ROOK AND RAVEN: The Celtic Kingdom Trilogy Book One (4 page)

“Oh I know that color my lord.  You are very angry.  Figured it out? You thought I would just fall back into your arms after all that occurred between us, the humiliation you put me through in the past?” She, rather violently, pulled the chemise back up over her breasts, “Once you asked me to be your wife, and now I should take the title of mistress?  You are an arrogant, ridiculous man.  Tidy yourself up sir and let yourself out.”  She turned away and sat down at the vanity before casually looking back over one ivory shoulder, “When I take a lover my lord, it will come with marriage, and one with,” her eyes roved down his body to the bulge still evident through his form fitting trousers, “much
larger
assets.”

“I don’t believe you ever once complained about my
assets
when I used to enjoy that very willing body,” he drawled with a sneer.

“If you are looking for easy game my lord, you will have to look elsewhere.  I am no longer a little love struck country girl to be toyed with.  London is littered with good looking, wealthy men.  If it was toys I wanted, toys I would have. Please leave as I asked.  I must dress for my engagement with the Duke of Tamworth; we are expected at Lady Scarborough’s ball.”  She had the double pleasure of seeing first the fury at her pointed remarks regarding his manhood and the incredulity at her reference to Tamworth and attendance at the ball of one of Society’s most respected hostesses.

“Tamworth you say?  I don’t believe it for a minute.”

“Whether you believe it or not is beside the point, and this particular nobleman’s intentions happen to be honorable. I am a respectable widow in the eyes of the
ton
regardless of my occupation.  So, you see, my lord, a
carte blanche
was really not an attractive offer when I can wear a coronet.”  She had never known she could enjoy twisting a knife.  Maybe she had a cruel streak after all.  It was really rather astonishing to hear herself sounding so mercenary and “woman of the world” off the stage. She thought she heard him mutter “Tamworth” again under his breath.

“Well if you won’t leave like a gentleman would, I will just dress and pretend you are no longer here. That will not be difficult seeing as I haven’t thought of you in years anyway.”  And she proceeded to do exactly that.  She selected the cream silk with the gold net overskirt and slipped it over her head.  A small porcelain box held her hair pins and ribbons and she selected a few gilded pins and deftly piled her hair and pinned it securely, leaving one long curling lock to brush her nearly bare shoulder.  Reaching into her jewel case she extracted a rather lovely set of pearls staggered on the string with beads of the best gold.  A delicate pair of drop pearl earrings completed the ensemble.

“As you are here, and doing nothing, you might as well lace me,” and she walked up to him and turned her back.  “I’m sure you are quite adept at this.”   He was, he thought grimly as he laced small pearls through their loops up that long and ridiculously seductive spine.  Humiliated and now reduced to being her dresser.  It took all his will power not to rip that expensive, and very ladylike, gown off her and prove that she had responded to him.  It couldn’t possibly all be one sided.  The very idea that it might be was very lowering to a man of his reputation and skill.  But she had obviously turned into a highly skilled actress and found him uncertain for once in his life.  Life had a terrible habit of not standing still and this was a woman he was now dealing with and not a young, inexperienced girl.

“Thank you,” she said brightly and stepped away to don her satin slippers.

“Who bought you those pearls?  Tamworth?”  He ground out and could have bitten his tongue.  He had no intention of showing he had any further interest in her personal life.

“Oh these?” she shrugged dismissively. “Pearls that belonged to my mother I had restrung.  But these are from Tamworth,” and she lifted a dainty set of emeralds that seemed to float on their intricate setting of gold.  “He said they match my eyes.”  She didn’t need to tell him how she had protested and not wanted to accept them, or that she swore not to wear them unless she accepted him.  She had the pleasure of hearing what could only be described as a growl rumble out of him as he tore from her dressing room.  The door loudly slammed behind him.

“You can come in now Sean,” she called, knowing he would be waiting outside the door.  He probably had heard the entire thing.

“My love?  Are you smiling with triumph or covered in tears?”  Sean asked brightly as he peered around the door jamb.  “Ah, smiling I see.  As you should be. What a magnificent performance darling!  Brava!  You gave me a brand new idea for a very racy and sure to be delightful play.  My muse,” he sighed as he kissed her hand with exaggerated longing.

She pulled her hand away to pat him on the cheek, “thank you my friend.”

“For what may I ask?”

“For making me not just an actress, but a very good one.”

“I felt quite the voyeur lurking outside while that was going on. Was it difficult to resist him?” 

For a moment she was tempted to lie, but this was one of her best friend’s in the world and the person who had not only saved her from starvation, but had seen the potential in her.

“It was the worst and greatest piece of acting I have ever done.”

“Why is that?” he asked with concern.

“It was the worst because I didn’t have to pretend to want him, and the best to pretend that I had pretended.  Does that make sense to you?”  She laughed somewhat bitterly as her head sank into her hands.

“Perfect sense.  Who wouldn’t want him my dove? Don’t be hard on yourself.  The man is as completely delicious as he is despicable.  It’s a dangerous and, unfortunately, rather attractive combination,” Sean looked at her shrewdly, “So what happens when he realizes you really are being courted by the Duke? For marriage I mean.” he winked slyly. “I think it rather obvious that poisonous mother of his did not paint an accurate picture of you.  I can’t think of anyone else who would give him such ridiculous ideas about your virtue.”  

“He’ll be even angrier.  He hates to be wrong and utterly despises feeling guilty.  If he doesn’t feel guilty right now, he will when David is done with him,” she smiled cheekily. “I wish I could be a fly on the wall when he finds out I wasn’t lying about Tamworth,” and looking at each other they suddenly burst out laughing.  While it was not precisely how she had ever imagined the return of Sebastian St. Just, Act I had ended with her laughing and not crying.  She would enjoy her moment of victory while it lasted. She was uneasily aware that when dealing with Sebastian, Act II could bring almost anything…anything at all.    

CHAPTER FOUR

Sebastian pounded down the hallway with murder in his eye.  Damn his mother and damn David too.  Between the two of them they had let him hang himself.  Well, to be fair, David hadn’t actively done anything but he hadn’t
told
him anything either. His mother had a lot to pay for, he just hadn’t figured out in his present circumstance how to exact that payment.  Whatever else Jessamy Grace, correction, Jessamy
Powers
, may be, it was not a typical actress.  She may have just played the harlot, but whore she was not.  If, she was telling the truth that is…

  Tamworth was a proud man well aware of his duty to his bloodline.  He would never make an offer for anyone not accepted by the
ton
.  One misstep or breath of scandal, especially by someone in Jessamy’s position, and the Duke would not be caught dead with her.  Oh Tamworth would have her as his mistress, but he certainly would not be escorting her to society engagements. 

He would know soon enough.  David was about to do a lot of talking. 

Sebastian had a few questions to ask of his lifelong friend.  He’d possibly relieve him of a few pounds of flesh as well for having let him walk into that trap back there.  David knew damn well what he would think Jessy had become, and the darling of the
ton
with a duke for a suitor was not it!

David was lounging by the entrance clearly awaiting Sebastian’s return.  His winged eyebrows arched in a question at the thunderous countenance bearing down on him.  Several couples, late in leaving, scurried rather inelegantly out of his way.  He looked capable of trampling anyone in his path.

“Isn’t that Redsayle?” he heard a whisper, “Obviously his time away from

England had a poor effect on his manners.  He even looks quite deranged!”

And just like that, his sense of the ridiculous came to his rescue.  He supposed he did look a bit mad.  How had one slip of a girl always managed to set his world in turmoil? He had become a master over the last years at controlling his emotions, hiding his true thoughts, and here he was making a spectacle of himself.  He wondered how long it would take Bishop to find out. 

“Well, I’ve been practically biting my nails with worry during your absence,” David said with exaggerated concern as they exited the building.  “I wasn’t fully certain that a cry of “murder!” wouldn’t go up at any moment.  The only question being, which of you would be wearing the knife in their back?”

“I suppose if I had thought about it better, I might have worried she had a pistol.  She always was a mean shot.  Now she’s just mean.  That woman doesn’t need a gun.  She has other weapons now.”

“She certainly does,” David could not suppress the smile that tugged at his lips, “I take it she got the better of you since you looked so demented with rage just moments ago.”

They stepped into the carriage that had pulled forward for them.

“I don’t suppose that it ever occurred to you to tell me what to expect tonight? You only told me she was an actress,” Sebastian said accusingly from the darkness as he leaned back into his seat.

“Oh, it flitted through my mind briefly, but I brushed it away.  This was surely much more entertaining and I believe you deserved a set down.  She never got the chance last time.  I have no idea what occurred but, hopefully, she feels a little morsel of vindication now. Have to admit I was a bit worried until I saw how angry you were,” David smiled.

“I offered her the
carte blanche,”
Sebastian found himself muttering.

“Excuse me?! What was that you said?” David’s voice came out overly loud with shock.

“I
said
I offered her the position as my mistress,” he ground out.

David couldn’t help himself, he went off into peals of laughter.  When he finally got himself under control again he couldn’t help but ask, “Weren’t you engaged in some kind of intelligence work in the kingdom?  At least, that is what I surmised from the very little you’ve told me.”

“Yes,” Sebastian admitted reluctantly.

“Well, my friend.  No wonder you finally came home.  You must have been an abysmal failure. You just offered the role of mistress to the woman the
Duke of Tamworth is reported to have asked to marry him not once, but three times!  She is expected to say yes on the fourth try.  The betting book at

White’s has the odds heavily in the Duke’s favor.”

“Thank you for that information.” Sebastian’s moment of good humor had fast deserted him.

“Don’t mention it.  What else is a friend for but to point out when you’ve been an idiot,” David smiled.

The carriage swung to a halt in Jermyn Street in front of David’s lodgings.

“I think we both need a restorative.  I have a bottle of brandy I’ve been saving for a special occasion.  We might as well have it now.” He clapped an arm companionably around Sebastian’s shoulders as they made their way inside.

David settled into his favorite oversized leather chair in front of the fire, Hercules, his mastiff laying his head and drool dripping jowls on one shiny shoe.  He watched Sebastian as he stood by the mantle swirling the brandy and staring into its depths.  The shadows cast by the candlelight and fire across Sebastian’s face made him look even more demonic than usual, but David knew him too well to be put off by appearances.

“So why don’t you tell me everything I should have known before you let me go back there and make an ass of myself,” Sebastian looked David straight in the eye.

“First, let me just say, I still can’t believe you offered to make her your mistress.  You do recall that the last time you saw each other you were engaged?  Did this somehow slip your mind?” David didn’t even try to keep the incredulity out his voice.

“When a woman as beautiful as Jessy is practically naked in front of you and acting the ultimate Cyprian, you don’t tend to do much thinking David,” he said ruefully.

“Cyprian?  That doesn’t sound like Jessy at all.  Just what the hell went on in that room Seb?” David asked in some alarm.

“What went on is that the little minx showed me exactly what I was expecting to see and led me right into a trap of my own making.  I never would have expected such skill at manipulation from her.”

“The problem is that you went in there angry and resentful.  I happen to know how you act when you feel guilty and you have every reason to feel guilty when it comes to Jessy.  You have always hated to feel bad about anything you do to anyone.  Remember the time you knocked me out of that tree when we were twelve and I broke my arm?  Entirely your fault and yet you didn’t speak to me for a week when
I
was the one in a sling for two months.  What a terrible summer that was.  I almost went to live with ancient and awful Aunt Winifred I got so tired of you.”

“By the by,” David continued, “I thought your mother was able to send letters to you while you were gone.  With her connections to Ulrich she could send mail the rest of us couldn’t.  Didn’t she tell you anything at all about Jessy?”

Sebastian took a long drink of brandy and felt it burn in his gut, “Oh she wrote all right.  First I was told she was missing, then possibly dead.  When I found out that Jessy was alive, and in London, I tried to come back here.  A halt was put to that.  Over the years, she sent little tidbits that painted a very clear picture of Jessy with a series of lovers and flaunting herself among the

Demi Monde.” 

“So, she what, told you Jessy was a courtesan and therefore you should feel cheerful about moving on? Jessy has never even taken a breeches part.  She is this generations Sarah Siddons.  You really should have put aside that bloody pride of yours and asked me.  I wasn’t going to tell you a damned thing about Jessy unless you did.  You might have saved yourself a great deal of embarrassment but, I for one, think it quite marvelous she got the better of you,” He looked thoughtfully at Sebastian for a moment, “You know your mother always hated your interest in Jessy even as she made nice to her mother.  I’m not sure why you thought for a moment she was telling you the truth.”

Sebastian finally sat across from David and leaning forward intently he said, “My mother has done an excellent job of damning herself my friend.  More than that I cannot tell you now, but hopefully soon she shall get all she deserves,” Sebastian seemed to hesitate a moment before continuing, “There were good reasons for not asking after Jessy and I will tell you soon,” he paused in troubled thought.  He had been given permission to enlist David in his current endeavor.  He knew now that David had been wounded and barely survived Waterloo.  He was conflicted about involving him.  He probably didn’t have a choice. He would need all the help he could get and someone he could trust completely to watch his back.

“So what do I do now David?  About Jessy, I mean? I seem to be making a career of being wrong footed with her.  I come back thinking she is a courtesan, you spring her on me as an actress, and let’s admit that those two things often go together.  Instead, I find her the toast of London, a widow, respectable you tell me, in a way few actresses have ever been.  I didn’t really believe it when she told me she is being courted by Tamworth.  I’ll be lucky if Tamworth doesn’t try and shoot me in a duel.”  Restlessly Sebastian got back up and paced to the fire.  Tamworth was not an enemy he needed to make, not by a long stretch.

David considered his next words carefully.  In a less complicated man he wouldn’t feel quite like he was picking his way through a thorn hedge, but this was Sebastian.  His friend had proven over the years that he was all about
contradictions; you never knew whether he was going to be hot headed, cold as ice, impetuous, selfish, generous, or pick a fight.  All in all he had always been a volatile, dangerous combination.  Sebastian had spent most of his life convincing himself and others that he was amoral and self-absorbed but David was never surprised at the good in his friend. He had always been less surprised at the good in Sebastian than Sebastian was in himself. 

It was all due to that controlling horror of a mother who had manipulated and attempted to toughen and embitter her only child at all costs.  His friend was a good man, though he would hate to hear that expressed. But, his Celtica born, Viking mother was a piece of work. David would trust Sebastian with his life.  He had survived living at Red Sails under the rule of the Countess of Redsayle with his friend.  He knew him as well as you could know another person but, what he didn’t know was could he be trusted with Jessy?  

He found the scene between the two former lovers not only rather entertaining but proof that something was still there between them, despite bad behavior on both their parts. Anyone hearing his thoughts would think his judgment severely off but he saw the farce of their fireworks laden reunion as rather hopeful.  There was obviously still something there.  But oh what a tangled web we weave, he thought dryly.  How these two were going to reconcile was going to be an interesting challenge to witness, but he sincerely did want them to be together.  He knew in his heart they were meant for each other and had known that even when he had once dreamed of making Jessy his own.  Shakespeare had not been wrong about the course of true love.  How was true love to ever be measured if not tested?

David considered him over the rim of his glass.  Yes, he would give Sebastian the benefit of the doubt.  After all, he really only knew one side of the story.  There was much that just didn’t make sense, had never been logical in this whole bloody affair.  Why in the name of Hades had his friend abandoned Jessy? The two had been so in love it lit up the world around them.  It was as plain as the nose on anyone’s face they fit each other like two matched pieces of a puzzle.   

He would help Sebastian for one very important reason that he would not, and could not disclose, but first his friend had better be honest with him.  Letters over the years, due to war, the blockade between the two countries, and just the fact that neither of them were committed letter writes, had been very few and irregular.  The letters would show up at his door delivered by a motley variety of sweeps, vagrants and one time a man pretending to be drunk and lost.  He understood better now what that was all about at least.

There was some mystery in all this, David felt, somehow circling around the Dowager Marchioness of Redsayle’s inexplicable hatred of Jessy.  Before Sebastian had suddenly left for Celtica it was clear the countess wanted a bride from one of the Viking families of the kingdom for her son. That was the reason the two had planned to elope.  He had been away with his regiment at the time,
but he had letters from both telling him of the desperate step they were going to take. The hate the countess still held for Jessy did not make sense and

David didn’t care for things that were illogical, they gnawed at him.  This was a question he wanted answered sooner or later.  Everything had a reason if you cared to find an answer.  He cared.

He looked at Sebastian and after taking a sip of brandy and scratching

Hercules behind his ears, took a deep breath and waded in.

“What you are going to do now is to tell me what exactly happened that summer and not lie to me,” he made his voice as stern as he could, entirely without its usual easy drawl.  “And yes,” he held up a hand when he saw Sebastian’s mouth open,” I have of course heard Jessy’s side of the story. I have (metaphorically anyway) accepted your return with open arms.  So if I feel for a moment you are not being absolutely honest with me, you can find lodgings elsewhere. What I need is to know whether my faith in you is justified.