Prince of Ravenscar (Sherbrooke Brides 11)

“Dearest,” said Corinne. She rushed over to examine his eyes, lightly trace her fingertips over his whiskers, pat his shoulder. “You look much better than yesterday. I shall give you a cup of oolong tea. It will strengthen your stitches.”

Pouffer cleared his throat from the doorway. “Your visitors are here, Prince, your grace.”

When Richard and Leah entered Corinne’s sitting room, Richard’s eyes immediately went to Julian.

“Here you are having tea when I had believed you near death’s door.”

“Not quite. But forgive me if I don’t rise,” Julian said.

Richard didn’t answer. Instead, he was staring at Leah. “You look different today.”

“I am wearing one of Lily’s gowns.”

Richard grew very still.

“Your hair is fashioned like Lily’s,” Corinne said. “All the braids atop the head, but with you, Leah, there are some softening curls over your ears. It’s a distinctive look. Why, Leah? What is this all about?”

Leah said, “I like it, nothing more than that.”

Julian said, “You’re wearing Lily’s locket. I had thought she was—”

“You thought she was buried in it? No, Vicky evidently kept it,” Richard said, then turned to Leah. “Did sh

e give it to you?”

Leah nodded. “She said since I would be her sister, she believed I should have it. You do not like that I am wearing it, Richard?”

He said slowly, “I suppose our portraits can be set in the locket.”

Julian felt the pain building in his side. He ignored it. He said, “Orvald Manners finally told us you were behind Roxanne’s first kidnapping.”

Richard glanced from face to face. “I regret that. I shouldn’t have done it. Forgive me, Roxanne.”

“Of course I shan’t forgive you. You’re a putrid slug, Richard.”

Julian said softly, “I wonder at the depths of your regret if Manners had raped Roxanne.”

“I would expect to fight you to the death in a duel.”

“No, you would not have fought Julian, you would have fought me,” Devlin said. “I am even a better shot than Julian, so I would have killed you. Such a chance you took, knowing if your plan had succeeded, you would be a dead man. I cannot believe you hired that idiot to take her—and the wrong lady, too.”

Richard turned to the prince. “So you will marry Sophie.”

“If we are not already wed, then yes.”

“We are not yet wed, Prince,” Sophie said, “but as soon as you are well, then the Prince of Ravenscar will be married in the village church to a worthy maiden—namely, myself. We will invite everyone. It will be grand.”

Leah said, a sneer marring her mouth, “You will be rich, Sophie, but it is Roxanne who will be the future Duchess of Brabante.”

Sophie said, “This is very true. It would seem to me you should endeavor to be a bit more conciliating, Aunt Leah. No, I disowned you, didn’t I? Well, no matter. Remember we will be neighbors.”

“I really don’t care what you do, Sophie. I do wonder, however, what your dear mother would think of all this.”

“My mother would wonder why you, her sister, treat me like—I am even boring myself repeating this very old business. You are what you are.

“Richard, evidently Devlin isn’t going to kill you, since Roxanne managed to save herself from Manners. A great pity, I think, since you have proved that you are a nasty piece of goods and a danger not only to the prince but to Roxanne and me.” She cocked her head at him. “Do you know, Richard, I must say this again—it amazes me that you have known the prince all your life and yet you do not immediately accept his word that he did not kill Lily. Yet I, who have known him for perhaps a month, recognize his integrity, his innate goodness and fierce honor, all the way to my bones.”

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