by Brianna York
Forrest knew he shouldn’t have any more to drink, but he couldn’t resist the hopeful look on Matthew’s brother’s face. “Why not? Just top mine off if you will.”
“Surely, Baron,” Julian replied exuberantly, jumping out of his chair. “Shall I refill yours too, Marcus?”
“Thank you, Julian,” Marcus said easily, handing the cut crystal over to the young man. Grinning from ear to ear, Julian turned quickly and made for the drink cabinet, and Emmeline began to play.
Alex had long ago admitted that Emmeline Hargreve had an excellent ear for a tune, and not just a small bit of talent. Some might think that Matthew had inherited nothing but his blond hair from his mother, but listening to her play the mournful ballad she had chosen, one knew that Matthew’s musical talent could only have come from his mother. Alex had the sudden impulse to ask Matthew if his mother had taught him to play, but, as she opened her mouth, she noticed Emmeline’s cat-like eyes staring at her brother and she held her tongue.
Matthew might not have heard his sister in any case, even if she had spoken to him directly. As he listened to his mother play, he found himself drawn away to better times that he thought he had forgotten entirely. In the soft candlelight, his mother could have been twenty years younger, her cheeks touched with delicate color, and her fair hair shining lustrously in the kindness of the candlelight. In the near-trance state of his thoughts, Marcus became his father, and Matthew suddenly recalled evenings he had spent in the library listening raptly to his mother play whilst his father patiently turned the pages.
Memory flowed seamlessly into memory, and Matthew saw himself next, clambering up onto the narrow piano bench beside his mother and demanding to be taught to play. Then, his mother had indulged him in all things, large or small, and so she had taught him the rudiments of the piano. That happy memory faded into a dark, stormy night he had spent huddled under the covers, listening to his parents shout at each other for what had seemed like all of eternity to an eight year old. Then, of a sudden he was in the stable, helping his father tack up the horses. “I’m going to be a trainer of horses when I am grown up,” he had informed his father with the surety of the young. His father had laughed and tousled his hair. “You may be anything that you want, Matthew,” he had replied. “So long as you do it well.” Have I done well? Matthew wondered as the apparition of his past faded slowly. Would father be proud of me if he were still alive? The question was so haunting that Matthew shook his head to clear it.
“Are you all right, old chap?” The room was silent, Matthew realized belatedly, and cursed himself for appearing foolish yet again this evening. He turned to Marcus, who had spoken, and replied, “I was merely so entranced by my mother’s exquisite playing that I quite forgot myself. Pray, do play us another song, mother,” he invited.
Emmeline’s glade green eyes regarded her son carefully. To his confusion and surprise, Matthew thought that he recognized a sympathetic sorrow in his mother’s expression as she gazed at him. “I have sorely missed playing on this piano,” she said finally, her eyes fixed firmly on her son’s face. “It holds many cherished memories for me.”
“As it does for me,” Matthew agreed, annoyed when he heard the subtle note of entreaty in his words. Emmeline stared at him another moment that made Matthew ache for the past to have to do over again before she shuffled her music and began to play again.
Alex had watched the interchange in some confusion. She realized that, to Matthew at least, Emmeline had not always been the calculated, cold patroness of society that she now was. For all that Matthew hated the treatment he had received from his mother, she knew now that he would turn himself inside out for the chance to make her the sort of mother he had always longed for.
She wondered where things had gone wrong between Emmeline and her eldest son. Was it simply that Matthew was so very like his father? Or was it more complex than that? She had thought herself knowledgeable on the subject, but she realized now that she knew nothing at all about this facet of Matthew’s life, and, she admitted reluctantly, she doubted if he would ever share it with her. She sighed softly and leaned back in her chair, letting the powerful beauty of Emmeline’s playing take her away from her worries.
“Tired?” Forrest asked softly.
Alex opened her eyes and smiled gently at him. He was the only person in Matthew’s circle of acquaintances who understood her love of quietude. At balls and other social functions, while everyone else in the room shouted and laughed, she could always count on Forrest to draw her quietly away to the terrace for some peace. “Not overly,” she replied. “I was just rather swept away by the power of the music.”
Forrest nodded, his blue eyes flicking quickly over to Emmeline at the piano before returning to her face. “She is quite talented.”
Alex nodded, trying not to be jealous. She herself had a good singing voice, and was accomplished on the piano as well, but she knew that she could never play with the tempestuous expression that Emmeline and Matthew had to offer when they touched an instrument. “It becomes clear where Matthew’s musical talent comes from.” She glanced over Forrest’s head at Matthew, but her brother was slumped in his chair with a faraway look on his face that held a hint of sorrow.
“You are every bit as good,” Forrest assured her, his eyes serious.
Alex shook her head gently. “You forget that I am not related to Emmeline, Forrest,” she whispered. “I have none of that passion to offer.”
She looked so lost that Forrest wanted to hug her, but he managed to restrain himself. He could not stop himself, however, from reaching out and placing his hand over hers where it lay on the arm of her chair. Alex cast her eyes down to stare at his hand, and he said in a whisper so intense that Alex was sure that the rest of them must have heard, “Passion is the very least of what you have to offer, Alex. I wouldn’t take a thousand of her for just one of you.”
Alex raised her eyes and stared into the azure clearness of Forrest’s and struggled to breathe. At the time, she was only aware of the complete incoherency of her thoughts, but later, she would realize that, in that moment, she had realized she would never love any other man than Forrest. The moment stretched out for what seemed like an eternity to Alex. It was an eternity where she considered herself in an entirely new light and one where she saw the limitless possibilities that she had never before known existed for her.
As for Forrest, he saw only Alex’s wide eyes and her trembling lip as he struggled with the knowledge that he had just bared his heart to a woman that, in his opinion, should never seriously consider his suit or his affections.
“I am exhausted,” Emmeline announced, letting the piano lid drop over the keys with a loud thunk. Alex and Forrest started and leapt away from each other as if burned. Alex struggled not to look guilty, but she knew that she was blushing.
“Are you to bed?” Matthew asked of his mother.
She nodded. “I fear that I must retire. I cannot remember when I have been so weary. Thank you for turning the pages for me, Marcus dear,” she said.
Marcus smiled at her indulgently. “It was nothing at all. Goodnight, Your Grace.” She returned his smile for another long moment, then broke away from him.
“I trust that I shall see you all in the morning,” she said offhandedly as she swept dramatically to the door. “Goodnight, Matthew. Julian?”
Julian looked like he wanted to protest the unfairness of his mother’s command, but he rose instead. “Goodnight, Marcus, Earl, Baron, Alex, Matthew,” he said in quick succession with little nods at each person.
Matthew, who had risen when he knew his mother’s intention to leave, bowed slightly at the waist. “Goodnight, mother. Goodnight, Julian,” he said ceremoniously before his mother exited with his brother in tow. As soon as his mother and brother were gone, he rolled his eyes and sank back into his chair with relief. “I have the worst headache of my entire life,” he announced to the room in general.
“As do I,” Alex said too
quickly, nearly leaping to her feet. “Allow me to excuse myself until tomorrow.” She did not wait for any reply, just scuttled out the door and down the hall in record time.
“I say,” Marcus said blandly, one black brow arched higher than the other. “She was certainly in a hurry to be rid of us.”
Forrest, who knew exactly what was wrong with her, closed his eyes and felt the first stirring of a regret that was to consume him entirely before the night was out. “I am going to bed myself,” he told his friends, rising as if it were an effort. “I shall see you all tomorrow.”
“Forrest?” Matthew asked as his friend shuffled by.
Effectively halted, Forrest turned and shook his head slowly. “Let it be Matthew,” was all he said before leaving the room.
“What the devil?” Rob wanted to know.
Marcus shrugged. “Apparently Matthew’s mother wears on others here more than she does me. I actually find her to be rather pleasant company.”
Matthew chuckled a bit caustically at that. “We all know that you and my mother get on quite well, Marcus.” Marcus grinned at that, then went to refill his glass.
Rob turned to Matthew. “Certainly was odd the way Alex nearly ran out of the room,” he said. “And then Forrest after her. What do you make of it, Matthew?”
Matthew was slumped pensively in his chair. “I don’t know, Marcus, but I don’t like it. All I need is one more thing to worry about with my mother here.”
“Perhaps it has something to do with the way that Forrest moons over Alex,” Marcus contributed shrewdly. “I have known that he felt more for her than simple friendship for quite some time. I find it hard to believe that Alex would be so blind as to overlook something so very obvious.”
Matthew too had noticed that Forrest hung on Alex’s every word and that, despite his hatred of dancing, in recent months he could often be seen on the floor with Alex when they were at a ball together. However, knowing Forrest the way Matthew did, he found it very hard to believe that he would have revealed his feelings to Alex in company. Then again, how else did one explain her sudden exit and Forrest’s stolid and forbidding silence? Matthew rubbed his forehead with the heels of his hands. All he was sure of was that he had far too much on his own plate to worry about his friend’s budding romance that seemed already on the rocks. Somewhere, in a corner of his mind tucked far away from his conscious, he acknowledged that it would be very hard for him to give up Alex, even to a close friend like Forrest.
“Shall we all retire?” Marcus asked his two friends. The festive mood had been quite effectively removed from the gathering, and he had business to attend to in the morning.
Matthew nodded. “I doubt that we’d have much fun now, anyway,” he said with finality, standing up. “I shall see you all in the morning. Leave some of that port for tomorrow, Rob,” he added as an afterthought.
“I am not sure that I like the idea of Forrest mooning over Alex,” Marcus announced once Matthew was gone.
Rob cocked a speculative brow at his friend. “Correct me if I am wrong, but you sound like a jealous man, to me, Marcus,” Rob said smoothly, knocking back half the contents of the glass in his hand.
Marcus scowled darkly at his friend, but he didn’t correct Rob either. “I’m going to bed,” he growled, then stalked out of the room. Alone with the decanter of port, Rob chuckled silently. In his experience, people loved to complicate simple situations beyond repair. It seemed relatively straightforward to him. Forrest loves Alex, Alex loves Forrest; nothing to it. Instead, Rob was sure, Forrest would curse himself for a fool for confessing his affection, and Alex would lie awake wondering how to reciprocate without having to give herself in marriage. Rob shook his head. He was personally more concerned about the trouble Matthew and Marcus were obviously having with the idea. Marcus would get over his possessiveness, but Rob was not so sure about Matthew. Alex had belonged solely to him for his entire life and he would no doubt balk at the idea of giving up his beloved sister to another man. After all, Rob mused, the sun still rose and set on Alex in Matthew’s eyes. She was his one great love, and all other women he met had to measure up to Alex’s high standard. Perhaps that was what was wrong with Alex as well. Matthew had always showered her with the love that would largely have gone lacking in her life otherwise.
Would Forrest measure up to Matthew? Rob found that thought singularly troubling. Sighing, he finished off his drink and returned the empty glass to the drink cabinet. He considered going to his club to play a few hands of cards, but decided against it almost immediately. It would not serve him well to be exhausted while Emmeline was in the house. Stretching luxuriously, he left the library.
Ten
M
atthew woke earlier than was his wont, due to all the extra sleep that last night’s strange events had allowed him. He sat up and stretched luxuriantly. He realized that he had awakened before Dobbs, a rare event indeed. With a sigh, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and dropped to the cold floor. Shivering a bit, he went about dressing himself; something he rarely did. Despite his lack of practice, Matthew managed to dress himself in record time. He was just tying his cravat when Dobbs entered the room.
“Matthew?” Dobbs’ face was a mask of utter disbelief.
“Good morning Dobbs,” he greeted his valet with a sunny smile before turning back to the mirror and putting the finishing touches on the silk cravat he had wound around his neck. “I won’t be needing any help getting dressed this morning,” he said, almost as an afterthought.
“I can see that,” Dobbs replied, still staring in complete consternation. “One wonders why you need me at all.”
Matthew opened his jar of pomade and glanced at his valet in the mirror. “I promise you that I shall not be getting up this early as a routine, Dobbs. I just got more sleep than I am accustomed to last night is all.”
Dobbs face resumed its normal expression, but there was a glimmer of speculation in his eyes as he said innocently, “And what would have caused you to retire so much earlier than usual?” he wanted to know.
Knowing that Dobbs loved a good piece of gossip, Matthew finished brushing through his hair before saying, “Just a small misunderstanding amongst friends, is all, Dobbs.”
Dobbs looked decidedly disappointed for a fleeting moment. Then his features schooled themselves into their usual polite interest. “Of course, Your Grace.”
Matthew dipped his fingers into his pomade jar and began arranging his hair. He decided that Dobbs might as well know. There was no harm in it. In fact, Matthew would not really mind an outside opinion. “Actually, Dobbs, there seems to be tension between Alex and Forrest of late.”
Dobbs cocked his head to one side. “Do they still dislike each other?” he wanted to know, his formality melting away before his employer’s invitation.
Matthew thought of the first few months Alex had known Forrest and the way that she and Forrest had despised the mere mention of one another. No, things had come entirely about since then. “No, actually, I rather think that the opposite is true.”
Dobbs raised one brow in skeptical surprise. “Are you truly sure of that, Matthew? I confess that if Alex marries and leaves us all the entire staff shall be Friday-faced for months.”
Matthew nodded in acknowledgment, but of which comment, it was impossible to tell. “I am not sure that I am comfortable with the idea of giving her away to another, but I rather think that I shall have to.”
“So then what is the trouble?” Dobbs asked, his blue eyes intent on Matthew’s reflection. He had known Matthew’s friends nearly as long as he had known Matthew, and Forrest was the one that he considered the least likely to marry. However, Matthew was not a fool, and so Dobbs tried to believe.
“Well,” Matthew paused to order his thoughts. “I rather think that they are in love with each other, but entirely unwilling for whatever reason to admit such a thing to themselves, or each other. However, I could be entirely off the mark and something else coul
d be the matter.” He shrugged and turned away from the mirror, satisfied with his appearance. “Is that such a silly assumption, Dobbs? Is my own bias against matrimony making me worry unnecessarily?”
Dobbs smiled at his employer then. “Will you accept some wise advice from one older than yourself?” At Matthew’s nod, he continued. “If you want the truth, why don’t you ask Lady Alexandra and the Baron?”
The idea was so incredibly, ludicrously simple that Matthew laughed aloud. “What a brilliant idea, Dobbs. Thank you very much.”
Dobbs grinned at Matthew, pleased to have been of service. “You know that I am forever at your disposal, Matthew. Even when the concern is matters of the heart, apparently.”
Matthew gave his valet’s shoulder a squeeze, then left the room, lost in his own thoughts. Now that he had a plan about how to approach the situation, he felt much better. He had never played the matchmaker before, but he supposed it was not too late to learn such a skill. He was still sorting out how to approach his sister and his friend, when he caught sight of Alex just entering the breakfast room alone, and he hurried to catch up with her for the private chat that had suddenly offered itself.
“Good morning,” he called, striding up to his sister.
“Hello Matthew,” she responded with a soft smile, sounding entirely like her usual self. It was only when Matthew got closer to her that he could detect the purplish bruises around her eyes that indicated a lack of sleep. Matthew wondered if she had slept at all.
“Shall we get something to eat?” he asked her gently.
Her brother’s compassionate gaze wrenched at Alex’s heart, and she cursed her fair coloring for betraying her lack of sleep and perhaps also the tears that had gone along with it. “Sounds like an excellent idea to me,” she replied, preceding her brother into the dining room.
"I hadn't realized it, but I'm positively starving!" Matthew told her as he piled kippers, eggs, toast, and, his favorite meat item, bacon, onto his plate with relish. Alex watched with amused eyes, then placed a smaller helping of the same items onto her own plate.