m？ He’d been moody ever since they’d left Providence。 Serena had tried as hard as she could to include him in the conversation tonight； but he wouldn’t even try。 Giles had talked more than Dan tonight； and not only did Giles not know who anyone was； English wasn’t even his first language。
“I think I might be getting sick；” Dan lied。 “Besides； I thought we could curl up in front of the fire。 You know； just do something quiet。 I think that would make me feel better。” Lying on a rug next to a roaring fire with Serena was exactly what he needed to just chill out from the last twenty…four hours。
“If you’re feeling sick； I don’t want to catch it；” she told him coldly。 Then she half ran to keep up with the rest of the group。 “Don’t leave without me；” she called after them。
Dan sighed heavily as he trudged toward the small library off the main living room。 The fireplace was stacked with wood； but Dan had no idea how to make a fire。 The shelves were neatly organized by color—deep greens； blues； and burgundy； and Dan quickly realized they’d been purchased at the Strand through their books…by…the…yard program； where you could buy books based on your house’s color scheme rather than their literary merit。
Dan gazed unhopefully at the musty maroon volumes in front of him。 He stopped at one thin volume with gold script on the spine。 It was The Sorrows of Young Werther； by Goethe； about a guy’s unrequited love for a beautiful woman。 It had been Dan’s favorite book in high school。
Wonder why。
He settled into a stiff red leather wingback chair under a cathedral…like window and flipped open to a random page。 It was where the hero； Werther； realizes he either has to kill his love； her husband； or himself。 Dan frowned。 This probably wasn’t the best