by Vella, Wendy
“Come, we must make our curtsey to the king.”
She didn’t know how to turn Mary away, so found herself being led into the line. The king was slowly making his way down the room, and his subjects were bowing and curtseying.
“His dress is elaborate,” Mary whispered.
“Because he is our king.”
“Mr. Valentine too is rather grand.”
Beth studied the man Mary spoke of. Not overly tall, perhaps a half a head above her own height, and slender. His silver hair was the same color as her father’s, and she guessed their ages too would be similar. He was the monarch’s adviser. It was said that the king did little without his counsel.
Gilbert Valentine carries a book on him at all times. I want that book, Miss Carlow, and you will be the one to get it.
As if he sensed her interest, Mr. Valentine looked her way. Beth forced herself to smile in a manner she hoped looked flirtatious. He responded with a nod before moving on. She then looked beyond him and into the cold black eyes of Nathan Deville.
“I will find my mother,” Beth said, dragging her eyes from his.
“Excellent. I have not seen her yet.”
She wasn’t entirely sure how to get rid of her old friend without being hurtful or rude, and even then, it seemed Mary would not be deterred.
“Don’t look, but he’s coming this way.”
“Who?” Beth looked around her.
“I said don’t look!”
“But everyone always does,” Beth pointed out.
“True, and it’s Mr. Valentine and Lady Haven. You smiled at him, and now clearly he wants an introduction.”
Beth stopped with Mary at her side and watched the man approaching. His coat was silver-gray and his necktie elaborate. He acknowledged other guests with small nods, but his eyes were definitely focused on her.
You can do this.
“Miss Carlow, please allow me to introduce you to Mr. Valentine. He expressed a wish to meet with you,” Lady Haven said.
“Mr. Valentine.” Beth sank into an indecently deep curtsey.
“Miss Carlow, would you care to dance?”
“Indeed, I would be honored.” His hand held hers a trifle longer than necessary, and Beth fought the urge to snatch it back.
You can do this.
Beth thought about her father, who lay in a bed many miles from here. She had to do this for him and her mother.
She took the hand he held out and walked to the dance floor at his side. It was a waltz, and Mr. Valentine swung her into his arms. Beth didn’t stiffen as her body brushed his. She stayed relaxed and fixed a silly, besotted smile on her face, then prepared to dazzle the man with compliments.
God help her, she would do this and do it right. He would have no reason to doubt her intentions.
I want that book above all things, Miss Carlow.
“It is refreshing to dance with a woman who asks no questions of me. Like most powerful men, I am often besieged by those wanting information that I am not at liberty to offer.”
“Pompous fool,” someone muttered. Looking around, she watched Lord Levermarch dance by with his beautiful wife in his arms. Had it been she who had spoken? Mr. Valentine appeared not to have heard the words.
“I can imagine a man as powerful as you are often finds it taxing to deal with those that are beneath him.” Beth nearly choked on the words. He preened, clearly happy.
“I knew as soon as I saw you, you would understand.” The fingers on her back stroked her skin through her dress. Beth fought the shudder.
Mr. Valentine then proceeded to wax on about himself and his importance for the remainder of the dance, and she made herself smile and hang on his every word. It was a relief when the dance ended. However, that was short-lived.
“May I take you through to supper, Miss Carlow?”
“I would be honored, Mr. Valentine, but I understand if your duties take you from me.”
“Our king has much to occupy his time; he has no need of me at this moment.”
They walked. He smiled, and she was sure her smile looked stiff and fake on her face. The supper room was full, and much to her horror she found the Deville brothers—all of them—and Abby there.
They’d been acquaintances and on the way to becoming friends through Mary and her association with Nathan when Beth left London. The look Abby sent her left her in no doubt there was no longer any chance of friendship between them.
“Do you read, Valentine?” The words came from the Duchess of Yardly, who was studying the vast array of dishes on the table.
“I beg your pardon?” Valentine looked shocked anyone would ask such a question of him.
“Read, man. Do you?” The duchess banged her cane hard on the floor.
“I—ah, of course, Duchess. My position as the king’s close confidant is such that reading is imperative.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” Lord Raine said. “You’d be of no use to him otherwise.”
“I assure you I am of vital importance.” Mr. Valentine was not impressed by Lord Raine’s comment.
“Do you like Roman mythology?” the duchess demanded.
“I’m not sure why anyone would,” Beth heard Michael Deville mutter.
“I heard that, Deville,” the duchess said.
“There are currently four Devilles in the room, Duchess. You will need to be more specific,” Gabriel said.
Nathan had not looked at her. He was busy filling his plate, which only added to her belief he no longer cared about her, which in turn gave strength to the fact there was another woman in his life.
Had she been so easy to forget?
“If I may suggest the Captain Broadbent and Lady Nauticus books, Valentine,” Nathan said, looking up from the plate that was already overflowing. “Highly entertaining and will not put you to sleep like Roman mythology.”
“Any mythology of any origins,” Michael Deville added, “will likely put you to sleep.”
“Are you not eating, Miss Carlow? Is there nothing to tempt your delicate palate in the vast array of food on display?”
“I am not overly hungry, sir,” she said in answer to Nathan’s question. It had been spoken as if she was anyone. As if once, they hadn’t been closer than any two people could be.
“You must try the eclairs.” He held out a plate to her. “I know they were once a particular favorite of yours.”
“Close your eyes and open your mouth, my sweet,” he’d once said, placing the pastry between her lips. She’d bitten into the sweet treat and declared her love for eclairs from that day forth.
Her eyes met his. Does he remember?
“I do not read that drivel,” Mr. Valentine said, attempting to regain control of the conversation. “I prefer reading for educational purposes to advance my already substantial intellect.”
“Ah, that’s where I’m going wrong, then,” Abby said. “Daniel, we must immediately purchase a library full of boring drivel so I may advance my intellect.”
“I’ll see to it, my love.”
Beth had not met Daniel Dillinger, but even in the country she’d heard of the marriage between the two families.
And suddenly she couldn’t stay in this room a second longer with Nathan and his family. Once she’d been on the verge of joining this loud, boisterous, loving group, now she was hated by all of them.
“If you’ll excuse me, Mr. Valentine. I fear I have left my mother for overlong. I hope to see you again soon.”
“Of course.” He bowed deeply. “I will see you soon, Miss Carlow,” he said, giving her a look that suggested he would make that happen.
She didn’t look at anyone else in the room, simply walked away with a sharp pain in her heart.
Chapter Four
“You do realize that she will become atrociously spoilt and expect everyone to allow her to do as she wishes until we draw our last breath?” Forrest drawled.
“Of course,” Michael said, allowing Ella to break his biscuit into
pieces and feed him. “She has to learn these things, and there will be mistakes on that journey.”
“She is two, must she learn to feed you when surely there are a few years left before you grow too old to do so yourself?” her father asked.
His family was gathered taking tea in a parlor. His brothers were all there, Forrest and Ella also. No one, as yet, had poked fun or annoyed him. It was an odd occurrence, but he’d take the boon for however long it lasted.
He knew why they were playing nice, of course. Beth. He wanted to think of her as Miss Carlow now, but when you had kissed a woman and held her in your arms while declaring your love, it was hard to think of her in formal terms. Even if she was a heartless witch.
He’d watched her dance with a man old enough to be her father, the king’s adviser. Watched her smile and simper, and his blood had boiled. Zach had been dancing also and said he’d heard her flattering him. Valentine had then taken her in to supper. Nathan had seen the horror on her pretty face when she’d walked into the room and found all the Deville family there.
He’d spoken to her as if she was just another guest at the ball. As if she had never meant anything to him. He’d been lying, of course. But one thing Nathan had learned in the last three years was how to hide his feelings.
“Come here, Walter.” Nathan clicked his fingers. The large gray-haired beast of course ignored him and continued to sit watching Ella closely in case a crumb was lobbed his way.
“Don’t feed him; Dimity will not be pleased,” Gabe said.
“She’s not here,” Nathan said, trying to lure the dog closer with a piece of cake. “For a dog who lived on the streets, he is certainly picky with what he now eats,” he added.
“He divides his time between two large townhouses and his belly is constantly full,” Zach said.
Walter made an agreeing rumble.
Could I have been so wrong about Beth?
And that was the thought that had kept him awake last night. That, and the hunger he’d felt seeing her again. He hated himself for the weakness but could do little about it. He’d wanted her for his wife. Loved and worshipped her. A man didn’t simply get over something like that.
“A note has arrived, my lord.” Fairfax, the Deville butler, entered the room.
“Abby told me to ask you what ‘nudiustertian’ means, Fairfax,” Nathan said. “She will visit tomorrow for your answer.”
“Are we still doing that now she doesn’t live here?” Gabriel asked.
“You say no to her,” Nathan said.
“Thank you, sir, I will endeavor to find its meaning,” Fairfax said, unperturbed by what Nathan had thrown at him.
Abby and their butler had been exchanging words for years. Nathan rarely knew how to spell any of them.
Gabe opened the note, then met his brothers’ eyes. Nathan knew that look.
“We are needed,” Gabe said, rising.
“By whom are you needed at this hour?” Forrest asked.
“I sometimes forget you’re here,” Gabe muttered. “And we can’t tell, so don’t ask.”
“I’m not sure if that was an insult or a compliment?” Forrest looked at each of the Deville brothers. “Am I now part of the furniture?”
“You are now one of us,” Zach added. “Therefore, we will ignore you as we do each other.”
“My mind is relieved,” Forrest drawled.
“It’s a compliment, I assure you,” Gabe said, “and when I marry Dimity and we move to our own townhouse, I shall count on you to be the voice of reason in this household.”
They’d debated with Gabe about him leaving after he and Dimity were married, but he’d insisted upon it. The townhouse they would take was not far from here, but he would rather move than uproot everyone in the family, even though he had more rights to their current abode than anyone.
“Excellent; my mind is relieved. Does that note encourage you to commit a heinous crime?” Forrest asked.
“Not today.” Zach smiled at Ella, who Michael was handing to her father.
“Is it dangerous?” Forrest’s voice was now serious.
The brothers hesitated.
“No,” Nathan said. “But it must be done, and one day we will tell you all.”
“Very well, but if you are not back soon, I will eat all your portions of pudding and flirt with your fiancée, Gabe. I understand she is coming to share our evening meal?”
“She is, and bringing Lady Yardly with her,” Gabe drawled.
“Dear Lord, why? That woman is… Well, there are no words.”
“Try to hold it together until we return, cousin,” Nathan said, clapping Forrest on the shoulder. “Goodbye, sweeting.” He bent to kiss Ella. She kissed him back, and his heart sighed. “Let Ella entertain her; she’s the only one the duchess seems to like.”
He needed nothing more than this, Nathan reminded himself. He had a nephew he adored, Abby and Daniel’s son, and a niece. He did not need the love of a woman who did not love him back.
When they left the house, darkness had fallen even though the hour was not overly late. They climbed into the carriage. All had on their cloaks, hoods raised.
“I need a new cloak,” Zach said. “This one has a hole there.” He poked a finger through the side of the hood.
“Such an infant,” Michael sighed.
“Did you know that Mary Blake told me last night I was the Deville brother least likely to form a rational sentence?” Zach said, rather unwisely to Nathan’s mind, as it gave them more ammunition against him.
“And the problem with that is?” Gabe asked politely.
“It’s untrue!” Zach scowled. “She is an annoying woman, and most of the time looks like she’s sucked a lemon.”
“Only when around you. She smiled sweetly at me last night while we danced, and commented on my intelligence,” Nathan said.
“What intelligence?” Michael asked.
“We were discussing Thales, and I held my own admirably.”
“Greek mathematician and astronomer?” Zach screwed up his face as he concentrated, making him look younger. “Why would anyone want to discuss him?”
“Imagine my surprise that you know about him,” Nathan drawled.
“I learned the same boring stuff as you lot.”
“Perhaps if you talked to Miss Blake about that boring stuff and didn’t scowl at her, she may be more receptive.”
“Good Lord, why would I want her more receptive?”
“I see the problem here,” Michael said. “You don’t want to be in the company of a woman who could outthink you using half, nay, a quarter of her brain.”
“Children,” Gabriel sighed. “That will do.”
“Mary Blake told me we were to be nice to Miss Carlow,” Zach said, looking at Nathan. There was nothing but sympathy in his eyes now.
“I have no intention of being nice to that woman,” Gabriel snapped. “She showed her true colors by simpering all over Valentine.”
“I would not wish you to be mean to her just because she chose to walk away from me, Gabe,” Nathan said. He may want her in purgatory, but if he was honest, she’d done nothing but speak the truth by telling him she no longer cared. “It is no concern of ours who she does or does not dance with.”
“I don’t like her.”
“Which I understand, and I thank you for your loyalty, but as I have stated, she did nothing wrong.”
“She hurt you!” Zach thundered. “That is wrong, and I certainly let her know how I felt.”
“What did you say?” Nathan sighed.
“It was odd, actually, because she was on the third floor of Lord Russell’s house the night of the ball. I found her walking back down.”
“After you’d been ravishing someone?” Michael asked.
Zach merely smiled.
“Perhaps she was lost?” Nathan said.
“Perhaps.”
“What is even odder to me is that I liked her a great deal before she left London. She never st
ruck me as false and was in fact a genuinely nice lady. Yet last night she seemed different. Cold, and then there’s that business with her simpering over Valentine,” Michael said. “Very odd if you ask me.”
“Maybe that is her true self.” Gabe shrugged.
“Maybe, and yet why did the Carlow family leave London suddenly? Why has there not been so much as a murmur about any of them? Lord Carlow has been seen in London twice, briefly, but without his family,” Michael added.
“How do you know he’s been seen?” Gabe asked.
“I overhead Haynes discussing him at the club. Apparently, they were once friends. He said Carlow now rarely associates with anyone. It all strikes me as a bit smokey.”
“I have no wish to discuss this, Michael,” Nathan said in a voice he hoped would shut his brother up. “It is done with. Miss Carlow is back, and I am quite comfortable with that,” he lied. “I wish you all to be polite to her and nothing more.”
“Very well,” Michael said. “If that is your wish.”
“It is.”
The carriage stopped, and they stepped down. Nathan was unsure how many times he’d walked this particular path in the years since he’d been enlisted into Alexius. He and his brothers were part of a secret group of noblemen who protected the monarchy.
“Let’s go.” Gabe led the way up the stone path, worn from years of just such a walk by men also clad in cloaks and those that worshipped within the old church walls.
Gabe raised a hand as their eldest, and the only one among them who wore the gold ring that had been handed to him by his father.
“We’ve never asked, but I wonder who would wear the ring if something happened to you, Gabe?” Zach asked as the eldest Deville knocked four times on the wooden door.
“And you want to discuss this now?”
“I will of course wear it as second eldest,” Nathan said. “Then if something were to happen to me, Michael.”
Zach exhaled. “Seems rather unfair, as we all know I am the best brother.”
The others snorted softly before entering the building. A single candle burned in the dark interior. Every time they entered the church, the setting was the same. The candle, no other people, and a man seated at the round, scarred table.