“More body conscious? No, I like this. I’m just not used to seeing myself in anything like this, that’s all.”
Corette nodded. “I understand. Let’s show Jenna. See what she thinks.”
“Okay.”
Tessa walked out to where Jenna was sitting. The area had a bank of mirrors flanking a raised platform. She stepped up onto it and faced her sister. “What do you think?”
Jenna stared over the top of the bridal magazine she’d been looking at. “Holy Loki. Is that really you in that thing? You look like a supermodel.”
“I do not.”
Jenna nodded vigorously. “Yeah, you do. Wow.”
The phone rang. Corette clasped her hands. “I’ll just leave you girls alone for a moment.” With a smile, she left them.
Jenna got up and approached Tessa. “I’m serious. You look amazing. I’m afraid Sebastian’s going to see you in this and decide not to divorce you. You might end up stuck with him.”
Tessa couldn’t help but smile. “Would that be so bad?”
“Sebastian?” Jenna snorted. “I think—wait, you’re serious?”
“Yes.” She lifted her chin. “I like him. And he likes me. In fact, when his ex is out of the picture, I’m moving out of your place and into his guest house.”
“Is that so?”
“It is.” Tessa braced for the argument. “Nothing you can say is going to change my mind.”
Jenna hooked a hand on her duty belt in front of her service weapon. “All I’m going to say is, good for you.”
“Well, that’s not very—what?” Tessa stared at her sister. “You’re okay with that?”
“Sure.” Jenna shrugged. “You’re a grown woman. You can make your own decisions. He might not be my choice, but who cares about that? Does he make you happy?”
Tessa let out a breath. Thoughts of Sebastian warmed her through. “Yes. Very.”
“That’s great. And very important.” Jenna’s fingers strummed her belt as she waggled her brows. “How’s the sex?”
Tessa choked on air. “We haven’t done that yet. We’ve only known each other a few days!”
“Okay, just checking. Have you kissed at least?”
“Yes.” Tessa pursed her lips. “And that’s also very good.”
Jenna smiled. “Maybe this will turn into something then. I will say, as eligible bachelors go, you couldn’t have picked a better one.”
“Because?”
Jenna started ticking things off on her fingers. “Money, power, great house, great car, really hot if you go for that sort of English lord thing he’s got going on, and let’s not forget immortal.”
“I prefer that he’s smart, likes books and is kind. To me and Duncan. Being handsome doesn’t hurt.”
“Neither do any of those other things, let’s be honest.”
“Maybe that’s how most women think, but I’m not most women.”
“No, you’re not.” Jenna’s smile flattened a little. “Did you tell him about…you know? What happened?”
“Yes.” Tessa stared at the platform under her feet. It was carpeted in soft ivory shag. “He’s okay with it.”
“He’s a good match for you then. Especially because if something were to happen, well, he’s a vampire.”
“And basically invincible.”
Jenna sighed. “You know, there might be a way to deal with this temper issue. I’ve said it before, but if you hadn’t just up and walked away, maybe—”
Tessa groaned. “Could we change the subject?”
“Yes, you’re right. Now isn’t the time.” Jenna’s smile seemed forced for a moment. “Back to this killer dress. Sorry, bad choice of word. This fabulous dress. Turn around, let me see the whole thing.”
Tessa spun, facing the trio of mirrors for the first time. The dress was really amazing. Fairy tale beautiful, despite all the skin it revealed, which wasn’t that much, it was just more than Tessa was used to.
Behind her, Jenna nodded. “I love this dress. Looks stellar on you.” She stepped onto the platform to stand at Tessa’s back. “But the best part is the strap doesn’t interfere with your sword.”
“That’s not a consideration—”
Jenna ran her finger down the exposed bit of Tessa’s spine, making her sword sing out.
Tessa shivered and turned, the bladesong as uncomfortable today as it had been right after she’s almost killed Varren. “I haven’t needed my sword in years. I’m certainly not going to need it at my wedding. Or ever again.”
Jenna held her hands up as she stepped down. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just thinking like a valkyrie, that’s all. I know you won’t need it.”
Tessa cupped her hand over the back of her neck, feeling the hilt of her weapon. It vibrated under her touch. Ready to fight. Ready to kill. She pulled her hand away. “It’s just not who I am anymore, Jenna.”
“I know.” Jenna’s smile was weak and a little sad. “Forget I said anything about it.”
“I should get a dress that covers it.” Tessa glanced over her shoulder into the mirrors. Her sword was plainly visible. It looked like a very realistic, and very large, tattoo. Hard to believe she’d ever been proud of it.
“Why? Only you and I can see it, unless there are berserkers or other valkyries in town. Which I don’t think there are. Anyway, it’s no big deal.”
Tessa looked away. “I suppose you’re right.”
“So are you buying that dress or what?”
“It’s the first one I’ve tried on.”
Corette returned. “I apologize for my absence. Did I hear you say you’re ready to try on another dress?”
“I don’t know.” Tessa bit her lip. “Does anyone ever buy the first dress they put on?”
Corette nodded. “It happens more often than you think.”
Tessa took a breath as she looked herself over one more time in the mirrors. “Then I think this is my dress.”
Jenna clapped her hands and exclaimed a rather uncharacteristic, “Yay!”
Corette smiled. “Excellent. Let’s do the alterations then and I’ll box it up for you.”
“Alterations? I didn’t think you’d have time for that.”
Jenna made a face. “She’s not going to send you down the aisle with those plastic clips up the back.”
“No, I am certainly not going to do that.” Corette joined Tessa on the platform and began pinching spans of fabric at Tessa’s sides and under her bust. She checked the length, which Tessa thought was perfect, then stepped back, narrowed her gaze and wiggled her fingers at the dress, finishing with a dramatic flourish.
Tessa swore she saw the shimmer of magic dancing in the air like dust motes in a ray of sun. Then the dress shifted. And tightened. And went snug all over. The plastic clips popped off the back. “Oh!”
Tessa glanced over her shoulder at the discarded clips before looking at Corette again. “Sebastian said you were a witch. I didn’t think I’d get to see you use your magic, though.”
Corette gave a coy smile. “I don’t do that for everyone, but in emergencies, it’s nice to be able to help.”
“Very cool,” Jenna said. “Very, very cool.”
“Just one more thing,” Corette said. She went to a low, ivory storage cabinet against the far wall and lifted a cloud of white free from one of the drawers. She shook the gossamer fabric out as she came toward Tessa, rejoining her on the platform. “Your veil.”
“It’s lovely.”
She fastened the little clear combs into Tessa’s hair and arranged it around her shoulders. The delicate tulle had minute crystals fastened onto it, matching the sparkle of the flowers on the strap. “There. Now you’re ready.”
Tessa turned toward the mirrors and inhaled. She looked like a bride. A beautiful bride.
A pang of disappointment shot through her. Too bad the wedding was all for show.
She’d agreed to it, though, and in her heart, she knew helping Sebastian be free of Evangeline was goi
ng to be worth it.
For him.
She just didn’t know if she’d get over walking down the aisle for the first time knowing she would be getting divorced a short while later. What if she and Sebastian didn’t turn into anything? What if this was her one and only marriage? A sham that ended as quickly as it had begun? A flood of doubts filled her. She couldn’t go back on her word. Sebastian needed her to do this, but was she just adding to the emotional baggage she was going to have to carry around for the rest of her life?
Refusing to go through with it could ruin Sebastian’s life. Hell, it could cost him his life if Evangeline went to the council.
Jenna leaned around so Tessa could see her in the mirror. “You okay?”
Tessa forced a smile and nodded. “Just overwhelmed by the emotion of it all.”
It would be too cruel to back out now with the wedding just a few hours away. And besides, she’d given her word.
Tessa lifted her chin. She was a valkyrie. A strong, capable woman. Whatever the price, she would pay it.
Sebastian was worth that much.
Sebastian had yet to receive the documents from his solicitor, even though the man had promised they’d be in his inbox in plenty of time. Hitting refresh made no difference. They weren’t there. Sebastian closed his laptop and went upstairs to the bedroom to see how Greaves was coming along with his tux.
Duncan was lounging in the top-most perch of the cat tree, looking down on the room as though it were his kingdom.
Sebastian grinned at him. “Where’s Greaves, little man?”
“In here,” Greaves called out from the walk-in closet.
Sebastian leaned on the doorway. “Everything in order? Which one am I wearing?”
Greaves answered without looking. He hung the second tuxedo beside the first, then stood back. “The shawl-collared Armani is the most classic, but the Tom Ford peaked-lapel is the newest and most modern. Your choice, really. They’re both ready to wear, but I might want to give whichever one you choose a little steam.”
Sebastian studied the two suits. “Which one do I look the best in?”
Greaves snickered, glancing over his shoulder. “I don’t think you’ve ever asked me that before. Nor do I think I’ve ever noticed that you cared.”
“Well, I do. It’s my wedding. And if Tessa’s going to see me as a groom, I want her to think that…I don’t know, that I really could be her groom. Someday.”
Greaves nodded. “I like her very much. She’s done you a world of good. I approve your motives.”
“Excellent. I was worried.”
Greaves snorted. “Yes, I’m sure.” He tapped his chin. “The Tom Ford is a little more youthful. And more James Bondish. Women usually go for that.”
“And you would know this how?”
“I date.”
Sebastian straightened. “You do?”
Greaves’ irritation was plain. “Being your rook doesn’t require me to be celibate.”
“No, it doesn’t but spare me the details. The Tom Ford it is.”
“I’ll get to work on it.” Greaves stared at him for a second longer. “Have you told your grandmother about all this?”
“No, and I don’t plan to until it’s the real deal.”
“You’re okay with the possibility that Evangeline could say something first?”
Sebastian snorted. “Evangeline wouldn’t dare speak to Didi.” The nickname was born out of Elenora’s former title, the Dowager Duchess. It wasn’t one she was overly fond of, so Sebastian and his brothers tended not to use it to her face. “If Evangeline values her life, she’ll make sure Elenora doesn’t even know she’s in town.”
“I doubt that’s possible. Your grandmother knows everything that goes on in this town. Alice makes sure of that.”
A very true statement. “Bloody hell. I suppose you’re right. I’d better go see her.” He checked his watch. He had time. And maybe his solicitor’s email would arrive with the paperwork while he was out. “Tessa should be home soon. Let her know where I’ve gone, all right? And that I’ll be home in plenty of time to get ready.”
“I will.”
Sebastian headed to Elenora’s estate. The grand house sat on a vast piece of land near the vineyards owned by the one and only Nocturne Falls’ winery, which meant that the land was rural and pretty and peaceful. He pulled into her drive, parked and let himself in, not waiting for her secretary, Alice Bishop, to find him and escort him to wherever his grandmother was.
The witch wasn’t one of his favorite people, despite her position as creator of the amulets that kept him and his family safe from the sun. More than once, Didi had used those amulets as leverage against them to bend their wills to hers. To say it was a thorn in his side to be nearly four hundred years old and still under the rule of his grandmother was an understatement. He loved the woman dearly, but it was a tiresome business.
Hugh had been working for years on a formula to sun-proof them, but had yet to achieve any real success. Until that changed, they were stuck with the amulets.
He strode through the great house, listening for sounds of life. He heard music and found his grandmother in her solarium, sitting at a wrought iron and marble table nestled beneath some palms and having tea. Vivaldi played softly on the hidden speakers.
“Sebastian,” she exclaimed. “What a marvelous surprise. I’d begun to think you boys had forgotten I existed.”
“Grandmamma, you know that’s not true. We’ve just been busy.”
“Oh? With what?” The question was as much of a challenge as anything.
He took a seat in one of the scroll-work chairs, buying himself some time to come up with an answer. “With this wedding chapel project of Julian’s.”
“I thought that was done.”
“So did I but he keeps adding things to the budget. That makes work for me.”
“Yes, crossing through all those lines must be very tiring.” She nibbled on a tiny finger sandwich. “Have you left my poor Julie any money for anything?”
Sebastian barely refrained from rolling his eyes. As the youngest of the family, Julian had always been the baby and always would be to their grandmother. “There is plenty of money for this venture, I promise you.”
“Good. Now, what rare treat brings you to me this afternoon?” She held up a finger. “I’ll warn you. If you’ve come to scold me about the last Neiman Marcus bill, I won’t hear it. A woman needs to stay up to date with the latest fashions and—”
“No, Grandmamma, that’s not what I’m here about.” But he’d take a closer look at that account next time he went over her bills.
“Then what is it, my darling?”
He took a breath, filling his lungs with the thick, loamy air of the solarium. It was more of a stalling technique than a necessity. “I have good news and I have bad news. Which would you like to hear first?”
Her gaze narrowed ever so slightly. “The good.”
“All right.” He thought of Tessa. It was the easiest way to make himself smile genuinely. “I’m getting married.”
She dropped her tea cup. It shattered on the floor but she paid it no mind. “You’re getting married. Are you teasing me? Tell me this means Evangeline has given you the dissolution she should have centuries ago.”
“Not exactly. But I really am getting married.”
She gasped, the sound of pure joy. “When? To who? What’s she like? Is she a vampire? Oh, Sebastian, this is the best news, my boy. I am so happy for you.” Then, just like that, her wide eyes went down to slits. “What’s the bad news? Is she pregnant? Because I don’t consider that bad news. Not one bit. My word, I’ll buy the woman an island if she gives me a grandchild. I’ll declare a day in her honor. I’ll—”
“No, Grandmamma. It’s nothing like that.” The idea of Tessa carrying their child was a thought that made his throat knot with emotion, but he swallowed it down. He was a vampire and she was a valkyrie. He had no idea what their chances of reproducing w
ere. If they even stayed a couple.
“Then what is it, Sebastian? Stop tormenting me and tell me.”
He sighed. There was no easy way to say this, no way to gentle the news. Best to rip the bandage off in one go. “Evangeline is in town.”
A muscle in Elenora’s jaw twitched. “I don’t find this amusing, Sebastian. If this is some game you and your brothers have cooked up to poke at me, I will take all your amulets away for a week. Then we’ll see if you think about bothering me with such nonsense again. I suppose you’re not getting married, either.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose before returning to the conversation. “I am getting married and Evangeline is in town. The two are, unfortunately, related.”
“Please tell me this has something to do with dissolution papers being signed.”
“It does.”
Didi made a face. She wasn’t altogether happy, but she was curious. “Start from the beginning.”
Alice Bishop came plodding in. “Is everything all right? I thought I heard—oh, Sebastian. It’s you.”
“Alice.” He wasn’t in the mood for small talk and Alice Bishop wasn’t high on his list of people he’d care to engage in that pointless endeavor anyway.
Elenora raised her hand. “Alice, bring me the Scotch.”
“I should clean up that broken—”
“Scotch,” she repeated. “Now.”
“Right away.” Alice trudged off, but not before she shot a questioning glance at Sebastian.
He ignored it. The witch’s concerns weren’t his priority. “Drinking already, Grandmamma?”
Elenora frowned. “I have a feeling whatever you’re about to tell me will be made more palatable by some good whiskey.”
“I doubt that. But I’ll wait.” He plucked up one of the finger sandwiches and downed it in one bite. It was delicious, even for something so mundane, but then Frauke was a perfectionist. All the more proof that he needed a cook of his own. Especially if he was going to be entertaining Tessa for meals on a regular basis.
The Vampire's Fake Fiancée (Nocturne Falls Book 5) Page 19