Page 42 of The Falconer

Catherine scowls. ‘Don’t you dare bring that up again.’ She looks at me. ‘He took me shopping this afternoon and it was allLord Gallowaythis andLord Gallowaythat. I’ve never seen him look so smug.’

‘I don’t often get to abuse my new title at Oxford,’ he explains.

‘My,’ I say with a smile, ‘how unfortunate for you. You’ve been mistreated, you poor thing.’

Gavin smiles at me in the same charming way he always has, as though he never left at all. There’s something comforting and utterly familiar about having him here, as though I’m back in a time before my mother died. Until now, I never realised just how much I missed him.

He leans against the back of a chair set up by the drink table. ‘I sense you’re not entirely sympathetic to my plight.’

‘Of course we’re not,’ Catherine says. ‘You vile man.’

‘Do you see how she treats me, Aileana? She’s downright vicious.’

‘Vicious?’ I laugh and ladle some punch into a porcelain cup. Lady Cassilis doesn’t even have a dispenser like normal households. ‘This from the boy who used to put ink in our tea.’

‘I had almost forgotten that,’ Catherine says. ‘It was really quite awful of you.’

Gavin looks somewhat chagrined. ‘I was twelve. You were girls, and therefore an entirely different species.’

‘I went home with black teeth!’

‘That was the worst part,’ Catherine agreed. ‘I couldn’t smile the whole day.’

‘You spoke much less, and Aileana could only visit again when the ink washed off,’ Gavin says cheerfully. ‘So, you see, goal achieved.’

‘Really, Gavin. You are such a—’

‘Catherine,’ snaps the approaching Lady Cassilis. She looks as severe as ever, lips pressed into a hard line. She gives me a brief frosty glare – a look that clearly says she holds me responsible for her daughter sneaking away yesterday – then returns her attention to her daughter. ‘I hope you were not about to insult your brother.’

‘Especially when he controls your weekly allowance,’ Gavin adds. ‘Imagine walking past all those lovely shops without a farthing to your name.’

‘You wouldn’t dare.’

‘Galloway, stop teasing,’ Lady Cassilis says. ‘You are not about to take away your sister’s allowance.’

At that precise moment, Derrick barrels through the ballroom doors, bright as ever. He hovers above my shoulder and lands gracefully on my bare skin.

His wings graze my neck and he hiccups once. ‘Glorious lady.’ He stretches across my collarbone. ‘I have consumed –’hiccup‘– wondrous, splendid, beautiful honey. And it was –’hiccup‘– magnificent.’

I almost groan aloud.

Gavin’s eyes flicker to Derrick’s perch on my shoulder. He couldn’t possibly have seen . . . ? Gavin’s attention shifts to the couples beginning to congregate in the centre of the ballroom. No, I must have imagined it.

The first waltz of the night is about to begin. I place my cup of punch on the table and glance around for the gentleman who signed my dance card earlier.

Gavin bows. ‘I believe I should like to dance this waltz with you. Would you do me the honour?’

‘Galloway,’ Lady Cassilis hisses. ‘This is most improper. I don’t recall the waltz being on the list.’

‘I added it. My house, my rules.’ He meets my gaze. ‘You wouldn’t deny your gracious host, would you?’

‘I already promised the waltz to someone else.’

Gavin leans over and plucks open the dance card dangling from my wrist. ‘Ah, Milton. You should definitely dance with me instead. He’s never been any good at leading.’

‘Galloway!’ Lady Cassilis is apoplectic. ‘That is exceedingly impolite. Let Aileana dance with Lord Milton and stop your foolery this instant.’

Derrick giggles into my ear. ‘She’s silly. So siiiiilly.’ He pats my ear. ‘Aileana.Aileana!Can you hear me? I know you can hear me. You can hear me. You’re hearing me. Say something. Smile. Twitch. Cough once.’

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