Page 38 of Her Tempting Traitor
Is that what his son thought? That he was afraid about leaving him?
Are ye no’?
Nay. Not afraid.
He wasterrifiedof having to leave Gus. Of abandoning him yet again, only this time against his will. Not for the first time—or even the nine hundredth—Cassian cursed Prince Christian Victor.A man is born the grandson of Queen Victoria, and he thinks he owns the world.
“Gus—” he began, his voice a mere rasp.
“It’s true, Father! Miss Gabby told me the whole story!”
There was a delicate clearing of a throat, and Gabby spoke. “I told Gus a story about a…aninheritanceI was surprised to receive shortly before Hunter and I traveled to Inverlochy. The woman who gave it to me was quite eccentric, and she claimed to have been given this piece of lace from a magician in New Orleans.”
“That’s in America!” Gus added helpfully.
“Oh, my cousin married a man from New Orleans,” Aunt Zilphia supplied. “He was an importer. Or perhaps an exporter. He did something with boats, I remember that. Big boats…”
Cassian swallowed, forcing himself to turn and rejoin the conversation, but was unable to stop himself from moving closer to his son, so their shoulders touched. Just to remind himself that Gus was here, with him.
For now.
While he was trying to look interested, Zilphia clapped her hands again in delight. “Oh, tell us everything, my dear! Dickie and I adore a good witchy story!”
Cassian thought he saw apology in Gabby’s dark eyes as she began the fanciful story about the stained bit of lace—apparently kept in her luggage—and the magic it supposedly contained.
She finished with a shrug. “And, as Gus said, burning it and making a wish is said to magically heal one ailment of any kind.”
“See?” the lad demanded. “We could wish for your foot to grow back!”
“Oh, how fascinating!” Aunt Zilphia announced proudly. “It reminds me of that shaman gentleman we met in Australia. Your uncle danced with him around the fire and hadeverso much stamina that evening, if you catch my drift.”
“I do, Aunt Zilphia.”And let us hope Gus doesnae. “But surelymagic lacecannae cure me—cannae grow back limbs.”
Gabby winced again and began to shake her head, then glanced to the lad at Cassian’s side. He didn’t have to look down to know his son was beaming hopefully, so he appreciated when she turned her grimace into a non-committal shrug.
“I do not know if it works for certain, only what Lady Mistree told me,” she said diplomatically.
“Oh, Lady Mistree!” burbled Zilphia enthusiastically. “Nowthereis a wonderfully adventurous soul! She has been to more countries than Dickie and me! Of course, her collections were small, easy-to-transport things, whereas we justhadto bring home ostriches. Why, there was one time…”
As the older woman launched into a story, one that had Gus chortling away happily, Cassian exchanged glances with Gabby.
One side of her lips tugged upwards as she saluted him with her cup and saucer, and he recognized it as a peace offering.
Ah, good.She no more believed the fanciful tale about the scrap of magic lace than Cassian did—but she’d kept themystery alive for his son. He wasn’t sure if that was kinder than telling the lad there was no such thing as magic.
“Am I too late?” boomed Sir Richard from the doorway, startling them all.
His wife, who’d stopped mid-sentence, gave an audible sigh of relief and turned to him with her arms open. “No, but it is about time, my sweet pea! I have had to make small talk!”
Chuckling, their host all-but-bounded across the room to his wife’s side. “But you’re ever so good at it. Budge up there, angel, that’s a good girl,” he commanded, sliding next to her on the chaise.
Aunt Zilphia would have pitched forward to the floor had Sir Richard not caught her and pulled her back…and more or less draped her across his lap. The older woman tittered happily and patted at his chest as her husband beamed at the gathered group.
“Now, what have I missed? Did you start the proceedings?”
Proceedings?
“No, Dickie, sweet pea, I thought you would like to do it.”
