Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Ansford Keep was lit up like a fairytale castle.
The sun was setting, and the shadows fell deep across the land that Lord Reeve Ravenhill farmed.
Abby met her sister at the door, embracing her despite the awkwardness of her large belly.
She was due to give birth at any time and was clearly weary of waiting.
Reeve was beaming, his face alight with the pleasure of seeing Christine because it made his wife happy. Will had been right about him, Reeve would do anything for his wife.
Christine had arrived in the coach with Will and Molly.
Her sister, Breana, and her husband, Theo, had arrived not long after.
The younger Starlings had not been invited, remaining at home with their parents, and her other brother, Josh, was otherwise engaged at Allingham Farm.
Christine would be sure to see him before she returned to London.
She and Joshua were closest in age, and sometimes she missed him most of all.
Those who had already arrived were gathered in the drawing room, sherry glasses in hand, when the door knocker rattled.
The servants were busy loading up the table with far too much food, so Abby struggled to rise and greet whoever the latecomer was.
But Christine decided she would be a good sister today.
“Never you mind, Abby. I’ll go.”
Abby gave her a grateful smile. “By the time I got to my feet they would probably have given up and gone home.”
“Then stay right where you are,” Christine ordered her in her best bossy voice.
When Christine reached the door, she found that the butler had already welcomed the guest inside.
At first she could not see who it was—his back was turned to her while he said something to the butler which made the old man smile.
It wasn’t Joshua, which had been her first thought, but Abby had not mentioned inviting anyone else.
Then the man turned around, and a shock of recognition tingled all the way down to her toes.
It had been awhile since she had seen him, but Zek Nash was still the same boy she remembered.
Back then he had been poor and ragged, and always glared at her as if he’d rather have been anywhere else.
She always resented him coming to their Christmas luncheons, wondering how her parents could have allowed it.
It spoilt everything! And now he was here?
“You!” The word burst out from her like a gunshot.
But even as she said it, she realised he wasn’t the same.
His clothing was fashionable and well-made: a dark jacket over a gleaming white shirt, and beige pantaloons with shiny boots.
His dark hair was tidy and brushed back.
She was shocked to see he was no longer a boy, but a man. One with an air of quiet confidence.
Zek Nash raised one of his eyebrows at her.
He stepped forward until he was only a foot or so away, on purpose she was sure, because it forced her to look up to meet his gaze.
In that he hadn’t changed. He still looked as arrogant as ever, and with no reason for it that she could see—other than the fact she had just shouted at him like she’d caught him stealing the silverware.
“Miss Starling,” he said in a voice that still carried the soft burr of Barton Lacey. “Still the same delightful personality, I see.”
“What are you doing here?” she snapped.
There was amusement in his dark eyes, but also a hint of exasperation. “Why, exactly, shouldn’t I be here?”
“Because...” she began but couldn’t finish.
Because I don’t like you and never have, seemed unreasonably harsh.
A voice rose up behind her. “Ah, there you are, Zek!”
Reeve came over and shook the man’s hand. “You know Mr Nash, do you not, Christine? He and I are business partners in a little venture I—”
“Business partners?” she echoed. “I wouldn’t have thought Mr Nash had the capital for any sort of business. Unless he stole it.”
The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them, then seemed to just lay there between the three of them in a great mess of uncomfortable rudeness.
The two men stared at her. Zek coughed as if suppressing a laugh, but Reeve looked unhappy and concerned.
He was never rude to anyone, so her behaving in such a way in front of him made Christine suddenly embarrassed and ashamed.
Thankfully, before she could stammer out an apology—and why should she, really? —Abby appeared on the scene.
“Oh, there you are, Zek!”
Her sister waddled toward them, and Reeve immediately took her arm to steady her. She looked hopefully over at Christine. “I thought I could even up the numbers for dinner tonight by inviting Zek,” she said, but her voice began to lose its certainty before she had even finished.
She must have noticed the looks on their faces and felt the awkwardness in the air.
Christine struggled to salvage what she could of the situation. “Of course. How nice.” The words rung hollow even to her own ears.
Abby and Reeve led the way into the dining room. Abby fussed about, making sure everyone was seated according to her table plan. Which meant, unfortunately, that Christine was placed opposite Zek Nash.
Throughout the evening, she had to stare him in the face whenever she raised her eyes from her plate, so she tried to do so as little as possible. Yes, the food was delicious, but it may as well have been cold and raw for all she could enjoy it.
Why did he have to come here tonight and spoil everything?
It was Christmas all over again. And what did Reeve mean that they were business partners?
The Zek Nash Christine remembered could no more be someone’s business partner than fly to the moon.
He might look different, but that didn’t mean he was different inside.
Yet despite all of her clamouring doubts and long held grudges, she knew she had to apologise.
Uncomfortable as it was, and even though he didn’t deserve it, she knew she had no choice.
She could not allow anyone to think her to be a vicious person.
And she wasn’t! Christine was always caring when it came to the poor.
Why, she made certain to present the old man who sat near the theatre door with a pie or some cake whenever she passed him. She was a good person!
Blurting out such horrible things to Zek was something Christine the child would have done. In truth, she hadn’t given him a thought since she went to London. She had grown. Now here she was, turning back into the person she had thought she had left behind.
The guests all chatted easily together. Zek seemed to fit into their company as if he did so all the time, while Christine struggled to join in.
She was only comfortable when she was answering questions about her life in London and the play that was coming up.
She was proud of her accomplishments, and she could tell her family was proud of her.
Then someone would ask Zek a question, and she would withdraw once more.
This would be so much better if only Zek were not here to ruin it all! She had been so looking forward to seeing everybody, to once more being a part of her family, and now she felt as though that had been taken away from her.
As dinner came to a close, Reeve suggested the men take some brandy, and the women removed themselves to the drawing room. Abby seemed quite relieved to sink back into her comfortable chair. She was pale and tired, and Molly fussed about her, finding her cushions and pouring her a cup of tea.
“You do too much, Abby!”
Abby smiled contentedly. “Oh, I don’t mind. I love having my family about me.”
“There will be plenty of time for all that once the baby is born.”
Christine could still hear Molly gently scold Abby as she went to the window. The room felt overwarm, but Abby seemed to need it that way.
As she stood there, she noticed the long windows that led from the dining room open, and saw Zek stride out. For a moment he stood still, then he wandered onto the terrace.
Here was her chance to speak with him alone. She would apologise to him, without having to embarrass herself in front of the others, and then she could put the matter behind her. With luck, she wouldn’t have to see him again while she was here in Barton Lacey.
Christine took a deep breath, put on her Christina Silk face, and clicked open the door.