“What if you meet ten times on the same day?”
“Well then, my lovelybelle-sœur, that is an awful lot of kissing!”
A high, childish laugh burst from the girl sitting at the table. She popped up off her chair like a groundhog on a warm day and all but ran over to Jacyn’s side. “Papa thinks he’s funny,” she said in charmingly accented English, “but he’s too old to be funny.” The girl shot a wicked glance at an amused William. “I’m Willa. And you are going to be my newtante.”
“I guess I am,” Jacyn agreed. The child had the same sun-kissed hair and dancing eyes of her father, but the pale skin and tiny stature of her mother—who was nowhere to be seen.
Alex guided Jacyn by the elbow to the head of the table where a pale woman sat in a padded armchair. The woman made a move to rise, but Alex motioned to her to stay seated. As Alex introduced them, Jacyn took the woman’s thin hand in hers and noted that it felt strong.
Jacyn wondered briefly if she should curtsy. What was the protocol when greeting the Dowager?
The light, encouraging pressure of Alex’s hand on her hip kept her calm and still.
Madame Dubois looked at her carefully; assessing. Jacyn wanted to writhe but steeled her mettle.
“So, you are the woman my son loves.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Oh, Madeline will do fine,petite—orMaman,if you prefer.”
At least it wasn’tpuce,Jacyn thought.
“You are beautiful and smart. You’ve chosen to spend your life with one of the best men in the world. He has waited a long time to find a mate. I’m glad that he has selected well.”
What did one say to that? she wondered. She didn’t need to come up with an answer, because just then there was thetap-tap-tapof stilettos on the polished hardwood floor, and Sofia swept grandly into the room.
The woman seemed to have a love affair with the color red, because although she had changed outfits, the theme was the same. This time, she was in a calf-length silk number that was certainly hand-painted, adorned with images of hothouse flowers. There was enough gold and diamonds dripping from her ears and throat to pay off the national debt of a small island state, Jacyn thought. Surely, this was overkill just for dinner!
She wondered briefly if Sofia was dressing for her husband’s viewing pleasure or to catch Alex’s attention.
The dark-lashed look Sofia threw at Alex while William drew out a chair for her to sit was all the answer she needed.
What the hell was that about?
***
Alex didn’t eat much, even though dinner, as usual, was superb. It had been prepared by Yvette, the house matron who had supervised the kitchens ever since he was a boy, and who had always had a soft spot for him. It fact, it was she who had finally managed to convince him to come home to see his mother. Sadly, her efforts were somewhat wasted on him; his appetite was tamped down by the discomfort of the very scene he had dreaded all this time—being in the company of his collective family.
The meal was presided over by Liam, who was his usual urbane self. Making sure everyone was properly served, and that the conversation flowed smoothly. Most of it surrounded Willa’s recounting of her classes with her tutor and all that she had learned for the day. The servants milled around until Liam asked them to leave the room so they could enjoy their privacy.
Damn him for always being so calm and collected. Lord of the goddamn manor, as was his birthright.
Then Alex thought of all the things Liam had stolen that werenothis birthright, and the delightfully creamy lobster bisque he was sipping turned sour in his mouth.
Occasionally, Liam and Willa would whisper to each other and chuckle as Madeline watched on indulgently. Father and daughter bonding time. They looked so much alike, even in gesture and mannerism; the way they smiled, the twist of the hand as they gestured expressively. Peas in a pod. Each one a reflection of the other.
A child who could have been his. Should have been.
He put his spoon down, wishing he could leave the room, but knowing he didn’t dare. Instead, he contented himself with admiring the gracious way Jacyn interacted with his mother. She was open and warm, but not familiar. It wasn’t long before Madeline was regaling her with stories about running through fields of lavender as a child, filling her pockets with bunches of blossoms and sneaking into her room to stuff into her dresser drawers.
“Eucalyptus branches,” Madeline was saying. “I used to hide them under my pillows and pull them out to bury my nose in at night!”
Jacyn laughed, fully engaged, and Alex thought,I’ve made the right choice.
William’s voice broke into his thoughts. “I hear you and Nathanael are penetrating the Far East.”
Alex started. “How did you happen to hear about that?”