Mastered by Love (Bastion Club 8)

She was a Vaux—an expert in emotional scenes, in reading the undercurrents, the real passions beneath. Yet if she told him how pleased she was to see him so distraught, he’d bite her head off.

Besides, she had another role to fill. Lifting her head, she imperiously asked, “The announcement—have you written it?”

She hoped her tone would refocus his attention.

He continued to stare out. A minute ticked by. She waited.

“No.” After a moment, he added, “I will.”

“Just do it.” She softened her voice. “You know it has to be done, and urgently.” Realizing that he was at sea—on a storm-tossed emotional ocean he, of all men, was poorly equipped to navigate—she went on, “Get your secretary to pen it, then show it to Minerva and get her consent. Regardless, it must be on the mail coach to London tonight.”

He didn’t immediately respond, but then he nodded. Curtly. “It will be.”

“Good.” She bobbed a curtsy, turned, and walked to the door.

He stirred, glanced at her. “Can you tell Margaret she’s hostess tonight?”

Her hand on the doorknob, she looked at him. “Yes, of course.”

His chest swelled; for the first time he met her eyes. “Tell Minerva I’ll come and see her in a little while—once I’ve got the announcement drafted.”

Once he had his temper in hand. As a Vaux, Letitia knew all about temper—and she could see his roiling in his eyes.

He went on, “We’ll dine in my apartments.”

“I’ll keep her company until then. Clarice, Jack, and Penny are going to mingle, to make sure there’s no…uninformed talk.” She smiled, anticipating doing the same herself—and putting a not-so-tiny flea in Susannah’s ear. “I’ll join them once you come for Minerva.”

“Thank you. All of you.”

Turning to the door, she smiled rather more delightedly, knowing he couldn’t see. “Believe me, it’s our pleasure.” She paused, hand on the knob. “We can discuss the wedding tomorrow.”

He grunted.

At least it wasn’t a snarl. She let herself out, closing the door behind her. Glancing at Royce’s footman standing utterly blank-faced along the wall, she smiled gloriously. “Despite all, this is going to work out very well.”

With that, she hurried back to the morning room, to relate to Minerva all she’d seen, heard—and deduced.

Minerva had assuaged a great deal of her anger by the time Royce joined her in the morning room. Having successfully dealt first with his sisters, and then the assembled ladies, having ensured all knew precisely how unamused she was over Susannah’s misplaced meddling, and having made her expectations, as the soon-to-be Duchess of Wolverstone, of their behavior over the matter abundantly plain, she was feeling much more settled as she stood looking out of the window, idly surveying his domain.

Royce’s gaze locked on her the instant he opened the door, but she didn’t turn around.

Seated on the sofa facing the door, Letitia rose. “I was about to go down.” She glided forward.

Royce held the door open for her. She touched his arm, glanced back at Minerva. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Without looking around, Minerva nodded—a tense, brief nod.

With a pat for him, Letitia left. He closed the door, hesitated—sent a prayer winging to any god that might be listening that Minerva wouldn’t cry. Feminine tears usually left him unaffected, but her tears would shred his control, rupture his tenuous hold on his temper—and the gods alone knew who he’d strike out at, or how. Not her, of course, but…

Breathing in, mentally shoring up his defenses, emotional ones he rarely used, he walked to her side.

It was early evening; beyond the window, the shadows were lengthening, laying a purple wash over his lands. Spine poker straight, arms crossed, she was looking out, but he’d swear not seeing.

Halting beside her, he angled his head the better to see her features. She turned her head and met his gaze.

Her expression was controlled, composed, more so than he’d expected; her eyes…were unusually hard, and more unreadable than he’d ever seen, but…he could detect not a hint of tears.

Chin firm, she tipped her head toward the door. “They’re really quite remarkable—Letitia, Penny, Clarice, and Jack. I’m sure between them they’ll have the entire company in well-rehearsed order come morning.”