Closer To Sin (29 page)

The urge to turn and flee back up the stairs set her heart pounding; it was only the sight of over two hundred guests watching her expectantly that kept her from running. From the corner of her eye she noticed Freddy had stepped forward, his arm outstretched. This was the last thing she needed right now. She stumbled slightly and drew in a quavering breath to steady herself and took another step down. There was nothing like walking into the fire.

This was beyond her worst nightmare. What was Sin doing here? And standing to the right of Nate, in a position that only a close and trusted friend would stand? A discordant barrage of questions leapt across her brain. She felt her smile falter and fought to retain her composure. With a determination she did not feel she gave a small laugh at her apparent clumsiness and waved to the audience before her. Her lips ached from the smile she forced upon them while each step she took brought her closer to Sin.

As she neared the last few stairs she darted a look across the assembled guests. They were studying her intently. People were whispering to each other and speculating as to what may have caused her to stumble. Yvette had stepped over to Freddy, linked her arm through his and drawn him over to the footman standing with a tray of champagne in preparation for the toast. Thank the fates for Yvette’s quick thinking.

But it seemed Great-Aunt Woolner had decided to dislike Sin on sight. That was no surprise, but what had he said for her to be positively bristling with indignation? But most telling, Nate was standing grim faced and as stiff as a board. His eyes were boring into her as though he’d never seen her before. Maybe she still had time to turn and run back upstairs yet.

In five more steps she reached the ballroom and dropped into a deep and graceful curtsy.

***

Sinclair’s vision narrowed to concentrate solely on the woman bowed low before the gathering. To his left Martinbury had linked his arm through Lady Carrick’s and appeared to be subtly restraining her, silently commanding her not to move and to remain quiet.

But it was Nate’s words to him that left him cold. ‘I don’t know what the bloody hell you think you’re about Esselton, but you will not spoil my niece’s birthday ball. If you wish to see this night through, you will meet me in my study upon completion of the supper dance. What you won’t do,’ Nate further tightened his grip on his Aunt’s arm, ‘is say another word until I give you leave to do so.’

Sinclair turned to Nate. Two words reverberated throughout his head,
my niece
. Liliane was Nate’s niece. What the fuck had she been doing in France? And how in the name of sweet Lucifer was she going to talk her way out of this?

***

Liliane fully expected Sin to step forward and claim her the moment she arose from her curtsy. When it didn’t happen she didn’t know whether she was relieved or crushingly hurt. Rather than acknowledge her, Sin had turned to Nate and addressed him in hushed, urgent tones, careful not to attract the attention of the guests. She noticed Nate’s firm hold on his aunt’s arm, holding her in check through sheer force of will, holding back the scandal that was bound to erupt if Great-Aunt Woolner was permitted to address Sin.

Everett, she realised, was standing before her, offering her a glass of champagne in preparation for her birthday toast. Her hand trembled slightly as she accepted it. To her left Nate had turned to address the guests. She could hear the mumbled speculation of whether her betrothal to Freddy was about to be announced. Freddy, she noticed, was standing slightly apart from the guests, an expectant smile on his face. Liliane swallowed forcibly. Great-Aunt Woolner really hadn’t told him there would be no engagement tonight.

‘Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to thank you all for coming tonight. Every year my Aunt, Lady Carrick hosts a ball, but this year she wished to make it an extra special event. One to honour our niece, Liliane.’ A hush descended upon the crowd and Freddy took a pace forward. ‘Please, all raise your glasses and join me in wishing Liliane a happy birthday.’

The assembly paused for a heartbeat before all raised their glasses in response to Nate’s toast. Freddy stood motionless as his face turned a dull shade of red. Liliane stepped towards him, knowing it wasn’t the right time, and certainly not the right place, but wanting to explain. Before she could take more than one pace though, he turned and shoved his untouched glass into Yvette’s hand and stormed from the room.

Amid tittering and many veiled comments, the orchestra struck up the chords to the first dance. Liliane’s hand trembled as Nate led her onto the dance floor for the first set of country dances. As she rested her arm upon his, she felt the force of his anger vibrating through his body. His words, when he finally addressed her, were hushed through tightly clenched teeth. ‘Do you know that man?’

Liliane nodded. Once. She didn’t trust her voice to give any other answer. She felt trapped by the cold steel of his eyes as they bored into her, stripping away her courage. What she really wanted to do was turn and run, but his grip on her was firm, holding her in place. Never in her life had she seen her uncle so furious. But, regardless of his anger, she knew that ultimately he would protect her. And that reassurance gave her the courage to face him.

Seeing he had her attention, he stipulated the rules that were to govern the rest of the night. ‘You shall proceed through this evening as Aunt Woolner planned. You shall not leave this ballroom without my escort, and you shall not acknowledge that man without my giving you leave to do so. Furthermore, you are not permitted to accept a single invitation, whether it be from a lady or a gentleman, until I first approve it.’ He proceeded to tick off his fingers. ‘That includes carriage rides, horse rides, promenades through the park, picnics, shopping excursions or visits to museums and the theatre. Do you understand?’

Liliane looked over to where Sin was standing by the staircase. He hadn’t moved, but nor had he taken his eyes from her. The expression on his face was unyielding. Gone was the considerate and sensitive lover that had effortlessly enticed her body to bliss, delaying his own pleasure until she had sobbed out his name time and time again. Gone was the man who had tenderly wiped away her tears, nursed her when she had been shot and ridden all night to get her to safety. This man, the one who now watched her every movement as a hawk watches its prey, was hard and uncompromising. He expected obedience and he did not accept lies and betrayal. Standing watching her now was the man who had slid into the booth beside her those many weeks ago. Back then, though, with her own brand of determination she had peeled away his armour and found the warmth and humour within. If his stance tonight was any indication, the armour was not only back in place but held together with chains of iron.

‘Liliane, I asked you, do you understand?’ Nate demanded.

Liliane dragged her eyes away from Sin and nodded dejectedly. ‘Yes, Uncle Nate.’

‘Good. I will see you in my study tomorrow morning at ten of the clock, sharp. Not another word will be said about this matter until then.’ Liliane simply nodded again. The rest of the dance was executed in abject silence.

Two gruelling hours later, Liliane curtsied to Lord Harte as the quadrille came to an end. The night was beginning to feel interminable, and they hadn’t even paused for supper yet. ‘May I get you some refreshment?’ he politely queried as he led her back to Great-Aunt Woolner.

She smiled in polite refusal. ‘No, thank you, the next dance is the supper dance and I shall take a much needed rest then.’ As she reached her Great-Aunt Woolner’s side she looked around for any sign of Sin and her uncle. Where could they have gone to?

As her eyes shifted throughout the ballroom, Yvette returned to her side. ‘You look like you’re searching for someone. Is everything alright.’

Liliane brushed the question aside. ‘I was just admiring the splendid job the servants did in decorating the ballroom. I shall have to remember to thank them tomorrow. There are so many flowers and candles that it looks like a moonlit garden. Look at those Grecian urns of white roses over there, and the way they have the long creamy lilies coming up through them. It’s such an ethereal colour choice. It looks exceptional, doesn’t it?’

Yvette nodded her agreement. ‘Have you seen the ice carving in the supper room?’

Liliane shook her head in denial, prompting Yvette to launch into an elaborate description of the two majestic swans hewn from ice. Liliane nodded absently, continuing to survey the room, careful not to look at Great-Aunt Woolner, who steadfastly refused to acknowledge her in other than the most cursory manner.

‘Excuse me, Miss Desailly, may I partner you for this cotillion?’ The man before lifted her hand to his lips and bowed over it.

Liliane nodded gracefully. ‘Ah …’ She retrieved her hand before graciously consenting. ‘Mr Parkes, I’m sure that it shall be my pleasure.’ She thought he had left the ball.

Liliane moved to put some distance between them as he accompanied her onto the dance floor. His over familiarity was unsettling. Many ladies would find him appealing, she thought to herself as she surreptitiously glanced at his intricately embroidered waist coat, but oh good grief, how had he tied that cravat?

‘Hah, admiring my cravat are you?’ Parkes preened. ‘Designed it myself. It’s an adaptation of the waterfall, I call it the cascades. The secret to it, I don’t mind sharing with you, is that I pin lace into the folds to make it look like foaming water. I’m just waiting for it to catch on.’

‘It’s most eye-catching Mr Parkes.’ Was he serious? Didn’t the man realise simple, clean lines bespoke far more of eloquence than a mess of frills?

The music started and Liliane forced herself to concentrate on the footsteps. Without the distraction of Freddy’s inane chatter, she found her thoughts returning once again to Sin. She hadn’t seen him since he had followed Nate from the ballroom. She wanted desperately to speak with him, to learn what he was doing in London, to explain her own actions. More so, she wanted just to be held by him. To have him hold her close to him and consume her with the fire that was particular to them.

As the movements of the dance brought her back to face her partner, the crowd shifted slightly to reveal Sin staring intently at her. The coldness of his glare caused her to lose her concentration and she felt herself momentarily being held against Freddy’s chest as she stumbled and stepped upon his toes.

‘Pardon me, Miss Desailly, wasn’t watching what I was doing,’ he graciously conceded. Liliane hastily stepped back and righted herself, but when she looked to where Sin had been, he had disappeared into the crowd.

‘Who was that man over there, Mr Parkes?’ she queried, looking back to her partner.

He waived his hand dismissively. ‘Sinclair Charlcroft, Marquis Esselton. Surely you know him, he’s your uncle’s closest friend. Why, they’ve run together since they were lads at Eton.’

‘Yes… of course.’ He’s a peer of the realm, she thought frantically, feeling the first vestige of hysteria begin to grasp hold of her. The night had lost all of its magic and appeal from the moment she had first seen Sin standing next to her uncle. Now she felt the icy needles of dread radiate from her stomach outward as she realised there would be no escaping the consequences of her deception. Tomorrow morning’s meeting with his Grace did not bode well.

***

Sinclair raised an eyebrow as Nate slammed the door to his study closed and locked it. Nate’s voice, when he spoke, was edged with steel.

‘That’s to keep the gossips at bay.’

Sinclair nodded, waiting to see where this conversation was going.

‘Do you realise, Esselton, this night was originally planned as Liliane’s betrothal ball—but she begged off. Wanted just one more Season in which to enjoy her freedom.’ Nate slammed his fist down hard on his desk. ‘Well, it seems like she may have enjoyed too much bloody freedom.’

The glacier in the pit of Sinclair’s stomach crept an inch lower. Liliane was all but engaged to marry that boorish prig Freddy Parkes? How in the hell did she think she was going to accomplish that when she was married to him?

‘Now, explain to me,’ Nate growled. ‘Why the fuck did you claim Liliane was your wife?’

‘Settle down, Martinbury.’ Sinclair walked to the sideboard and poured himself a measure of brandy. He tossed it back and poured himself a second.

‘I don’t believe I gave you leave to make free with my brandy,’ Nate growled from behind him.

Sinclair leaned back against the liquor cabinet and studied the man who had been his closest friend.
Bloody hell, what a mess
. He poured Nate a brandy and silently handed it to him. ‘Are you sure that woman is your niece?’

Nate lurched forward and grabbed Sinclair by his shirt and dragged him violently toward him. Sinclair barely registered the brandy glass exploding on the parquetry flooring.

‘What the hell kind of question is that?’ Nate’s grip on his shirt was unrelenting, their faces were just inches apart and each man was breathing heavily.

Sinclair shoved his friend away from him. What he really wanted to do was hit someone. ‘Pardon me, Martinbury, but that young woman out there—that society darling—was introduced to me a little less than three months ago by Solange Beaumont… as her cousin Liliane Beaumont. That woman out there, whose birthday you have just toasted and to whom Freddy Parkes is expecting to become betrothed, is my wife.’

The room blackened as Sinclair found himself flying through the air before landing on the ground with a sickening thud. Pain reverberated through his body, but it didn’t compare to the pain that radiated from his left cheek.
Damn, Martinbury could pack a punch.
Seeing Nate prepare to pounce on him he rolled and jumped to his feet. With a fluid leap he bounded over the back of the leather Chesterfield lounge chair and poised crouched, eyeing Nate warily.

‘You’re predictable, Martinbury. You’ve employed those same tactics since we were lads. Don’t think I don’t know what’s coming next’

‘Seeing as you’re so cock sure about what comes next, it should be no surprise that I mean to kill you—’ Nate growled as he scrambled over the side of the couch.