Evangeline sighed. “I thought we could be…us again, I guess. Life as a vampire was enormously fun at first. There’s a sense of freedom and possibility that you can’t imagine.”
“No, I suppose not.” Life as a librarian, valkyrie or not, was filled with schedules and events and work to be done.
Evangeline chuckled. “My life as a human was completely mapped out for me. As the daughter of a marquess I was expected to act a certain way, attend certain functions.” Her eyes arrowed into Tessa. “Marry a certain man. Any decisions not made by my father for me, my mother happily commanded. What I wore, what friends I kept, what parties I attended.”
She shook her head. “I suppose that sounds rather trivial to you, but it wasn’t. I lived my life in a gilded prison. Realizing I had freedom and power as a vampire was the most intoxicating cup I’d ever drunk from.”
For the first time, Tessa felt like she understood some of Evangeline’s actions. “I bet it was. What did you do first?”
“You mean after I broke Sebastian’s heart?” She sighed. “I went to Paris. I’d been there before, of course, but I’d had my mother and several chaperones. As a vampire, I finally experienced the real Paris. Oh, it’s a marvelous place when you have the sort of power and influence of our kind.”
“I can only imagine.”
A horrified look marred Evangeline’s beautiful face. “Do you mean you haven’t been? Has Sebastian never taken you? What on earth have you two been doing all this time?”
“Getting to know each other. Living our lives. We’ll travel after we’re married.” That seemed like a reasonable answer.
Evangeline made a rude noise. “Not if you don’t stay on him about it you won’t. He gets very stuck in his ways. That’s a good part of why I left him. Life with him was more of what I’d experienced with my father. Everything was a foregone conclusion. Which house we’d summer at, what parties we’d throw, who would be invited, what would be discussed…”
She waved a hand through the air. “Fancy dresses and parties might seem like fun, but even they lose their luster after a while. I wanted to do life on my own terms. For once. You must understand that. To live as you want, not the way it’s expected of you.”
Tessa nodded slowly. “I understand that very much. And I can see why you did what you did. Doesn’t mean I approve.” She didn’t. Especially not of the cheating part. But this wasn’t about what she thought right now. “Leaving your husband was a pretty drastic measure, but that was your decision to make.”
“Thank you for understanding. And not judging too much.”
“It’s not my place to tell you how to live your life. But you can’t expect me to keep silent about the parts that affect Sebastian, either.”
“I’d expect nothing less from you. After all, you love him. It’s almost mandatory that you speak up.” Evangeline’s smile took on a feline quality. “So what am I doing that you’d like to comment on?”
“I think you know the answer to that.”
“Tell me anyway.”
Tessa narrowed her eyes. “Sign the papers and let him get on with his life. You’ve seen us together enough to make your decision. Why wait out the week?”
Evangeline went quiet for a moment, making Tessa think she’d gotten through. “Did you speak to him about his going out during daylight hours? That’s still a concern of mine.”
“I did. And I assure you, he’s protected.” The woman was certainly fixated on that. “Anything else? If not, I’d like to rest before my fiancé takes me out for dinner.”
Evangeline pursed her lips as if tasting that news and finding it sour.
Then Duncan came skittering out of the closet at full speed, ricocheting off Evangeline’s boot and shooting back across the room and up the cat tree.
Evangeline shrieked. “What is that creature?”
Tessa bit her lip to keep from laughing. “It’s my cat, Duncan.”
“A cat? In this house?” Evangeline wrapped her arms around her torso protectively and grimaced. “Are you part witch? How did you get Sebastian to agree to that?”
Tessa lifted one shoulder. “I guess he loves me.”
Evangeline’s lip curled as she stared at Duncan with the same look most people reserved for disease-carrying vermin. “If that’s not proof, I don’t know what is.”
Sebastian retreated to his office, still too angry at Evangeline to deal with her at the moment. Going over some numbers would calm him down and help him suss out what the proper next step was.
But his mind kept going back to Tessa and her story. Reconciling her past with who she was now wasn’t that hard. He’d seen glimpses of the warrior within her the first night they’d been out together. No woman turned around and walked away from a man who was making her unhappy without having some sort of backbone.
He’d just never guessed Tessa’s was made of steel and grit and Norse magic.
Knowing what he did about her now only made him like her more. She’d chosen a very deliberate path for herself. One that wasn’t easy. He admired that kind of determination. It spoke to her strength of character and fortitude. She’d decided not to be defined by the parameters of her kind.
He frowned. But then so had Evangeline when she’d turned her back on being his wife to pursue the vampire life of instant gratification and endless pleasure she thought existed beyond the walls of their manor house.
It wasn’t the same, though. Not at all. He couldn’t imagine Tessa shirking responsibility in favor of her own selfish desires. Her agreeing to be his fake fiancée was proof of that.
No, Tessa was the kind of woman he should have married. Not a narcissistic status-seeker, but a woman who understood duty and responsibility and sacrifice.
Bloody hell. That was the life he lived now and he was miserable. What kind of life was that for anyone?
Tessa deserved so much more than that. She deserved rich experiences and happiness and to be loved by a man who understood how amazing she was.
He swallowed. He knew very well how amazing she was. But he didn’t dare let himself love her. He wasn’t what she deserved. Especially after he let Evangeline hit her with the foil. How unfair that the woman he’d spent his adult life protecting had been the cause of his failure to protect Tessa.
Blast it, he wasn’t what any woman deserved. Evangeline had shown him that rather clearly. And continued to do so.
Evangeline strolled in and plopped down in the chair across from his desk, putting an abrupt end to his musings. “A cat, Sebastian? I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen the beast with my own eyes.”
He scowled. If thinking about Evangeline brought her into his presence, he must find a way to strike all memory of her. “I didn’t realize I’d forgotten to lock the door.”
She made a face at him. “Yes, well, here I am. What are you going to do with me? Are you going to throw me out?”
“Are you going to sign the papers?”
She kicked her legs up over the arm of the chair and leaned sideways in it. “Eventually. Probably.” She traced the seam of the leather. “Are you sure you want to marry Tessa?”
He shook his head at her nonsense. “Unequivocally, yes. What are you playing at?”
“Nothing. Just making conversation.” She pointed a lazy finger at him. “You should take her around the world for your honeymoon. Make a grand gesture out of it. See the places you and I never made it to.”
Just like Evangeline to assume what he would and wouldn’t do. “How do you know we haven’t already?”
She shrugged. “You’re right. I don’t. Except that I know you and you were never one to vacate a residence unless the season dictated it. But please, tell me I’m wrong. Tell me where you and Tessa have been.”
He frowned. Anything he said would be a lie. But what was one more on top of the many he’d already told?
Evangeline studied her nails. “Paris is lovely in the spring. You should put that on your itinerary.”
“We’ve alr
eady been. Last year. It was remarkable.” He’d tell Tessa about this new wrinkle as soon as he was free of Evangeline.
“Really? Paris? How wonderful. I’m so happy for you. I’m glad you’ve found a woman who’s spurred you to travel and experience new things. Tell me again why you haven’t married her yet.”
He launched halfway across the desk. “Because you refuse to release me from our marital bonds. We’d already be married if not for you.”
“I see.” She nodded, something swirling in her gaze. “I’ll tell you what. Let’s take a trip tomorrow night to that new wedding chapel Julian was talking about. You two get married and I’ll sign the dissolution of relations for the vampire council as soon as the ceremony’s done.”
He stared at her. The lie about Paris seemed inconsequential now. Tessa would never go for this. He swallowed. “I don’t think Tessa will agree to that. I imagine she’ll want a proper ceremony, with friends and family and—”
“You imagine?” Evangeline leaned forward. “You’re engaged to a woman you’ve been seeing for over a year and you haven’t talked about the kind of ceremony you’re going to have?”
“I, well, I’ve left that up to Tessa.”
Evangeline smirked. “Typical male. Say, if you’re so in love with her, why haven’t you contacted the council and told them that I left you? With proof of infidelity, you could have had your dissolution.”
He couldn’t tell her about the promise, but he could tell her something. “Because I never bothered to get proof. I knew what you were doing. Why would I want to actually see my wife cheating on me?”
“And maybe you were holding out hope that I’d come back. That we would reconcile.”
“Maybe. But that changed when I met Tessa.” How true those words were.
“That’s all I needed to know.” She got to her feet. “I’d suggest you talk to Tessa about my offer because it’s got an expiration date. I either see you two get married tomorrow night—no, tonight, or I’ll write to the vampire council and tell them of your infidelity and how as my sire you’ve thrown me over for another woman.”
Cold sluiced down his spine. “You wouldn’t.” And now she knew he couldn’t do the same because he’d just told her he didn’t have proof of her betrayal. The cold turned to anger. Evangeline was the same conniving shrew she’d always been.
She gave him a casual glance over her shoulder as she walked toward the door. “Wouldn’t I? Think hard before you make up your mind, Sebby. Think hard.”
Tessa’s mouth hung open. Pretending to be Sebastian’s fiancée was one thing. Actually becoming his wife was well more than she’d signed on for. “She wants us to get married in front of her? Tonight?”
Sebastian rubbed a hand over his eyes. “It’s so out of left field. She’s never once mentioned bringing the council into this in all the years I’ve known her. She’s just playing games.”
“Really? Because that sounds pretty serious to me.” It also sounded like Evangeline was seriously jealous of what she imagined Sebastian and Tessa had, which just confirmed Tessa’s suspicion that Evangeline really did want to be part of Sebastian’s life again. Why else would she have all those newspaper articles with his pictures?
“It is serious. That’s why she’s only now brought it up. I promise, she’s just pushing me. Trying to see if this is truly real.”
“And if we don’t get married?”
He frowned. “She’s threatened to contact the vampire council. It’s probably a bluff. I doubt she—”
“If she did, what would that mean in layman’s terms?”
His frown deepened. “She could bring charges of neglect against me as both her sire and her husband. Infidelity would be part of that. It wouldn’t be pretty.”
Tessa sat on the bed and wrapped her arms around her knees. “How does that work with vampires? With valkyries and berserkers, everything is pretty much settled by combat.” Which was one more reason not to cause trouble.
“The vampire council operates like a human court. Their rules and guidelines were established ages ago. Well before any of us were turned. They’re meant to protect all of us. Vampires, that is. And as I am Evangeline’s sire, I have certain responsibilities toward her, but those are compounded by the fact that we were married at the time of her turning. She can claim that I forced her to be turned, that I coerced her into it, that she agreed out of duty and not because it was what she truly desired. She might even say she feared what I would do if she refused.”
“Is any of that true?”
“No, of course not. She welcomed it with great enthusiasm. And if I hadn’t turned her, the chances were great that the plague killing off all those around us would have taken her too. That’s why my grandmother turned us. To save us from it.” He grunted. “Evangeline was as much a party to the turning as I was.”
“Have any of your brothers dealt with this?”
He shook his head. “Julian wasn’t married at the time my grandmother turned us. Hugh was, but his wife didn’t survive the turning.”
“How awful.” Tessa cringed at the thought. “He seems happy now.”
“He is. Delaney has done wonders for him.” Sebastian’s gaze softened for a moment, as if he was comparing Tessa to the woman his brother had married.
She shook it off. Whatever Sebastian was thinking, it had to be tainted by Evangeline’s demands. “So what are the consequences if she levels these charges against you?”
He sat beside her on the bed and stared at the intricately woven rug that covered the hardwood. “It will be a long, drawn-out affair, but if the council finds them to be true, the consequences would be…steep.”
“In plain terms, please.”
“Best-case scenario, I could be jailed for a period of time.”
“And worst case?”
A shudder wracked him. “I could be forced to face the dawn.”
Her mouth came open again. “What?”
He nodded. “The council doesn’t take these things lightly.”
“Your life could be forfeit because she’s unhappy?”
“It’s more than that. But yes. Neglect on part of a sire, where it causes hardship or loss of quality of life for the turned, is a grave offense.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “But you have your amulet. You’d be safe, right?”
He smiled weakly and reached out to brush a strand of hair off her cheek. “When one is put out to face the dawn, it’s in the same state that one enters into the world. The amulet must be on me to protect me.”
Rage, both welcome and unwelcome, tripped through Tessa. The surge of emotion forced her to her feet. She turned to face him. “Are you sure she’s bluffing?”
“No, but that’s what this feels like. She wants me to admit this is all a ruse and that I still love her. That I’ll take her back.”
Tessa nodded. “I think that’s exactly what she wants. So what if you do admit this is all a lie?”
Duncan jumped onto the bed, meowing for attention. Sebastian reached out and scratched the little cat. “She will never let me forget it. Not for a second. And she will forever hold it over my head.”
Tessa imagined his life at the mercy of Evangeline. Nothing about it seemed pleasant.
He leaned his elbows on his knees and put his head in his hands. “I rarely muck things up so badly. And I never lie. Which is obviously where I went wrong to begin with. Perhaps I should just come clean and face whatever consequences are due me.”
Tessa snorted. “After all this? Unless that’s really what you want.”
He picked his head up. “It isn’t.”
“Then I guess we’re getting married. But I’m telling you right now, this has to come to an end with her. She cannot keep up this hold over you.”
His mouth opened and he shook his head. “You can’t mean you’re willing to go through with this.”
“I am. But only if it means you’re finally going to be free of her.”
&nb
sp; “Thank you seems rather insufficient.” He nodded. “She’s promised to sign the papers dissolving our relationship and releasing me from my responsibilities as her sire. Once she does that, the council won’t care what her complaints are.”
“And you’re sure she’ll sign as soon as we marry? I expect it to happen immediately.”
“As do I. And yes, she’ll sign. She has no choice.” His gaze narrowed as his eyes filled with uncertainty. “You’re sure you want to do this? We’ll be married, you know. There’s no pretending this time. She’d figure that out.”
Tessa nodded. “I know. And yes.” She shrugged and tried to smile. “It’s not how I thought it would happen, but it’s just temporary. After a little bit, we’ll divorce and you’ll be free to finally live your life.”
He almost smiled. “Yes. Free.” He stared into space for a long moment as a look of resignation filled his gaze. Finally, he met her eyes again. “There won’t be any way to keep this quiet. Everyone will know we’ve gotten married.”
That would make her dating life fun. Not that she’d ever had much of one before. “Can’t be helped, I suppose.”
His gaze shifted to the floor. “When it comes time for us to divorce, I will shoulder the blame. It’s what most will believe anyway. You can tell people what you like. That I was impossible to live with, that I was boring. Unkind. Whatever story suits you.”
Tessa recoiled at the idea. “I absolutely will not say any of that. You are none of those things.”
His limp smile broadened slightly. “Tessa. Sweet Tessa. How is it you think so differently of me than everyone else does?”
She blinked at him, her anger fading. “Who’s everyone else? Evangeline? You’re basing your opinion of yourself on one woman? One awful, horrible, rotten woman?”
Her heart ached for him. For this amazing man who’d sacrificed his own happiness out of a sense of duty and a promise older than the country they lived in. She walked forward toward the bed until her legs bumped his. She put her hands on his knees, pushing them apart until she could stand between them, then she cupped the hard lines of his jaw and brought his face up. “Sebastian Ellingham, you are the dumbest, smartest man I have ever known.”
The Vampire's Fake Fiancée (Nocturne Falls Book 5) Page 17