Medieval Ever After (165 page)

Authors: Kathryn Le Veque,Barbara Devlin,Keira Montclair,Emma Prince

“How do you know that?” It was not the first time he rejected her, and she surmised it would not be the last. “Why will you not give us a chance at happiness?”

“Because I have nothing to give you but misery and regret.” As usual, Ross offered the same excuse.

“I disagree.” As usual, she would not be deterred. “And I will not yield my cause, no matter your protestations.”

“Neither will I.” To convey his position, he folded his arms, but he could never fool her. “Go back to your world of perfume and petticoats, as I have work to do, and I require no partner.”

“As you wish.” Of course, she knew well the routine and her part to play in their typical drama. So she marched into the fray, unabashed and poised in her determination. A potential solution tripped before her, and she extended assistance, as would any woman of character. “Sir Kleinfeld, are you all right?”

“Oh, my lady.” With a toothy grin, he brushed off his lapels and bowed. “Did I step on you?”

“No.” Elaine giggled, because he was well known for such behavior. “How are you enjoying the party?”

“Not very much, I am sorry to admit.” Frowning, he glanced over his shoulder. “The elder Miss Hogart refuses to grant me the honor of the Allemande.”

“Perhaps she will change her mind, when she spies you in a graceful performance of the waltz, with me.” In a valiant appeal to his pride, she curtseyed. “What say you, Sir Kleinfeld?”

“Lady Elaine, you are the soul of charity.” When she rested her palm in the crook of his elbow, he covered her hand with his. “You know, if my affections were not firmly planted in Miss Hogart’s garden, I should court you.”

“You flatter me, sir.” To her credit, she mustered the courage to brave the rotation with one of the clumsiest, but good-natured, members of her set.

And so she ventured into the breach, imperiling her feet in her quest to win Sir Ross. After the third trouncing of her toes, she swallowed a grunt of pain and prayed her savior would not linger, else she might suffer broken bones. Just how long would her beau wait? As if on cue, her rescuer presented himself as she predicted.

“May I intrude?” Ross tapped Archibald on the shoulder. “As I believe Miss Hogart seeks an audience.”

“Capital.” Without so much as a backward glance, Sir Kleinfeld gave her into Ross’s care, and that suited Elaine just fine.

“I know what you are doing.” Ross took her in his arms, twined her fingers with his, and they whirled in the soft light of the cut-glass chandeliers.

“I beg your pardon?” She lifted her chin and avoided his stare.

“Do not dissemble with me, Lady Elaine.” The tone of his voice declared she had scored a direct hit, and she reveled in her small victory. Near the side wall, he pulled her closer. “How dare you deliberately put yourself in jeopardy to bait me, as that buffoon could have seriously injured you.”

“But you are not the man for me, so you would never answer a supposed summons.” Let him counter that. “Or did you lie?”

“You lured me into the open, without thought of my mission or the risk to my safety, just to meet your selfish aims.” Now that hurt. “I ought to spank you.”

“Name the date and time, and I shall accommodate you.” Swallowing her trepidation, she looked him in the eye, and he cast the hint of a grin. “I challenge you, sir.” She licked her lips. “Resist me.”

“What in bloody hell are you two about?” Lance Prescott, sixth Marquess of Raynesford, her cousin and guardian, cleared his throat, and it was then she realized the music had stopped. “Do you intend to garner the notice of everyone present, as you have damn well succeeded?”

A rush of whispers signaled society’s interest in the exchange, and she gulped, given she detested the spotlight and the gossip often associated with the glare of unscrupulous contemplation.

“Lance, you are not helping.” Cara, Lance’s wife and one of Elaine’s lifelong friends and confidants, elbowed her husband. “Sir Ross, it is wonderful to see you, as always. Given your service to my family, might I persuade you to favor me with a minuet?”

As she was Lance’s marchioness, Cara’s quick response, in full view of the
ton
, would gratify the scandalmongers. Her estimable position afforded her power, privilege, and respect, and no one would gainsay her. That she wielded her influence to save Elaine was humbling.

“It would be my pleasure.” Ross tugged at his cravat and led Cara to the dance floor.

And Lance steered Elaine toward the Brethren. There, surrounded by their chums, he scowled. “Are you out of your mind? Sir Ross is not a viable candidate for the daughter of a marquess.”

“Why not?” Ire surfaced and fortified her defenses, as she would brook no slur upon her swain. “He is a decorated knight of His Majesty and holds a rank of prominence in our government, in much the same fashion as Admiral Douglas or Sir Collingwood, and you have no objections to them. Given you married Cara and found her worthy of your title, are you a hypocrite? In light of Sir Ross’s military record, he is highly regarded in the
ton
, and that makes him a perfect suitor, in my estimation.”

“You cannot be serious.” With his mouth agape, Lance appeared stunned by the revelation she had just imparted, however indiscriminately. “I forbid it.”

“You are not my father, you hold no sway over me, and I will have a man of my choosing.” Conscious of the regard displayed by her relations, she paused to gather her wits. “Lance, this is not how I planned to broach the topic, but there it is, and I cannot deny the truth. If he will accept me, I will have Sir Ross, and nothing you do will alter my path.”

“My young and naïve cousin, do not bet on it.” As Lance reached for her, she turned and ran, ignoring his calls.

Bobbing and weaving through the sea of partygoers, she scurried down the hall and pushed through the terrace doors. The cool night air penetrated the heavy folds of her powder blue gown, and she hugged herself. Strolling the garden trail, she located the maze from memory, despite the thick clouds shrouding the moonlight. Little by little, Elaine surrendered to the encroaching tears and despair.

Did no one trust her to determine her own life?

Ever since her parents died, when she was but a child, everyone tried to shield her from the harsh reality of the world. And for the better portion of her life, she cooperated with her family, because it was far easier to obey their directives and let them dictate her actions than to take responsibility for herself and set her own course. Well she had other plans, which included a husband and children. She was done bowing to the commands of others, and it was past due for her to spread her winds and fly.

An intense dialogue posited a fortuitous distraction, and she wiped her cheeks and inched further into the complex network of thorny hedgerows. She veered left, right, and left again, as the argument grew heated. At last, she came upon a miniature courtyard, where two men hurled accusations at each other, and she stood mesmerized by their row.

“You betrayed our family.”

“My
family
?” The unknown antagonist snickered. “When have you ever counted me as such?”

“What an embarrassment. I should have drowned you at birth.”

“Then your son would have had no one to do his dirty work.”

“That is the sum of your usefulness.” The foe grasped the lapels of his rival. “You are a worthless bastard.”

“Not so anymore.” The confident opponent broke free. “And suddenly, I am the talk of London. Given my statements to the authorities, I am a hero, and your legitimate issue will swing atop the gallows.”

“I think not, as without you, the prosecutor has nothing.”

Without warning, the clouds parted, bathing the contentious scene in a pale silver brilliance, just as the silhouetted figure pulled a knife from his coat pocket and repeatedly stabbed his enemy in the gut, and the victim dropped to the ground.

Shocked by the brutal act of violence, Elaine stifled a gasp of horror, as she would not betray her presence. But when the villain suddenly glanced in her direction, she discovered the identity of the blackguard. It became readily apparent the moonlight illuminated her, too, as he moved toward her, and she clutched fistfuls of her skirt and sprinted from the tiny enclosure.

For a few minutes, she darted down various avenues, as terror drove her into a state of confusion, and she lost her orientation amid the dense foliage. With her pulse pounding in her ears, she dashed along the wrong path and located naught but a dead end. Pounding footfalls brought her up short, and her pursuer continued the chase but bolted past her hideaway. So she raced in the opposite tack but could not locate the exit.

A fervent contest ensued, as she labored to evade her would-be attacker, while he tried to run her aground, and she uttered a silent prayer for guidance and redemption. To her inexpressible vexation, she stumbled upon another impasse, just as telltale treads heralded the danger that advanced.

With a hand at her throat, and dangling on the precipice of unconsciousness, she backed into a corner, anxiety simmering in her veins as a caged animal. Myriad images played her personal history, and she rued the missed opportunities that marked her unremarkable biography. In preparation to scream, that she might raise the alarm and save herself, she inhaled.

“Elaine, are you there?” Sir Ross inquired.

Emitting a sob of relief, she flung herself at him and burrowed her face in his chest, but words failed her. As he held her, he rocked in a gentle rhythm, and she clung to him.

“You are shaking, and you are crying.” He cradled her head. “What is it? What happened? Talk to me.”

Elaine shifted in his grasp and met his gaze. “I just witnessed a murder.”

ABOUT BARBARA DEVLIN

Bestselling author Barbara Devlin was born a storyteller. A Texan, through and through, Barbara hasn't been without a book in her possession since she was in kindergarten. She wrote her first short story, a really cheesy murder-mystery, in high school, but it was a Christmas gift, a lovely little diary with a bronze lock, given to her in the fifth grade that truly inspired her love of writing.

After completing part of her undergraduate studies at the University of London, where she developed a love of all things British, Barbara returned home and began a career in banking. But the late 80s weren't too promising for the financial industry, and every bank that hired Barbara soon folded. So she searched for a stable occupation, and the local police department offered the perfect solution.

And then one uncharacteristically cold and icy day in December 1998, Barbara was struck by a car and pinned against a guardrail while working an accident on a major highway. Permanently disabled, she retired from the police department and devoted her time and energy to physical therapy.

Once Barbara got back on her feet, she focused on a new career in academia. She earned an MA in English and continued a course of study for a Doctorate in Literature and Rhetoric. She happily considered herself an exceedingly eccentric English professor, until success in Indie publishing lured her into writing, full-time, featuring her fictional knighthood, the Brethren of the Coast.

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BarbaraDevlin.com
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