“You tripped Lord Whytesburg?” Leo asked. “In front of everyone?”
Vita touched her cheeks, recalling it. “He proceeded to fall and roll into the other dancers. Doctors were sent for.”
“How terrible,” Leo said.
“Were you hurt at all?” Remy asked her.
“No. I was strangely the last person standing on the floor.”
Serveck laughed. “Oh, I imagine they spoke about the incident for some great time after that.”
They did, but it had been years since that day.
“I promise I won’t let that happen here,” Vita said.
Serveck leaned in close and placed a hand on Vita’s arm. “There’s a gentleman named Mr. Crawdell who is in attendance. Quite rude, but I tolerate him because there are so few peers in the area. However, if you are feeling clumsy again, do not hesitate to take him down.” Her eyes glittered.
Vita smiled brightly. Lady Serveck was very kind.
The woman tilted her head as she looked at Vita. “You remind me of someone. A woman I once met in Lady Douglas’ ballroom. She was quite pretty and chatty as well.”
Vita’s stiffened. “Was her name Holly?” Holly had been chatty like Vita. Everyone said so.
Lady Servack turned to greet someone who passed back but continued to speak to Vita. “I don’t recall, honestly. It was a year ago.”
“A year ago? Are you certain?”
Remy placed a hand on her arm. He was likely trying to calm her, but she couldn’t look away from Lady Serveck.
The other woman blinked at Vita. “Oh, I’ve no idea, but you resemble her greatly.”
Vita had more questions, but Lady Serveck excused herself to speak to another guest. As the hostess, she could not stay with any one person for very long.
Remy pulled Vita away and began to circle the room. “What was that about?”
“Hm?” She was still thinking about her mother. Had her mother been the woman Lady Serveck had met? Would she have used her true name? How many people remembered her? How many times had Lady Serveck seen her? She needed answers.
Remy took her to an open balcony. “Vita, who is Holly?”
“My mother.”
Remy lifted a brow. “You think your mother met Lady Serveck after she ran?”
Vita turned away and shrugged. “I don’t know. I should find out who else is close to Lady Serveck. Maybe someone else recalls seeing her.”
Remy placed his hand on her shoulder and turned her around. “If your mother ran away, I doubt she’d attend a party amongst the peerage.”
Vita stared at him and thought him right. Why would she have done something so reckless? Vita’s father had searched for her. He’d wanted revenge. He’d wanted to punish his wife for the way she’d not only embarrassed their family but had been responsible for their son’s death.
Her mother wouldn’t have had time for parties, would she?
And if she’d been stolen as Vita believed, her keepers wouldn’t have taken her to parties, would they?
“I will never know how you feel,” Remy said. “I cannot pretend to understand what you’re going through, but I am here if you need me.”
She smiled through her pain and took a breath to slow her racing heart. She shook her head.
She glanced around the balcony at all the others who’d escaped the room to get some air and even though there were others, she was still reminded of her and Remy’s night on the Belle’s private balcony. “You know, you never told me about your scar.” Most days, she forgot it was there. Now, it was simply a part of what made him the fierce yet handsome man he was.
Still, it was a part of his past and she wished to know everything about his past.
He looked around. His mouth lifted in a corner, and he lowered his voice. “Tell me where your scar is, and I’ll tell you my story.”
She placed a hand on her rib, just under her breast. “Here. It’s almost invisible now. The injury was many years ago.”
Remy placed his hand on hers, and Vita’s hand fell away.
He stroked the scar’s location. It was just above where her corset ended. She would feel his hand through the thin layer of her dress and shift.
Because of their positioning close to the shadows, no one could see his hand.
The motion was arousing, but Remy’s face said his mind was elsewhere.
“How did it happen?” His gaze stayed with his hand.
“I scraped myself on a sharp branch while coming down from a tree.” The pain had been dreadful, but she’d had to ignore it until she’d made it to the ground.
He frowned. “How old were you?”
“Ten or eleven. I can’t remember.” She closed her eyes. “All I can recall is trying to get as far up as possible. I wanted to see everything.” It had been another attempt to find her mother.
There had been a forest by her home. She’d chosen the tallest tree she could find. She’d never made it anywhere near the top. Fear had forced her back to the ground.
She opened her eyes when Remy’s hand went still. “I got it in the war. It came from the bayonet on a rifle. I ducked just before my head could be blown away, but my sudden move cost me.”
Vita was shocked. “I’m very glad you have a head.”
He laughed. “So am I.”
“Imagine if you didn’t,” she said.
He twisted his mouth. “I don’t think I’d be able to imagine much of anything, honestly.”
She grabbed his shoulders. “That’s a terrible story.”
“I don’t usually tell it to ladies.”
She could see why. “I have this urge to protect it.”
“Protect what?”
“Your head.”
He laughed but she was very serious. “We could surround it with pillows.”
“I believe bullets still go through pillows.”
He was right. “Very well. You’ll need a helmet, like the ones the knights used to wear.” Immediately, her mind imagined him encased in a suit of heavy metal. He’d be beautiful.
“Vita, it’s all right. I don’t plan to lose my head any time soon.”
“But we could never be sure,” she countered.
His mouth twitched again. “I’m not wearing a helmet.”
She frowned. “Well then. Just be careful.”
“I will.”
“No more standing in front of rifles.”
He chuckled. “I’ll try not to.”
She glared. “I’m serious, Remy.” The man had almost lost his head. She’d nearly lost the man she loved. This was a matter of great importance to her.
He took her hand in his. “I know. Thank you for being so protective of my head. I appreciate the concern.”
It was more than concern. She was feeling rather… angry. How dare someone point a rifle at her man? “The man who shot at you. What happened to him?”
“We’re friends now.”
She gasped. It was not the answer she’d been expecting. “Friends.”
“He was fighting for Britain as well and got confused.” His expression shifted to something dark. “War is an ugly thing.”
“No more war,” she said. “No more fighting.” She didn’t want to lose him.
He said nothing.
She narrowed her gaze but then relaxed. “No, I suppose I can’t ask you to do that. Besides, I’m inclined to think you indestructible anyway.” He was significantly built, his movements as smooth and as predatory as a cat.
He smiled again.
“Does it still hurt?” she asked.
“Not at all.” The scar also didn’t seem to bother him. He stood proud no matter where he went. He didn’t hide in shadows.
Looking at the scar, she felt a great sense of pride in being the woman he’d chosen. He was not just a hero to her but to many others.
“Ready to return inside?” he asked.
“No.”
He laughed. “Vita, another moment out here and we’ll embarrass Lady Serveck once more.�
��
She took his arm and sighed dramatically. She pretended she was calm, though her body was anything but. “I’m always tempted to act quite recklessly around you. Why is that?”
“I’m afraid I ask myself the same question.” They returned to the ballroom.
“I think I know why I do it,” she said. “You can appear very severe at times, but it’s not everything you are. You’re quite soft on the inside.”
He lifted a brow. “Keep that truth to yourself. Intimidation helps me get my way much faster.”
She grunted. “I think the opposite. I like your softer side.”
“You only like it because there is a hard side.”
It amazed her that he understood how her mind worked. She laughed. “Your ability to decipher my thoughts is astounding. Tell me, are you a mind reader?”
“I don’t need to read your mind.” He looked at her. “I can read your eyes, which is why I decided it was time to come inside.”
“Why?” She pressed against him but only for a moment. They were in public now. “What did you see in my eyes?”
He shook his head and chuckled. “Oh, no. We’ll not go there now.” His eyes were dark pools of need. “But later…”
Vita bit her lip.
∫ ∫ ∫
3 0
* * *
They’d been the first to arrive at Lady Serveck’s home and would be the last to leave. This was done so no one would know that Vita had arrived with three lords for escort. Such a thing would start gossip, and Remy didn’t wish anyone thinking they were all her consorts.
Only Remy would have her in the end.
But for now, she was a guest of Lady Serveck’s, with the older woman acting as her chaperone.
She was no better at it than Belle had been. Remy couldn’t count the many times he’d kissed Vita in an alcove or empty hall.
She was a tempting woman. He wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be able to hold out.
Remy sat next to Vita on the couch in the drawing-room and listened as Lady Serveck bid her last guest good evening.
Vita was trying to keep her eyelids open, but her blinks were lasting longer as the evening went on.
They’d had a pleasant evening, sharing childhood stories and kisses along the way. He’d have never guessed her as clumsy as she seemed to think.
Remy thought it had something to do with how people had treated her in the past. She’d been taught to question herself. Remy didn’t want her to question anything. He wanted her to speak as much as she pleased, and she did.
The only topic she didn’t go into detail on was her mother.
Holly.
Remy looked at Leo. He stood by the entrance to the drawing-room, smiling in the direction of the front door. Oliver was with their grandmother. “Lady Serveck fawns over you as though you are young boys.”
Leo didn’t look away from his grandmother. “That’s because she wasn’t here when we were young boys.” He turned to Remy then. “We were half-grown when we met her. Our father kept us away from anyone who could possibly interfere with the plans he had for us.”
“I’m sorry,” Remy said.
Leo shrugged. “She did what she could upon her arrival.”
Remy wondered what that meant but decided he’d inquire later. “Can you watch Vita? I want to ask your grandmother something.”
Leo moved and sat on Vita’s other side.
She was asleep now yet managed to keep herself erect. She looked regal even in sleep. Remy was impressed. The act must have been practiced.
He stood and went to the foyer just as Oliver was escorting his grandmother toward them.
“Lady Serveck, can I ask you something?”
Oliver’s grandmother patted her grandson. “I’ll join you shortly. Tell Leo not to disappear or jump through any windows until I can see him.”
Oliver bowed. “I will make sure he stays put.”
Lady Serveck nodded and then turned to Remy and smiled.
“This is about the woman you said resembled Lady Vita.”
Lady Serveck leaned toward him and whispered, “I happened to have mentioned it to another friend who agreed that Vita looked like a woman who’d once visited the area and then she remembered the story of Lord and Lady Bush.” She shook her head. “Terrible situation. That poor girl.”
Remy’s heart constricted tightly. If he could make it so, Vita would never weep another day in her life. “Do you recall the event in which you met?”
“Not until I spoke to Lady Douglas. It was the year of her son’s party. There were many young men there. Young women as well. It was around October. The woman looked like Vita, I assure you, but the woman’s name was not Holly.”
Would Holly have been at a party a year ago? “What was her name?”
Lady Serveck shrugged. “I don’t know and honestly, I don’t think it was Lady Bush. I remember her husband was looking for her some years prior and there were many people present who’d have recognized her. But she looked like Vita. Spoke like her as well, but her hair was dark. Black, actually.”
Remy nodded and sighed. “Thank you for your time.”
“I shouldn’t have said anything. I wouldn’t, had I known the girl still had hope of finding her mother.”
Was Vita looking for her mother? Remy thought she’d just been taking advantage of the moment. He would inquire and help her as best he could, though he feared what she would find in the end.
Remy didn’t wake Vita as he carried her to the carriage or into the bedchamber she’d been given at Oliver’s house.
Once he was done, he straightened and stared down at her. A small lamp added a soft glow to the room. Her lady’s maid had followed to see her lady undressed so Remy left but waited in the hall until the lady’s maid went to bed.
Peeking back through the door, he found Vita awake.
She waved him closer, and he could not deny himself the invitation. His body was compelled to obey. As his knee touched the bed, he wished he’d changed.
She touched his jaw. Her smile was sleepy. “Might I kiss my soldier goodnight?”
A kiss goodnight.
He wanted more than that.
But he would take what he could get.
Her mouth was sweet with the flavor of cherries. He recalled her nibbling on them at the party before she’d taken her seat in the drawing-room.
He pulled away from her before he could go too far.
The softness in her gaze as she looked at him was a wondrous gift. He saw many things there, mainly the depth of feelings they’d not yet spoken of.
He’d fallen for Vita.
He was all hers.
He would tell her soon.
But for now, he would leave. It was the right thing to do.
And Remy always tried to do what’s right.
* * *
“Remy,” Leo called as he rushed down the path. “We need you at the house.”
They were outside on a blanket three days later, enjoying the sunshine.
And Vita suspected Remy had been five seconds from laying her back and ravishing her body. At least, that was what his eyes had said. She shivered as she recalled how he’d watched her even as he’d bitten into the meat they’d been given to eat.
There was something very erotic about watching a man eat. She enjoyed watching his jaw flex and move. When he’d licked his lips, she’d almost bent forward to do it herself.
She tried to slow her breathing before she turned to look up at Leo. She hoped her face wasn’t as bright as it felt.
Leo grinned. There was a knowing expression in his gaze. “It took long enough to find you. We can’t see you from the house.” The party had taken place three days ago and then when Leo and Noel weren’t beating her at cards, she was with Remy.
He went out sometimes. He never said exactly why, but she knew it had to do with Dunst. There had been no more deaths since the first two. All was quiet and for some reason, that made Oliver more suspicious.
He still couldn’t find his dog Elder.
Vita asked Remy at a whisper, “Do you think this is about Lady Douglas?” He’d told her about his conversation with Lady Serveck. She pretended that whenever the topic of her mother came up, it didn’t matter too much to her. She didn’t want anyone to think her naive for searching for her, but Remy had said he’d look into it.
“I’ll find out,” Remy said as he stood. “What’s this about?” he asked Leo.
Leo sobered. “A letter we received from London. Come to the house.” One of the watchmen she recognized stood by Leo.
Remy asked, “Is it safe for Vita to remain outside?”
“It’s a beautiful day. She should enjoy it.”
It was a pretty day. Even with the clouds, it was quite bright outside.
Remy turned to her. “I’ll be right back unless you wish to go inside.”
She shook her head. “I shall stay. Don’t worry about me. I know the boundaries.”
Remy knelt back down and bought his face close to hers. “But just to make certain, tell me.”
She bent forward and whispered, “There are no boundaries between us.” She hoped her tone was as suggestive as she tried to make it.
Remy groaned low. and Vita giggled.
“Shall I return for you later?” Leo asked.
“No,” Remy sighed. He had a smirk on his face as he stood. He turned to the watchman by Leo. “Stay with her.”
Vita turned to the lake. The watchman said nothing as he took a position behind her.
They both stared out. Because of the clouds, the water looked dark.
In the silence, she couldn’t help but think of the men who’d sacrificed themselves for her and the sacrifice Remy was making.
Standing, she began to walk the perimeter. She remembered to stay on the path. “What is your name?” she asked the watchmen. She should get to know the men who were protecting her, shouldn’t she? She didn’t even know the names of the fallen men.
“Dodge,” the man said.
She stiffened as she heard a sound that was out of place.
A dog. In the woods?
She remembered that Oliver’s dog was missing. Elder. Was it him?
There was whining. He sounded hurt.
She stopped and the watchman moved forward.
A Knight to Dare: (The Valiant Love Regency Romance) (A Historical Romance Book) Page 15
