the children wouldn't hear it.