Larken

by S. G. Rogers

  “I care about you very much, and so does Myles. We’re a family now, Larken.”

  Cradled in Brandon’s embrace, she began to feel it was true.

  When Myles heard Larken was to have a birthday party, he was ecstatic.

  “Are we going to wear party hats and play games? I love Blind Man’s Bluff!”

  “It’s not that kind of party, but I expect we’ll have cake,” she said.

  His face fell slightly. “Oh well, I love cake too.”

  She laughed. “Get into your riding clothes and so will I. We’re to go riding with Mr. King.”

  Myles jumped up and down. “I told you he’d like your pretty dresses!”

  “And you were right.”

  A half hour later, Brandon, Myles, and Larken were riding across a field of grass and wildflowers. Myles rode ahead in an irregular pattern as he and his pony chased down butterflies.

  “I do feel terrible about missing your birthday,” Brandon said. “A family party just doesn’t seem enough to make up for it. Let’s go to town, shall we? I have a townhouse in Grosvenor Square.”

  The thought of taking the train made Larken tense up. “No, thank you. It would be difficult for me to travel by train, I’m afraid. I had to take laudanum just to get here from Rugby.”

  “That’s because of the accident, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry. Mrs. Howley accused me of being a malingerer.”

  “She’s an idiot. As I recall from the newspaper stories, you were trapped in the wreckage overnight. Few people could overcome such a horrible event.”

  “Maybe I will…someday. I wouldn’t like to believe otherwise.”

  “Perhaps it would help if you talked about it?”

  “I-I can’t.”

  “Never mind, then. I don’t want you to think about anything unpleasant today.”

  Brandon smiled, but she could see he was disappointed. What she wouldn’t give to wave a magic wand and make her fear go away! They rode quietly for a few minutes, when suddenly she spotted a broad swath of puffy white dandelions in the grass. It was very late in the year for dandelions to seed, so she knew it must be an omen.

  “Wait! Brandon, can you help me down?”

  “Why?”

  “If you make a wish and blow on dandelion seeds, the wish will come true.”

  “You’re joking.”

  “Come on, Brandon. I didn’t make a wish on my birthday, so this is my opportunity.”

  He laughed and shook his head, but dismounted nevertheless. As he crossed over to Juniper, Myles came riding up.

  “What are we doing?”

  “Larken wants to make a wish on a dandelion.”

  “Oh, me too!”

  Myles jumped off his pony and began racing around the field, collecting white puffy seed heads.

  “Save some for me!” Larken exclaimed.

  “Don’t worry, I see several over here,” Brandon said.

  He helped her down from her mare, plucked a dandelion from a mound nearby, and then presented it to her. She made a silent wish and then blew on the seeds until the stem was bare. Afterward, she picked one and thrust it at Brandon.

  “It’s your turn.”

  He waved her off. “No. Blowing on dandelions isn’t dignified.”

  She slid him a flirtatious glance underneath her lashes. “Can’t you think of anything to wish for?”

  He grinned. “If you put it that way.”

  A mighty puff blew all the dandelion seeds into the air, where the warm breeze carried them along toward their final destination. Several yards away, Myles was sputtering at his dandelions with a long, frothy blow. Afterward, he flopped backward into the grass with a groan. Brandon and Larken rushed over in alarm. The lad was clutching a dozen naked stems and wore a foolish expression.

  “What’s wrong?” Brandon asked.

  “I blew my wishes so hard, I got dizzy,” Myles exclaimed.

  Larken and Brandon laughed as the boy jumped to his feet, shook his head to clear it, and darted off. Brandon’s eyes met hers, and without warning, he caught Larken around the waist and drew her close.

  “Can you guess what I’m wishing now?” he murmured.

  His tender, lingering kiss set all her nerve endings tingling.

  Over near his pony, Myles snickered. “Whoop!” he shouted. “I just got my first wish!”

  Chapter Nine

  To Town

  WHEN LARKEN RETURNED TO GRACELING HALL, Lord Rowe had sent her a message saying he and his sister would have to suspend dance lessons for a week or ten days because Clarissa had a cold. Larken sent back a note wishing her a speedy recovery. Since Brandon and Myles were going fishing in the afternoon, she was to be at loose ends after lunch. Her curiosity had been piqued when Brandon mentioned the similarities between him and his brother, so she decided to sort through the paintings in the attic until she found Theo King’s portrait.

  After borrowing an apron from one of the maids, Larken climbed the attic stairs. The last time she’d been there was when she’d left Brandon’s portrait in a fit of annoyance. She smiled as she remembered the all-too-brief kiss they’d shared in the meadow that morning. What a difference a day had made in their relationship!

  A large number of paintings were stacked at the far end of the space. She sat down on a trunk and went through them one by one. The subjects ranged from ancestors to landscapes. Although the paintings were beautiful, each frame was sorely in need of a good dusting. Brandon had mentioned the paintings had been stored here because he’d planned to rent out Graceling Hall after his parents died. Since he was now in residence, there was no reason the paintings couldn’t be brought down from the attic and hung properly.

  Finally, only two paintings were left. She picked up the one closest to her, held it to the light—and gasped.

  Lord Apollo.

  The young man depicted in the portrait didn’t merely remind her of the actor like Brandon’s portrait had done. No, he was Lord Apollo. As if it were yesterday, she pictured the actor who’d signed her theatre program. Onstage, he’d portrayed his character with an ebullient and dashing chivalry that set her fourteen-year-old pulse racing. When the stage manager escorted her and her father backstage to meet him afterward, she’d been slightly shocked by the course language and behavior from the other players. By contrast, Lord Apollo was elegant and refined. Larken had been surprised to discover the blond hair he’d worn on stage was a wig, which he’d removed to reveal the dark mane underneath. The man bowed in a gentlemanly fashion and signed her program with a flourish. The dazzling smile he gave her, however, never reached his eyes. At the time, she’d assumed he was tired from his performance, but perhaps he’d been suffering from melancholy.

  Could Lord Apollo and Theo King be the same person?

  No, she was allowing her imagination to run wild as usual. Brandon’s brother was dead, found floating in a Liverpool canal five years ago. But…she’d seen his doppelgänger in London after that time. Surely Brandon couldn’t have misidentified his own brother…unless perhaps the body was unrecognizable from being in the water too long. She shuddered at the thought.

  Her eyebrows drew together as she tried to put herself in Theo King’s shoes five years prior. Spurned by Mariah, berated by his brother, and disinherited by his father, it would have done him no good to hold on to his former identity. Why not reinvent himself as a handsome, well-spoken actor by the name of Lord Apollo?

  Implausible, still. The whole notion was completely insane, and if she brought it up to Brandon he would think she’d lost her mind. Five years had passed since she’d met Lord Apollo, and she’d been rendered unconscious during the train accident shortly thereafter. As a result, her memory wasn’t necessarily reliable. If Theo was alive, however, what a miracle it would be! Myles wouldn’t be an orphan, and Brandon’s guilt would be assuaged.

  I need more proof. At the bottom of the box where the school primers and dance manual had been stored were scores of essa
ys and letters written by the King brothers. She found several documents signed by Theo King, and brought them to her bedroom to compare with the signature on the bloodstained Adelphi Theatre program. Larken spread the documents out on her coverlet and tried to match the letters. Finally, she found what she was looking for: a fanciful capital A written not in cursive, but in a swooping upside-down V bisected with a mark similar to a tilde.

  The confirmation of her suspicions made her sit back in disbelief. Should she speak to Brandon now and show him what she’d found? Almost immediately she discarded the notion. If she was wrong, how cruel it would be to raise Brandon’s hopes only to have them dashed again on the rocks of reality! London newspapers always had a section devoted to the latest theatrical productions in town. If Lord Apollo was still performing in London, she’d ask Brandon to take her and Myles to one of his matinées. She would leave it to her husband to be the judge whether or not Lord Apollo was his brother. Hopefully, the resulting shock would give way to happiness when the two men were reunited.

  After she’d tucked the program and letters out of sight, Larken headed downstairs to the kitchen to locate a newspaper. She leafed through it until she found the theatre section. Lord Apollo was indeed currently starring in The Mendacious Minx, at the Adelphi.

  I must take the train to London.

  Even the thought made her stomach contract. The reunification of the King family was more important than her fear, however, so with God’s grace—and laudanum—she’d just have to manage it somehow.

  Larken’s birthday dinner was lovely, partly because of the delectable champagne Brandon poured, and partly because of her secret. Myles was given a cordial glass of the sparkling wine, but a dip of his tongue convinced him not to drink it. The disgusted expression on his face was comical, but Larken suppressed a smile. Not too long ago, she’d thought sherry was disgusting as well. Champagne, on the other hand, was very pleasing to her palate straightaway and made her head spin a little.

  “Brandon, I’ve been thinking about your offer earlier today, and I’ve changed my mind,” she said. “Do you suppose we could go to town after all?”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, I was looking through the newspaper, and I noticed Lord Apollo was playing in a melodrama. I’d like to see him perform again.”

  “Should I be jealous?”

  “You’re nothing to fear, I assure you.”

  Myles was looking at Larken, confused. “Lord Apollo?”

  “The original Lord Apollo, not the painting,” she said. “He’s the actor who reminds me of Mr. King.”

  “Oh!”

  “Would you enjoy seeing the sights in London?” Brandon asked Myles.

  “I don’t know. Is there a sheepfold?”

  “There’s Regent’s Zoo,” he said. “They’ve a reptile house and an aquarium.”

  A puzzled look. “What’s an aquarium?”

  “It’s a tank for fish and other marine wildlife.”

  “All right.” The boy shoveled the last bite of cake into his mouth and beamed.

  “It’s settled then,” Brandon said. “I’ll send servants tomorrow to open the townhouse, and we’ll leave the day after.”

  He rose, picked up a silver tray from the sideboard, and placed it next to Larken’s plate. A napkin had been draped over the tray to obscure what lay underneath. She gave him a quizzical glance.

  “What’s this?”

  “Your birthday present.”

  Brandon plucked the napkin off the tray to reveal a sapphire and diamond brooch. Larken gasped and Myles’ eyes widened.

  “This brooch was my mother’s favorite piece of jewelry,” Brandon said. “She had it copied from the one Prince Albert gave Queen Victoria before their wedding.”

  “Oh, Brandon, I don’t know what to say.”

  Larken picked up the sparkling brooch with trembling fingers. It wasn’t the beautiful bauble that brought tears to her eyes. The fact that Brandon had given it to her, however, meant she was truly part of the family.

  “It’s magnificent.”

  He took the brooch from her and pinned it on her gown. “The sapphire is almost the same color as your eyes, but not as mesmerizing.”

  Myles giggled at the compliment, but Larken caught Brandon’s hand. “Thank you. I’m truly overwhelmed.”

  “I hope I’m forgiven now for missing your birthday.” With a pleased grin, Brandon sank into his seat and poured the both of them another glass of champagne.

  “There was nothing to forgive.”

  Two days later, Brandon, Larken, and Myles departed for London. Although Nell and Brandon’s valet were to travel on the same train with the family, most of the other servants had already been sent on ahead. Determined to show no fear in front of Myles, Larken plastered a pleasant expression on her face during the carriage ride to the train station. Brandon held her hand the entire time, and she took great comfort from his warmth. Despite her nerves, she marveled at how much better it was to travel with a loving family than alone.

  At the station, Brandon left Larken and Myles on the platform while he went to purchase tickets. Nell and Brandon’s valet chatted nearby, next to the luggage. Myles was very excited to watch the train arrive.

  “It looks like it’s flying!” he exclaimed.

  Riding on the train feels like we’re flying on the magic carpet from Arabian Nights. Larken suddenly felt the blood drain from her face, and the tips of her fingers grew icy cold. She wasn’t sure whether the platform was shaking from the approaching train or if she was dizzy, but when Brandon’s steadying arm wrapped around her waist, she was grateful.

  “Are you all right?” He peered at her. “You’re very pale. For a moment, I thought you were about to faint.”

  “For a moment, so did I.”

  The train’s squealing brakes made her flinch, but Brandon gave her a comforting squeeze. “Take a deep breath. You’re going to be fine.”

  Myles’ fingers crept into hers. “We’ll take care of you.”

  She gave him a tremulous smile. “I’d vowed to be courageous, but you’re the one who is brave.”

  With Brandon and Myles by her side, she managed to board the train. When they’d settled into a compartment, she put a few drops of laudanum on her tongue. She drew several deep, shuddering breaths into her lungs and forced her shoulders to relax. Despite her emotional discomfort, she was certain she was doing the right thing by going to London. Although she longed to tell Myles and Brandon the real reason for the journey, there was still a distinct possibility she was mistaken. Since no dandelions or candles were available to wish upon, she sent up a silent prayer her plan would be successful.

  Most of the fashionable families had already abandoned town for their grouse moors in Scotland when they arrived, but that bothered Larken not at all. Brandon took her and Myles sightseeing, to the zoo, and out to splendid restaurants. When she and Brandon went riding on Rotten Row, they even met one of his old friends and his wife. The couple came to dinner at their house that night, and Larken was thrilled with her new acquaintances. Despite all the amusements, however, she never lost focus on why she’d come to town. Nearly a week after they’d arrived, Myles gave voice to the question uppermost on her mind.

  “When are we going to see Lord Apollo?” He reached for syrup to drown his waffle.

  “This afternoon,” Brandon said.

  Larken felt a stab of excitement, but she maintained her composure. “I think we’ll enjoy the performance very much.”

  “Are we going home afterward? I miss my pony,” Myles said.

  “We’ll probably be here another few days. Monday morning, we’re to interview applicants for a nanny.”

  The news came as a surprise to Larken. “A nanny?”

  “Yes, if we can find one we like. I wish to lay claim to a little more of your time,” Brandon replied.

  Myles made a face. “I don’t want a nanny! I have Larken.”

  “Let’s give the idea a chanc
e, shall we? At any rate, I have another inducement for you. I was thinking about getting you a dog.”

  The frown disappeared. “I’ve always wanted a dog!”

  “It will all depend on your behavior toward the nanny. If you can demonstrate gentlemanly manners, I’ll consider the dog.”

  “You promise?”

  “Upon my honor.”

  Myles dug into his breakfast with renewed enthusiasm, and Larken exchanged an amused glance with Brandon. When they had a moment alone, she told Brandon how brilliantly he’d managed to avert the crisis.

  “You’re doing beautifully with Myles, but you must promise not to hire a nanny who is no-nonsense. I couldn’t bear it.”

  “Since you’ll be doing the interviews, you may hire whoever you like. I told the agency director to only send us candidates with a touch of whimsy.”

  Larken stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”

  The Adelphi Theatre was just as beautiful as Larken remembered, with its magnificent, domed ceiling and intricate woodwork. Because they were attending a matinée, Brandon had no trouble obtaining front row seats in one of the boxes closest to the stage. On her previous visit, Larken and her parents had sat in the dress circle. Although her view had been splendid enough back then, if she leaned out of the box now she could almost touch the curtain.

  Myles was beside himself with excitement, swiveling his head to and fro as he tried to absorb all the details of the circular venue. He seemed particularly fascinated with the musicians in the orchestra pit and the shining chandelier far overhead. Although Brandon seemed oblivious, Larken couldn’t help but notice curious glances cast their way from some of the more elaborately dressed patrons. At first she felt self-conscious about the attention, but since she was pleased with her coiffeur and ice-pink gown, she decided to ignore it. Increasingly difficult to ignore, however, was her racing pulse. The performance was only minutes away, and she’d begun to worry she’d made the wrong choice by not telling Brandon the real reason they’d come. It was on the tip of her tongue to confess when the lights dimmed and the music began. Her heartbeat hammered in her ears as the actors took the stage, but Lord Apollo was not to make his entrance until the second scene.