Chapter 14
Vaughn had never been close to his family.
His parents were like many people of their station—they had kept a respectable distance from their children.
He didn’t recall many moments of warmth or familial attachment.
He had a sister, Emily, now a viscountess, but they hadn’t ever been close either.
She wrote him from time to time, they had supper once or twice during a Season and occasionally shared a holiday, but it was a cooler connection than even some of his acquaintanceships.
So when he sat in the parlor after a raucous supper with the Comerford sisters, Silas and their aunt, he couldn’t help but be captivated by their bond.
They were a delight to behold as a group.
The sisters, especially, were enchanting.
They could say a thousand words with just a look between them.
They had personal jokes that made their eyes sparkle.
And there was an intense protectiveness shared between them.
How lucky one would be to be invited into that sphere as Silas Windham had been when he married Arabella. Occasionally, he caught Windham watching the three sisters just as Vaughn was and he would smile like he enjoyed the exercise just as much.
The youngest sister, Julia, looked between the two men with a smile. “Now, I’ve heard you and Silas were once in school together, Blackburn. Did you get up to ridiculous antics?”
Silas grinned toward him. “Blackburn was a bit wilder back then, though not as wild as I was.”
Vaughn chuckled. “I’d wager there were few as wild as you were. God, how much fun it was to watch you tweak every one of the beaks.”
“Beaks?” Evelina asked with a shake of her head. “What’s that?”
“Apologies, Eton has its own silly little language,” Vaughn explained. “A beak is what we called the masters.”
“The teachers,” Silas supplied, and all four women nodded. “I did play my pranks and set my fires.”
Vaughn snorted. “Metaphorical and once literal, yes?”
Silas bent his head. “To be fair, I didn’t know the pamphlets would go up like that.”
“Good Lord,” Arabella said with a laugh as she came to link her arm through her husband’s. She stared at him with pure adoration even as she teased, “You are hopeless.”
“Entirely,” he agreed. “And trust that I was punished for it. Lashings every Friday. I couldn’t have my streak broken, could I?”
Evelina’s lips parted. “They beat you?”
Silas’s jaw tightened a little and Vaughn also felt the swell of anxiety at the topic of the school’s infamous disciplinary system.
“They did. Done by both the beaks and the prefects—those are the head boys who are allowed to mete out punishment. Always colossal pricks. You never became one after I left, did you, Blackburn?”
Vaughn shook his head. “No. Though Southwater did.”
Silas arched a brow. “See, colossal pricks.”
Evelina let out her breath and it was just a little shaky. “Harry used to speak fondly about his time as a head boy at the school. I had no idea about the beating part. It seems I knew very little, or perhaps purposefully ignored the signs out of foolishness.”
Their aunt Caroline took Evelina’s hand. “Dearest, as unsavory as it is, Eton is known for these things and always has been, at least quietly amongst those of the ton. And Southwater betrayed you in a great many ways, none of which was your fault.”
“I agree,” Vaughn said, and held her gaze from across the parlor. “None of it was your fault, Evie.”
She blushed slightly. “Thank you.”
Silas went to the sideboard and poured another drink for Evelina.
As he handed it over, he said, “You three know better than most that men can be very good at hiding their true natures. I always thought Southwater was an arse. But he didn’t show you that side until pretending it wasn’t there no longer suited his purpose.
” He glanced at Vaughn. “Actually, Blackburn, I have to say I was always surprised you were friends with him both back then and even more recently. You never came across as much more than a vague arse.”
Vaughn couldn’t help but laugh, even though he’d guess that a man like Silas would very much see him as exactly that: a tolerable nob.
“I think that’s about as high a praise as I can expect from you, Windham.
So I’ll take it.” He sighed. “And as for Southwater…I suppose he was a bad habit after a while. As boys you don’t often get to fully choose your friends.
Our fathers were friendly, we were thrown together at gatherings and at school.
We were of similar rank and age. It made sense.
As we grew, I perhaps foolishly overlooked some of his worse impulses.
I excused casual cruelties as him only having a bad moment. ”
“It’s easy to do,” Evelina said, and their gazes held. “We were both fools that way.”
“But we never will be again,” he said softly.
She nodded. “I suppose all we can do is grow from it.”
He stiffened. It was a lovely idea that they would both become stronger or better people through this painful time. But was that what was happening? Was it growing to be playing games? Pretending a relationship? Taking pleasure in tweaking Southwater and Florence?
He knew the answer. He hated himself a little for it.
Caroline Ashfield cleared her throat and Vaughn started. This conversation had become so much about just them that he’d all but forgotten the others in the room, watching them, reading them. “Arabella, why don’t we play some parlor games?”
Arabella was still watching Vaughn, even as she nodded. “A capital idea! I hesitate to offer literary riddles because my dear husband is far too good at such things, but as long as he is on my team…”
The others laughed and it shook the heavier mood. Evelina came toward him and they didn’t speak as they linked arms to ready themselves for the game. He glanced down at her. “My apologies, Evie. I shouldn’t have gotten so maudlin.”
Her brow wrinkled. “It isn’t maudlin. And you don’t have to apologize to me unless we end up being terrible at this game and have to endure my sister crowing about it and holding it over my head for the next twelve years.”
“Twelve?” he repeated on a laugh.
“Oh yes,” she said. “Don’t ever mention the sack race we had as children, she’ll never stop talking about how she bested Julia and me.”
“Well, I will endeavor to act as your champion, my lady, and not let you lose again.”
She smiled and for a moment he was dumbfounded by it. Like a ray of sunshine had hit some of the ice around his heart and it was thawing. He found he liked the sensation and he refused to back away from it as they launched into the game of riddles.
* * *
The evening was coming to an end as the clock chimed midnight and Evie smiled across the parlor at Vaughn.
They’d ended up being very good partners in all the games played that night.
They’d bested the rest several times and she found him to be as gracious a winner as he was a loser. She slowly moved to him.
“You’ve been lovely tonight,” she said.
He smoothed a lock of hair from her face and that gentle touch sent reverberations of sensation through her body. “As have you. I know we came in separate vehicles and we didn’t plan to spend the evening together but for Arabella’s invitation, but would you like to come home with me?”
She couldn’t look away from the green depths of those eyes and all the promises they contained. She nodded. “Very much so.”
“Good.” He leaned down and kissed her briefly. She blinked as she pulled away and then realized her entire family was watching the exchange. From the arch of Arabella’s brow it seemed her sister had opinions.
Evelina wasn’t ready for them tonight. So instead she said, “I’m afraid my energy is waning. I think Blackburn and I will take our leave. Julia, did you come in a carriage or do you need a ride?”
She found herself relieved when her youngest sister shook her head. “No. I’m staying with Arabella and Silas tonight.”
“Good,” Evelina said without thinking, and heat rushed to her cheeks at the slip. “I mean, that’s lovely. You’ll have a wonderful time.”
Arabella arched a brow at her, but wasn’t able to push her because Silas stepped up, hand outstretched to Vaughn. “It was good to see you, Blackburn. Perhaps we’ll bump into each other over at Fitzhugh’s. I sometimes play billiards there with the Earls of Delacourt and Ramsbury.”
Vaughn lifted his brows. “Ah. Well, I’d be happy to join you. Thank you.”
Evelina lifted up to kiss Silas’s cheek. “Yes, thank you,” she whispered, and met her brother-in-law’s eyes as she said it. After all, she knew that every positive connection Vaughn made put him back on a path to acceptance once the nasty business of the divorce was finalized.
Silas squeezed her hands and then stepped aside so she could say her farewells to Arabella, Julia and her aunt. She did so, watching Vaughn do the same with as much warmth as he’d handled them all evening. Such a difference from Harry. She felt the weight of that all the more now.
Together they all moved to the foyer and she found Vaughn’s carriage had already been called for. He helped her up and they waved as the vehicle started out the drive. As soon as it had exited onto the street, he caught her hand and drew her to his side.
She lifted her face to his and they kissed. It wasn’t brief as their kiss had been at Arabella’s. No, this was deep and powerful and passionate. He dug his fingers into her hair, she gripped her fist against his chest, their tongues collided and warred and when they parted her heart was pounding.
“Oh, I’ve been waiting to do that all night,” he breathed. “The amount of self-control I’ve exhibited should be rewarded.”
She shook her head with a laugh. “I can only imagine the kinds of rewards you’d request.”
“You in a tub, me getting to lather that body up and then watch you ride me until we’re both spent from coming?”
She blinked. “Well, that’s a reward for both of us.”
He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “I’m very generous.”
“I think you are at that,” she said, touching his cheek. “And you were truly wonderful with my family.”
“They’re easy to be wonderful around. Your closeness is admirable and enviable. I wish I’d had the same, but you know how the ton is.”
“Some of them,” she said. “But yes, I’ve seen a great many families that were very much in name only. I do appreciate that mine is close. I couldn’t imagine my life without my sisters and aunt. And even Silas, who has been such a welcome addition.”
They rode together in quiet for a moment and then he seemed to recall something. His face brightened in the dim light coming from the street lamps rushing by outside. “I’d almost forgotten. I got you a gift today and brought it just in case I was able coax you into my carriage.”
“No coaxing required, I assure you,” she said. “But I do like gifts.”
He reached behind himself to something that had become wedged in the seat. When he drew it out she recognized the shape of a book, wrapped in brown paper that looked like it had the stamp for Mattigan’s on its surface.
“Oh, a book!” she asked, grasping it.
“Yes, I thought you might not have this one yet. It’s all the rage, apparently, and difficult to find.”
She unwrapped the paper and caught her breath as she read the title in the dimness. “The Well of Saint Laurents.” Her mouth dropped open. “Kressley’s latest! It is impossible to find. How did you manage it?”
“I’m a very good customer at Mattigan’s,” he admitted. “I hope I’ll have a chance to read it when you’re finished. Or perhaps we’ll read it together.”
She stared at the book again and was surprised that tears had begun to sting her eyes.
“It’s astounding to me that you like to read a gothic romance.
Harry…Southwater, he always made fun of me for it.
If I was too engulfed in a book, he’d even threaten to take it.
Burn them all, he once said to me. He pretended he was teasing and that’s how I excused it…
but deep down I knew he meant it. He was always so jealous of anything that took my time when he demanded it. ”
She watched Vaughn’s expression, which had been soft with delight at her excitement, turn harder.
His nostrils flared. “Poxy fuck,” he muttered.
“Christ, I hate that I didn’t see what a bastard he was.
How he could treat you like that when you are so lovely and sweet and everything perfect is astounding to me. ”
She blinked at the compliments that seemed to flow from him with an ease.
And better still, they felt genuine. Like this man, this remarkable man, could truly see her as something perfect.
Something worth protecting and not just in the way that courtesans labeled the gentlemen they took to their beds.
Most of them did very little protecting.
“You can’t be real,” she murmured even as she touched his face and proved to herself that he was real and here and putting his arms around her as the carriage slowed and turned into the drive of his home.
“Oh, I’m very much real,” he said softly. “Come upstairs and I’ll prove it, over and over if need be.”