Page 56 of Stolen Time

Why hadn’t he heard about any of this?

Because he’d been at work all day. And Charles…a man who had no problem keeping secrets…clearly hadn’t seen the need to tell his younger brother that it had been his turn to share the consort kiss with theprima-in-waiting. Why Mabel had decided to go directly to Charles rather than someone else in the clan,Seth couldn’t say for sure. It might have been as simple as Abigail announcing that if she couldn’t have one brother, she might as well try for the other.

In the end, none of that really mattered. What mattered was that Charles, who seemed like the last person suited to be the nextprima’sconsort, was going to assume that role after all.

Even as the thought flickered through his head, Seth knew it was a little uncharitable. No one else in the clan knew about his brother’s bootlegging activities, after all, and only saw Charles as an upstanding son who had taken on an active role in the family business. If he was almost five years older than Abigail, so be it. She was so frail and unassuming that a lot of people in the clan probably thought it would be better for her to have a consort who took on more of a commanding role.

But what about Mary?

Because everyone was watching him, clearly waiting for his response, Seth quickly said, “Congratulations! This must be very exciting for you.”

“Yes,” Charles replied, although he still looked decidedly unenthusiastic. “Abigail’s very happy. She and her mother are already planning the wedding.”

Which would be lavish by Jerome standards, befitting the futureprimaof the clan and her new husband. Or at least, he assumed it would. He hadn’t even been born when Mabel married her consort, but he’d seen photos of the blessed event, with theprima’shair in an elaborate pompadour and wearing a white silk wedding gown with ridiculously puffed sleeves.

Abigail’s dress would be very different in style, of course, but Seth was fairly certain she’d make sure her day involved just as many flowers and just as much feasting.

“They both want a June wedding,” Molly put in, gaze fond as she looked over at her eldest son. “That might seem fast, but you know how Mabel is when she gets an idea in her head.”

Yes, Seth did. All the more reason why he was very glad she wouldn’t be his mother-in-law.

“Can they really put something like that together in only a few weeks?” Henry asked, and his wife gave a philosophical shrug.

“With all the clan helping them out? Of course they can.”

“Luckily, all I have to do is put on my best suit and show up,” Charles remarked as he ladled some chicken and noodles onto his plate.

Molly’s right eyebrow lifted. When she looked like that, both her sons knew they had better take notice.

“You will most decidedly do more than that, Charles Emerson McAllister,” she said. “Whatever is asked of you, and more.”

Although Charles didn’t exactly deflate, his tone was much more conciliatory as he said, “Of course, Mother. I was only making a little joke.”

“Some things are best not joked about,” their father said mildly. “One of which is your marriage to theprima-in-waiting.”

Charles nodded, and Molly took up the conversation there, talking about possibilities for Abigail’s bride dress, which venue would be best for the reception, and the most likely places for Charles to go to purchase her a suitable ring. Seth did his best to act as though he was interested in all this, but through the entire discussion, he couldn’t help wondering one thing.

What was his older brother going to do about his ties to the bootleggers now that his life had been changed so utterly?

Dinner lasted a good long while, but eventually, Seth was able to take his box of stone-cold noodles and head for home. Whenhe got there, he put it in the icebox, mainly because it seemed wasteful to throw away the food so soon. Why it would be any better after he let it sit for a day or two, he couldn’t even say to himself, but somehow, waiting to deal with it seemed less extravagant.

After the noodles were taken care of, he poured himself a glass of water and sat down at the kitchen table, still feeling somewhat shell-shocked.

His brother was going to be Abigail’s consort.

The idea had an air of utter unreality about it, as if it was something Seth had once read in a book and now didn’t know for sure whether it was actually true. But the reactions of his parents — and the other McAllisters he’d seen on the street, who obviously had gotten the news well before he did — told him this actually was happening.

He didn’t think anyone could have missed Charles’s distinct lack of enthusiasm about the situation, but it seemed clear his parents had decided to brush it off. No doubt they were doing their best to tell themselves he was only startled because he hadn’t expected to be chosen for the consort kiss until some of the McAllister cousins who were closer to Abigail in age had their turn…and also that they understood he still carried a torch for Mary Towne, even if everyone else involved had moved on.

But weren’t aprima-in-waiting and her consort supposed to be rapturously in love once they’d shared their fateful kiss, the one that was supposed to spark a lifelong passion that would never burn out?

That was the story everyone had been told. Now, however, it seemed as if real life could be just a little more complicated.

Seth sincerely hoped his brother would get better at acting the role once his initial shock wore off. Having a future consort who appeared less than happy about his upcoming nuptials wasn’t anything the McAllister clan would want to acknowledge.

In the end, though, this was a row Charles would have to decide on his own how to hoe. Seth knew he was only peripherally connected to the situation and could stay safely out of it for the most part.

Thank the Goddess.

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