by Lexie Ray
It was a little disappointing to see that Filip was just an aging man who took care of himself. He was tall and had a solid frame that was just starting to soften with age, a few grey hairs at his temples, and some deepening lines around his face. He was just a normal guy in a good suit.
Jai shot a few glances at the others. They all seemed just as baffled and Dwayne gave him a subtle shrug. None of them knew exactly what they were supposed to do next, so Jai decided that he should just wait and see how this unfolded. Mads would give them some proper cues when he arrived. Jai just hoped that his chosen course of action wouldn’t result in them heading out into a storm to bury a corpse.
The situation only got more bizarre when Jai turned back to Natalie. She was struggling to keep her general state of grace. Her anger and annoyance showed in every broken, stunted edge that each of her movements took on. It looked like a real physical battle for her to keep her civility. Filip ducked down to kiss her cheek. Natalie didn’t move away, but she did clench her jaw so tight that it had to ache.
His book forgotten, Jai caught Natalie’s eyes. It was hard to express both general concern and an offer to cause bodily harm in the same look, but Natalie seemed to understand well enough. She gave a quick, barely noticeable, shake of her head. Still, Jai replaced his bookmark, tucked the volume down between his thigh and the arm of the chair, and gave the situation his full attention.
Eventually, Filip began to travel around the table, introducing himself to each person in turn with a well-tailored ease. Natalie was at the head of the table and, despite everything, Jai had somehow ended up seated to her right, which put him at the end of Filip’s greeting line and gave him a few moments of relative privacy to lean toward and Natalie and whisper, “Do you feel the same about this guy as Mads does?”
She straightened her spine. “Generally.”
“Anything I can do?”
“No.” Half a heartbeat later, she finally looked over to him. “Thank you.”
“Offer’s always there,” Jai said.
He sat back just in time for Filip to come around the table and offer his hand. Jai stood up and faced him squarely as they shook. Filip had Mads’ height, but that was where the similarities ended. His coloring and features were more in keeping with Natalie’s, but the sharpened edges of his face were eased by his wide, easy smile. In fact, Filip tried so hard to seem charming that it was slightly creepy to witness.
“Jai, what a pleasure to meet you. I’ve been told quite a lot about you.”
“From who, exactly?” Jai asked in a light tone.
“Pardon me?”
“Mads doesn’t gossip, and Natalie doesn’t make small talk. I’m not quite sure who else we have in common.”
While Filip did well to keep his relaxed smile, the skin around his eyes tightened ever so slightly. He didn’t like to be challenged. That was something worth taking note of. Out of the corner of his eyes, Jai noted how Natalie’s lips twitched into a small, amused, smile. It was enough to make him want to poke at Filip again. He had to work hard to squash the feeling.
“I asked around. It’s a fault, I know, but I take a great interest in the wellbeing of my family and, as you said, they tend to be secretive.”
“I’ll try to get past how creepy that is.” Maybe he wasn’t as good at fighting his urges to amuse Natalie as he had thought.
“Now that you mention it,” Dwayne chimed in, “it does seem a little weird. How much did you learn? Do you know my shoe size?”
“Ignore him,” Andrea said.
“And you still didn’t mention who you talked to,” Jamie said before taking a sip of his wine.
Filip released Jai’s hand as he turned toward Jamie. Whatever excuse he was going to give was interrupted by a sudden shift in the room. It was like the air itself had turned to ice. Without word or sound, they all turned to the main entrance to find Mads standing in the threshold.
As unmoving as a Roman statue, with Willow was by his side, Mads glanced around the room. Their expressions were all he ever needed to catch himself up with what had happened – at least the general highlights, and normally a bit more. Apparently being borderline creepy was a family trait.
Filip was the one to break the awkward silence.
“You must be Willow.” Filip waved his arms out wide in greeting. “How nice to finally meet you in person. I’m Mads’ Uncle Filip.”
A few long strides brought Filip to Willow. Mads watched his every step with a predatory glare, his lips curling back into a snarl. It was only when his uncle reached for Willow’s hand that life flooded back into Mads. Swiftly, he stepped between them, his eyes narrowed and shoulders squared.
“You do not touch her.” The words were barely a whisper but were clear in the resounding silence.
Filip lifted his hands in surrender but didn’t lose his smile. “I was just introducing myself, nephew. Being polite.”
Jai had seen Mads go cold before, but nothing compared to the arctic front that he was wielding now. Jai chanced a glance to Natalie. She was already watching him and, as hard as she was trying to hide it, she looked concerned. It didn’t exactly bode well for the fallout from this encounter.
“Well,” Filip said with playful awkwardness. “How about a hug, nephew?”
“No.”
“Still haven’t grown out of that contrarian phase, I see.” Filip laughed and smacked Mads on the shoulder.
Mads glared at the hand with a look of utter revulsion until Filip finally removed it.
“There is no need for animosity, Mads. I’m not here to start a fight.”
“Are you sure he’s related to you, Mads?” Dwayne chirped. “He knows how to use an apostrophe.”
That resulted in Dwayne receiving a narrowed glare from both Mads and Natalie at the same time. There was no way Dwayne could possibly hide behind Andrea’s far smaller frame, but he gave it a decent shot.
“Why are you here?” Mads asked.
“Did Natalie not tell you? I’m coming to the conference.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Mads, come on,” Filip laughed. “I was presented with the opportunity to have both of my elusive relatives in the same room at the same time. How was I supposed to pass that up?”
“And which spy told you that?”
Filip pushed a hand through his soft black hair and sighed. “Mads, you really need to look into this paranoia of yours.”
“I purchased the tickets at the last moment. I used a private helicopter service for the last leg of the journey, and I directly contacted the staff here about my impending arrival. All of these are points of contact that should not have passed any information onto you. So, I ask again, who told you?”
“Does it matter?”
“It would make things easier. I would hate to have innocent people fired. But I am not above it.”
“Mads, we talked about this. You need to relax more. Take a breath. Life is good. You’re home with family, surrounded by good friends, and have a beautiful woman by your side. What could be better?”
A dangerous glint entered Mads’ eyes. “I could come up with a few suggestions.”
Filip only held his gaze for a moment before he pulled back and forced a smile. “Let’s eat.”
As a trained doctor that had practiced both in a hospital and on an active battlefield, Jai was used to awkward situations. It kind of went hand in hand with anything to do with the human body. But this dinner was a whole new level of awkward. A few polite conversations staggered along, mostly about the food served and the severity of the storm outside, but there was no way to ignore the tension that hung over them like a smothering blanket.
Mads focused all his attention on eating and painfully ignored everything else that was happening around him. He wouldn’t so much as look at anyone at the table and seemed to believe that if he kept his mouth busy he wouldn’t have to say anything.
For her part, Natalie stared straight ahead and absently shifted her meal aro
und her plate. If anyone had been paying even the slightest bit of attention, Jai was sure that he wouldn’t have been able to get away with sneaking so many glances at her. But as it was, everyone felt so awkward that he could probably have outright stared, and no one would have noticed. Still, he tried to be subtle.
Even as the hours passed along with the courses, Jai was sure that Natalie hadn’t eaten more than a few bites. From her letters, he knew that it was a bad habit that she slipped into when stressed or focused, and often took to extremes. Her last breakthrough had cost her close to sixteen pounds in two weeks. And now that he finally saw her, he realized that that was a lot more than she could afford to lose.
“So,” Filip said as the dessert was served, “I must admit, there was another reason to my early arrival that I didn’t mention earlier.”
Mads scoffed. “You lied. How unique.”
“I withheld certain information that wasn’t prudent at the time,” Filip corrected.
It was weird to see Mads roll his eyes, and Jai struggled to believe that he had actually witnessed it. He glanced around the table. Jamie bit back a smile, a sure sign that he had seen it too. At least he wasn’t crazy.
“I had heard a few rumors that you were in trouble, Natty.”
“Natalie,” Mads, Natalie, and Jai corrected in unison.
Mads’ head snapped up, his focus shifting to Jai, who could only shrug in response. He was allowed to know things.
Annoyance laced Natalie’s words. “I am under no threat.”
“That is debatable,” Mads mumbled before raising his voice. “Where did you say you heard this rumor from again?”
“A mutual friend.”
Mads furrowed his brow. “How strange. Since I take great lengths to avoid making any acquaintances with people you are friendly with.”
“Martha would suggest otherwise.”
A spark of interest had Dwayne grinning like a fool. “Martha? Who’s Martha?”
“Filip’s personal assistant,” Mads said as he took a quick bit of his meal.
“Mads had taken quite a liking to her.”
“She had a great deal of information.” Another bite.
“Well,” Filip said with a small grin, “it would appear that I’m not the only one that likes his little spies.”
“I never denied having them. It is far easier to avoid you if I know where you are.” Mads cut at his dessert with enough force to make the blade of his knife screech across the fine china plate.
“Nevertheless. Natalie, I was so worried that I had to come and see you in person and make sure with my own eyes you were okay.”
“How sweet,” Mads grumbled.
Filip looked to Mads for only a moment before he turned his attention back to Natalie. “Malcolm was beside himself with worry. He should be arriving later tonight.”
Natalie’s cutlery clattered against the table as she pushed herself back. “Do I no longer have a say in who resides within my own home?”
“I will be more than willing to send him on his way,” Mads noted.
“Thank you, kindly.”
“I’m sorry to cut in,” Jamie said, “but who is Malcolm?”
“An inept suitor,” Natalie answered.
Filip heaved a sigh perfectly designed to sound long-suffering but indulgent. “He’s a very nice young man who is fond of you.”
“He’s an imbecile.”
“Isn’t everyone?” Jai asked. “At least when they’re compared to you.”
He had only meant it as a passing comment, an observation, but it still sent a flush of happiness across Natalie’s face. Jai had suspected that she’d be a little susceptible to flattery. Apparently, he had seriously underestimated just how much she liked to preen.
“Yes.” It was the first time that she had actually sounded happy. “They are. But even when compared to someone with mundane intelligence, Malcolm is lacking.”
“Perhaps that’s a good thing,” Filip laughed.
“How on Earth could that be a good thing?”
“I love you, Natty, but you have a bit of an ego. No man with intelligence to rival your own will indulge you in it.”
“There is no man with an intelligence to rival my own,” Natalie replied. She flicked her eyes to Mads. “I mean no offense.”
“None taken,” Mads said. “Scientifically, you are my vast superior.”
“Scientifically? What else is there?”
“Psychology?”
“So, you mean pseudoscience?” she hummed. “Yes, I suppose I would have to acknowledge your expertise in that field.”
“Psychology is not a pseudoscience.” He barely managed to keep from sounding petulant.
“We have had this conversation many times,” Natalie said before sipping her wine.
“That we have,” Mads smirked.
“I think you’re both forgetting the arts. Mads does love his dramatics.” The older man met Mads’ glare with a smile. “You know, dancing, singing, music. Have you kept up with your practice?”
“If your spies cannot ascertain even that, you are paying them far too much for their services.”
“Must you call them spies?”
“I must,” Mads said coldly.
“In any respect,” Filip said with the same chill. “Malcolm will be coming by tonight.”
“And he will be leaving tonight.”
“That’s not very polite,” Filip said, like he had won the argument.
And the kicker was that it might actually be the trump card that could sway Mads to let him stay. Unless Natalie pushed the issue, of course. The cousins shared a glance, but nothing came of it.
“I’d hate to break this super tense and very awkward silence,” Dwayne said, “but I have a question.”
“Let us hear it.” Mads smiled at the distraction.
“There’s very limited electricity here.”
“That is not a question.”
“I’m guessing that there’s no TV or Internet, outside of the routers you mentioned in the laboratory. So, what do we do once we finish eating?”
“I am retiring to my laboratory,” Natalie replied.
“No, you are not,” Mads snapped.
Natalie lifted her jaw. “Am I not?”
“If you attempt to leave me here with Filip and Malcolm, I will be forced to burn this place to the ground.”
“I could use a change of scenery, I suppose.”
“With every scrap of your research inside.”
Natalie slapped her hand against the table. “You would not dare.”
Mads’ smiled as he lifted his glass of wine to his lips. “Would I not?”
Tension grew within the room until Jai could almost feel it pressing against him as solidly as the ever-present cold.
“We will retire to the library,” Natalie finally said.
“Oh,” Dwayne pouted.
“There is port there.”
Dwayne was suddenly smiling. “Oh.”
Chapter Eight
Malcom arrived just after the last of the plates were cleared. It was perfectly timed, really. He came into the room with a flurry of stray rain droplets, expertly styled light brown hair, and smiles that he seemed to think were flirtatious. Ignoring everyone else, he rushed to Natalie and began to bombard her with attention. First, he asked her repeatedly if she was okay, then proceeded to tell her about how he would have been here sooner if he had known, and rounded the whole thing up with constant flattery.
She couldn’t take a breath without him feeling compelled to compliment her on it. Unable to get a word in, Jai took the opportunity to study the man. Clean-cut and polished, Jai had to admit that there was a classical handsomeness to him. This, however, wasn’t enough to persuade Natalie to give him much attention. If anything, she just seemed to endure his presence and did her best to tune him out.
It didn’t take long for Malcolm’s empty words to become amazingly tedious for just about everyone in the room. Mads had take
n to lingering in the threshold as they prepared to move to the library. It was hard to tell if he was positioning himself to block Natalie if she attempted to flee, or if he himself wanted to make a run for it.
***
The last rays of the sun were already gone by the time that they left the dining room. Dusk left the hallway drenched with bottomless shadows, interrupted only by the hundreds of candles that hung in cradles off the walls. Natalie lingered at the back of their group, letting Malcolm and Filip take the lead. Originally, she had hoped that Mads might get distracted long enough for her to slip into one of the hidden passageways that lined the walls. It was a stupid hope. Mads kept pace with her no matter how far she separated herself from the group. Suddenly, he grabbed her arm and pushed her into one of the darkened archways.
Holding her in place, he shifted his gaze to make sure that no one had noticed their departure. When he was satisfied, he turned a furious glare onto her.
“What are you playing at?” he hissed.
Natalie made sure she sounded far too innocent to be believable. “Whatever do you mean?”
He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Willow’s wardrobe.”
“I do not know what happened to her suitcase. But I will find the servant responsible, if you wish.”
“Why that dress?” It looked like it pained him to say each word. As much as he struggled against it, a slight blush grew on cheeks.
Natalie bit back her smile. She might not be as skilled as Mads at gathering information from behavioral clues and micro-expressions but she had managed to gleam some facts about him over the years. Some things that he might not want to be brought to light. When he was a teen and still inexperienced at guarding himself, she had suspected that he had formed crushes on at least two women: Elizabeth Bennet and Josephine Bonaparte.
It had taken her a while to understand the connection between the two. At length, she had decided that the reported physical similarities might be, in part, a reason. Both women had loose curls worn in high buns. They were slender and fit, and had large eyes and sophisticated features. Willow shared these features.
