On her part, Venetia was trying hard to conceal the twitch of her lips, probably since she believed his sins were finally catching up to him.

Hawk already knew about the Wilde family tragedy at sea, and the possibility that their shipwreck had contained a sunken treasure. When he inquired about the status, Quinn showed Venetia drawings of the unique design of the collection commissioned for his mother’s family.

“It was Hawk’s colleague Beau Macklin whom I sent to southern France to investigate,” Quinn told her. “Hawk, if you hear anything from Macky while I am away…”

Hawk nodded. “I will messenger you in Somerset at once. You may leave it to me. Now, however, I will arrange transportation to convey you there.”

“I presumed we could take an unmarked carriage to insure we are not followed.”

“You will need more than one. Never fear, my coachman is an expert at eluding pursuit.”

Mrs. Cleo Newcomb was announced just then, so Venetia excused herself to receive her friend.

Quinn was glad that unlike his female relatives, Hawk didn’t press him for personal details about his impending marriage. It was going to be a long enough day as it was.

—

As Venetia had predicted, Cleo strenuously objected to the nuptials. “I cannot believe you would willingly ally yourself with Traherne,” she began.

“You needn’t worry, Cleo. I am no longer the gullible young fool I once was.”

Unable to convince her to withdraw, Cleo gave her a heart-to-heart talk, warning her about the marriage bed and trying to prepare her in more detail.

Venetia had very low expectations of her marriage. She was resolved to never fall for another rake. If she didn’t give her heart, she couldn’t be hurt again. In fact, if she didn’t have hopes, she couldn’t be disappointed. She was determined to put on a brave front and face the collapse of any remaining dreams she’d once harbored.

The trouble was, Traherne’s sister, Skye, was as cheerfully optimistic about romance as Cleo was pessimistic. A delicate, almost ethereal beauty with pale gold hair, Lady Skye possessed the most charming manner imaginable.

“Kate wished to speak to you also, but we both thought you might feel overwhelmed if we ganged up on you, two against one. So I was elected to welcome you into the family. Truly, it is a pleasure to have you for my sister, Miss Stratham.”

Taken aback by her warm reception, Venetia managed a grateful smile. “Thank you, Lady Skye.”

“If we are to be family, you must call me Skye. I would imagine you have a million questions about my brother.”

“A million and one, actually.”

“Well, it is most important that you understand why he is so cynical.”

“And why is that?”

“Because he has always been the target for ruthless husband-hunters, beginning when he was barely out of leading strings. It is not surprising that he would wed you to protect you, though. He is not quite the rake the world thinks him.”

At Venetia’s skeptical look, Skye went on. “Quinn has always been overly protective of the women in our family. Kate and I were young when we lost our parents. If not for having to help raise me, he would have traveled the world. I could not ask for a better brother, truly, but he has always been too smart for his own good and is easily bored. My uncle, Lord Cornelius Wilde, is a renowned scholar. Quinn shares his intellectual brilliance but never followed in his academic footsteps. He always had too much lust for danger and adventure.”

Skye paused a moment to study Venetia’s expression. “I was quite happy that he found his life’s work recently. For nearly two years, Quinn has been holed away working feverishly on an invention—a design for a nautical steam engine that he claims will revolutionize sailing and save countless lives. You see, it is his own way of changing fate. If our parents’ ship had been powered by steam, it would not have sunk.”

The revelation about his cause surprised Venetia. Skye must have liked her response for she nodded sagely. “I am very glad Quinn plans to hide out for a time while he heals. If I know him, he’s eager to hone his wits on uncovering a murderer. He made me promise to take refuge in my husband’s castle, but I worry that he gives little thought for his own safety. Please, will you watch out for him while you are in Somerset?”

“I will do my best.”

“Then I can rest easy. Now, if Kate or I can help you in any way, don’t hesitate to ask. Doubtless this situation is supremely awkward for you, but we hope to remedy that by making you feel at home with us.”

—

With such a warm welcome, Venetia was not surprised that the evening proceeded far better than she could have hoped. A congenial dinner was followed by music and lively conversation. Even Cleo unbent a little in the face of such determined charm on the part of the ladies Skye and Katharine.

Traherne worried Venetia, however, for she couldn’t help noticing he was in pain.

He retired to bed earlier than the rest of the company. Seeing him leave the drawing room, she excused herself and went after him, caught up to him as he was climbing the stairs. “Do you need assistance changing your bandage, my lord?”

Tags: Nicole Jordan Legendary Lovers Historical
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