by Vella, Wendy
“I am always careful.”
He could do nothing to stop the snort.
“I am!”
He remained silent.
“Well, I try to be.”
“As your friend, I would like you to try harder.”
She looked at him.
“Are we to be friends, Nicholas?”
“Yes, as we can be nothing else, Alice.”
A heavy silence settled between them.
“Very well, but as we are friends, will you now tell me about the man you were, or something I do not know about you?”
“There is nothing in my past that can be of interest to you.” There was absolutely no way he was enlightening her about the man he’d been.
“The thing is, Nicholas, no one in my family will furnish me with this information, which is odd, as they are usually more than happy to gossip.” She was frowning again. “However, on the matter of your past they are surprisingly tight-lipped. It is most vexing.”
Excellent.
“I have no wish to discuss the matter further, thank you,” he said, sounding stuffy and pompous, but when his back was against the wall, that was exactly how he reacted.
“Come now. You feel comfortable poking and prodding into my life, surely I am allowed a small window into yours?”
“I don’t poke and prod into your life. Unluckily for me, I come across you when you are doing something you shouldn’t.”
She raised a brow.
He looked away from her and at the others who rode before him. All chatting, happy to be out enjoying the fresh air.
“Tell me something... anything.”
“No.”
“That’s it? No?”
“Yes.”
Now be quiet.
“Surely someone as lofty as you couldn’t have done anything overly exciting?”
“You will not needle a reaction from me, Alice.”
“Cam I know was a bit of rogue and got into trouble, and it’s my belief that you are in some way involved in that—”
“Let it be, Alice.”
Her sigh was forlorn.
“Very well, I will tell you one thing. My sister has a house for children who live on the streets. They go there if they need care or shelter.”
“I know about Temple Street. Also that the Sinclair and Raven ladies knit for the children who sometimes shelter there.”
“That’s right. But did you also know that we have another house, and I look after that one, as it is above a tavern by the docks and both Dev and I forbid Lilly to go there.”
“I didn’t know that. It is a very noble thing to do, Nicholas. Which simply reinforces my belief you cannot have been that awful before.”
“I was.”
“I would like to visit this place and help the children if—”
“Absolutely not!”
She gave him a smile that told Nicholas she’d known exactly what she was doing by speaking those words.
“I walked right into that,” he muttered.
“I believe friends do that to each other. It’s called teasing.”
He laughed as she’d wanted him to, and while he was aware of her like he had never been another woman, he thought that possibly, with distance and less exposure, he could call her friend... if an uncomfortable one.
Chapter Fifteen
Alice had known she must simply act like nothing had transpired between her and Nicholas when he’d joined her and Wolf, for both their sakes. No awkward silences or avoidance; their families would realize if she behaved differently around him.
So she’d teased him.
He looked handsome and vital today. Dressed immaculately as always, hair slightly ruffled beneath his hat. Sitting with ease on his horse, as if he’d been born to ride.
He wanted them to be friends, and while Alice had her doubts as to whether she would ever truly feel comfortable in Nicholas Braithwaite’s presence, she would try.
Over the last few weeks she had come to the realization that perhaps he was the first man she’d ever truly wanted to the point that she forgot to be sensible. He robbed her of that. Because he had vowed there could be nothing between them, Alice had spent the time apart from him shoring up her defenses.
While she’d never believed herself capable of the burning passions that some experienced, she realized after their first kiss that in fact she’d been wrong. But he had no wish to marry her, and she should have no wish to marry him. After all, he’d only kissed her, and touched her breast; she was naive to believe he had not done that and more with women.
No, this was for the best. Friends they could be... but nothing more.
As they crested the hill, the gleam of a lake caught Alice’s eye. It was a beautiful scene spread before them. The picnic had been set up at the base of the hill, with rolling pastures to the left and right.
“It’s in moments such as this I wish I could paint.”
“I would rather sketch it,” Nicholas said.
“Are you any good?”
He raised a haughty brow. “I rarely do things I do not excel at.”
“How terribly pompous of you, Lord Braithwaite.”
Perhaps they could do this... be friends and laugh with each other. After all, one day she would wed, or he would, and they would rarely see each other, so until then she would pretend being near him did not make butterflies flutter in her stomach.
“What put that look on your face?”
“I’m hungry,” Alice lied, nudging her heels into the horse’s side and sending it down the hill, away from him.
The guests soon settled on pillows and blankets the staff had set out for them. They filled their plates from the laden trestle tables with tea sandwiches—cucumber and cream cheese—for Alice, plus a scone with jam and clotted cream.
“That is Lady Mueller, who Lilly told me is quite taken with Nicholas.” Kate whispered the words to Alice, as they were currently sharing a pillow.
Her sister was not out in society as yet, but the family said she could attend today with the children.
It was decided due to Alice’s age, being twenty-three and quite ancient for a debutante, it would be best if she was presented alone, and Kate, at twenty, next year.
“Her smile would frighten small animals and babies.”
She found the woman, dressed in a pretty day dress that could do with a few more inches of material in the bodice. Clearly she had not ridden here. Lady Mueller was laughing with Nicholas, placing her hand on his sleeve and leaning forward so he could have a clear view of her ample breasts.
“She seems a shy sort,” Alice said, nibbling on her scone even though it tasted sour.
“Very. Someone should teach her how to communicate better. She is doing a terrible job. Why, Nicholas has no idea at all that she would like to ravish him.”
“Kate! I cannot believe you said that.” Alice looked around them, but no one was listening. Except maybe Eden, whose lips had tilted up as if she was smiling about something secret.
“Yes, you can, we are always honest with each other.”
“Miss Gimlet looks terrible in beige, it washes her complexion away,” Alice said, studying the young woman who sat at her mother’s side.
“I often wonder why mothers dress their offspring in clothes that look horrid on them.”
“Because they believe it looks good on them... or should I say that they want it to look good on their daughters, as once, it looked wonderful on them. ’Tis a wonder Sir Nigel hasn’t lost an eye with his shirt points. And the number of folds in that necktie make him appear as if he is wearing some kind of brace,” Alice added.
Kate moved her eyes from Nicholas to Sir Nigel.
“He looks like a puppy as yet grown into his skin.”
“Do you think he doesn’t look in the mirror, or his valet is having a laugh at his expense?”
“There are none so blind as those who don’t want to see, Kate.”
“Very true, which leads me ni
cely to my question.”
“What question?” Alice dragged her eyes from the hand Nicholas placed over Lady Mueller’s.
“What is between you and Nicholas?”
As luck would have it, she had just swallowed the last mouthful of the scone, or Alice was sure it would have ended up everywhere as she coughed. Like a dutiful sister, Kate smacked her hard on the back.
“Better?”
“H-hardly,” Alice gasped. “And there is nothing between us, so I will thank you to never speak that way again.”
Kate made a scoffing sound that had her wanting to lob the other half of the scone at her... but it was a scone, and Alice was partial to them.
“’Lo, ’Lice.”
“Hello, Meredith.” Relieved to be interrupted from the disturbing conversation with Kate, she was only too happy to pull the child onto her lap.
“She just called you Lice,” Kate said sounding smug. “As in bed lice.”
It was a known fact that no one could annoy you quite like a sibling... ask anyone who had one, the answer would be unequivocally yes.
“And I will be asking you that question again, Alice,” Kate added.
Not if I can help it.
“We shall play charades!” Lady Levermarch said, clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention.
“I would rather have a tooth pulled.” Kate grumbled along with several of the men.
“I’m sure that could be arranged.”
“I will select the teams,” Lady Levermarch added.
“Dear lord, not teams.” Kate sighed. “I’ve never been good at team playing.”
“Because you’re selfish.” Alice blew a raspberry into Meredith’s neck. “And like all the glory.”
Some sisters, or so she had heard, communicated with sweet words and gestures. Kate and Alice had never been that way.
“You are in Nicholas’s team?” Alice didn’t look at Kate but knew the expression she would have on her face was smug.
“Excellent, I hope he has the required skills for us to win.”
Alice kept Meredith as she made her way to where her team assembled. Lady Mueller was also there, next to Nicholas, still cooing at him in a silly voice. It was nauseating.
“Never behave like that, Meredith, or you and I will be having words,” she whispered to the little girl, who was now clinging to her as she looked at Lady Mueller.
“Cooee, sweet little girl.” The woman smiled, but it was more a baring of her teeth as she took one of Meredith’s hands. Excellent judges of character, infants. The little girl tugged her fingers away and buried her head into Alice’s neck.
“She is shy, aren’t you, darling,” Nicholas said, leaning in to kiss his niece. Alice deliberately held her breath. The man smelled far too good.
“Is she too heavy, Alice? I could take her if so.”
“No, she is fine, thank you.”
“I think as Lord Braithwaite is the most intelligent and handsome among us, he should go first,” Lady Mueller declared loudly, obviously not happy that Nicholas’ attention was no longer focused on her.
“I don’t think he’s the most handsome,” Alice said, simply because the woman was annoying her with her foolish behavior, and honestly, how rude to say such a thing in the presence of other men. “Both Mr. Alexander Hetherington and Lord Ryder are equally as handsome... as are many of the other men here today.”
“Thank you, Miss Sinclair, that is very kind of you,” Lord Ryder said solemnly. However, his eyes were twinkling.
“Oh... well, of course.” Lady Mueller looked extremely annoyed at Alice. Nicholas was glaring at her now too.
Surely he did not believe the woman’s compliments? Was he so shallow he did not like Alice questioning Lady Mueller’s claim that he was the most handsome man in their team?
“My husband is quite good-looking also,” Mrs. Primrose Hetherington said, which made Alice like her immediately.
“Of course... I never meant otherwise. I was merely pointing out that with Lord Braithwaite’s intellect and appearance, he could start.”
“But how have you come to the conclusion that he is the most intelligent? Have you tested that Lord Braithwaite’s intellect surpasses everyone else’s in the team?” Alice asked sweetly.
“Indeed,” Mr. Alexander Hetherington said. “How, Lady Mueller?”
Alice liked him also, as he gave her a wink.
“I think it is quite clear that I am no more intelligent than anyone else present,” Nicholas gritted out, giving Alice a look that said he would have something to say to her if she didn’t shut her mouth. “But thank you for stating otherwise, Lady Mueller,” Nicholas added.
She was suddenly disappointed in him, and herself for believing him a better man than he was currently displaying. His ego was obviously far more inflated than she’d earlier believed.
“If everyone has a charade in mind, then we shall begin,” Lady Levermarch said. “Teams will guess their own, and the quickest time will dictate the winner. Please state if it is a book or play.”
“I shall judge,” Max said, and no one argued. He sat with his nieces and nephews either on his lap or around him. “With help from this lot.”
Lady Mueller sniffed, looking down her nose at Max.
Alice knew many in society did not like those who were untitled or of lower birth fraternizing with them, but as society was changing and the power of those like Max growing, they could do little about it.
“Do you need a handkerchief, Lady Mueller?”
“I do not!” she snapped at Alice.
Nicholas, who was still beside Alice, leaned in and told her to shut up. She elbowed him in the ribs.
“I shall go first.” Sir Nigel stepped forward. “My intellect and handsomeness suggests I am equal to Lord Braithwaite!”
Alice caught Primrose Hetherington’s eyes and quickly pulled away. It would be rude to burst into hysterical laughter, even if it was justified.
“I will be performing a play.”
“Dear lord,” Alexander Hetherington whispered. “Someone just shoot him now and save us all.”
“He believes he is accomplished at charades, clearly,” Nicholas said from the side of his mouth.
“How?” Alice added. “I mean, what denotes one’s prowess at charades?”
“The lack of humiliation we, the spectators, feel,” Alexander Hetherington added.
“There is that,” Alice said, feeling her toes curl inside her riding boots at Sir Nigel’s antics. She was embarrassed. How could the man not see the fool he was making of himself.
“His ego is surpassed only by the idiocy of his dress,” Nicholas said softly.
The other groups stood and watched him prance forward. He then proceeded to romp about with his fingers on his head. People from his group called out names. He shook his head, then began to play the flute. When that failed, he danced about flapping his arms as though they were wings.
“Give it up, Nigel, clearly no one has a clue,” Cam heckled him.
“A complete guide to idiotic behavior?” Alexander whispered.
Sir Nigel stopped and glared at his group. Sweat beaded his brow from his exertions.
“The foolish exploits of a brainless twit?” Lord Ryder suggested. “Midsummer nightmares?”
“That was actually quite clever, Ryder,” Nicholas said.
“I frequently am. Clever, that is. Just ask my wife.”
“Do you all give up?” Lady Levermarch asked, clearly over watching the display.
“Yes!”
Alice couldn’t remember ever laughing as hard as she did standing there watching the performances. Lord Levermarch did a credible mime of Arabian Nights. Grabbing his wife’s scarf and wrapping it dramatically around his head. Things got a bit sticky when Mr. Jonathan attempted An Evening’s Love and lunged for Miss Gimlet swinging her into his arms. Lady Gimlet leapt to her feet, slapping him hard whilst shrieking for her daughter’s release.
“I shall now
perform,” Lady Mueller said, throwing Nicholas a smoldering look.
“Dear lord, save us all,” Alice whispered to Meredith.
“Perhaps you could start without us.” Nicholas gripped Alice’s arm. “Miss Sinclair has just informed me she is feeling faint.” His eyes looked cold and angry as they glared down at her.
“What?” Alice took a step back, clutching the child close.
He started walking, and there was little she could do but follow, as she had no doubt he would drag her if required.
“Release me!”
“No.”
The little girl made some sort of garbled speech to her uncle.
“I know, darling, you are in the arms of a madwoman.” He then plucked her from Alice. “Stay,” he ordered as if she were a dog, and then walked to where Lilly stood, handing Meredith to her mother.
Alice, who had never taken orders well, made good her escape, hurrying past the other guests and making a run for it to the water’s edge. Once there, she headed left to stand behind a small grouping of trees, out of sight from the others.
Whatever Nicholas’s problem was, she had no wish to hear it.
“So back to my question—”
“Kate!” Alice squealed. “When did you arrive?”
“I’ve been here the entire time. I hid when Lady Levermarch started putting us into groups.”
“My heart is pounding. You scared the wits out of me.”
“Not terribly hard, considering your limited supply of them. But we digress.”
“From what?” Alice looked, but did not see Nicholas.
“On the matter of what is going on with you and Nicholas?”
“Nothing.”
“I know you better than I know myself, Alice. I have seen the way you look at him. The longing—”
“I beg your pardon, I long for no man.”
“He looks at you the same way. Slightly confused, almost annoyed, but there is also definitely longing in his gaze.”
That did not make her feel better at all.
“He longs for Lady Mueller with her large breasts and breathy whispers.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Enough, Kate... please.” She couldn’t continue to lie to her sister when clearly she was right. “Nothing can ever be between us.”
