Storm On The Horizon

by Meredith Bond

  Chapter Nine

  Kit gathered together the day's correspondence and took a quick glance around at the busts of politicians. They stared down at him expectantly.

  He had three letters to reply to and a couple more to write. He remained in the middle of delicate negotiations with a neighbor to rent out two of his bulls to stud, but he wasn't getting the price he deserved.

  He sighed as he sat back to decide how to word this letter and ignored the prying eyes that watched him. He would probably just have enough time to finish this, but the rest of the correspondence would have to wait until he returned from his visit to Tatiana and her sister. His mouth became dry at the thought of admitting his father had been right—well, mostly right. Kit still hadn't figured out how to tell him that he wouldn’t allow a dowry or political connections dictate who he courted or married. Perhaps it would be best to just get it over with quickly.

  "Father," Kit began as he stood up, the letter still in his hand.

  Lord Durrington's eyes flicked up from his own correspondence which he read in his chair by the fire, but only for the briefest moment as an acknowledge that Kit had spoken.

  Kit tried to swallow.

  "Well?" his father prompted.

  Kit took a deep breath and summoned both his charm and confidence—after all, what could his father do? He was a grown man, not a child to be told what to do. "I'll be going to the Ashurst's this afternoon. I have found that I'm beginning to see your point that I should marry. I'd forgotten how pleasant it is to have female companionship."

  His father sat back in his chair, his letter forgotten. He didn't say anything for a full minute, leaving Kit to stand there awkwardly. Maybe he should have taken a page from Tatiana's book and put some magic into his words. But no, he would not, should not.

  "Christopher, if you continue to pursue that younger Ashurst girl, I will disinherit you. And see that my father does as well," Lord Durrington said. The serious expression on his face told Kit that he was neither joking nor exaggerating.

  Shock stopped everything for a moment, but Kit quickly clamped his lips together to keep back the slew of angry words that filled his mouth. Well, his father certainly didn’t mince his words today!

  "You wanted me to marry. I plan on doing so..."

  "As I said, if you continue to pursue the younger sister, I will disinherit you."

  "You can't..." Kit started.

  "I most certainly can. You have a younger cousin who has done very well for himself. He is married and already has a child. He is perfectly capable of taking your place."

  Kit opened his mouth to say something, but his mind went blank from the seething anger. He was being treated like a naughty child.

  And just like that, the idea popped into his mind. If he was going to be treated like a child, perhaps he should behave as one.

  Kit lowered his eyes in feigned acceptance. Infusing his words with a dose of his magical charm, he said, "You're right, Father. How ridiculous I have been to waste my time with someone who is not even available, let alone eligible. I shall give her the cut direct if I see her and lavish all of my attention on her elder sister."

  His father frowned. "There is no need to be rude to her, naturally. You may even converse with the girl if you wish. I just don't want you even thinking about any sort..." His father's words petered out and the man narrowed his eyes at Kit. "I thought you didn't believe in using your magic, Christopher! Are you that desperate?" His father's tone struck Kit sharply.

  Kit took a step back, but he could feel the blow, almost as if his father had physically hit him. He wisely kept his mouth shut. The papers in his hands, though, would be irreparably creased as his fingers slowly curled.

  "You haven't done that since you were a child," his father continued, his own anger clearly simmering just beneath the surface of his words.

  "Which is exactly how you've been treating me." The words exploded out of Kit's mouth before he could stop them. Now, not only was he behaving like a child, he sounded like one too. Damn his father!

  "You are giving me no choice. You are chasing after an entirely ineligible girl, and behaving like a besotted fool."

  "Ineligible, perhaps, but I don't care about her dowry or lack of one. I don't care that her father hates parliament. I'm not interested in being a politician.

  "We have had this conversation before," his father said with a sigh as if he were bored.

  "Yes, we have, but you don't seem to have heard me—not before and not now. I am going to marry, doesn't that make you happy?"

  "No! It doesn't!" His father shot up out of his seat with his next words. "You have a position, a title, a family name to uphold. Do these things mean so little to you that you would throw them away on a nothing, penniless girl?"

  "Tatiana isn't nothing," Kit ground out.

  "No? Then what is she?"

  "She's... she's different." It was the weakest defense he could possibly have mounted but certainly the truth. "I don't know what it is about her, Father. But Tatiana is different from any other woman I've ever met. She's--"

  "Not beautiful," his father finished.

  "No. She's not beautiful. But I'm not certain of that. I think she's doing something to make herself appear less attractive," Kit said. That one glimpse on their walk, just for a moment when she had been preoccupied...

  "No girl in her right mind would make herself look less beautiful. Please, Christopher, do try and be a little rational about this."

  "I don't know. But even if she isn't lovely, she is certainly clever and intelligent."

  "Clever and intelligent." His father considered that for a moment, and then nodded. "Yes, I do believe you're exactly right. She is very clever. Very intelligent. I just don't quite know what her game is. If she's got a fiancé at home, why is she trying to ensnare you? You have an influential father and grandfather. Perhaps your title will be greater than whoever it is she has waiting for her. Perhaps she's become wise to the benefits of marriage with someone who will someday hold an important position within the government. Whatever it is, I can tell you this—if you marry her, not only will you be without a position in society, you will be flat broke. No allowance. No inheritance. No farm for you to fiddle around with. Nothing!" He shook his head in disgust and picked up the letter he had been reading. "Don't let this girl trick you into marrying her, Kit. You'll spend the rest of your life regretting it."

  Within minutes of the clock chiming three, the knocker began pounding and had hardly stopped since. At not fifteen minutes past the hour, ten men were arrayed around the formal drawing room sipping tea, alternately chatting amongst themselves, with Tatiana's grandmother and trying to get Trina's attention.

  Tatiana was amazed at how quickly her sister had bloomed. Only four days ago, Trina had been introduced to the world of the ton. She'd been so shy; she'd hardly said a word to any of the gentlemen vying for her attention. Her beauty, enhanced with Tatiana's magic and a marriage portion fit for a princess, had quickly made Trina one of the most sought-after young ladies of the season. Unfortunately, she had absolutely no experience being in such a position and had been, at first, entirely out of her league. But now...

  Tatiana watched with a combination of pride and dismay as her usually quiet sister laughed out loud at the utter nonsense being spouted by the gentleman sitting next to her. They sat in the arrangement of chairs closest to the fireplace, although one gentleman had pulled his chair closer to Trina's than was strictly proper. Other men had dragged more chairs over, so they too could be a part of her exclusive circle. Her grandmother either did not mind the men being so forward, or hadn't noticed.

  "But, sir, you cannot mean it!" Trina said, still giggling. "You would never do something so bold."

  "For you, Miss Ashurst, I would do anything," the gentleman said, bowing as well as he could from the chair.

  Trina laughed again and turned her attention to the gentleman on her other side. "You, I know, my lord, would do nothing of th
e sort. You are too clever of a gentleman to do something as silly as Mr. Bretton."

  The man smiled and took her hand. "You know me entirely too well, Miss Ashurst."

  Trina very delicately extracted her hand from his grasp. "You were going to tell me about your latest journey to your estate. Did you find all as you had hoped? I do hope that by now your crops are..."

  "Please, Miss Ashurst," the man interrupted her, "You cannot seriously be interested in the state of the crops at Sligington." He laughed at the thought.

  Trina smiled in response, but turned her head slightly to catch Tatiana's eye. The expression Tatiana saw there was a sad, you were right.

  Tatiana nodded a sympathetic response. It was disappointing that these men could not believe that Trina could have a brain in her head and actually want to use it. They were clearly not the man for her, not one of them.

  "Trina is just funning with you, my lord," Lady Ashurst said, turning to join in the conversation. She looked up to give Tatiana a repressive look.

  Tatiana could see very well that her grandmother was silently telling her to stay out of this affair. Yes, she put ideas into Trina's head—ideas that a man should respect a woman's thoughts and suggestions. Silly ideas that Lady Ashurst desperately tried to strip from Trina's mind. Thinking that men should respect a woman's intellect was how a woman stayed a spinster for her entire life—and Lady Ashurst had promised her daughter-in-law that she would have Trina well married by the end of the season.

  "Did you say that you and Miss Ashurst are twins?" asked a gentleman, standing closest to Tatiana.

  She turned toward the man and cursed her ability to read the thoughts of others when they looked at her. She hadn't wanted to know of her grandmother’s anger. And she certainly wouldn’t stop supporting her sister in her desire to marry a man who respected her intelligence and listened to what she said.

  The man addressing Tatiana was dressed to the hilt in a ruffled shirt with lace coming out of the ends of his sleeves and a quizzing glass dangling on a bright red velvet ribbon around his neck. A dim-witted dandy, she surmised, and probably just the sort her grandmother liked courting her highly intelligent sister. Tatiana forced herself not to give the man the cut direct. With a sigh, she forced her lips up into what she hoped passed for a smile. Speaking slowly so that he could understand her, she said, "Yes. That's right."

  "But you don't look alike. She's far prettier than you," the man said, looking Tatiana over from head to foot. The gall of this man! He was even more of an idiot than she had originally surmised.

  Tatiana lowered her eyes so that he couldn't see the fire leaping out of them. She certainly would have scorched the wig right off his head. Instead, she stared at his feet ensconced in shoes with high, red heels.

  Even with her beauty dimmed, she did not come close to being as ugly as this fellow. The nerve of him to say that she was not pretty—and right to her face!

  The smoke coming from his shoes snapped her back to her senses.

  "Humph! Cat got your tongue, Miss? Did no one tell you that it is polite to respond when spoken to?" the man sneered, not even aware that his toes were practically in flames.

  Tatiana could almost see Mr. Vallentyn's face in her mind's eye, shaking his head sadly at her despite the twinkle in his eye. No, she should not do this. She must control herself.

  She also had to banish Mr. Vallentyn from her mind. She thought she'd gotten better—had only thought of him a few times the day before and only twice so far today. She was determined to put him out of her mind entirely as she'd promised her grandmother, but she supposed that would take time.

  She looked back up at the dolt in front of her, still waiting for her response. "My sister and I are twins. We are not identical twins. We are merely as alike as two sisters might be." There, that should be simple enough so that even such an imbecile could comprehend it.

  She really must learn to control herself, she thought, without Mr. Vallentyn's intervention—actual or imagined. But then again, when dealing with such idiots as this fellow, why should she? She sniffed and a scent caught her attention—musk with a hint of ink.

  Mr. Vallentyn! She spun around, her heart pounding with joyful anticipation. No! She must not. Her promise to her grandmother burned through her mind.

  Mr. Vallentyn looked startled for a moment at her sudden movement, but it quickly dissolved into a warm smile. "Did I surprise you?"

  How was she to avoid him in this overcrowded room? There was no way to do so. She would have to be polite, just as her grandmother had said, but not encouraging. "No. I just didn't see you arrive. I am so glad you could come."

  "Thank you. Your back was to the door, but you knew I was here?"

  "Er, yes." She could feel heat flooding her cheeks.

  "Something tells me I should not ask how you knew," he said with a chuckle.

  "It was not in the way you think," she assured him, looking to see if the imbecile still stood within easy hearing of her words. He wasn't. But despite the fact that it was a good-sized room, there were so many people present it would be impossible for someone not to overhear her.

  "No? Well then, you have been very good at restraining yourself. I saw what you did just now. Very well done." Pride laced through his words, and Tatiana felt a little thrill of excitement that he had witnessed her control and recognized it.

  "Thank you. I am trying."

  "Not only are you trying, but you're succeeding."

  "Just wait, sir, I have something even more interesting planned for a little later on," Tatiana admitted. She didn't know when her sister would finally get fed up with the mindless nonsense from the gentlemen that filled their drawing room. But when she did, Tatiana had a little plan ready to go into action, which would solve all of her sister's problems. And it didn't involve any magic at all—well, hardly any.

  Despite their grandmother's machinations, Tatiana was determined to weed out only those interested in Trina's money. Luckily, Trina had agreed. The two sisters had decided that she would do her best this afternoon to speak with as many men as she could, to try to determine who might be true suitors.

  But if that didn't work, Tatiana had her back-up plan that she would put into motion, despite her grandmother's presence. She didn't know if or how badly she would be punished for this, but her sister's happiness was worth it, no matter what.

  "Your tone makes me quake in fear, Miss Tatiana," Kit said, but a gleam of amusement in his eye belied his words. He paused for a moment, and then said a little shame-facedly, "Do you know that I haven't even had the honor of meeting your sister? Would you mind terribly?"

  "No! Not at all," Tatiana said, truly not minding at all. She had wanted her sister and Mr. Vallentyn to meet. Then Trina would understand why she had such a difficult time getting him out of her mind, and her grandmother couldn’t mind Tatiana introducing her to another eligible gentleman.

  As they squeezed through the crush to reach Trina, who had moved to the middle of the room, all of Tatiana's promises to keep her distance from Mr. Vallentyn disappeared like the Isle of Avalon. By the time they reached her sister, it was as if Tatiana’s good intentions had never existed. She deliberately kept her eyes away, far away, from her grandmother's gaze. She wanted no more reminders of her duty.

  After the introduction was made and Mr. Vallentyn bowed to Trina, he said, "You are patience personified, Miss Ashurst."

  "Oh no, why do you say such a thing, sir? Indeed, I have been thinking the same of you." She gave a little laugh, but Tatiana knew better than to think that her sister was flirting with Mr. Vallentyn. Oddly enough, Tatiana felt nothing but happiness that her sister and Mr. Vallentyn were already becoming friends.

  "For dealing with all of this," he said and indicated the room full of men.

  "Oh, that. Well, it is only because I have put my trust in my sister that I am able to do so," Trina responded, reaching out to give Tatiana's arm an affectionate squeeze.

  "She mentioned
just now that she has something in mind for later, but didn't say what it was," he responded, giving her a smile.

  "No, we shall not say a word, sir. You will learn of it when the time comes—which, Tatiana, I think may be in the very near future." Trina said, looking around the room.

  "Already?" Tatiana said, surprised. She was sure her sister would want to bask some more in the attention of so many gentlemen, but then she truly wasn't used to so much attention.

  "Soon," Trina nodded. She then turned back to Mr. Vallentyn, who looked back and forth between the two of them, a slightly hesitant smile lingering on his lips.

  "Your grandmother...?" Mr. Vallentyn asked as his eyes flicked over to the side of the room where Lady Ashurst was holding a small court of her own.

  "She knows nothing of this, I assure you," Tatiana answered quickly.

  "I can only hope that Tatiana won't be too severely punished..." Trina began.

  Tatiana grabbed her arm and looked straight into her sister's eyes. "Whatever happens it will be fine. Trust me!"

  There was an awkward silence.

  "And why is it you believe I am so very patient?" Mr. Vallentyn asked Trina, filling the void very nicely.

  "The way you deal with my sister, of course. Our mother has forever scolded her for her lack of restraint. Yet you seem able to curtail her magic with ease," Trina answered, returning immediately to her light-hearted banter. Tatiana was more than grateful to her.

  Mr. Vallentyn burst out laughing. "Why am I unsurprised by this revelation?"

  Trina just looked up at Mr. Vallentyn. "You seem to have gotten to know my sister very well and very quickly, sir."

  Tatiana could feel a little heat begin to rise in her cheeks.

  "Indeed," Mr. Vallentyn said, smiling over at her, "I feel as if I know her quite well. Why do you think that is?"

  Was he asking her? All Tatiana did know was that she felt the same way. There was a connection between the two of them—as if they'd known each other forever. She'd never felt so comfortable with a man except for one of her own brothers. "I wish I knew," Tatiana admitted. "But it's true, we've only known each other for a week, and yet it seems like..."

  "Yes," the word was little more than a whisper on his lips—and the world paused.

  "Here now, Vallentyn, you've had enough time with Miss Ashurst. Time you shared her with the rest of us," one of the pushier dandies called out, breaking the spell under which Tatiana had fallen. With a rush, the room and all of the noise surrounding her exploded onto her senses.

  When had the room become so loud and the men so boisterous? Tatiana blinked and looked around. There must have been thirty men in the room—all chatting, laughing, and every now and then attempting to catch Trina's attention. She could feel her grandmother's gaze boring into her as well, but she shrugged it off. There was no help for it.

  "I think now would be the time, Tatiana," Trina said while her eyes darted around the room.

  Tatiana nodded. "You're certain?" she asked, giving her sister the opportunity to back out—it was now or never.

  Trina frowned. She stared hard at Tatiana, clearly thinking this through, which Tatiana appreciated.

  Another gentleman came up and insinuated himself in between the two sisters. "Miss Ashurst, it is an honor to see you again, my dear." He took her hand and placed a very long, slow kiss onto the back of it. "May I just say how absolutely stunning you look today. You are always dressed to the height of fashion. There is nothing so rewarding as seeing a woman as lovely and well-dressed as you, I must say."

  Trina took her hand back from the gentleman who still held on to it as if he had a right to claim it as his own. "Thank you, sir. That is very kind. I was speaking with my sister, however."

  "Yes, yes," he said, waving off Tatiana as if she were an annoying insect. "But you can do that any time. Now I..."

  Trina didn't wait to see what he had to say for himself. She neatly stepped around him. Looking meaningfully at Tatiana she said, "We'll deal with Grandmama together when the time comes. For now..."

  "Absolutely!" Tatiana couldn’t agree faster. Focusing herself inward for a moment, she reached out with her mind to Thomas, her grandmother's footman, who had been warned to prepare for her call.

  Now.