by Hazel Grace
“My pestering cousin,” I advised. “Thank you for the invitation, but I do have another engagement.”
“Suit yeself,” the Captain shrugged.
“I must see to my supervisor,” I said. “Again, I appreciate your hard work, Captain.”
“Anytime, my dear.” He tipped his broad, tattered hat at me. I curtsied and made my way off the ship, my two bodyguards close behind.
“Do you always make deals by cards?” George asked me, as we made our way down the narrow wooden plank leading off the ship.
“No, it just came to me. He wasn’t going to budge,” I replied, moving aside to let a group of men through.
“Genius,” George chortled. “You’ve always been a smartass.”
I looked over my shoulder and grinned. “Now, if I can just think of how to get you to leave, I’d really be winning.”
Garrett
Chapter 4
Ava hadn’t changed a bit. She was still the most spirited, self-assured woman I’d ever met. I’d stayed longer than expected after she had awakened from being attacked, having fun with a pretty, young girl who knew how to kick my ass in cards. And I was also buying time, to not have to return to the palace full of stuck-up folks.
After this whole ordeal with the assassins was taken care of, I’d be going back home. I came to keep George safe since my father couldn’t seem to succeed on his own. Three of the attacks on George were from his own men; traitors who were either bought out or placed there to take him out.
So, when my brother was attacked the fifth time, I’d come here to develop ideas and strategies of my own to keep him safe, as well as Avie.
The smell of spices filled my nostrils as we walked into the inventory space. The storage house looked bigger inside than out, and I was impressed.
Beyond impressed; it was remarkable. The space was organized and clean. Several men with paper and pens silently counted and cataloged the items coming in. The young lad we had run into earlier greeted her again, and the way he gazed at her was like she was an earthly goddess.
He led us to a middle-aged man issuing orders, and Ava waited for him to finish before she greeted, “Good morning, Mr. Torres.”
The stubby man turned around and beamed. “Ah, Ava! Good morning, my dear. I didn’t think you’d be here until later this afternoon,” he greeted. He looked behind her at George and me.
“This is Oliver”—she pointed at George—“and Luke,” she added, pointing at me. “My cousins are visiting for a few days.”
Mr. Torres held out a chubby hand for each of us to shake. “Good to meet you, gentlemen. Your cousin has made my life much easier since she has been home.” I nodded in acknowledgement, holding back a smile. Little did she know, Mr. Torres and I knew each other. I had placed him here to keep an eye on her.
“Uncle Evan has told us the same thing,” I agreed. “She has quite an eye for business.” Ava looked over her shoulder, tucking a piece of auburn hair behind her ear, and grinned.
“I bartered with the Captain to take back the sugar,” Ava advised, and Mr. Torres raised a brow.
“How?”
Ava sent him a grin. “A card game.”
“Don’t let your father know about that,” Mr. Torres cautioned. “He won’t like it.”
“Call it business dealings,” Ava proposed. “He wasn’t going to budge, so I had to play how he would solve things…in a non-violent way.”
Mr. Torres fiddled with his fingers and glanced up at me. I nodded my head with a smile.
“If you say so, my dear,” Mr. Torres said. He paused for a moment before continuing. “Prospective trade deals with Romenia. They want to start shipping their goods here.”
“No,” Ava snapped. “I won’t provide money or support a country that uses children as slaves.”
Mr. Torres smiled. “Didn’t think so, but thought you should know,” he added. “Two more ships are supposed to arrive tomorrow, Ava, but we don’t have room for them to dock.”
Ava furrowed her brow. “Aren’t one of these ships supposed to leave today?”
Torres shook his head. “The goods they are supposed to take back haven’t made it here yet. There was a storm in the south that put a delay on their arrival.”
Ava groaned, placing a petite hand on her forehead. “We need more docks,” she stated, rubbing her temples. “Do we have the funds available yet?”
“I would need to look at the numbers, but—”
“I’ll lend you the money,” I offered, the words leaving my mouth before I thought them through. All eyes shifted to me. “It would be an investment, of course.”
“Why?” Ava asked, her mossy green eyes studying me.
“Two percent interest; it would also increase the economy for Telliva and Aruna. We have a lot of trade going through here.”
“I couldn’t accept,” Ava uttered. “We might already have the funds to build.”
“Think about it, if you aren’t ready,” I told her. “Promise?” I held her gaze, a disarming smile curling my lips.
“I’ll think about it,” she agreed, looking away. Damn. She notched a little of my ego. She asked Mr. Torres to make sure no sugar was left behind and to look into their accounts about the docks before she bid her goodbyes, making her way toward the exit.
“Impressive,” George commented as we walked. “You spoke like you’ve been doing this your whole life.”
Ava turned to him, radiating appreciation and pride. “I feel like I’ve found my calling.”
“You could negotiate policies and laws,” George put in with a grin.
Ava wrinkled her cute pointed nose. “I couldn’t speak to proper society and Lords; they’re too stuck-up.”
“Understatement,” I murmured.
“I’m sure Ava could put them in their place. Shake the system up a little bit,” George told me, mischief glinting in his blue eyes. Ava chuckled, and I couldn’t help but smile.
We made our way back to the horses, the sun beating down on our backs. The loyal Frankie untied Ava’s horse and handed over the reins, blushing as she brushed his arm. She spoke to him for a few moments, then waved goodbye before we took off.
The spring breeze picked up and she seemed to be more suited to herself. Old Ava was kind and young, but the new Ava, the current one, was confident and dauntless. She reminded me of a little warrior, in her own way, fighting to be successful and make a good life for herself. After all she had been through, it impressed me. Most females would stay locked up in their houses, afraid to venture out after such distress.
A small luncheon waited for us when we got back. George and Ava argued over her options of returning to the castle through the whole meal. He would say it was for her protection, she would counter back about her father and being uprooted again. I watched her tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, reminding me that she did it often while playing cards—in my shirt. Sometimes that shirt would expose one of her shoulders; I closed my eyes briefly to snap myself out of it.
“I hope you both enjoyed yourselves today. I must get ready. Eve will be here soon,” Ava announced.
“For what?” George asked.
“I have an anniversary party to go to.”
“That sounds fun,” George stated, throwing his napkin down.
Ava looked at him, furrowing her brows. “You aren’t going.”
George looked at her innocently. “Of course we are. You wouldn’t keep your cousins here by themselves all night, would you?”
Ava let out a heavy sigh and glanced at me. “Can you dance?”
I nodded. “I can.”
“Good. Because you’ll be surrounded by dallying females, who’ll love nothing more than to line up and dance with the both of you.” She winked at me and threw her napkin at the back of George’s head. “Be ready by eight.”
“Should be fun,” George said, after Ava left the room. “More casual than what we’re used to.”
“More sheltered females,” I added.
“Several at one time?” I asked with a raised brow.
“How hard could it be?”
I laughed. “I’m going to love seeing this. By the end of the night, you’ll be running out of there, pulling your hair out.”
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
“Why didn’t you tell me that his attractive older brother came?” Eve chastised me in my room. “Are you trying to keep him to yourself for a particular reason?”
“I haven’t had a moment to myself. George has been following me like a lost puppy,” I retorted. George had always been in my space; that’s why he’d gotten a black eye when we were nine…and eleven.
Eve raised her eyebrows in amusement. “Nothing wrong with that.” I shook my head; she was impossible. Eve studied herself in my floor-length mirror, pressing her red dress against her body. “Do you think this shade goes well with my skin tone? I wish I had bought more than one dress.”
“You’ve asked me that question over a dozen times,” I replied with a chuckle. “Thankfully, Mr. Ryan had dresses already made, or you’d be wearing something in your closet tonight.”
Eve viewed herself at different angles in the mirror before sighing. “You didn’t tell me how handsome he was,” Eve pressed. “You kept that small detail to yourself when he was with you for a week.”
“Six days,” I corrected. Six short days.
Eve stepped into her silk dress, pulling it over her slim hips. “Ah, six days. Did anything else happen in those six days that you forgot to tell me?”
“I was engaged to his brother,” I choked out, forcing a laugh.
“Fake engaged,” she retorted, pulling her arms through the sheer long sleeves of her dress. “And I’m definitely not joking. One look from that man would make a girl go weak at the knees.”
“And I’ve never seen you so flabbergasted in my life,” I teased.
Eve peered over her shoulder, narrowing blue eyes at me. Pulling her curled hair away, she waited for me to lace the back of her gown. “I was busy observing.”
I walked over to her. “You were doing more than that.”
“Are you trying to provoke me, Ava Barlow?”
“Me? Darling, never. You are the epitome of style and feminine games,” I scoffed, beginning the tedious task of arranging the netted material.
“Getting what you want or don’t want is a game,” Eve retorted. “And since I play so well at it—”
“Don’t even think about it,” I cautioned, yanking at her laces to make my warning clear. She let out a small grunt. “Leave me out.”
“Of what?”
“Don’t play stupid. I don’t want any part of”—I waved my hand in the air—“whatever it is you’re planning.”
“You don’t have to do anything,” Eve said. “Lord Ashton will do it all for you.”
I groaned. “Oh Eve, please, leave the man be. I don’t want to be wrapped in an awkward conversation with him tonight.”
Eve turned to look at me. “Let’s make the delicious Lord Cranfield jealous.”
I closed my eyes, bridging my nose with my fingertips. “Just leave everything be. I have neither the patience nor the energy to deal with men tonight. I just want to go to this event, which you begged me to go to, then come home.”
Eve turned me by my shoulders and buttoned up my navy-blue dress. “I promise. I won’t do anything out of the ordinary.” I turned to face her, but she stopped me by my waist.
“Interfering is the ordinary for you,” I complained.
Eve huffed. “All right, fine. No games. Just best friends enjoying the night together. Am I allowed to make comments, or is that off limits as well?”
“Just don’t go out of your way to do anything, okay?”
“Fine, I promise.” She paused. “There. You look magnificent. Lord Cranfield will be beside himself.”
I admired my attire that snug fit on my hips; the silk flowed freely to the ground.
“Why do you think I’d want to impress Cranfield?” I asked her, pulling up the front of my dress to not show so much cleavage. “This is just a normal night at a party, nothing more.”
“Why wouldn’t you want to impress him? Can you imagine the handsome children you’d make?”
“Can I leave Telliva once in my lifetime before you start talking about children?” I objected.
Eve stood in front of my vanity mirror. “May I ask you a serious question?”
I eyed her suspiciously. “Maybe.”
“If things were different, would you consider him?” She eyed our dresses, contrasting mine with hers. Sheer red fabric covered her chest, circling her neck, while mine dropped low, sleeves hugging my shoulders. She wore her hair up in curls, while mine was down and straight, pinned to the side of my head.
“George?”
She rolled her eyes. “No. Garrett.”
“Maybe,” I confided. “I enjoyed his company. He made me forget that I was away from home.”
Eve placed a hand on my shoulder. “No tricks. I won’t interfere, I promise. I know I can be pushy. I want you to enjoy life, flirt a little, be reckless”—she winked—“have fun.”
“I know.” I placed a hand on hers. “I’ll interact more.”
Eve went to the door and waited for me to follow her. “Let’s go make the gorgeous brother speechless.”
Ava
Chapter 6
I wanted to punch her. Eve’s promise of being a peaceful companion faded within an hour. Of all people, she knew how much I craved my solitude, but at the first chance she received, she waved down Lord Ashton. The last thing I wanted to do was be courted to death in an endless mission to find a mother for his daughter, Emma.
I sent her my worst glare on my way to the dance floor while my arm was linked through his.
“Emma has been talking nonstop about seeing you yesterday,” Ashton said, leading me through dancing couples. “She has begged me to ask you, if it isn’t too much trouble; her birthday is in a few months, and she was hoping you’d be able to attend.” His eyes glimmered with hope. Hope I wasn’t going to give him.
“She is very sweet to think of me,” I stated with a forced smile.
“We both think so highly of you.”
“Thank you.”
Ashton danced around me and came back to place his arm around my waist. “I was hoping you’d accompany me riding in the next few days. We could follow up with a picnic, and maybe a piece of pie at the bakery in town.”
I kept myself from furrowing my brows. “That sounds very...nice, Lord Ashton,” I replied slowly, watching my next words. “But I’m not looking to be…well I don’t want—”
“I understand if you have to check your schedule,” Ashton added with a grin, his brown eyes luminous.
“Well, it’s not that,” I countered. “I’m flattered, but I’m not looking for anyone to court me at this time.”
Ashton wrinkled his pointy nose. “But you are of age to be thinking about a family and sharing a life with a husband.”
I clenched my jaw. “I am. It’s not that I don’t ever want those things; it’s just that I’m not ready.”
“Not ready?”
“I would like to travel first.”
“All three of us can travel if you wish,” Ashton retorted.
“I’d have to be your wife to do that, my Lord.”
Ashton’s grin widened. “Exactly, my dear.”
I peered over his shoulder, uncomfortable at his persistence. My gaze fell on Garrett, who was dancing with a young blonde. Her hair was thrown up in an elegant bun, strands of hair teasing the side of her milky white skin. He spun her around as she laughed, her lavender dress whirling around her.
“Lady Barlow?” Ashton beckoned.
I brought my attention back to him.
He anxiously searched my face for an answer to his subtle statement. Never in my mind did I think Ashton nothing more tha
n kind, but he was a barricade to my future plans. Ones that I’d gladly break for a chance of freedom.
“I must benevolently decline your offer, Lord Ashton,” I concluded. “Though it is very considerate to think of me.”
“If you need more time to think about it,” Ashton babbled, “I’d be more than happy to give it to you.” I shook my head. “I’ll wait then. I’ll wait until you’ve gotten to tour the land, and—”
“No need to wait. I can’t have you put your life on hold for me.”
“Lady Barlow.” Ashton abruptly halted us both. “I don’t think you understand that I want you to be my wife.”
I furrowed my brows. Now all I could think of was smacking the back of Eve’s head. Ashton entwined his fingers with mine and began to slowly kneel. My heart started to race. Oh my God, he was going to be an idiot and still try to propose to me, in the middle of a damn party.
“Avie!” Garrett’s voice greeted from behind Ashton. I released a sigh of relief that I didn’t realize I was holding. I’d never been so happy to see someone in my life. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
Ashton stood straight, his face slightly red.
“Oh, I’ve been right here,” I mumbled, clasping my fingers together.
Garrett looked Ashton over. “So I see.” He held out his hand to me. “You owe me a dance.”
I nodded, stepping toward him. “Thank you, Lord Ashton, for the—” Ashton took a quick step toward me, startling me.
“Lady Barlow, I’m sorry if I upset you,” he whispered. “But I’d like to continue this conversation at a later time.”
“My Lord, please. I think I’ve made my answer clear,” I affirmed softly. “Again, I am honored that you’ve considered asking me.”
“But Lady Barlow, I—” I felt Garrett’s body step closer to me, his hand going to my lower back.
“The dance is about to start,” Garrett remarked in a low voice. He slid his hand down the inside of my arm and grasped my hand, pulling me away.
I didn’t look back at Ashton, already feeling slightly bad enough for rejecting him. It was Eve’s fault, the little brat. I had a mouthful waiting for her. Garrett gently pulled me on the other side of the dance floor, away from Ashton’s gaze.