“May I have this dance, Miss Henney?”
Her jaw dropped when he held out a hand to her. “I’m not sure—”
He lowered his voice so only she could hear him. “I’ve danced with every respectable woman over the age of sixty here so I could ask you. So please, dance with me before my reputation suffers any further.”
The tension in her body broke and her shoulders relaxed. Her hand went to her mouth, but she nodded and offered her other hand. The breath he’d been holding slowly escaped his lungs. He led her to the dance floor and settled her into his arms for the dance.
He twirled her around in perfect rhythm with the music. Finally, he had her close, in a place where, ironically, men and women could have a real conversation. However, he found himself thoroughly annoyed because of the lack of privacy, and she was once again looking up at him without really looking at him, alternating looking at his forehead and over his shoulder.
“Didn’t I tell you not to turn away from me?”
Her eyes blazed like blue fire. “Giving me orders again, Your Grace?”
“Like back in the statuary?”
She faltered in her step at the reminder, but he held her firm and perhaps just an inch or two closer than propriety deemed acceptable.
“Are you angry with me? For staying away from you?”
That question seemed to have caught her off guard, and she finally looked him in the eye. “So, you were doing it deliberately?”
“I—I was busy with preparations for the ascension. You know that.”
“Of course, Your Grace.”
The chilly, respectful tone made him want to scream. He wanted to see her passion and fury again. To defy him. To defend him the way she did against the mage. She was magnificent, never more so than now, in her lightning ballgown. Her skin glowed under the thousand candles overhead, and that sensuous scent of hers was like a siren song, calling to his senses and making his wolf crazy.
“You look beautiful tonight, Elise.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” she said without missing a beat.
“Don’t do that,” he rasped.
Her head jerked back so she could look at him again. “Do you have any other orders, Your Grace?”
Frustration made him want to shake her. “Elise, just … please. Don’t act this way.”
“Then what do you want with me?”
The dance was almost over, yet her question still hung in the air. He knew he could direct her away from the ballroom, maybe into some private alcove or to the balcony where they could pretend to want some fresh air. But her question stopped him short. What did he want with her?
The truth dawned on him. He didn’t stay away from her because she was a half witch. She was off limits for any casual dalliance making marriage the only way to sate his lust, but that would mean doing the one thing he could never do: trust her. No, he wasn’t giving that much power to any woman again.
The waltz finally stopped, and the other couples around them released each other. He followed suit, then led her back to his grandmother.
“Thank you for the dance, Miss Henney.” He bowed to her. “Goodnight.”
Turning on his heel, he walked across the ballroom and straight out the front door. His wolf growled in protest. It didn’t understand what was happening with its human side. All it knew was that they were walking away from their mate, a fact that angered it. It wanted to take control of their body and turn back. Wrestling with his inner animal, he pushed it deep inside him.
He could feel the eyes on his back, hear the murmur of the crowd as he passed by, but he didn’t care. If he didn’t get out of here now, he couldn’t be responsible for his or his wolf’s actions.
Chapter Thirteen
As she watched Reed’s retreating back, Elise told herself that this was for the best. Allowing herself to feel for Reed would only end up with her getting hurt once she lost him. It was better this way, wasn’t it?
She really didn’t expect him to show up at all. All the excitement of going to the ball actually distracted her, and she found herself actually looking forward to the evening. They did cause a stir when they arrived, and many of the single men had begged to be introduced to them. Elise remembered her lessons, accepting invitations to dance as etiquette required. Not that she had to worry, because the dowager duchess’s attentions were all on Julianna, as it seemed she couldn’t do anything right in the eyes of the elderly woman. During her first dance with Baron Redmond, she nearly tripped over and then bumped into another couple. The look the dowager gave her when she came back could have frozen a volcano. Elise had to physically hold on to Julianna before the younger woman did something scandalous.
Overall though, she was having a great time, distracted by the dancing and just the idea of being at the ball. Then, Reed showed and asked her to dance.
“What in the world happened?” Eleanor looked despondent as Elise approached them. “Why did he leave? Oh, my Lord, this is a disaster.”
“He had an emergency,” Elise said. “He said something about securing the perimeter of the house, in case the mage came back.” Hopefully that lie wouldn’t come to bite her in the ass, but what was she supposed to do?
The dowager duchess looked at her strangely, like she was trying to peer into her thoughts. And then she said something really odd. “Do not fret. All is not lost, and I believe we can still salvage the situation.”
Elise didn’t think there was anything to salvage, but she remained quiet. A few more men asked her to dance, which elated Eleanor, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. We’re going home soon, she told herself. It didn’t matter what these people thought.
“Just let me at her,” Julianna said through gritted teeth. “I swear, I can make it look like an accident.”
“Julianna!” Bridget covered her mouth, but her smile lit up her eyes. “Her Grace means well.”
“I don’t see you excited with all your prospects,” Julianna shot back.
The other woman’s smile seemed to die. “It’s just … well, we’ve been here for hours and I still haven’t felt it. I don’t think my mate is in England.”
Elise wanted to comfort her, so she reached out a hand. “Don’t worry, this is only the first night.” She really did hope Bridget would find her True Mate. She made a mental note to check up on the Caelkirk clan history when she got home.
A knot in her stomach formed. Pretty soon, they would be home.
She should be happy that she would be able to go back to her house, her job, her own life. At least that’s what she told herself.
The next day at breakfast, the dowager duchess and Eleanor were already receiving requests to call upon the three women.
“Which do we accept?” Eleanor asked. “I think Viscount Aster’s really interested in you, Julianna.”
Julianna choked on her tea, sputtering liquid all over the fine white linen and earning her a reproachful look from the duchess. “I, er …”
“I’ve made a decision,” the duchess said.
“Of course you have,” Julianna muttered as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.
The dowager continued, as if she didn’t hear Julianna. “Reed has informed me that the Caelkirk clan is arriving tomorrow, and so the ascension ceremony will proceed tomorrow evening. That said, we need to suspend any visits from gentlemen callers for now.”
Julianna and Bridget both seemed to sigh in relief.
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t hold a soiree of our own,” the duchess said. “So, I’ve taken it upon myself to arrange an impromptu musical concert here at Hunter House tonight.”
“Is that wise, Grandmama?” Eleanor asked, concern marring her face. “Perhaps the timing isn’t right.”
“Seeing as what we are about to face tomorrow, I think the timing is splendid. A relaxing evening of music is what we need to prepare us for the coming storm.”
And because she was the Lupa and dowager duchess, no one questioned her. Nor did they ask
how she was able to organize a quartet at such a short notice or send out invitations, all the while still preparing for tomorrow’s ascension ball and ceremony.
Melinda was amazing, as usual, and after an afternoon of primping, she declared Elise ready for the evening. As usual, she came downstairs with Cross and Julianna. He updated them briefly on what was happening and confirmed that a Lycan messenger from the Caelkirk clan had arrived ahead of the Alpha and his men to let them know they would be arriving at dawn the next day. They had also picked up more allies along the way from another clan closer to the English border. All in all, there would be around thirty-five male Lycans coming to the ball. It seemed everything was all set for tomorrow.
When they descended the stairs into the main foyer, Elise was surprised to see both Lycan and human guests, including Viscount Daly, Simon, and Beatrice, but she supposed that since tomorrow would be a Lycan-only affair, the dowager invited their human friends and acquaintances as well.
Reed, of course, was the last to arrive with his grandmother on his arm. Elise’s heart gave a leap when her eyes landed on his tall, handsome form looking so elegant in his all-black formalwear. Whether he even knew that she was there, she didn’t know as he didn’t bother to look her way. Instead, he led the dowager duchess into the formal dining room, signaling that dinner would begin.
Since they had about two dozen guests that night, dinner was served in the formal dining room. It seemed the dowager had not pulled any stops as the long table was richly decorated with flowers, crystal centerpieces, and the finest linen and china she had ever seen. Elise also found herself seated next to Simon Richardson, who was as charming and attentive as ever. He was a good distraction, she supposed, as she was near enough the head of the table that she could definitely see Reed if she looked his way. She told herself it was better to not look at him.
And she also told herself that she didn’t mind one bit that after dinner, Reed escorted Beatrice into the ballroom, which was set up for the performers and the audience. Her wolf yowled despondently, but she ignored it. She avoided Simon and sat between Cross and Julianna instead.
Elise was glad for the distraction of the music, but from where she was seated, she could clearly see Reed and Beatrice as they sat next to each other. Once in a while, Beatrice would lean toward him and whisper something in his ear, and he would give her a short nod.
Unable to look at them, she tried to focus her eyes elsewhere. On the movement of the cellist’s fingers as he played Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major. On the candles burning above, on the outrageous peacock feathers on the Countess of Heath’s coiffure, or even at her companions. Julianna looked bored out her mind, while Cross … well, Cross looked odd. Instead of his usual guarded expression, he seemed almost forlorn. His mysterious blue-green eyes shifted colors as the candles flickered above, and she felt an overwhelming sense of sadness from him as the nurturing, empathic part of her reached out to him.
“Are you all right, Cross?” she whispered. “You seem sad.”
Her question seemed to catch him off guard as ocean-colored eyes crashed into hers. “What makes you say that?”
She shrugged. “You look like you’re a million miles away. Do you want to talk about it?”
Before he could answer, the cellist ended the prelude, and everyone began to clap. She followed suit and when she turned back to Cross, she found herself staring at an empty seat. Weird. Despite all this time they spent together, she realized that she still didn’t know Cross that well. He’d always been a quiet person growing up, but it seemed that he’d withdrawn even more the last few years.
When the quartet began to play the next song, she turned her attention back to the music. In truth, she was glad the dowager had suggested this. Tomorrow’s ball surely wouldn’t be a lighthearted and carefree affair like this one. It would be a battle, one where she could lose everything.
When the first half of the concert was over and the butler announced a fifteen-minute interval, Elise shot to her feet and hurried out of the ballroom ahead of everyone. Where she was going, she wasn’t sure, but she didn’t want to have to watch Reed and Beatrice anymore. Thankfully, she spied a balcony door not too far from the room and made her way outside. The cool air was refreshing, especially after being indoors most of the day. Out here, overlooking the garden, she could feel closer to nature, something that was always difficult when she was in the big city. She could just concentrate on the air, the trees, the scent of the flowers. The minutes ticked by, and she wished that she didn’t have to go back inside. But knowing that the night was not done, she knew there was no escaping the rest of the evening.
Reaching for the door, she opened it, but the voice coming from the inside made her stop.
“… splendid, truly splendid, Your Grace. You must tell me where you found these talented musicians.” It was Lady Finnerly, the hostess from last night’s ball.
“I’ll send a note in the morning with their information,” answered the dowager. She cleared her throat. “I am glad we had a good turnout, despite the last-minute invites.”
“Speaking of guests,” Lady Finnerly’s voice lowered, “what do you think about the pretty young miss that seemed to have captured your grandson’s eye? She’s that girl who grew up in West Indies, right?”
The duchess gave a delicate snort. “I don’t give a whit where she’s from, but she’s far too forward and lacking in grace.”
“Well, Reed’s late wife was all grace, wasn’t she? I thought Joanna had the most splendid manners. And gorgeous too.”
The mention of Reed’s wife made Elise’s heart stop. She glanced around, but unless she leapt off the balcony, there was no way to escape from overhearing this conversation.
“Bah, that woman.”
“A tragedy.”
“What happened to her was a tragedy,” the duchess said. “But she was a travesty. A disgrace to our name. I was glad my grandson caught her in bed with her lover.”
“Annabelle told me the story in confidence.” Lady Finnerly sounded like she wanted to faint. “But each time I hear it, it still makes my blood boil, what she did to that poor boy.”
“And apparently, she was enceinte with her lover’s child.”
Lady Finnerly gasped. “And she would have let Reed claim the child? What would have happened if the child’s wolf did not manifest?”
“She was not only vain but stupid too,” the dowager said harshly. “The smartest thing she did was to drown on that ship with her lover.”
“The scandal that it would have caused would have destroyed the Townsend name, not to mention that the clan would have been in an uproar.”
“Still, I didn’t wish her any harm. That ship sinking was the real tragedy and I’m afraid that only made this worse for Reed. I only wish he—” She stopped short. “It looks like the musicians are ready. Let’s head back, Eleanora.”
Elise remained rooted to the spot as she listened to the two women’s footsteps move farther away. She opened her mouth trying to draw oxygen into her lungs, but it was like the air was too thick. Her heart twisted in her chest, and she had to brace herself against the door to steady her feet as her mind reeled with the information overload.
Reed’s wife betrayed him. He caught her in bed with her lover, the same man who got her pregnant. Then she died …
She bit the back of her hand to stop herself from crying out. I wish tomorrow would just be here already so I could just go home. But at the same time, that knot in her stomach grew at the thought of what would happen. Emotions like a violent storm churned inside her, knowing what was to come. She couldn’t even bring herself to be jealous of Beatrice, because if she were truly honest with herself, she would rather the other woman have Reed. She would rather he find happiness again in the arms of another woman if that meant he was going to live.
And the thought struck her like lightning. I love him.
And she would lose him.
Tears swelled in her throat,
and it took all her strength to keep them from spilling over. She took a deep breath and stepped back inside. If she were around other people, distracted, then she wouldn’t cry.
The hallway was empty, and she saw the last of the guests pouring back into the ballroom. As she hurried back, she saw Cross about to head in. She rushed at him and grabbed his arm.
“Elise?” His eyes searched her face. “Are you all right?”
“Cross, I …” She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. “Cross, isn’t there another way?”
“Another way?”
“I mean … we have all these Lycans here coming to fight the mage. And you … you have so much power …” Her hands were trembling as she clung to him. “Can’t we save Reed?”
He shook his head. “No, that’s unthinkable, Elise. We can’t change the past. Reed’s supposed to die tomorrow, and William will be Alpha someday. Elise,” he gently pulled her hands away from his coat. “Elise, when we get back home, Reed would have been gone for over two hundred years. Just a few days ago, when we were in our own time, he was already dead to us.”
He was right. Before they came to this place, she never even knew he’d existed. “I’m sorry, I just … I feel bad. For … for the duchess and Eleanor. They’ve suffered a lot these last months.”
“Elise,” he began. “I’m sorry.” The swell of music drifted out into the hallway. “They’re starting up again. We should go back.”
She allowed him to lead her inside the ballroom, and as soon as they sat down, her eyes darted straight toward Reed. Her stomach sank, and her heart lurched as she saw his elegant, severe profile. Her impression of the haughty and cold duke melted away, and instead, she felt his pain, thinking of the betrayal and loss he’d experienced in his life.
He must have felt her looking at him, because his head turned back and those obsidian eyes bore right into hers. She quickly turned away and focused her attention on the musicians, trying to keep her emotions at bay.
A Witch in Time Page 17
