She smacked me. “Don’t do that.”
“Why not? They’re mine, aren’t they? Not as nice as yours, though. Should I make them larger?”
“You can do whatever you want after you take one of my cloaks and leave out the front door.”
“Leave? My dear, why on earth would I leave when I’ve been invited to my fiancée’s house for dinner?”
12
“You will beon your best behavior,” Aveen warned when we reached the top of the stairs, all frowns and narrowed eyes. Flickering candlelight from the wall sconces reflected off the checkered tiles. The large chandelier, however, remained unlit.
“That’s no fun,” I grumbled, smoothing a wrinkle at my waist.
“Exactly. Dinner will be no fun whatsoever, so you should probably just leave.”
“And let your sister think me rude? Really, Aveen. Where are your manners?”
She stomped forward two steps, then stopped again. “If you do not behave, I swear I will . . .”
Yes. Go on. Tell me what you’ll do to me.
“I will make it hurt,” she finished.
A thrill bolted down my spine.I bet you would.
I danced down the stairs, through the entryway, and into an overlarge dining room decorated like some medieval castle. Brass candelabras on the walls, warding off darkness. Vases of flowers interspersed between antiques that were little more than dust collectors. Dour portraits like a bunch of flabby-faced voyeurs glaring down at us.
Lord Bannon bowed low over my hand, the thinning hair on his crown glinting in the candlelight. “Lady Marissa, a true pleasure to meet my daughter’s dear friend. She speaks highly of you.”
Did she, now? Considering I didn’t exist an hour ago, I found that quite amusing. “I apologize for dropping in unannounced,” I said with a demure smile. Lady Marissa could be demure when she felt like it.
“Nonsense.” He squeezed my fingers before letting them go. “You are quite welcome to our home any time.”
I sat right next to him, ignoring the glare from my beautiful fiancée. The wine, poured by servants, was a decent vintage but a bit sweet for my liking. Not that it would stop me from drinking.Lady Marissa did love her wine, after all.
The braised pork belly served after a course of soup, however, was excellent.
Lord Bannon cut a thin slice, stuffing it between his lips. “So, Lady Marissa, how are you finding life in Graystones?”
I didn’t miss the way his eyes raked over me. As if Lady Marissa would ever stoop to rutting with her best friend’s father. She may have been uncouth, but she had far too much class for that.
“It is quite dreadful, isn’t it? Life here is so tedious and backwards. Can you imagine, the menfolk are so archaic that they believe a woman’s only worth is her ability to marry a wealthy man? Poppycock. But I can tell you are different, Lord Bannon. You are a modern man. Very forward thinking.”
The human’s shoulders lifted as he puffed up his chest at my lie. “It is kind of you to notice.”
Aveen grumbled into her wine.
“Keelynn was telling me you moved here from Vellana.” He traded his utensils for his glass. “It must be taxing for someone who is used to the splendor of a fine city to relocate to such a humble town. Nevertheless, we have our hidden gems.”
Graystones was a shite town without sunlight or color. The people who lived here were tolerable at best. If the whole place were to go down in flames, Aveen would be the only human worth saving. Probably not the type of remark Lady Marissa would make in such fine company though. “Speaking of gems, your home is quite lovely.” It wasn’t. All the garish decorations made me think of someone desperate to be noticed, searching for meaningless compliments over his fine collection of silver candlesticks. “Is it an ancestral seat for the Bannons?” I asked, even though I knew the answer.
This house and the surrounding estates originally belonged to a rebel who had fought on our side in the war against the invading Vellanian tyrants. His descendants kept up the estate until seventeen years ago.
“This house was a gift from the king himself, for service,” he confirmed. “The previous owners met an untimely demise. His Majesty needed a man with strong ties to Vellana to live here, lest the property fall into the hands of those who sympathized with the monsters.”
He thought us monsters, did he? I’d show him a monster. “Is that right?”
“I’m afraid Lord Middleton was caught communicating with one of the things claiming to be their leader and hanged for treason.”