“Good,” Esta said, “but none of the…” She wiggled her fingers in a magical way. “We have enough gossip about our family without adding more. Stick to safe topics like the weather and…how proud you are to be an aunty.”
Kat smiled. “That I can do.” She relaxed back in the seat and watched the countryside go by, shoving all thoughts of James out of her head. Tomorrow would be an occasion to remember!
Their arrival in Wildecoast, and the subsequent flurry of activity and dress fittings, had Kat’s mind in a place that threatened to send her screaming into the sea. Finally, dressed in her cobalt blue satin gown and bedecked with silver and sapphires, Kat took a moment to enjoy a cup of chamomile tea in a quiet corner of Esta’s suite of rooms. Her sister was still fussing and primping as if anyone would care if there was a hair out of place or a crease in her fern green gown.
Kat closed her eyes and tried to bring her erratic nerves under control. It was only a ball. It mattered not who was there or what they said of her. She would survive the night and keep her eyes down. Samael had promised her a dance and so had Nikolas. Surely the dancing lessons she had endured as a young girl would come back to her and stop her falling over her feet?
“I’m ready!” Esta announced, and Kat’s heart flipped over in her chest. She took a great gulp of tea and choked on it, only just avoiding spraying the liquid over her skirt.
“Really, Kat,” Esta said, handing her a handkerchief. “You must be more careful. Please don’t go gulping your drink tonight!”
Kat placed her cup and saucer on the table and stood with as much dignity as possible after choking on her tea. “Don’t worry, I’ll do my best not to disgrace the family.”
A knock at the door heralded Sam, who had dressed in another room to give the ladies more space. “Ready?” he asked, his green eyes gleaming as he took in the splendor of his wife. “You both look exquisite!”
His eyes never left his wife. Kat longed for a man to treasure her as Sam did Esta. She sighed, trying and failing to push the face of a certain master jeweler out of her mind.
“Let’s get this over with.” She sailed past Esta and Sam as they stood gazing at one another like two lovesick youngsters.
Kat fell into step behind her sister and brother-in-law as they made their way down to the ballroom. She groaned as she saw the dancers crowding the room. They were clearly among the last to arrive which meant all eyes would be upon them.
“Lady Esta Aranati and her husband Samael Delacost,” the master of ceremonies said. “And Lady Katrine Aranati.”
“Always the afterthought,” Kat muttered under her breath as she walked through the doorway into the ballroom.
Under cover of the flurry of people who flocked to speak with Esta and Sam, she looked around the room, seeing few people she knew. Her palms grew sweaty and her face heated. Too many! How was she to deal with all these pretentious lords and ladies? They had been howling for Samael’s blood less than a year ago, yet now they appeared eager to rub shoulders with him in a social situation. They could not have forgotten his trial so soon, or the fact he had consorted with the faction of dark elves known as Sis Lenweri. But here they were, clucking around Esta and Sam as if they could reap some benefit.
Thank the Goddess no one suspected Esta of anything more than loving a pirate. Kat didn’t relish any investigation into how they had met Samael Delacost, how their one-time smuggling led them into the pirate’s path. She shivered as she imagined the repercussions of such a revelation.
“Are you chilled, lady?”
Kat turned to find a good-looking sandy-haired gentleman in a charcoal gray velvet tunic standing before her.
“Tomas Henn at your service.” The man swept into a bow.
She curtsied. “Katrine Aranati, my lord,” she said, keeping her eyes lowered.
“Yes, I know who you are. I courted your sister before her failed engagement. Had I realized there was a more beautiful sister yet to come, I wouldn’t have wasted my efforts.”
“You are too kind,” Kat said, “but I don’t think my sister would appreciate your slight.”
“Forgive me, Lady Katrine, I meant no harm with my clumsy compliment.”
She nodded. “You are forgiven.”
“I wondered if you might do me the honor of dancing with me.”
Kat nodded again, and Lord Henn swept her onto the floor. He was a skilled dancer, good natured when she trod on his toes, and strong enough to guide her smoothly to the next step. Kat was surprised to find she enjoyed the two dances she had with him.
“Thank you, Lady Katrine,” he said as he led her to the buffet table. “May I have another dance later in the evening?”
“I shall look forward to it,” she said, smiling at the floor. Kat sought a chair and sat down before she received another offer. She needed time to compose herself. How was she to get through the night without making eye contact with her dance partners?
Esta and Samael approached. “Have a dance with Sam while I get my breath, Kat.”
Sam escorted Kat onto the floor, and she tried not to compare his strong arms with those of another. Again, she knew the pang of longing for a man who could match her fire and also shield her from harm. Keep your mind on your brother-in-law! “I’ve been meaning to speak to you for some time now, Sam.”
“Oh?”
“Yes…I haven’t always been your advocate. When Esta fell in love with you, I wondered if she had lost her mind.”
“Love is a kind of insanity, don’t you think?”
Kat thought of her feelings for James, how they made no sense most of the time. “I suppose so. Anyway, I wanted you to know I respect the way you have looked after Esta and pulled your life into a semblance of respectability.”
Sam laughed out loud, and Kat scowled at him.
“Oh, lady, how you do give backhanded compliments! Well, let me tell you, I care not for respectability for myself, but I love Esta. I’d do anything for her. And I’m enjoying my new life. The only thing I crave is more time at home to enjoy it.”
“You never have to fear for her or your son while you’re at sea. We’re used to taking care of each other.”
“Meaning what?”
“As I said. We take care of our own.”
“I hope you include me, lady.”
Kat studied him. “Perhaps one day, Sam. I don’t think you’re quite there yet.”
His arms tightened around her.
“Your sister believes I’m good enough for her,” he growled.
Kat cocked her head on an angle. “As you said, love is a kind of insanity.”
They finished the dance in silence, and he led her back to Esta then left to fetch drinks.
“Are you enjoying yourself yet, Kat? It’s heartening to see you conversing with Sam. I feared you might never make friends.”
“We’re friendly enough, Esta. And yes, I’m relaxing a little as the evening goes on. Tomas Henn seems to like me.”
Esta smiled. “You could do worse than him, you know. His monthly allowance is sufficient to keep our estate running for a year.”
“And what if I don’t wish to marry for money? What if I never marry at all?” She was beginning to think it was a definite possibility.
“As I told you before, Kat,” Esta said. “You need not give up on marriage. Perhaps you could grow to love Lord Henn?”
She didn’t want to discuss her love life, even with her sister. “Perhaps. Are you enjoying yourself?”
Esta beamed. “Oh, yes! I admit I was nervous about the reception Sam would get, but his connection to Nikolas seems to ensure he is at least treated with politeness. I don’t care what they all say behind our backs.”
“At least we liven up an event by our presence. As long as no one gets wind of how we made ends meet before you married Sam.”
“Yes! I think we can breathe easily on that issue. With Nikolas on our side, there is no one else to ask questions.” Esta looked around as the musicians playe
d the first notes of a lively tune. “Where is Sam with our drinks? I wish to get back on the floor.”
As she said the words, the King asked Esta for a dance, and Kat accepted a partner soon after. It was a fat lord who stood on her toes with each change of direction. The dance didn’t last long and was followed by a flurry of different partners, leaving Kat breathless as the clock neared midnight.
She was thinking it might be time to retreat to her suite when there was movement on the stage where the musicians sat. A tall dark-haired man in a mask now stood before the players, his figure compelling her attention as the crowd hushed. Kat stared, and the man’s eyes met hers across the crowded room. A spear of excitement struck her, and she tingled all the way to her toes. Who was he?
The music started, and he began to sing, rich tones pouring forth as he sang of thwarted love, of a lady in a tower who had spurned his offer of marriage, of his life now barren of anything worthwhile. Kat stood transfixed by his voice and those words! How did he understand how alone she felt since leaving James?
Kat stiffened and peered closer for the identity of the man as he sang the last chorus. His voice was hypnotic, deep–and familiar? Could it be James on stage? What?
The song ended, and the man stepped down to thunderous applause. He walked to Kat without ever taking his eyes off her and bowed.
“My lady.”
She curtsied, raising her eyes to his.
“James.”
“You guessed.”
Her body trembled so hard she could scarcely form words. “The song made me think of how I felt, and it gave me the clue. I didn’t realize you sang.”
“Neither did I until I dreamt up this idea.”
“What do you mean?”
“After you left, I couldn’t accept your decision not to marry me. I came up with a plan to win you back. It would not be necessary if I had followed my heart in the first place. I hope you can forgive me. I never meant to hurt you. I hope my song made you understand where my heart now lies.”
He brought her close to him, and it was her body’s turn to sing as they danced a waltz. To have James this close again was heaven, but where her heart rejoiced, her head debated.
“I miss you too, James, only I can’t help feeling you might change your mind when the reality of life with me takes hold. I have to know you are true.”
“Does this not prove how serious I am about you?” James pushed his mask on top of his head, revealing eyes haunted with desperation. “It’s a public declaration of my love.”
“I know.”
“Can’t you forgive a stupid man for getting his priorities wrong?”
“James Tomel!” A dark-haired, bearded man with piercing blue eyes clapped James on the back. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” The man’s fingers curled into James’s shoulder like a claw. “You’ll be a laughing stock in the guilds.”
The man turned to Kat, his body held stiffly. “My lady.”
“Hello, Reid.” She couldn’t think what to say to the man Esta had promised to marry and then run out on. He must still be fuming. “I hope you are well.”
Reid stared at her. “I’m getting on with business, which is more than I can say for James here.” His attention shifted back to his friend. “Have you taken leave of your senses, man?”
James drew himself up while Kat wished she could slink away and leave them to it.
“I thought I sounded quite good.”
Reid snorted. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it. You’re making a fool of yourself and over the sister of a woman who broke her vow to me.”
James held up a finger. “Watch your words, or I’ll be forced to do something I shouldn’t at a royal event.”
Kat clutched at James’s arm. “Leave him be. We don’t wish for a scandal.”
James pulled her close and addressed Reid. “I love this woman, and I won’t have you casting slurs on her name or her sister’s.”
There was a collective gasp from those nearby. They had gathered a crowd observing the unfolding drama. Kat wished even more for the quiet of her room.
“You idiot!” Reid’s face glowed like the setting sun over the mountains on a warm summer day. “After I told you what I endured, you wish to be associated with this lady? You deserve every bad thing that comes to you.” He turned and strode through the crowd, leaving whispers in his wake.
James escorted Kat from the floor and found a quiet alcove where he could shield her with his body.
“I’m sorry about Reid,” he said. “I hope you realize I would choose you above him in a heartbeat.”
She looked up into the dark intensity of his gaze, all the while trying to make sense of what he was doing here. Should she give him what he sought?
“He is your friend. I don’t expect you to turn your back on him. You shouldn’t have to do that.” And what if Reid knew the real truth of her talents? He would shout it from the rooftops.
“I can deal with losing a friend, but I can’t live without you. I’ve hurt you deeply in so many ways, but I think I can make you happy. Please, please say you’ll marry me, and we’ll find a priestess and make it official.”
She stared. “This was a beautiful gesture, James, but it doesn’t change anything. You think you want me, but I must be sure you know your own heart.”
“I love you, dammit, and you feel deeply for me. I’ve seen it in your eyes, sensed it in your body, and felt it in your care when I was injured. Tell me you don’t love me.”
She watched his hope turn to despair as she allowed the silence between them to lengthen. “Sometimes it takes more than love to make a forever, James. You must prove you have it in you to trust me, and love me, and forgive me when my true essence is more than you can deal with.”
“That’s not fair. How can we know the future? All I know is I can’t live without you. I hoped you felt the same.”
She grabbed his lapels and pulled him close, planting a kiss on those lips that had stolen her heart. “I love you, but you have to understand, right now, I can live without you. I’m not the same woman you seduced in the meadow. I’ve climbed a mountain since then, and I can see so much more from the summit than before.”
“What can I do?”
“Prove you can be my partner in all I do. I don’t just need your love, I need your support, and tenderness, and forgiveness. I need your truth. If I give my heart fully to you, James, there will be no going back. You must be sure.”
Kat pushed past him, refusing to look at him as she fled to her suite.
James sat on his bed in a tavern in the best quarter of Wildecoast city. He hadn’t even loosened his tie or taken off his coat. He’d been so damned sure Katrine would fall at his feet when he sang to her. Anger simmered but he was trying to control it. Letting his temper run free was no way to make the next decision on what he could do to fix things with his love.
Was it fair of her to demand he prove himself? Surely, he had done that in the past? Yes, but you ruined it all, so now you must begin again. He had destroyed a precious gift when he spurned Katrine’s love. And he couldn’t make it right merely by saying sorry. But what else could he do? He’d put his reputation on the line performing at the ball tonight. Reid was right. He might well be the laughing stock of Wildecoast by tomorrow. And it was all for nothing.
Or was it? Katrine had kissed and touched him with tenderness. It was just a matter of finding the right path back to her.
Something she said stuck in his memory. I need your truth. What did she mean? Did she suspect he was still hiding things from her? She didn’t know everything about him by a long way, whereas he knew all her deepest and darkest secrets—her eyes, her magic, the hounds…that she was a witch.
Did she suspect he harbored one last secret? His position as spymaster? He wasn’t meant to divulge it to anyone but his informants. Did it matter if he revealed his clandestine career to Katrine? He was already withholding information from the King that he should have p
assed on, principally Katrine’s own secrets, his knowledge of Vard Anton and the existence of the dragon.
James slammed his hand down on his thigh. Perhaps it was time to get out of the spy service and let a man whose heart was free take the risks. He didn’t know if he had the stomach for it anymore.
Chapter 16
The note came for Kat the next afternoon as she strode back and forth across Esta’s sitting room. Her sister sat, patching a stocking and clucking at Kat’s restless pacing.
“We will return to the estate tomorrow and not a moment sooner, sister,” Esta said. “I don’t understand your urgency to leave. I should be the one pacing, missing Mica as I am.”
Kat glared at her sister, then took the missive from a maid and waited until the woman left. Of course, Esta couldn’t understand. She didn’t have twenty-one hounds in her head, all longing to spend a night in her company. She broke the seal and unfolded the paper. It was from James. He requested her presence for supper that evening–at a tavern of all things, albeit in the private dining room. She told Esta.
“You must take a chaperone if you intend to meet him. The Goddess only knows what gossip will result even accompanied by a chaperone.”
“Perhaps I won’t go. What can he say that will change things between us?”
“You won’t know if you don’t meet him,” Esta said. “I thought last night’s gesture was sweet. He took a grave risk, and his friendship with Reid has to have been tested. You mean more to him than his friend or his business, or at least that’s how I see it.”
Kat considered. “Yes, when I first met James, he disliked me because I was your sister. It seemed then his relationship with Reid was of the utmost importance.”
“Go and see what he has to say.”
The Master and the Sorceress Page 16
