In the uneasy pause that followed, Jax knew which former member of her court filled both their minds.
Chapter Ten
“Ouch.”
Uma shushed Sabine’s protests as she spread the creamy white ointment over her pink skin. “This should do the trick.”
Sabine moaned as the aloe nipped away at her sunburn. “Who knew the sun could be so deceptive and cruel?”
Jax watched the scene play out from her vanity mirror, shooting a sympathetic smile at Sabine’s reddened reflection. “We all should have been more attentive. I’m sorry, my dear.”
With a strenuous shrug of her shoulders, Sabine sighed. “Just when I try to have a bit of fun…this happens.”
“What’s lucky is that Master Charles seems to have packed everything under the sun in that medicinal bag of his.” Jax rose and surveyed her appearance in the full-length mirror. Freshly bathed, having washed the day’s activities from her sun-kissed skin, she was ready for dinner. Despite the hearty picnic food, which they’d devoured throughout the afternoon, a day of running around the field had left her famished.
Sabine glanced over her shoulder up at Uma, who’d just finished applying a blob of the cream to the back of Sabine’s neck. “You’ve got a little pink on your nose, as well, Uma. Should I put some of this glop on for you, or shall I fetch Yanis to do it?”
The crimson flush that eclipsed Uma’s face had nothing to do with sunburn.
Sabine’s giggles bubbled from her chapped lips. “He is rather yummy, isn’t he?”
Dusting off her hands, Uma acknowledged Sabine’s teasing. “He’s very nice.”
Sabine shot a conspiratorial glance at Jax and wiggled her eyebrows. “Oh, ‘nice.’ Uma, your words make me swoon.”
Uma threw a decorative pillow at the young woman’s head. “Hush.”
Shaking her head at their shenanigans, Jax gave the silver sash tied around her waist one final tug.
Sabine hopped down from her perch and joined Jax at the mirror, straightening the bow Jax had tied around her back. “Shouldn’t your lady’s maid be helping you? I’ve never known a Duchess to be so independent.” Hands on hips, she assessed Jax’s ethereal blue ensemble, complete with a platinum-braided crown. “Duchess Penelope kept a horde of maids at her beck and call.”
“I appreciate the sense of normalcy getting dressed on my own affords me. Besides, we’re supposed to treat this as a vacation.” Jax picked up a towel someone had tossed aside and snapped it at Sabine’s waist.
Uma tidied the vanity Jax had cluttered with various powders and creams. “And yet some of us are still hard at work.” A slight edge to her words belied their light tone.
Jax was about ready to defend Vita’s absence when a knock sounded on the apartment door, followed by Vita floating inside, looking lovely in a burgundy dress that paired flawlessly with her ruby-gold slippers.
“I’m sorry to have been gone so long. I got completely lost in a daydream.” She rushed to the Duchess’s side and began fussing over the details of her gown. “I would have come to help you sooner.”
“Must have been quite the daydream.” Sabine smirked. “You left to take a bath more than an hour ago.”
Vita inverted her lips, her embarrassment deepening. “I know. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here to help.”
Jax waved the apology away. “No need. I’m glad you listened to me. I told Uma to go and relax, too, but you can see how well she followed those orders.”
Vita’s golden eyes assessed the lady-in-waiting as she cleaned up the room. “Shouldn’t you go get ready for dinner, too, Uma? I heard that the Lord Chamberlain invited Corporal Highriver and his men to dine with us tonight, in honor of Galensmore being a full house.”
Uma dropped the petticoat she’d been fluffing on the floor. “You mean all the soldiers will be in attendance?”
Vita nodded. “Well, all the ones not on duty.”
Jax chuckled at Vita’s embellishment. “You’re making it sound like there are hordes of single men on the prowl. The Galensmore estate doesn’t boast that many guardsmen.”
“A girl can dream.” Vita’s coy grin buoyed Jax’s spirits. Apparently, her rest had done her some good, considering how downcast she’d been for most of the day.
Uma hurried to the vanity mirror, uttering squeal of fright at her reflection. “I can’t go down like this!”
Sabine threaded her arm through Uma’s and pulled her toward the door. “I have just the dress for you in my suite. I may have absconded it during our raid on Carriena’s closet.
Uma allowed herself to be dragged along. “It’s a wonder she has anything left to wear.”
Carriena’s lithe figure filled the open threshold, her arms folded. “Barely.” Sauntering into the suite, she surveyed the gowns Sabine, Jax, and Vita all wore. “I see this is where my wardrobe has run off to.”
Jax tossed a stray ringlet of caramel hair behind her ear. “Don’t try to make us feel guilty. We fled our home in the night, and you have enough gowns and jewels to clothe a small nation.”
“Fled your home?” Carriena snorted. “Don’t be so dramatic.”
Sabine and Uma tiptoed past Carriena, hoping to escape her jovial berating. “We’ll go collect Master Charles, then meet you down at dinner.”
Vita trailed after them. “I’ll help Uma get ready, too. It’s the least I can do.” She flashed another apologetic look at Jax for missing out on her duties earlier.
Beckoning Vita to hurry, Sabine gleefully dashed out of the royal apartment with a harried Uma in tow.
Watching their figures become shadows, Carriena slumped into a nearby chair and reached for a decanter of amber liquid on an end table. “Sabine certainly is a bright light. A bit much, isn’t she?”
Jax giggled at her friend’s deadpan delivery. “I think she’s quite refreshing. Poor thing.” Jax pondered Sabine’s ability to maintain such a positive attitude in the wake of her mother’s recent passing.
Carriena took a deep sip of the brandy the Lord Chamberlain had sent up earlier. “She seems quite besotted with our old friend. Are you sure it’s wise to allow their feelings to grow?”
Startled by Carriena’s observation, Jax sank into the chair across from her friend. “She’s young. Let her have her fun. It seems harmless enough. And the feelings you speak of are all hers. He doesn’t reciprocate them.”
Carriena laughed. “Are you blind? The poor sod is head over heels for her. Didn’t you see them together this afternoon?”
Her mood rapidly darkening, Jax tried to recall the interactions had between Sabine and George while they’d been outside. Besides bringing him a few refills of water, Sabine had mostly kept her distance, and George certainly hadn’t gone out of his way to strike up a conversation with her. Had Carriena seen something she hadn’t? “You really think so?” The question caught in her throat as a tightness clawed at her chest.
Narrowed lilac eyes roamed over the Duchess’s face. “Why am I getting the feeling you’re not thinking about the health of your court right now?” Carriena asked.
Jax stared down at her hands, her fingers entwined like the knots in her stomach. “It’s nothing. I’m happy for them.”
“You don’t seem happy. Is everything all right between you and Perry?”
Jax’s gaze could have melted fire. “Of course. This has nothing to do with me and Perry.” Then why does the thought of George finding someone turn me into a cowering monster?
Carriena poured another glass of brandy and handed it to Jax. “All right, no need to get snippy. I believe you.” She didn’t sound convinced.
Whether it was the burning brandy that forced her to speak her mind or the need to seek solace over her confusing feelings, Jax drained the offered glass before continuing. “It’s just…while we were in Pettraud, George connected with Sabine and they talked about something George said he’d never been able to talk about before, and it hurt me to know that my oldest friend couldn’t trust me to con
fide in. He said there wasn’t anything more than friendship between them, but it feels like he’s lied to me, since she’s been practically glued to his bedside while he’s been recovering—”
Carriena held up a hand, silencing Jax. “Hold up. George? I thought we were talking about Sabine and Charles.”
A pit opened within Jax. “What?”
Carriena leaned forward eagerly. “Sabine has been following Charles around like a hopeless puppy. How have you not noticed?”
Humiliation tinged Jax’s thoughts as she struggled to make sense out of what Carriena was saying. “Charles and Sabine?”
Carriena counted off on her fingers “First, she decides to stay inside on a beautiful day, just to sit beside him while he tends to George. Then she’s his shadow the moment they plopped George down by that tree. From what Uma and Vita have told me, the young vixen has been using George’s injury to her advantage, playing Charles’s nursemaid.”
“Sabine and Charles,” Jax found herself repeating. Sabine’s insistence over helping care for the Captain wasn’t because she wanted time with George, to be his savior. She wanted to be near Charles.
Carriena rolled her eyes. “I don’t even know where to begin unpacking your reaction.”
Jax chose to ignore her friend’s comment for the time being and gripped the arm of Carriena’s chair. “I thought Charles might be courting a young librarian back home. You really think he and Sabine have a connection?”
Nodding, Carriena twisted a short strand of her blond hair. “Again, anyone with eyes could see that. He comes alive around her. Virtues, what has happened to your observation skills, Duchess?” She arched an eyebrow, an almost sinister look about her. “And why does the thought of Captain Solomon finding love turn you into a jealous mess?”
Her words hit their intended target. With fluid grace, Jax rose and retreated to the farthest window in the apartment’s sitting area. “I don’t know,” she said with surprising softness. Gone was her will to deny the accusation. “Perhaps it’s because I’m afraid if his heart goes elsewhere, my safety will no longer be his top priority.”
Carriena’s hand squeezed Jax’s shoulder in comfort. “If that isn’t a coward’s excuse, I don’t know what is.” The sharp words had no bite to them.
Jax reached for Carriena’s other hand, seeking reassurance. “I know. I just don’t know how else to describe it. I love Perry, I do.”
“I know you do.” Carriena’s arm slipped from the Duchess’s shoulder to around her waist. “I figured out how deep your feelings were for each other before either of you did, remember?”
Jax smiled at the memory of their sea voyage and all Carriena had done to bring Jax and Perry together. “That’s why I can’t understand these conflicting emotions.”
“They say you never forget your first love…” Carriena said with a dreamy sigh. “This might come as a surprise to you, but both Arnie and I knew about your ‘secret’ crush on the soon-to-be Captain during our years at the Academy.”
The revelation that Carriena knew about her feelings for George almost overrode the shock of hearing Aranelda’s name spoken so casually.
“Although,” Carriena bit her lower lip, “it became clear your affections cooled significantly after your nineteenth birthday. We never knew why. Arnie guessed that you’d finally woken up and realized you were above marrying someone in your family’s service. I didn’t know what to think.”
The callous nature of Arnie’s assumption made Jax cringe, once again making her realize how little she truly understood the ghost of a woman. “You remember the birthday party my father threw for me?”
“Of course. It was the highlight of the year.”
Jax leaned her forehead against the window pane, relishing the cool glass. “I snuck out toward the end and went to find George.”
Carriena’s eyes widened, clearly learning this for the first time.
“I tried to convince him to run away with me. Leave all of this behind.” A limp arm motioned to the horizon of her vast kingdom.
“No way!” Carriena sucked in a breath. “You didn’t? What did he say?”
Jax closed her eyes, the stinging memory not lingering far from the surface of her thoughts. “He said no, as you’ve probably guessed.”
With a scoff, Carriena gripped Jax’s shoulders and turned her around so they were face-to-face. “Forgive me, Duchess, but I find it hard to believe that the man who looks at you like the sun rises and falls by your eyes would simply say ‘no’.”
Momentarily flustered by Carriena’s comment, Jax shook her head clear. “What does it even matter? It was over a decade ago. Any feelings we had for each other have been buried in the past. Perry is my present and my future.” She intended to put the matter to rest.
With pressed lips, Carriena appeared to be struggling to keep her thoughts to herself, and Jax didn’t dare try to persuade her to express them.
“I imagine everyone is waiting for us down at dinner.” Carriena glided toward the door, glancing over her shoulder to see if the Duchess followed. “Just in case this has also escaped your keen observation skills, there is absolutely no one in all the duchies who could ever distract George Solomon from his devotion to you. Take it from someone who has been searching for a love like that her entire adult life.”
The apartment door snapped shut as Carriena left, and Jax realized she was trembling.
‡
Lost in her swirling thoughts, Jax nearly collided with Bernard Hoftstead as she reached the second-floor landing.
“Duchess! I was just coming upstairs to collect you.” Bernard’s chest swelled with pride. “Ellamae and I have prepared quite the feast tonight. I don’t think our table has ever been so full.”
Shaking away her troubles for the moment, Jax smiled at the Lord Chamberlain. “I’m glad Corporal Highriver and his men are able to join us. It will be delightfully diverse company for my friends. I’m afraid dining with me every night is not very exciting.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Bernard said, offering her his arm as they walked down the final length of the staircase. “I remember you always providing an excellent source of entertainment at the Academy.”
She patted his arm. “I’m sorry Corporal Highriver had to deny your request to go into town today. I hope we haven’t inconvenienced your daily routine here too much.”
Bernard flinched. “You heard about that? It was silly of me to even ask. I should have known it would be a safety concern.” He chuckled. “And the Duchess of Saphire is never an inconvenience in her own home.”
Rolling her eyes, she released a heavy breath. “You know what I meant.”
Cheery conversation floated down the hallway, growing in volume with every step Jax and Bernard took closer to the dining room.
“Sounds like a full house.” Her father’s image resurfaced in her mind, and she wondered why they had never ventured here as a family after the renovations were complete. She could have had memories of her own, sitting around the dining table with her mother and father…
Bernard held the door for her as she swept into the room. “We’ve gathered quite the crowd.”
Jax had rarely attended a dinner, formal or otherwise, where the table was at maximum capacity. Perhaps this was easier accomplished at Galensmore since its dining room was substantially smaller than the grand halls she was accustomed to. She marveled at the sight of old and new friends sitting elbow to elbow around the table. Uma and Carriena chatted artfully with several of the handsome guardsmen Corporal Highriver had invited for the evening. Jax recognized Yanis and Rayan seated closest to the beaming young women, as well as Lieutenants Wynn and Ansel, who had accompanied their party from the Saphire palace. Corporal Highriver sat among four other uniformed soldiers, to whom Jax had not yet been introduced. Thanasis and Martán listened with interest to the animated conversation between Sabine, Julian, and Charles.
Jax made her way to the vacant seat at the head of the table, sq
ueezing Uma’s shoulder in greeting as she passed by. Vita’s styling talents were on full display, for Uma’s hair had been twisted in a swooping, intricate bun and rouge flawlessly coated her cheekbones, heightening her sophisticated beauty. Yanis appeared dazzled by the sight of her.
Turning to her other immediate dining companion, Jax grinned as she sat down. “I’m glad Charles let you attend tonight’s feast after such a strenuous day.” She pressed her lips together to avoid giggling at her own sarcasm.
George rolled his eyes. “I’m perfectly capable of sitting upright.” He placed his napkin across his lap, flapping it with an elaborate flourish.
His returning sense of humor lifted her spirits. Despite his bandaged wounds, he was recovering quickly.
Jax reached for her glass and held it above the crowd, ushering in silence. “Let us always remember, no matter how dark the night may be, the light of friendship can banish any shadow.”
A chorus of agreement met her toast, and silence captured the room for a moment while everyone took hearty sips of the wine selected for the meal’s first course.
By the time Jax polished off the last bite of her caramel sweet bun dessert, she could hardly keep her eyes open. Full of masterfully cooked food and artisan wine, she sank into the cushions of her chair with a lazy smile on her lips. She would never be able to thank her friends enough for keeping all her nagging thoughts of the War Council at bay. Instead, she’d spent the evening carefully listening to the conversation between Uma and Yanis, as it was clear the young soldier was smitten with her lady-in-waiting. If Uma was as infatuated with him as she seemed to be, perhaps Jax would speak to Highriver and George about reassigning Yanis to the palace once it was time for her delegation to return home.
Carriena spent much of the evening sharing stories about her students, particularly the ones who liked to cause trouble. “I get along with them best, as I see so much of myself in them.”
The remark had brought a gruff laugh from her father.
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