Vampire Lords of Blacknall: Trinity (29 page)

Her hand flew to her lips as she gasped then admonished, “Trinity.”

He raised a challenging eyebrow to her, not looking at all guilty as he stepped forward to clasp her gloved hand. He was the only brother in attendance and he answered before she could ask.

“I know Church should be here, blast him.” She watched Trinity bow to Irene. “My lady, I am Lord Trinity Montrose, pleasure to greet you here.” Irene looked as if made of pure porcelain marble, and her gaze wouldn’t meet Trinity’s. “This is my wife and we mean you
no
harm,” he stated severely. Beth glanced at him, wondering at his tone.

Irene seemed to straighten beneath his admonishment and curtsy slightly, while trying to look up at him. “I really shouldn’t be here,” she began to say, starting to back away.

Beth reached forward and grasped Irene’s hand. “Come stand beside me. We are friends now, yes?”

Irene nodded, smiling at her. “I went to a ball once when I was sixteen,” she whispered.

“Was it your coming out?” Beth asked, settling Irene beside her as she sent a questioning glance to Trinity. Trinity’s mind caressed her with thoughts that later he would explain.

“No, not mine. It was for my older sister.”

“You have family? Here in London,” Beth asked.

“Oh no, my lady,” Irene exclaimed. “They are all gone now.”

More mysteries
, Beth thought, and she’d find answers with her husband later on. She patted Irene’s hand. “Well, this will be your second ball.”

“I just don’t know who to say I am,” Irene said.

Beth wondered what she could possibly have said to that, but Baptiste arrived.

“If my new sister-in-law doesn’t mind, we will say you are her third cousin, Miss Irene Ensworth, in from Yorkshire,” Baptiste said, arriving on the other side of Irene, and looking well put together in black evening attire. Irene dipped her head, blushing. And before Beth could agree to Baptiste’s plan, he turned to Irene with a short bow. “My lady, you look lovely this evening. I am honored to have you here by my side.”

Beth turned back to Trinity, raising an eyebrow as he curled an arm about her waist, drawing her closer. She murmured in his ear, “Please just tell me Miss Irene isn’t kidnapped or the victim of any other nefarious happenings.”

“Do you believe your household of vampires would be nefarious toward a young lady?” he murmured back against her ear, sending a shiver through her.

She tried not to smile, but remain serious. “Put that way …” she paused, making him wait for her prediction, and then she finished, “No, too noble by half, I think.”

His lips pressed behind her ear. “I’m not completely noble where you are concerned.” For a moment, Beth wished the presence of the impending ball would disappear.

But then Church arrived, with a booming voice saying, “Open the blasted doors and get this started.”

Trinity chuckled against her as they all turned to watch two footmen pulling open the heavy front doors.

The greetings took well over an hour, and Beth was surprised to see how many notable lords and ladies appeared. Trinity’s whispered speculation in her ear was they were too curious not to attend. She thought he might be right. They all looked at them both with great interest, some of the grand dames seeming as though trying to pry out if she were with child. Trinity deflected one and all from her with austere glares. She’d never felt so comfortable or formidable in society before. It was gratifying having the nobility that had shunned her now seek her court.

That was until Lady Ariel arrived. How could she forget that might happen? It was nearing the end of the cavalcade of arrivals, so when she spied Lady Ariel it wasn’t too blatant that she picked up her skirts and left the greeting line. Trinity was involved speaking to a Lord Brimwall of the Royal Society and a colleague of Baptiste’s. Therefore, her murmur that she was leaving didn’t lift his gaze as she passed him.

Would she run before the enemy? Yes. But then she realized many of the lords and ladies present for the festivities would have an eagle eye out for what would transpire between her and her accuser, Lady Ariel.

“Darn,” Beth cursed beneath her breath. She should have thought about this inevitability, but really things were far too hectic for her to have considered it. She wasn’t certain how she felt about Lady Ariel now, except betrayed. Trinity’s mind brushed hers, questioning her unrest and she cooled his thoughts with assurances of well-being.

She was out the other side of the ballroom into the hall, as she muttered, “We must find ways to block some of this.” She wasn’t certain she wished her husband to share every turmoil she felt. Without looking where she was going, she bumped into an immovable wall.

“Oh dear, excuse me,” she exclaimed with her gaze rising. Her impressions were choppy, but she saw broad shoulders, raven black hair, a sharp nose, and violet so deep it turned her gaze back.

“Quite all right,
domina angelus
.” Violet eyes like two drops of rich wine turned down to her as firm hands steadied her. She wondered about the Latin words the man spoke.

“I …” she started to say, but her voice closed as the purple deepened.

“Why would you call her lady angel in Latin, my lord? Are you from Rome, might I inquire?” a soft voice from behind them sounded.

Beth shook her head as the violet eyes turned from her and she felt as if fog were lifting from her mind.

“Look at me,
bella
. Do not interfere. You are mine now, yes. Look deeply.”

Alarm tugged Beth’s mind for an instant as she saw a broad hand curl outward as though enticing the other lady in the hallway. She saw the pretty, blonde-haired woman with gold spectacles sway toward the hand as though mesmerized. Just as bits of her senses were returning, those alluring, violet eyes turned back to her, and she sighed into them.

“Yes, my beauties, come closer.”

Trinity’s head snapped upward. “Did you feel that?” he hissed.

Church leaned closer. “No. I didn’t feel anything.”

Trinity turned from the foyer looking into the ballroom. “I am more closely attuned to her. I thought I felt a moment of …” He paused, walking toward the ballroom. “Unrest or …” He shook his head. “I cannot name it.”

Church’s hand clasped his shoulder from behind. “Her false friend, Lady Ariel, came through but didn’t stop at the greeting line.”

Trinity turned back to look at Church. “I’d believe that would certainly upset my wife.” He turned back, walking forward, as he uttered, “Except now I cannot feel her
at all
.”

Church grabbed his arm, holding him. “I agree it’s alarming, however, we must use discretion.” The words were sharply-suppressed orders.

Trinity nodded curtly, taking a deep breath. He couldn’t use his superior speed to whisk around the mansion. Baptiste and Irene pulled toward them, making a circle.

“We need to find Lady Beth,” he stated. “She’s not within my hearing.”

Baptiste nodded, as Irene offered, “I saw her across the ballroom toward the far side. She left my side and I noticed.”

Trinity began to move in that direction. “Still, we will check all places,” Church ordered behind him. “I will check upstairs. Baptiste can look out front and Miss Irene may look through the ladies’ retiring rooms.”

Trinity heard the last only with his exceptional hearing because he was halfway across the ballroom. People tried to corner him into conversation, but he merely nodded, not caring if he appeared rude. His inner thoughts were trying to calm him, by pointing out his and Beth’s connection was very new. Perhaps this was a side effect. Too many people dulled it, and the ballroom was much fuller than he’d expected.

The curious couldn’t stand to be left out,
he thought. Nevertheless, his wife offered his family great benefits. Now society would stop wondering at the bachelors. For a while.

“My Lord Montrose, I wanted to tell you how sorry I am that I was in anyway involved in the misunderstanding concerning you and Lady Beth Winslow.”

Trinity halted his forward march at these remarkable words coming from a young society miss. Then he placed her as Lady Ariel. “Countess
Montrose,
” he corrected curtly. This was the twit whose gossip tried to ruin his wife.

He glared down at the young woman. “I wouldn’t call your interfering, patently wrong, and malicious gossiping a misunderstanding,” he uttered.

The lady turned white at his accusations, as he added, “But I will thank you nonetheless, because your misunderstanding has given me my countess. The one you called friend.”

He turned and left the lady behind, going into the far hallway where his senses came alive. “She was here,” he whispered. He started forward to follow a scent he would ever think of as heather on the moors mixed with starlight.

His brothers quickly realized his assurance that he was on the right trail and they came from each corner they’d been searching to meet him beside the mansion in an alcove portion of the shrubbery. There was a fountain, a circular patio, a bench, and three people under the latent light of torches in the distance.

Trinity stilled when he realized one of the three was a vampire, and he grasped Church’s and Baptiste’s arms, holding them back from rushing forward and approaching. A sick feeling centered in his gut. The vampire obviously had his wife under his spell. Fangs punched out of his gums with viciousness that wasn’t displayed through to his body. He held still, assessing, and his senses told him …

“That vampire is older than any I’ve ever met,” Church uttered beside him.

The women swayed before the tall vampire who was dressed as though attending an evening ball. The power that emanated off the vampire pounded against Trinity’s chest, verifying Church’s assessment that this was an ancient.

“
Salvete
, gentlemen. I come not for blood,” the ancient vampire turned his gaze to them. Trinity felt a snarl catch in his throat because the eyes of the vampire were white.

“Latin,” Baptiste whispered alongside him of the word the vampire used. It was a harmless greeting, but the power and strength exuding from him was not harmless at all.

“As old as Rome,” Church said with awe.

Trinity’s gaze widened. “Then you’d
not
hold my wife under your spell,” he snapped, slowly walking closer.

Church stayed a step behind him, and asked for Trinity’s ears only, “Who is the other woman?”

Trinity barely glanced at the young, blonde-haired woman with spectacles; he only knew she was human and as mesmerized as his wife was.

“Your mate,” the vampire stated, and Trinity noted his fangs were not present nor his claws. “I sense this now,” he said, bowing and taking a step back. “I would not have intruded had I realized.”

Trinity watched the vampire’s eyes turn from white to bold, striking violet. He was built as if he were a gladiator from ancient times. Trinity watched Beth, released from the vampire’s hold, start to regain her senses with alarm stirring inside her. He sent forth a soothing presence.

“Ah, you are truly bound, as in the old ways,” the vampire murmured as Trinity halted beside Beth, grasping her waist to carry her to his side. His arm circled her as his thoughts divided. This vampire seemed to know about things he did not, such as mating. But his attention divided between Beth and her accoster.

“
Who
are you and why are you here accosting our women?” Church demanded, confronting the vampire and turning him away from the others. Trinity watched Church catch hold of the blonde-haired lady, holding her at his side. She seemed still under the oldest vampire’s spell.

“Trinity?” Beth questioned, leaning into him. His attention stayed on the older vampire and with Baptiste they formed a semi-circle behind Church.

Trinity leaned to Beth’s ear and said, “We are not out of danger yet, love.” He felt Beth’s soft body stiffen against him, but she stayed quiet.

“I am Lord Titus Constantine, Duke of Ironwood, on this small island.
Salvete
, gentlemen, and my lady.” He bowed slightly to Church and to them. “I normally keep my presence secluded to my estate in the far north.”

“Are we being threatened by you?” Church demanded.

Titus raised a well-formed raven eyebrow. “I have no cause against you.” Then he added, “Yet.” Lord Titus Constantine’s returning smile was not sinister.

Trinity demanded, “Why have you approached my mate?” The word Titus had used felt so appropriate it sunk into him with perfection.

“I seek the killer of my progeny and your mate has a connection to the slayer.”

“Lord Fanton!” Beth exclaimed.

Trinity held her tightly, watching Titus nod.

“You sired Cull?” Church asked with surprise.

They all watched Titus nod again, while Baptiste muttered beside them, “I’ll wager that is some story.”

Titus smiled a brilliant flash of white teeth with fangs still held at bay. “As you can imagine I am very protective of what is mine,” Titus uttered. “I will not allow my blood’s — Cull’s murder to go unpunished.”

“Then you align with us,” Church said. “Nothing will stop us from hunting down Lord Fanton Rothschild and ending his terror.”

“I perceive there is more to his evil ways I have not heard yet,” Titus said.

Church nodded. “But we don’t take live human blood, nor will we ever again, and we will not align ourselves with any that do.”

Titus raised a hand. “I applaud your morality.” He bowed. “I have not fed from human in over two hundred years.” His smile lifted. “Shall we challenge each other’s commitment?”

Church scowled. “If your words can be believed.”

Titus raised both eyebrows. “You are careful. I am careful also,” he stated. He turned fully to Trinity. “I will ask your permission to visit your mate next time, in your presence, to ask about this rogue named Fanton.”

Trinity didn’t respond as Titus started to turn away as though leaving them. The blonde lady sighed, and Church caught her before she sank to the ground, obviously released from the ancient vampire’s hold.

“Wait,” Trinity called, and he set Beth aside, next to Baptiste, then he approached Titus. “You seemed to know we are mated. How?”