Chapter Seven
Niki found his aunt Matilda standing with a tall young man on the fringes of the dance floor, keeping an eye on her guests. She looked up expectantly as Niki approached her.
“Niki! I wanted to congratulate you. I am so very pleased for you.” Her pretty face was creased in smiles, and Niki, who often tried to second-guess people, allowed himself to believe it.
“Well done, Niki,” the young man said, but there was little genuine emotion in his voice.
This was Tomas, Matilda’s sixteen-year-old son.
As the only other legitimate male in the family, he was second in line to the Holtswig throne.
The boy had never seemed to expect to inherit—like everyone else, he believed Niki would eventually marry and sire sons of his own.
“Thank you, Tomas,” he said gravely. “Thank you, Aunt Matilda.”
“Lady Roberta is like a breath of fresh air,” Matilda went on, beaming at him.
“And I think you need that. Holtswig can be very stuffy.” She had his father’s hazel eyes and brown hair, and she was in her late thirties and rather plump.
Her pretty round face seemed to be perpetually smiling, as if she was happy with her life and the world in general.
Niki had always found Matilda good company and a blessed relief from his beautiful mother, who had become a stranger to him over the years.
“Is that why you never visit?” Tomas asked his mother innocently, stirring up trouble, as usual.
She shook her head at him. “Silly boy. I stay in England because I married an Englishman and my children are English. Believe me, Tomas, you are so used to our free and easy ways, you would find Holtswig very constraining.”
Niki supposed that was true. They were stricter in his country. He, and his father and his grandfather before him, had begun to drag Holtswig out of its feudal past, but there was still a long way to go. And not everyone was happy with the changes.
“I don’t think my cousin Karl finds Holtswig constraining,” Tomas said, interrupting Niki’s thoughts. The boy was watching the dancers.
Matilda followed his gaze, and her smile faded. “Don’t let Karl steal her away from you, Niki,” she said quietly. “You know what he’s like.”
“Karl has so many lady friends already,” Tomas said thoughtfully. “Surely he doesn’t need yours as well?”
Matilda hissed a reprimand at her son, but Tomas gave them one of his innocent smiles.
As the dance ended, Gabriel stepped in to partner with his sister. Karl stood a moment, watching them with that delighted smile on his face, and then strolled off to join the group around the king.
“I won’t,” Niki said belatedly. “Let him steal her, I mean.”
“Good!” Matilda changed the subject to mundane matters, and he let her words drift over him, still watching Roberta.
She seemed to come alive with her brother, smiling and chatting.
It was because she was close to him and could be herself, Niki thought.
She trusted him. If Niki wanted her to treat him in the same way, then he needed to get her to trust him too.
As the evening drew on, Niki continued to receive congratulations, some sincere and others with a hint of caution or even a sneer behind the words.
He imagined what they were saying out of earshot.
It will never last. She must be marrying him for his money and position, and all he sees is her pretty face. I thought better of him than this.
But of course, what they did not know—and he could not tell them—was that it wasn’t planned to last. It was all a show.
When the engagement was called off, they would say it served him right.
Niki’s reputation had always been important to him, and it may well suffer.
Chamberlain Francis had been right when he had issued his warning.
Niki sighed. It was frustrating, but he had thrown himself into this plan with his eyes wide open, so he had only himself to blame.
Thinking about the “plan” reminded him of the man behind it, and Niki looked about until he spotted Freddie Hart.
He was standing not far from the door, and he appeared to be watching the crowd intently.
Niki knew there must be others in the room who were in Hart’s employ.
Bodyguards on the lookout for anyone who might be there to do him harm.
He had forgotten for a moment that someone wanted to kill him, and now he reminded himself that he should be alert at all times.
He must not forget what was really at stake here. Roberta was a prop. Someone to hide behind until the truth was revealed.
Even if it did feel very real.
“A small problem,” Freddie said. He had taken Gabriel aside when his dance with his sister finished, and now they stood together in private conversation.
Gabriel gave him a sharp look. “What do you mean? I thought it was all going exceptionally well.”
Freddie answered reluctantly. “His Majesty the King is informing everyone who will listen that he will be orchestrating Niki and Roberta’s wedding.”
Gabriel’s eyes widened, and Freddie gave a helpless shrug. “How does one tell a king that there will be no wedding? He would not only be disappointed, but he would be insulted that he was not informed of all the facts.”
“But the people you work for know the truth. Shouldn’t it be their job to inform the king?”
“It should be, but they won’t. If he was told, then everyone in London would know within the week.
No, we will just have to go ahead. You can be sure his advisers will be working to change his mind about the happy couple.
The expense!” he whispered. “In the meantime, you need to express your undying gratitude for the interest he has taken in your sister and the honor he does your family with his generous offer. God knows what will happen when the prince and Roberta part. At least executions are less common these days, or I’d be thinking you had an appointment with Tower Hill and an axe. ”
“Not funny,” Gabriel growled. “This is all your fault.”
“I know.” Freddie gave him a sympathetic smile and took his arm in a firm grip. “I’m very sorry. Your sister and the prince have played their parts too well. They look happy and in love.” He gave Gabriel a thoughtful look. “His Majesty only believes what everyone else does.”
Gabriel glanced over at his rotund, red-faced king.
George had grown even rounder since he ascended the throne, although his love of fashion and finery had not diminished.
Using corsets to enable him to force his body into the skintight “inexpressibles” and jackets that were currently the rage made him appear ridiculous.
His coronation had been such an extravagant affair, it was said to have put the country in serious debt.
Freddie’s musing interrupted his increasingly dismal thoughts. “Selfish and foolish as he is, I feel a little sorry for him.”
“Why on earth…?” Gabriel spluttered. “He will ruin the country with his grand visions, if he hasn’t already.
This wedding…God knows how much that will cost the people, and then if I need to dip into the Ashton coffers to make up the shortfall…
” He was beginning to sound desperate. “I can’t do it, Freddie. I just don’t have the capital.”
“Gabe, it’s all right,” Freddie reassured him with a sympathetic grimace. “I’ll work something out. And Prince Nikolai has said he will shoulder any blame. If anyone has to dip into their coffers, then it will be him, and his are deeper than yours.”
Gabriel took a deep breath and let it slowly out. “Things were simpler when I was a gambling club owner.”
“And now you’re a duke with a wife and child, and six sisters. Would you really go back?” Freddie gave him a searching look.
Gabriel’s bark of laughter held a hint of self-mockery. “That’s the thing. I wouldn’t change any of it.”
“There, then.” Freddie clapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s not worry about what may or may not happen just yet.” His gaze went back to someone Gabriel had noticed him looking at a great deal during their conversation. Countess Matilda Brooks.
Gabriel followed that gaze and smiled to himself.
Freddie kept his private life just that, but there had been women, though no one important enough to share details of to his friends.
He had done well, coming from such humble beginnings, but even so, wasn’t the countess out of the reach of an untitled commoner?
Not that Freddie would let that stop him.
He could charm the birds out of the trees when he set his mind to it.
Gabriel watched as Roberta and Antonia joined Niki and his family.
Ernest seemed to be telling a story to his delighted audience, and there was a burst of laughter.
The two Ashton sisters and Matilda looked genuinely amused, but the prince appeared more resigned.
He was probably the butt of his brother’s joke.
“The prince is a complicated fellow,” Freddie said thoughtfully.
“Damned clever, and he cares a great deal for his country and his people, but he’s damaged.
A difficult and unhappy childhood will do that.
” With a wry glance at his friend that said more than words about their own childhood in St. Ninian’s orphanage.
“I only hope I can help him navigate his way through this latest trouble.”
Gabriel hoped so too. One of Freddie’s men had arrived and was whispering in his ear.
Gabriel stepped away and watched as Roberta laughed and rested her hand on the prince’s arm, as if to share the joke, only to remember herself and quickly withdraw.
He sighed inwardly. His sister had changed since she came out and began to make her way in society.
It was as if she was hiding behind the sort of woman she thought she needed to be, and he was torn between feeling it was a shame and feeling relief that she hadn’t caused any more scandals.
Olivia had done something very similar, pretending to be someone she was not, but Roberta hadn’t exactly changed to that extent.
She had just closed down, gone inward, and it was only when in the company of those who knew her well that she allowed herself to be open again.
“Gabe.”
Freddie’s voice sounded tense, and when he turned to look at his friend, he saw his expression had turned very serious.
“What is it?”
“We’ve just received a rather nasty package addressed to the prince. And it mentions Roberta.” Before Gabriel could respond, he went on, “I think it is time you took her home—I will instruct extra men to keep watch tonight at Ashton House. Now I must speak to Prince Nikolai.”
“What sort of nasty package?” Gabriel demanded, catching hold of his arm. “You can’t just leave it like that.”
Freddie dropped his voice. “The sort that comes with a letter threatening to kill and maim, with the addition of a bloody heart.”
Gabriel struggled to speak. “You are joking. Who sends something like that?”
“Someone very unpleasant would be my guess. It was an animal heart, by the way; not that that makes it much better.”
Freddie walked away, leaving Gabriel angry and worried for his sister’s sake and that of his family. He tried to calm himself, remembering how good Freddie was at his job. If anyone could put a stop to this then Freddie could. He just hoped it was soon.