by Grady, D. R.
Lila breezed into the office moments later, energy sizzling around her. “Hello, loves, what can I do for you?”
“Mom, you’re making us tired.” Mallen teased. They pulled a chair around the desk on his other side and he indicated that place for her.
As she settled herself, Mallen explained Stefen’s invitation, and she commented that she would make the arrangements for them to attend. He then spoke of his conversation with Stefen about Celeste and Giselle.
An emotion Julia didn’t recognize crossed his face as he turned to his mother. “Did you know about Giselle’s feelings for Stefen?”
“Giselle’s feelings for Stefen? But Stef was betrothed to Celeste.” Lila’s brow creased and she stared at her firstborn in confusion.
“No. We all thought Dad meant Celeste, but take a look at this.” Mallen indicated the computer screen. He showed her the marriage contract.
“I don’t understand, why did he announce Celeste’s engagement to Stefen when all of this information is about Giselle?” Lila’s voice held much bemusement.
“That’s what we’re attempting to figure out. Dad never mentioned any names during the announcement, he just said his daughter. We all assumed the daughter was Celeste, not Giselle.”
Julia inserted a question. “Do you remember the announcement, Lila?”
“No, love, I don’t. I was in the States at the time. Rosalee ended up in the hospital, remember Mallen?”
He started. “Of course, I do, now. That’s probably where part of this confusion stems from. You weren’t here, so Dad couldn’t tell you about Giselle and Stef. That means you wouldn’t have known to intervene when Stefen and Celeste’s betrothal was assumed.”
“But why wouldn’t your dad have called your mom to tell her what was going on?”
“I suspect I was already in the air, on my way home when he and Bruce left. He probably intended to call me once they got situated.”
Julia frowned. “Only he never got situated.”
“No. We missed each other by mere hours.” Lila’s sigh was heartrending.
“And Dad announced the betrothal the same day he left with Uncle Bruce,” Mallen supplied. “So there wouldn’t have been time to correct our assumptions.”
“Did your father leave notes, besides the marriage certificate?”
Mallen clicked on the notes icon and gave her time to read through the three paltry lines.
“He never got the opportunity to tell me, but this leads me to believe your father definitely intended for Giselle, not Celeste, to become engaged to Stefen.” Lila sucked on the inside of her cheek.
“We believe this to be so. Stefen never had any intention of marrying Celeste.”
“What are we going to do now?”
He shrugged. “Stef is going to explain things to her.”
“He asked you not to say anything, and I believe you should stay out of this. But there’s no reason why I can’t. I’ll also call Stefen,” Lila decided.
Julia approved. “It’s really not fair for her to go in there with no idea. The rest of us know, she should, too.”
“I agree,” Mallen responded.
“I’d better go see whether I can find Giselle.” Lila’s eyes narrowed as she stared at the computer screen before she stood. A quick hug to both of them and she headed for the door.
After she left, he glanced at Julia. “That went better than I thought, Dr. McNeal.” His grin was wholly mischievous. She poked him.
“Giselle, honey, are you busy?” Lila peeked around her daughter’s office door.
“No, Mama, not for you,” came her response. “What can I help you with?”
“Your brother just found something interesting in your father’s files.” Lila’s heart hammered.
“Oh?” Her daughter didn’t sound all that interested, yet.
“Do you remember when you returned from your trip and learned of Celeste and Stefen’s engagement?” Lila watched her daughter very closely.
“Yes.”
Because she had birthed this beautiful young woman and knew her so well, Lila saw the price Giselle paid to hide her emotions.
“Your father must not have realized you weren’t in residence that day. Because, you see love, everyone present who heard your father announce the betrothal automatically assumed the woman betrothed to be Celeste.
“Perhaps because you weren’t there and she was. Unfortunately, that assumption has been proven to be incorrect. Your father didn’t say your name, love, but you were the daughter Stefen asked for, not Celeste.”
Giselle didn’t or perhaps couldn’t hide the tears that sprang to her eyes, as a shaking hand covered her lips. Lila shot out of her chair and tugged the grieving woman close.
“It hurt so badly, thinking he chose my sister, my beautiful, wonderful sister, over me, especially after telling me how much he loved me,” Giselle whispered in a raw tone, sobs racking her body.
“Oh, love,” Lila soothed, as she ran a hand over her daughter’s silken hair.
“Celeste was so upset. She knew how I felt about Stefen and had every intention of confronting Daddy when he returned home. She didn’t want to marry Stefen because she knew how much I loved him. Then Daddy didn’t come home.”
“Baby, why didn’t you come to me about this?”
“I couldn’t. We had to work through Daddy’s death and then Celeste...” she sobbed into her mother’s shoulder, terrible sobs that shook her frame. As Lila heard the despair in her daughter’s cries and the hot tears against her neck, she resolved to do whatever she could to fix this situation.
“First off, Gissy, understand that Celeste would have never married Stefen. Why didn’t either of you go to Stef?” Lila inquired, a bit exasperated with her daughters.
“He was on that long business trip to the States, remember?”
“Oh, yes, I’d forgotten that,” Lila fretted. What a deplorable failure of miscommunication followed by tragedy. “And after he returned, Celeste had already been killed, and none of us were in any shape to allot energy or emotions for anything other than coming to terms with our losses.”
“I had to grieve for Daddy, Celeste, and what I’d missed out on with Stefen,” Giselle admitted with a shuddering breath. “I felt like he died, too.”
“Oh, baby, you never let on how much you suffered. I could have helped you bear your pain.”
“You had just lost Daddy, then Celeste, I wasn’t about to add to your burdens,” she returned, shaking her head firmly. Tears continued to streak down her face.
“Please talk to Stefen on Tuesday night, okay, love? Remember he thought you had died and has been grieving this past year also.”
Giselle’s head shot up and almost knocked Lila in the jaw, “What? Me?” Her forehead creased in puzzlement.
“Mallen left him a message telling him his sister, Stef’s betrothed, had died, which Stef took to mean you, as it was your hand in marriage he asked for, not Celeste’s. We’re the only ones who thought he and Celeste were engaged.”
“But others from his house would have seen me.”
“Not really, love, you’ve both traveled fairly extensively. Neither of you were likely home at the same time.”
“You are right. Plus the staff wouldn’t have intruded.”
“They’re like family, so they would not have said anything to either of you about the deaths, to save you added pain.”
“What a huge mess this has become.” Giselle rubbed her forehead.
“Let me get you some aspirin, love.”
“How did you know I needed a painkiller?”
“I’m your mother, I know these things.” Lila smiled at her offspring with all the love she could muster.
“Right.” Her answering smile was so sad, Lila’s heart clenched.
After her mother left to find medicine for her headache, Giselle leaned back in her chair and contemplated the information she had just heard.
Stefen had thought her dead.
“Here, Gissy, take these,” her mother instructed when she returned. She handed her the pills, a glass of milk and two of Julia’s excellent sugar cookies. Noting the telltale signs of crumbs around her mother’s lips she was grateful two of the treats had survived the journey from the kitchens to her office. Her mother was called away, and left with instructions for Giselle to take the painkillers.
She nodded before she swallowed the pills and some milk before starting on the cookies.
What might have been pressed her from nearly every side, and Giselle left her desk. She needed to think about this new information in a quiet, cool, dark place. Otherwise, her head might explode, and she needed to give the medication she’d taken time to take hold.
“Yes, hello, Millie, is Stefen there, please?”
“Lila?” His familiar voice asked a few moments later. Lila’s heart pounded as she realized her family’s grief had isolated them from their closest friends. This young man had always been like another son to her.
“Hello, Stef. Mallen told me what happened. I had no idea you and Giselle had feelings for one another,” Lila rushed in to reassure him that this mistake had not been intentional.
“Mallen seemed surprised too.”
“He was. We’ve had a very difficult year, but I’m hoping that’s beginning to change.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, I’ve told Giselle the betrothal was not between you and Celeste, but rather between you and her. This came as a surprise, and I believe, a relief to her. She’s been battling her grief over her father, Celeste, and you.”
“She has had much to cope with, but why didn’t she trust me?”
“I don’t know. You need to settle those questions between the two of you. Although, remember Celeste. Giselle would never have done anything to hurt her. They were too close,” Lila reminded him.
“Perhaps I should speak to her,” Stefen admitted. “I made no effort to offer my condolences to you in person after you lost both your husband and daughter.”
“It hurts to lose the person you love more than yourself.”
“Yes.” Lila took more from what he didn’t say than what he did.
“You and Giselle will need to work out your future together. She has not lost her love for you.”
“Thank you, Lila.” His answer was soft and heartfelt.
“You’re welcome, love, just help my daughter heal.”
“You may count on me.”
Chapter 14
Julia trailed back to her bedchamber, thinking about Mallen’s statement earlier.
“You’re impressive, Dr. McNeal, brainy, beautiful, creative, and you can bake.”
So very different from George’s hurtful comments. Mallen had said the words casually, as though he truly believed them. As though there was no room for argument, but a matter of pure fact. Brainy, beautiful, creative and she sighed. Julia opened the door and stepped into her room, Sebastian trailed behind her.
She couldn’t seem to comprehend how Mallen Saltaire, the king, albeit unwilling king, of Sandovia could feel that way. He was such an amazing man. Smart, funny, compassionate, sexy, amazing in nearly every way, and he seemed to believe her to be attractive.
Once inside, she padded into the bathroom and surveyed herself in the mirror. She saw a woman with dark, too curly hair, gray eyes, and decent enough features. She looked like a McNeal.
Her eyes swept over her body. Since coming to Sandovia, she spent time in the gym and was now toned so she didn’t cringe so much when she looked at her too rounded chest and bottom. Probably Mallen Saltaire was the only man alive with hands big enough to accommodate her generous curves. Her waist remained trim and she did have to admire the smooth muscle that rippled obediently beneath the skin of her arms and legs, yet she couldn’t imagine him believing her desirable. What did she have to offer a man like him?
“I just don’t get it, Sebastian,” she muttered to the cat as she passed through the bedroom on her way to the dressing room.
He didn’t answer. Although she did appreciate the glance he spared her before jumping onto the bed and promptly falling asleep, his head on her pillow.
“Males,” she complained as she set about selecting something to wear for supper. The Saltaires only dressed up when they expected company, so she didn’t need anything fancy, but she did require something flour free.
She selected a long skirt and a pretty sweater before traipsing to the shower.
After cleaning up and dressing again, her hair was still wet so she decided to just leave the mass down so the tresses would dry. She didn’t leave the curls unrestrained often, as George hadn’t liked her hair down. “It’s too unruly,” he had often sniffed. She hadn’t exactly agreed with that, except that hair did need to be restrained while working in the lab. That was a lab safety rule, and Julia found it easier to simply wear a French braid, sloppy bun, or pony tail.
She pulled a small wing of curls back from her face on either side and secured them with a barrette. The rest of her hair fell to her waist in a riot of curls. Julia shrugged. So she looked like a hoyden, oh well.
Sebastian, refreshed from his nap, accompanied her as she left her rooms and made for the family room. A couple of walls contained two story high bookshelves, each shelf brimming with books. The room boasted overstuffed chairs and sofas, and a crackling fire in the fireplace so Julia thought she could relax with one of the many books before supper.
Humming to herself, she took the stairs down to the main level and traversed the intersecting hallways. She stopped off at the kitchens for a large mug of hot chocolate and a cookie, mmm, maybe two and then proceeded to the family room. Mallen was already seated with a book in his lap, but he stood up long enough to relieve her of the second cookie, and washed it down with a third of her cocoa. This was not unusual behavior to her as she did have two brothers. She rolled her eyes before selecting a romance book she had been anxious to read.
“You’re welcome,” she said before plopping onto the sofa beside him. She kept a firm grip on her other cookie.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before smiling unrepentantly at her. “Thank you, love,” he replied. “You were right, you know. Your cookies are as good as Jared’s.”
“You shouldn’t have doubted me.”
“His are very good,” he cautioned.
“I know. But so are mine.” Her grin bordered on the smug side.
“Right.” He nodded. “Have you seen Giselle?”
“I haven’t, you?”
“No. Nor my mother.”
“I’ve seen your worthless pet, though.” She glared at Sebastian as he yawned for the third time in a row.
“He does tend to make one sleepy.”
“I’ll say. Is he hogging the fire too?”
Mallen laughed. “Of course he’s hogging the fire. I made it for him.”
“Right.” Julia refrained from pointing out that he lied.
“Well, he thinks so. So he’d naturally lie down directly in front of the warmth.”
“He’s wearing a fur coat.”
“Yes, he is. We’re wearing sweaters.”
“But not a fur coat.”
“No. Hey, beast, move, you’re hogging the heat.” Sebastian raised his head to look at them briefly before dropping his head back onto the carpet, as though exhausted.
Mallen turned gleaming eyes on her. “See how weary he is? Sebastian needs his rest. Apparently you’re wearing him out.”
“Oh, yes, I certainly am.” She rolled her eyes again, and easing off her slippers, burrowed her sock clad feet under the acre of sleeping cat. Her lips curled into a smile, despite not receiving much benefit from the fire.
“Now there’s an idea,” he said.
“When one’s got cold feet, one must make do with what’s available.” Julia decided to respond to the fact that she’d found a foot warmer rather than that she couldn’t hide her smile.
“Right.”
They both tur
ned their attention to the books in their laps, seemingly content to be in the other’s presence. Once in a while, Mallen’s hand ran over her hair, as though he didn’t find her curls unruly in the least.
Giselle settled onto her bed. Her headache was beginning to recede, but she still experienced the occasional pang. She attempted to push the pain away, and instead worked to concentrate on what her mother had told her.
Stefen had always wanted her.
She turned on her side, wanting to go to Stefen, wanting to see him, but with no words to say what she needed to tell him. It was painful to realize she’d been a fool.
Yet all through their relationship, she had doubted how he could love her when there was Celeste. Her sister had been beautiful and sweet. She hadn’t known how to shoot a gun, or shown any desire to learn. She hadn’t excelled in hand-to-hand combat or known the first thing about keeping their nation safe. She instead had been gifted in making people comfortable, easing their pain. She had been so beautiful. And her grace was still renowned. Celeste had been the embodiment of a female.
Giselle had loved her very much, but always felt inadequate compared to her little sister. Celeste had been their father’s true daughter, but she now understood that he had also considered Celeste his third child. As far as Hugo Saltaire was concerned, she, Giselle Saltaire was his first born daughter. Swallowing, hot tears pricked at her eyes, and she blinked them away.
While she lived in Jared McNeal’s cave, she realized that she did have some worth. She could melt into shadows, detect electronics of most any type, shoot any gun made, dead on, live off the earth, and she didn’t even mind sleeping on a cold stone floor. She headed a full regiment of men in keeping her nation safe. Giselle loved and valued her family. Maybe she was six feet tall and weighed as much as the normal man. She also had the strength of the average man.
Stefen Bannette wasn’t an average man.
She understood then that she should have sought out Stefen and demanded an explanation. Too much time had passed now.
