Page 110 of Last Comes Fate

“Fucking hell, Ces,” he wheezed. “You didn’t actually smack her, did you?”

I blushed and took a bite of salmon. “No. Wanted to, though.”

“You’re getting as bad as me. You really told her off like that, though?”

“Why, you think it’s funny?”

“Not a bit,” he replied with a grin. “I rather think cornering you would be like trapping a badger. They’re small, but they’ll scratch your eyes out if you don’t take care.”

I preened. I couldn’t help it. “Well, she deserved it. I do feel a bit bad for her, though, after what Frederick told me later.”

I continued the story with Frederick’s odd remarks that I still couldn’t quite make sense of.

“It does rather sound like he wants to have his cake and eat it too,” Xavier agreed. “He left this morning to go back to Parkvale, where Georgina’s staying. I’m honestly not sure what he’s after.”

“Let’s be careful around him, then,” I said. “Anyway, that’s how I knew about Lonsbury. I gather he’s a powerful man?”

“He heads the Committee of Selection and also sits on several other important ones, including horticulture, rural economy, and regulatory reform. Yes, he’s bloody powerful in the Lords. And a major figure for the Tories.”

He made another face that told me exactly what he thought about that—party or politics, I wasn’t sure.

“So…what does he want?” I asked. “Besides you, of course.”

Xavier twisted his mouth around like he’d just tasted something bitter. “He’s asked me to meet him in London before the committee hearing about the title.” He folded up the letter. “Can’t, of course. Sof’s arriving tonight.”

Gibson remained standing at the far end of the room, but his eyes flickered to the folded letter like he wanted to take it away. Or perhaps help Xavier reply.

“Well, I can handle that,” I said. “If you need to meet him. Maybe it would be good to see what he wants. Make sure he stays on your side of things.”

“My side,” Xavier repeated as he twisted his water glass back and forth. “If I knew what that was, I’d have something to bargain with, wouldn’t I?” He shook his head. “No, I reckon it comes down to what Imogene said. Only I think the threat will be a bit clearer. Agree to take my seat for the conservatives, and they’ll uphold my claim. Refuse, however, and they might be petty enough to strip the title using whatever Georgie’s given them.”

“Would theyreallydo that?” I asked. “I mean, Parliament hasn’t stripped a peer’s title since 1917.”

Xavier’s mouth quirked with one of my favorite smiles—the one he bore when I knew far more about something than he would have expected.

I shrugged. “I did a little research.”

“Thank God I married a bookworm.” He leaned in to deliver a brief kiss. “Right, well. Technically, it wouldn’t be removing the title or stripping it completely. They’d be…moving it to the rightful heir. Whoever they determine that to be.”

“Frederick? Or could it actually be Adam?”

“I doubt it. Frederick is most likely, since that’s what Georgie’s aiming for. But honestly, I don’t remember the birth order of the two cousins Georgina and her sister married and whose fathers were twins. Never really cared to know. And since Adam’s fatherwasdisgraced, I don’t think he’ll factor in here.” Xavier sighed and shoved his hands into his hair. “I’ve never wanted to be a politician. And to be honest, I haven’t a clue why they even want me to join.”

“Well, I do,” I said as I reached for another helping of fruit. “It was all the events of the summer. You couldn’t see yourself the way everyone else did. I know you were talked into going to help Frederick make the right connections, but my love, you have this habit of pulling all the attention in the room. You’re like the sun with gobs of shining charisma. No one can look away.”

“That’s impossible. All those people hate me, Ces. Always have.”

“Ever heard of the thin line between love and hate?” I asked. “I think you crossed it this summer. A couple of balls under your belt and a few good whacks with your mallet on the polo course, and suddenly everyone in the stands was drooling over you like a piece of prime rib.”

Xavier frowned, clearly not liking the sound of that.

“Whether you intended it or not, you made quite the re-entrance into society. So, I have to agree with Imogene. It’s obvious that everyone wants to see someone who looks and acts like you stepping in and modernizing things.” I grimaced. “Trust me, I had to hear enough of them talk about it right in front of me. Including their opinions about having an unsuitable American girlfriend.”

My obviously worried husband had the decency to look contrite. “I hate that they put you through that.”

“It’s over now,” I said simply and meant it. We were moving on.

He leaned over and kissed me again, clearly not caring about the aftertaste of salmon or the lemon still lingering on my tongue. I didn’t pull away. I would take as many of these humming kisses as he wanted to give.

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