Chapter 34 A Dragon’s Fire #2
To my surprise, Grace turned her head to meet my eyes with none of the nerves or uncertainty she’d shown in the ballroom. “Then, why are you being cruel to her tonight?”
I straightened from my lean on the balustrade, suddenly wanting to defend myself. And even though I knew Bren wasn’t hurt by my actions tonight, I found myself chastened. “I didn’t… That is to say—”
“She loves you. I can see it. I may not know much of… of these… arrangements, but I can see that.”
I cleared my throat. “Lady Grace, it would be impolite of me to speak of such things with an unmarried Lady—”
“Oh please. Why do men only find their manners when they aren’t attracted to you?”
I spluttered. “I never said… You are a very beautiful young woman, Grace. Only—”
She shook her head and rolled her eyes, turning back to the garden.
Her yearning look was back. “You can stop stammering now. I won’t make you speak of it.
Truly, I don’t wish to know. Admittedly, I know little of what passes between a man and a woman—though I know enough,” she said with a sharp glance at me before she returned her attention to the garden.
“It’s only… noblemen will speak in double-talk and flirtation, but they will not simply talk!
And… well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. I have never met the man who inspired the fire in me that I see in Bren’s gaze when she looks at you.
” She hesitated, her throat bobbing. “Truly, I would far rather mount a dragon than sit atop a man.”
I coughed, fighting a shocked laugh, mentally scrambling for appropriate words, but Grace clapped both hands to her mouth in horror. “Oh dear—was that a lie? The married ladies told me it was something that… but I was never sure I should believe—”
Bemused, I raised a hand to stop her stammers.
Her cheeks blazed red and I shook my head.
“Lady Grace, please don’t be embarrassed.
And don’t worry… you aren’t misinformed.
But… I believe that it is the height of impropriety for me to discuss in your presence, so I will leave it at that.
Perhaps I could return you to your very safe, unadventurous chair inside? ”
I offered her my arm. She sighed, then gave me a half-smile and slipped her hand around my forearm, dropping her gaze as she followed me meekly back to the hall full of two-faced, shallow vultures.
And that pissed me off.
“Lady Grace, if you would indulge me for a moment… if I might say, with the utmost respect: I believe you should absolutely wait to learn of these things until you meet the man who inspires that kind of… fire.”
She looked at me from the side. “Real fire?”
“Dragon hot fire. Yes.”
She gave a soft smile, but it faltered. “Knowing my luck, even if he does exist, he will tire of me quickly. Men seem prone to do that, even with the best of women,” she said with a pointed glance at me.
Shots fired.
I humphed. I wanted to reassure her—both about my intentions for Bren, and her instincts about the men.
But I had a role to play here, and I’d warned Bren against growing too attached or trusting with anyone.
We still didn’t know much about the lovely Lady Grace.
So, I chose my words very carefully. “No matter what occurs between Lady Brennan and I, I do not wish her ill. And I know that she cares for you. Your friendship, though new, is precious to her. Please, do not undervalue that.”
Grace was surprised and slowed our paces as we approached the door. “You really do care for her?”
I rolled my jaw wondering how to deflect that question without lying when she leaned in and whispered. “I once overheard you call her my love. It… it made me jealous—not of you, sir. But the… the sentiment.”
She looked ahead, through the glass in the door, to the lazy, shallow men inside who were, no doubt, her best hope of a husband and family, and I found myself wincing on her behalf.
When I reached to open the door, trying to find some meaningful way to offer advice or support, the men in the room turned their heads to see who was arriving.
I held it open for her, but Grace stood at my side for a moment, staring at the great space ahead of us and her expression grew sad.
“Lady Grace,” I asked her quietly. “Do you really want one of… those?”
She sighed. “I don’t know,” she admitted with a pretty little shrug. “But most days I just wish I had the choice.”
She set her shoulders back, raising her chin like a warrior donning armor. And I made a split-second decision.
I let the door swing closed and pulled her behind it, to the shadows of the corner where the balustrade met the ivy-covered wall of the castle, and hid her from the eyes peering through the brightly reflective windows inside.
Positioning her in the corner where our shadows might be seen, but no light would reach us.
And there, I leaned over her, one hand on the wall, the other on the balustrade, and with mere inches between our faces, I fixed my eyes on hers.
Grace’s eyes were wide as she shrank back, but then she blinked and straightened, gripping her skirts. “Sir, I thought we spoke as friends. I had no intention of giving you the wrong impression—”
“Lady Grace, you are a good woman. And you deserve a man who inspires all the fire within you, and possesses it for you. So… stay here a moment. You are safe. I will not touch you—though I cannot guarantee they won’t believe I have.
But if you truly want choices… well, we males are simple creatures.
And the thing that most often ignites a spark, is seeing another man’s fire for a woman. ”
With a mischievous smile, I tipped my head forward. She flinched back, but I kept my voice low and my hands away from her “Put your fingers in my hair and… mess it up a bit.”
Grace blinked, but then hesitantly reached out and mussed my hair—softly at first, but then with a little more courage.
When I was sure she’d done enough, I shook my head so a couple of the strands she’d loosened fell down.
“Now, when I stand up, you walk past me—you sweep away, if you take my meaning—straight into that room and you don’t look at any man.
You walk straight past the dance floor until you find a servant with a drink, then you take one and you walk out, sipping it. And you smile.”
Grace’s cheeks flushed red. “Sir, they will think—”
“Yes, they will. But they won’t be certain. They’ll be curious. And I assure you, as long as you tell no one—you’re very good at the demure deflection, I assume?—in the coming days, you will find yourself with… choices.”
Grace straightened and smoothed her skirts nervously, staring at me with a pretty frown. “Why would you do this for me?”
I huffed and told her the truth. “Because I find myself ill with the self-indulgence of these people. And I feel like setting a cat amongst their metaphorical pigeons.”
She arched one skeptical brow at me. “As if you don’t also partake of the… games they play?”
I sighed. Yes. She needed to believe that.
I would need to do some deflecting of my own.
“You will learn as you grow, Lady Grace: No man is perfect, or truly in control of his… inner beast. Find the one who leashes themselves most tightly. Find the one who willingly sacrifices his own comfort in exchange for yours. The rest… forgive.” I thought I’d given good advice, until the memories of Bren’s torment rushed back and I hurried to add, “Unless he betrays you. You leave any man behind who would misuse you. And you remain strong. Flatly refuse his sorry ass.”
She blushed scarlet at the swear, but whispered her thanks. When I was sure she had herself under control, I straightened and stepped back, into the rectangle of light so I could be seen from the dance floor, opening my arm towards the door for her.
Still in the shadows, she looked at the door. “Sweep away, you say?”
I nodded, letting my expression remain grim. “Yes, as if you’ve had something you wanted, and you’re very satisfied with yourself.”
She gave another wistful smile. “I would so like to feel satisfied with myself.”
“You can, Lady Grace. I assure you, you should be greatly more satisfied with yourself than the bulk of humanity in that room. Don’t lose your kindness. But… also do not let yourself be overrun.”
“Thank you, Donavyn—I mean, sir. That is good advice.”
“You have no need for titles with me. Simply be a friend to my—to Brennan, and I will thank you.”
She smiled brighter, then raised her chin, and did make a very respectable sweep off the balcony and into the hall exactly as I had told her to.
And sure enough, several pairs of male eyes clocked her, cut to me and my frustrated scowl, then returned to follow her progress along the floor.
I gave myself a few moments of slump-shouldered breathing with my eyes on the floor, as if I’d been aggravated and had need to brace myself, just to keep them guessing.
Then I strode in, ignoring her completely, took a glass from a servant’s tray as I passed, and drained it as I walked towards the door.
One of the king’s men hurried to intercept me with the offer of an invitation to play cards, which I accepted, knowing that the men would be so drunk in an hour, I would finally be able to return to the sweet warmth and welcome of my mate.
Where I was determined to make utterly certain that she had no interest in the fire of any other man but me.