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Authors: Julianne MacLean
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“Or would you have preferred not
to see him, today of all days?”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It may surprise you to hear it—for
it certainly surprises me—but strangely enough, I was glad to see him. It made me
feel…” She paused to reflect a moment while Nicholas waited with impatient curiosity.
“It made you feel…?” he prodded.
“Valued. Did you see how he looked at me?”
“How could I not? He looked at no one else. It was as if you were the only person
in the church.” Nicholas paused. “What happened between the two of you in England? Something must have happened.”
She shut her eyes and tipped her head back to rest on the soft upholstery. “I told
you, we just talked. Now I don’t know what to make of him. He has not yet announced
any engagement, nor did he bring his betrothed home with him from London. At least
not that I have heard.” She opened her eyes and looked sharply at her brother. “You
would tell me, wouldn’t you, if you heard anything? I assure you I do not need to
be protected from news of him. I am already pledged to another, and I rather wish
Leopold would make haste and do the same. I believe I would find it easier to see
him if he took a wife.”
Nicholas listened to everything she said, and shook his head. “I haven’t heard a word
about any betrothal, but we’ve all been preoccupied lately. Would you like me to ask
him while he is here in the city? I could summon him to the palace.”
She gazed down at her engagement ring—a stunning emerald-cut diamond—and turned it
around on her finger. “No, that won’t be necessary. It shouldn’t matter anyway. It’s
not for me to care what Leopold does.” The coach rolled over a bump in the road, and
she was jostled about quite uncomfortably.
Chapter Seven
The sun was just setting when Leopold’s coachman pulled to a halt in front of Cavanaugh
Manor. The butler hurried to meet him.
“Hello, Johnson,” Leo said.
“Good evening, Lord Cavanaugh. Welcome home.”
“Has Mother dined yet?” Leo walked up the steps and through the front door, where
he handed over his hat and gloves.
“Not yet, my lord. Dinner will be served at eight. In the meantime, I should inform
you that a package arrived for you yesterday. A rather large package.”
Curious, Leopold halted and turned to face him. “Where is it?”
“In your study, my lord. There are two packages, in fact. One large and one small.”
“From whom?” he asked as he started off toward the stairs.
“From your father.”
He halted with one hand on the newel post as a fierce wave of displeasure coursed
through him, for he did not welcome the notion of being further manipulated. His father
had best not be attempting to bribe him or lure him back into his hopeless crusade—and
God help the man if he intended to use threats.
“Thank you, Johnson.” He wasted not a single moment before he climbed the stairs and
broke the seal on the letter that had been placed on his desk. He would read it before
he opened the boxes, for he was not yet sure he wanted whatever was inside of them.
My son,
I have not been well since our argument in England. It is never a good thing to part
ways on such terms, so I hope you will accept my most sincere apologies for all that
has passed between us.
I understand that King Frederick has also not been well and may not live to see the
end of summer. I have given it a great deal of thought, and you were right about everything.
It is time to stop living in the past.
When Randolph is king, he will remember your friendship as young men, so do what you
must to strengthen those ties. Alexandra will be in need of support from those who
were once loyal to her family, so do your best to be a dutiful subject and a true
friend to her.
I have sent two wedding gifts for the royal couple. I leave it in your hands to deliver
them.
For Randolph, a
to see him, today of all days?”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It may surprise you to hear it—for
it certainly surprises me—but strangely enough, I was glad to see him. It made me
feel…” She paused to reflect a moment while Nicholas waited with impatient curiosity.
“It made you feel…?” he prodded.
“Valued. Did you see how he looked at me?”
“How could I not? He looked at no one else. It was as if you were the only person
in the church.” Nicholas paused. “What happened between the two of you in England? Something must have happened.”
She shut her eyes and tipped her head back to rest on the soft upholstery. “I told
you, we just talked. Now I don’t know what to make of him. He has not yet announced
any engagement, nor did he bring his betrothed home with him from London. At least
not that I have heard.” She opened her eyes and looked sharply at her brother. “You
would tell me, wouldn’t you, if you heard anything? I assure you I do not need to
be protected from news of him. I am already pledged to another, and I rather wish
Leopold would make haste and do the same. I believe I would find it easier to see
him if he took a wife.”
Nicholas listened to everything she said, and shook his head. “I haven’t heard a word
about any betrothal, but we’ve all been preoccupied lately. Would you like me to ask
him while he is here in the city? I could summon him to the palace.”
She gazed down at her engagement ring—a stunning emerald-cut diamond—and turned it
around on her finger. “No, that won’t be necessary. It shouldn’t matter anyway. It’s
not for me to care what Leopold does.” The coach rolled over a bump in the road, and
she was jostled about quite uncomfortably.
Chapter Seven
The sun was just setting when Leopold’s coachman pulled to a halt in front of Cavanaugh
Manor. The butler hurried to meet him.
“Hello, Johnson,” Leo said.
“Good evening, Lord Cavanaugh. Welcome home.”
“Has Mother dined yet?” Leo walked up the steps and through the front door, where
he handed over his hat and gloves.
“Not yet, my lord. Dinner will be served at eight. In the meantime, I should inform
you that a package arrived for you yesterday. A rather large package.”
Curious, Leopold halted and turned to face him. “Where is it?”
“In your study, my lord. There are two packages, in fact. One large and one small.”
“From whom?” he asked as he started off toward the stairs.
“From your father.”
He halted with one hand on the newel post as a fierce wave of displeasure coursed
through him, for he did not welcome the notion of being further manipulated. His father
had best not be attempting to bribe him or lure him back into his hopeless crusade—and
God help the man if he intended to use threats.
“Thank you, Johnson.” He wasted not a single moment before he climbed the stairs and
broke the seal on the letter that had been placed on his desk. He would read it before
he opened the boxes, for he was not yet sure he wanted whatever was inside of them.
My son,
I have not been well since our argument in England. It is never a good thing to part
ways on such terms, so I hope you will accept my most sincere apologies for all that
has passed between us.
I understand that King Frederick has also not been well and may not live to see the
end of summer. I have given it a great deal of thought, and you were right about everything.
It is time to stop living in the past.
When Randolph is king, he will remember your friendship as young men, so do what you
must to strengthen those ties. Alexandra will be in need of support from those who
were once loyal to her family, so do your best to be a dutiful subject and a true
friend to her.
I have sent two wedding gifts for the royal couple. I leave it in your hands to deliver
them.
For Randolph, a
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