by Phoebe Conn
Alex rose, and after helping Eden to her feet, he introduced the young man as his nephew. “You must forgive Raven’s rudeness, but he shares your view of tonight’s guests. Only in his opinion, it’s the women who speak nothing but flattering lies.”
Eden’s eyes widened at that jest and she suddenly felt very foolish for having confided such private thoughts without any assurance Alex would keep them to himself. Terribly embarrassed to have made so potentially disastrous an error, she returned Raven’s brief greeting then excused herself and hurriedly left the library.
Raven turned to watch Eden depart, his stare mocking as it swept over her fair curls, narrow waist, and the long, graceful stride the fullness of her skirts didn’t hide. “Have you taken to seducing comely virgins?” he asked as he turned back to face his uncle.
“That I prefer a beautiful woman’s company to my own shouldn’t surprise you,” Alex responded readily, but he was puzzled by the sudden aloofness of Eden’s manner when she had been so delightfully open, and he could not dismiss her from his mind. “I know I said I’d like to leave early, but I’ve decided to stay awhile longer.”
“Why? You can sleep at home in your own bed far more comfortably than you can in here.”
Alex moved toward the door. He was almost as tall as his nephew, and his build was also lean. In finely tailored evening clothes his every gesture displayed the elegance to which he had been born while as usual Raven’s motions showed only the tension of his mood. “I’ve no intention of sleeping. It’s been a long while since I felt like dancing so just go on ahead and send the carriage back for me if you can’t wait.”
“You want to dance?” Raven gasped incredulously. “But aren’t you afraid that—”
Alex raised his hand in a demand for silence. “My heart isn’t that weak, Raven. A dance or two won’t kill me. Of course, if it does, I’m afraid the Carlisles will be so angry with me for ruining their ball they’ll refuse to attend my funeral.” Amused by that macabre thought, he began to laugh to himself. “Please convey my apology should it be necessary.”
Raven quickly caught up to Alex as he left the library and walked with him back to the ballroom. “You mustn’t make jokes about your death. It isn’t in the least bit humorous to me. How can you even imagine that it is?”
“Forgive me. I know that comment was in poor taste, but even if my attempts at humor fail to cheer you, they do serve to keep me in good spirits.” Alex smiled far more frequently than his dark-eyed companion, but the subject of his own demise did not depress him. In his opinion he had lived a full life, but as he scanned the guests looking for a certain fetching blonde, he was filled with a poignant longing for time enough to replace the sorrow in her golden eyes with the warm sparkle of happiness.
“Where have you been?” Lady Lawton scolded crossly as Eden returned to her side.
Lowering her voice to a discreet whisper, Eden provided the first excuse that occurred to her. “My hair needed attention, Aunt Lydia. I feared it would come loose and went to arrange it more securely.”
Lydia’s sharp eyes quickly assessed her niece’s golden curls, and finding them neatly arranged, she gave her an approving nod. “Your appearance is perfection, but you mustn’t wander about alone. It might cause speculation that you’re meeting someone, and your reputation must remain above reproach.”
Eden turned away to hide her smile, but she thought her aunt’s fear truly ludicrous. The music ended then and her cousin, Stephanie, joined them for a few minutes. Petite and dark like her mother, she never lacked admirers, and when the musicians began the next tune, she was again invited to dance while Eden was left standing by her aunt’s side. It was one thing to know why she was seldom asked to dance, but quite another to smile bravely as though she did not care when she had once been the most popular girl in Richmond.
When she saw Alex across the room, Eden quickly directed Lydia’s attention to him. “I can’t recall the name of that silver-haired gentleman. Do you know him?” She had not realized she still held his handkerchief until she had left the library, and not wanting to return and intrude upon Alex and his nephew, she had quickly slid the damp square of fine linen down her bodice. She could feel it now, touching her left breast in a shameful reminder of how foolish she had been to speak her mind so freely.
Always well mannered, Lydia nodded, but did not reply until none of the dancing couples was near enough to overhear her words. “He is Alexander Sutton, Earl of Clairbourne, my dear. He’s a widower who spends most of his time in the West Indies. In fact, I can’t recall when he was last in London. It’s been several years since I’ve spoken with him although his late wife was at one time a dear friend.”
“Lord Clairbourne,” Eden whispered softly so she would not forget the name but her heart fell at the realization Alex was not someone she would be likely to meet again. When he and his nephew began making their way toward them, Eden felt the heat of a bright blush fill her cheeks but it was her aunt Alex invited to dance, not her.
While he had reluctantly agreed to seek a wife, Raven found himself hating every minute of the search. He felt on that night as he had all the others: like a prize stallion on display before an auction, and he was eager to leave. When his uncle invited Lydia Lawton to dance, he had no choice but to escort her niece out onto the floor; however, he made no attempt to make the experience enjoyable for either of them.
Eden searched her mind for something amusing to say, then recalling Raven had apparently found his other partners’ conversation wanting, she gave up the effort and remained silent. He was so tall the top of her head barely reached his shoulder so she knew it would have been difficult for them to converse even if she had been able to think of something witty to say. She winced as he stepped on her toe, and only nodded in reply to his mumbled apology.
As Alex and her aunt moved into view, Eden saw them laughing together and wished she and Lydia could trade places, for Alex was clearly an accomplished dancer while his nephew moved like a lumbering ox. She greeted the end of the number with a sigh of relief, and when she looked up at Raven, she wasn’t surprised to find he appeared equally grateful. When he thanked her, neither his deep voice nor his dark eyes held the slightest hint of warmth, and she thought it a great pity he possessed none of his uncle’s remarkable charm.
When Alex Sutton failed to invite her to dance, Eden was more disappointed than she had thought possible. He smiled at her after he had escorted her aunt to the edge of the dance floor, again brushed her hand with a light kiss, but he had then excused himself. Still thinking him quite the most interesting man she had met in a long while, Eden watched him call greetings to others as he walked away. He was obviously a friendly fellow and apparently popular but his nephew looked every bit as uncomfortable as she felt as he trailed along behind him.
“Well, what do you think of him?” Lydia asked excitedly.
“Think of whom?” Eden responded with forced calm, silently praying that despite his earlier lack of discretion, Alex had not revealed how they had met.
“Raven Blade, of course, who else?” Lydia shook her head impatiently. “Lord Clairbourne is childless, so his nephew is his heir. He was raised on Jamaica and his manners are not what they should be, unfortunately, but he will be enormously rich when he inherits his uncle’s wealth.”
“That can’t possibly be soon enough to make marriage to that brooding oaf worthwhile,” Eden mused aloud.
“Hush!” Lady Lawton hissed sharply. “Lord Clairbourne has asked to speak with me privately tomorrow afternoon. I think he may want to suggest a match between Stephanie and Raven. While I shall promise to do no more than consider it, I’ll admit the prospect is a tremendously exciting one.”
“Does Stephanie even know who Raven is? I’ve never heard her mention his name.”
Lydia favored her niece with a triumphant smile. “If she doesn’t know who he is tonight, I can assure you she most definitely will by tomorrow.”
The follow
ing afternoon, Eden and her cousin strolled about the well-tended garden of the Lawton townhouse while Lord Clairbourne met with her aunt. Stephanie had indeed known who Raven Blade was but Eden found her cousin’s enthusiastic praise for him difficult to understand. She tried to keep in mind the difference between their prospects for making a good marriage, but even that bias failed to change her view of him. He was remarkably handsome, she could not deny that, but his manner was too forbidding for her to focus on his appearance as Stephanie so easily did. She simply did not like the dark-eyed young man and she did not understand how her cousin could admire someone so lacking in warmth.
Stephanie paused to savor the aroma of a deep, red rose before continuing her steady stream of complimentary remarks. “I think Raven is quite dashing. That he’s so dark gives him an air of mystery, don’t you agree? He might be capable of almost anything, from the grandest heroics to the vilest treachery. Who can say?”
“Who indeed?” Eden agreed. “Have you ever danced with him?”
“Of course,” Stephanie replied flippantly, not recalling how few partners Eden had had. “He danced very well, too. He didn’t speak, but I believe him to be the type of man who feels things very deeply and keeps his emotions to himself.”
“That’s an intriguing possibility.” Again Eden smiled, but she had seen nothing to indicate Raven was the sensitive sort. On the contrary, she suspected he deliberately used silence to intimidate people. She had to admit it was an effective technique, for he had certainly succeeded in intimidating her. She turned to look back toward the townhouse, hoping they would be invited to join her aunt and her guest for tea. Lord Clairbourne had merely been kind to her the previous evening, she knew that now, but she had enjoyed his company and was anxious to talk with him again.
There had been no hint of sorrow in Alex’s manner, so the wondered if perhaps his wife had been dead a long while. He had not seemed lonely, though, for there was none of the quiet desperation she had seen in men who were. Of course, he was quite attractive and might keep a mistress, as she had heard so many titled Englishmen did. The indecency of that thought made Eden blush, and she realized she had been so lost in her own thoughts she had not heard a word her cousin had said for several minutes.
“I think my mother is being very wise only to consider Clairbourne’s offer rather than to accept it. Alexander Sutton is by no means old so it could be many years before Raven comes into his inheritance and there are plenty of other men who have control of their family’s wealth now.”
“Definitely a point to consider.” Eden nearly choked getting that response out, for clearly Stephanie was merely planning to sell herself to the highest bidder. Her mother had warned her it was a common practice, but until she had met her English aunt and cousin, she had not truly believed it.
When they heard Anna, one of the maids, calling to them, Stephanie hurried toward her but Eden hung back now doubting she would even be included in the invitation to tea.
After a brief conversation, Stephanie wheeled around, a dark scowl marring the sweetness of her features. “Mother has sent for you,” she announced in a foul-tempered hiss.
“For me?” Eden lifted the skirt of her mauve-hued gown as she hurried to reach her cousin. “Why would she wish to see me?”
“How should I know? The only thing which seems clear is that Clairbourne didn’t come here today for the reason we had hoped.”
Stephanie appeared ready to burst with envy, but Eden was certain her anger was unjustified. “This must be some sort of a silly misunderstanding, Stephanie. I’ll be
gone only a minute, I’m sure.”
The warmth of Alex’s smile melted Eden’s apprehension the moment she entered the parlor. The light of the afternoon sun was more flattering than the candles’ glow at the ball and she revised his age down a few years from forty. Whatever his reason for paying a call, she was happy to see him and returned his unspoken welcome with a dazzling smile of her own.
Lydia shot her niece a sharply disapproving frown which instantly erased that charming smile, but the woman had seen it and could not help but wonder what had prompted Alexander Sutton’s surprising call. “I’m glad to see that you remember meeting Lord Clairbourne last night,” Lydia began rather stiffly. “He has been kind enough to take an interest in you. He has asked my permission to call on you, and I knew you would be flattered and want to thank him.”
“To call on me?” Eden asked in a breathless rush. “Do you mean that you wish to”
Alex could not help but laugh when Eden became too flustered to continue. “I know we had no more than a glimpse of each other last night, but surely I’m not the first Englishman to find you so attractive I would like the opportunity to become a friend.” That he was obviously the first was apparent in her startled response, but he was too enthused about the ploy he was attempting to dwell on her dismay.
Eden looked toward her aunt and found her staring with so menacing a glare she knew instantly she had sounded as though she had no breeding at all. “Please forgive me, m’lord. What I should have said is that I am honored you wish to call on me.”
“The honor is all mine, I assure you,” Alex responded as he came forward to take her hand. “And I insist that you call me Alex.”
Lydia watched a warm glow of pleasure fill her niece’s cheeks as Alex brushed the back of her hand with a light kiss, and she feared the man’s interest in the girl wasn’t at all proper. Eden was her sister, Sarah’s, only child, and she was attempting to do her best for her. Not that Alexander Sutton had less than a spotless reputation, but still, with the Sinclair family fortune tied so closely to the fate of the Confederacy, Eden could scarcely expect a marriage proposal from an earl. Eden was a beauty, however, and it was only natural that men would be attracted to her. Alex seemed sincere, but Lydia still suspected his motives. He had been a widower for at least ten years so she was certain had he wanted a second wife, he would have wed one long ago. When he mentioned a carriage ride the following afternoon, she refused immediately.
“I hope you will understand, Lord Alex. I simply can’t allow my niece to see you without a chaperon.”
“Would you like to come with us then?” Alex invited graciously.
“I’m afraid I have my own daughter to consider,” Lydia replied far more sweetly. “Stephanie frequently has callers in the afternoon and I can’t leave her alone either.”
Having listened to Stephanie praise Raven Blade for the last half hour, Eden quickly made a suggestion she knew both her aunt and cousin would approve. “We could take Stephanie with us, couldn’t we? And perhaps if your nephew doesn’t have other plans, he could join us too.”
“What a charming idea, Miss Sinclair,” Alex agreed, delighted Eden had found the obvious solution to their dilemma before he had been forced to suggest it himself. “Would you object to the four of us going out together, Lady Lawton? We’ll tour the city; and be back in time for Stephanie and Eden to join you for tea.”
Lydia hesitated a moment, but not wanting her daughter to miss an opportunity to impress Raven Blade, she reluctantly gave her consent. “That sounds like a pleasant outing, but only if you promise not to be gone more than an hour or two.”
Eden noted the grace of Alex’s gestures as he and her aunt finalized the plans for the following day. Despite the elegance of his attire and manners, he displayed a masculine strength that she found as appealing as his striking good looks. His deep tan revealed he spent most of his time out-of-doors. His waistline was as trim as his nephew’s, convincing her he enjoyed far more active pursuits than many of the wealthy men she had met whose builds more closely resembled dumplings than an athlete’s muscled form. He was so handsome she found it difficult not to smile too widely each time he glanced her way, but she was so thrilled that he wished to call on her she could barely contain her joy.
As Alex left Lydia Lawton’s, he was pleased his plans were progressing so well. It was now clear to him that Raven needed more str
enuous encouragement to court the beauties of London than he had first realized. From what he had seen, Stephanie Lawton was among the most popular. She seemed both charming and sweet, if not as great a beauty as her American cousin. The Lawton family would provide the social ties Raven presently lacked but would most definitely need when he inherited a title. Surely if Raven were to spend some time with Stephanie, he would soon come to see how agreeable a wife she would make.
Yes, Alex decided, all Raven needed was a chance to become better acquainted with Stephanie, and he was determined to provide as many opportunities as were necessary to achieve that goal. The scheme struck him as remarkably clever until he recalled the warmth of Eden’s smile when she had first seen him. It had been a long while since he had cared for a woman, or allowed one to care for him. Too long perhaps, but he wanted to be a friend to Eden, nothing more.
As he entered his carriage, he realized a true friend would not involve a lovely young woman in the farce he had just begun. It was Raven’s future that was of paramount importance to him, however, and he promised himself he would display no more than a fatherly interest in Eden so that she could not possibly misinterpret his intentions and be hurt. He made that vow several times on his way home, but the memory of Eden’s enchanting smile proved impossible to forget. He could not even recall the last time he had seen such an enthusiastic light dancing in a young woman’s eyes and it was immensely flattering to think he had inspired it.
“If only,” he began regretfully, but he swiftly buried that dream deep in his heart where it could not torment him with desire as he feared Eden Sinclair’s spirited beauty would continue to do.
Chapter Two
July 1863
Raven had known without making the attempt that it would be useless to argue when Alex had told him they were to entertain Lady Stephanie Lawton and her American cousin for the afternoon. One well-bred young woman was as tiresome as the next in Raven’s view, but he soon found himself reassessing his opinion as he watched Eden and his uncle converse. He and Stephanie were seated opposite them in an open carriage that afforded a fine view of Hyde Park, but he was taking little notice of the scenery.
