First Kiss (15 page)

Tim nods, “The
search parties have only given up on searching for us a fortnight ago.”

Sam looks lost
completely. He gives me a blank stare. I smile, "A fortnight is two
weeks."

He cocks his
head, "I'm not an idiot. I know what that means."

Bastion shakes
his head, "How is your father?"

Tim bites his
lip, "Father was angry that Mother never came home for a year, and now
he’s refused to see me as his son. He called her an adulterer and has stated
she is no longer his wife, nor I his son."

Bastion looks
back at me and I nod, "Go save her. We will wait here for you. Her house
is close by."

“I’ll be back.
Don’t move from this spot.” He waves his hand as he walks very quickly to the
stables, "A horse." The stableman gets him a fine black horse. He
mounts, pulling Tim up into the saddle with him and he's off.

Sam blinks,
"Shit, we're really here, aren’t we? This is real. I can taste the horse
crap smell in my mouth."

I nod, looking
back at him, "Let me send you back. This is about to blow up into a huge
mess."

He shakes his
head and I see the fire in his eyes that I used to. He squeezes my
hand,
"I will not leave you here, not with these
people. They're screwed up. This is what happens when you don’t have TV and
video games. You mull about and ride horses and gossip."

I smile at
him, "Just know what you're getting yourself into. The Lake curse has
nothing on this place."

The wry grin
crosses his lips again, "Yeah, but here, I can kiss you all I want."
He grabs my face and kisses my cheek, close to my lips. I push him back,
breathless and wanting the kiss we are so close to having. "People here
don’t do that. I'll be named a whore if we kiss."

He turns and
pulls me to the house, "Then we find a room. I have been waiting a long
time to kiss you."

I pull him
back, "Me too. But Lance is going to be in the same trouble as Heidi. We
have to go to him. We have to save him. I look just like my mother did, and I
have to assume Baylor and I are now almost twins. She should only be nineteen
if only a year has gone by. I am now the elder sister. I can pretend to be her,
the servant in the house already called me by her name."

He turns,
"How far is it?"

"Half an
hour."

He scowls,
"Half an hour walking?"

"Riding a
horse, fast. Might be longer though; I suspect you haven't ridden before?"

He shakes his
head, "Not since I was a kid." I can’t fight the smile on my face,
"Then this will be interesting." I pull him to the stables, standing
as tall as I can, in my mother's dress, "We need a horse and for you to
tell His Highness that we have gone to Lance’s and will return shortly."

The stable
master doesn’t even bat an eyelash at me, but I see him eyeing up Sam. We
forgot to make him change clothes the way the rest of us did, so he is in a
sweater, jeans, and a Bench jacket. I think he looks sexy but the people here
will not understand his jacket at all.

"Just
one, miss?"

I nod,
impatiently. I have to remember how Baylor always acted. The man jumps to the
task, and within minutes the horse is there, again a very fine specimen. Sam
cocks an eyebrow, "Really?"

I smile at him
and scowl at the stable master. He frowns, "Would you like help,
miss?"

I give him my
best impression of my sister, a disgusted look. "No."

He bows,
"Very well."

I hate
treating him that way, but I can’t risk anything. I look at Sam. He is giving me
the worst look ever. I shake my head, "I'll explain."

He nods,
"You better, that was messed up."

"Get up
and help me into your lap. I'll do the steering and controlling."

He nods and
lifts himself up into the saddle. I step into the
stirrup,
aware I have only regular underwear on suddenly. The breeze lifts my skirts.
The stable master blushes. I laugh, "Give me your hand."

Sam grabs my
hand and lifts me up into the saddle with him. I wrap my bare legs around the
horse, making the stable master nearly faint. I pull on the reins, and cluck.
The horse backs up for me. I turn him and give him a light tap. He takes off.
Sam wraps his arms around my waist, "Why were you such a bitch?"

I nod,
"My sister never would have been polite to him—ever." I feel
him pressed into
me and sigh
.

He leans over
my shoulder and kisses my cheek, "I have always wanted this, Lynnie."

I smile and
lean back into his embrace, “Me too.” We ride until
we reach the small
village I know Lance lives in. It's called Port's Pond. I smile when I recall
the way he stammered its name and turned it into Portland when he met me, the
other me.

It all makes sense now though.
The whole
thing.
Except maybe why Bastion waited so long to come
and find me.
A decade is a long time. Feeling Sam's arms around me, I
can’t help but be a little grateful he did wait so long. I never would have met
Sam if Bash hadn’t taken so long.

I jump down from the horse, like I did as a child . . .
savagely. I had my moments.

I run to Lance’s house. I can hear the sobs of his wife behind
the door. I tap lightly. She answers, giving me a strange look momentarily and
then curtseying, “Miss Devereaux, please forgive our humble home.”
Miss
?—
that means my sister and Braden are not married yet.
Interesting.

I smile, “I wanted to remind Lance that I would prefer him not
speak of the ill events that occurred. He and the prince’s men are all
exhausted but they must not speak of the events.
They were
hunted by wilds
on the borders near River’s Cross, where they hid in the
woods for many months and then went with the young lord there on the horse to
Norland. They stayed with him, trying to figure out the attempt made on the
prince’s life. That is all they are allowed to discuss.” I look her right in
the eyes and I say, “I still have to tell my father all about it over dinner.”
There is no change in her face.

My father lives.

She nods obligingly, “Oh yes, miss. Lance was just telling me
that there was no way he could share the story. A year is a long time, but I
wouldn’t pry.”

I can tell by the look of her, she would. She looks rough and
common. Lance winks at me, “Have a safe trip home, Miss Baylor.”

I smile and look back at Sam standing with the horse. “Not
sure where home is these days, Lance.”

He nods once, “You’ll know it when you see it, miss.”

I could hug him but that would be inappropriate. I nod once,
“Please, come to the castle and see Bash . . . the heir prince. He will
compensate you. For the suffering and hardship.”

He nods, “I have more than I need.”

His wife turns, “Oh go on, you old goat.”

I wave, “Good day.” I turn and go back to the horse. There is
no one in the yard so I take my chance at climbing onto the horse, flashing my
bare legs. When I’m nestled back on the horse, Sam shakes his head against
mine, “I won’t ever get used to this, Lynnie.
I’m screwed
,
this is weird
. I don’t even like old-fashioned movies.
My mom made me watch
Les Miserables
and I hated it. I fell asleep. This
sucks.”

I look back at him, “My ass is killing me too, Sam.”

He laughs and I urge the horse to go faster.

Chapter Twelve

The sun is setting on my estate when we get back. Bastion is
waiting in the yard for us. He helps me down, “Was he all right?”

I nod, “He was, and by the sound of things, our siblings are
not married and my father is alive.”

Bastion smiles, “And he is home. The stableman just told me
that he just arrived there. Let’s pay him a visit, shall we? Can you pretend to
be Baylor with your father?”

I nod, “I think so.
If he doesn’t get too
close, maybe.
I have allies in the house too. No one liked my sister.
They knew she was wicked.”

He looks back at Sam, “We need you to change clothes, and we
need to create some sort of backstory for you.”

Sam shakes his head, “There is no way anyone is ever going to
believe I’m anything but a guy from the future.”

I shake my head, “Your parents are horrid snobs, just act like
them. Exactly like them. That’s all these people are.” Bash gives me a look.

Sam laughs, “I can do that—God knows how many of those
upper-crust dinners I’ve had to attend.” He says it in the same annoying East
Coast, rich-asshole tone his father uses.

Bastion’s eyes glow almost with something he isn’t saying. He
offers me his arm and we walk to the house.

Sam nudges
me,
“I think we should
totally come up with some kind of plan before we just attack your dad though.”

“I agree.”

Bastion shakes his head, “I am my brother and you are your
sister. Simple, until we have to complicate it.”

It seems like a bad idea to me, but I don’t have the wind
here. There is nothing to guide my decisions. The doorman gets the door, “Good
evening, Miss Baylor. Your Grace, sir.”

We walk inside and I notice the smell instantly. My stomach
grumbles, but Bastion and Sam’s make noises like I have never heard. I start to
laugh. Bastion looks down at his stomach, “I’m starving.”

Sam nods, “I don’t know what that is, but we need to get
invited in for it.”

Bastion smiles, “The invite is implied, it is Baylor’s house.
The real issue is
what have we been doing for a year
?”

I give him a
smile,
“I have already
stated Sam is a duke from Norland that you hid with when an attack was made on
your life.”

He smiles, “That actually works. I have several friends in
Norland, except of course that my parents will never believe an attack on my
life occurred without their knowledge.”

“Your scars?”

He nods, “Right.”

Sam shrugs, “We have better surgeons in Norland than you here.
My people had finished fixing you when the attack on your life happened. We
were about to go to your parents to show them the work of my doctors when the
attack came.”

“Why wouldn’t I tell my parents I was going to Norland to be
healed?”

Sam wrinkles his nose and then
smiles,
“You came there to be healed, secretly in case my doctors killed you by
accident. I didn’t want to be liable for your death and you knew your parents
would start a war over it. But the doctors’ work was a success, and it was then
that someone recognized you and tried to kill you. We stayed hidden at my
hunting lodge and tried to find the bad guys.”

I laugh, “You’re starting to sound like us.” He gives me a
grin. I roll my eyes, “Beyond feeling like I am on the set of a who done it
murder mystery, that is pretty perfect.” I release Bastion’s arm and walk to
the kitchen, “I’ll tell Cook we have guests. It’ll be a great test of my mad
Baylor skills.” The kitchen is a steamy mess. Dinner is in full swing. Cook
gives me a glare, “I’ve asked ya not to be in here, Miss Baylor. You always
make the food taste bad.”

I laugh, desperately excited to see her. I forgot about her
and how much I loved being in this kitchen. She knew me better than anyone. I
give her an evil smirk, “What about the girl who you secretly let sit under the
counter and fed pies to?”

Her eyes widen. She shakes her head, “It can’t be.” Her
chubby, red face is coated in sweat and disbelief. I walk to her, taking her
stock-covered hands in mine, “It is I.”

She looks into my eyes and gasps, “Miss Lynnie?” She shakes
her head again, “We feared you dead or worse. What magic is this? How are you a
woman before my eyes?”

I look down, “Baylor. She sent me away for ten years but only
a year passed here. She has cursed me.”

Cook nods, “Tell no one you are you. Your father dines with a
company of men who have helped in the search of you and the young heir prince.
Baylor has her hooks in the other prince; she has him convinced to take his
brother’s throne at the coronation in a fortnight.”

“Where is Baylor tonight?”

Cook smiles grimly, “At the palace with the king and queen,
dining. There is a wedding ball in three nights in honor of their arranging the
dates for marriage. Baylor and the young prince are to wed the night of his
coronation now. He will be crowned king and then wed to your evil sister.”

I shake my head, “No, he won’t. I have with me the heir
prince. He will dine at our table tonight, pretending to be Braden and I
Baylor. We will tell Father that dinner with the king and queen
is
cancelled. The heir prince has arrived home safely. Tell
the help to bring us in. We have a friend, a companion named Samuel. He is a
duke from Norland. He has odd manners and strange speech, but he is great
company and aligned with Bastion.”

She nods, swallowing hard. “This frightens me. Going against
Miss Baylor. I fear you should remain hidden, away from prying eyes and not
announced. She has grown more evil than I ever imagined possible this last
year.”

I nod, “What have I missed this last year that I have been
gone?”

She shakes her head, “It’s been an entire year dedicated to
forcing the king into naming Braden as the heir prince and agreeing Prince
Bastion must be dead. They wanted to declare you all as dead. Baylor has spent
the entire year planning the wedding. Well, that and she brought someone here
she named as a cousin. Her name is Rosie. She is young, maybe three or four.”

My eyes water, “Where is she?”

“She’ll be asleep by now.”

I swallow the hard lump in my throat, “She is the baby my
mother was pregnant with when we vanished.”

Cook gasps, “She went to the other place with you?”

I nod, astonished how easily magic is explained here. “Is she
all right?”

Cook smiles, “Sweet and just like you were as a babe. Her
nursery is across the hall from your room. Baylor dropped her off here but
hasn’t paid much attention to her. The nanny is a kind girl though.”

“Thank you.”

She squeezes my hands, “What news is there of your mother?”

I look down, “She is gone.”

I see a silent tear trickle down Cook’s cheek. I kiss her
other cheek, earning me odd looks from the other kitchen staff. Cook snarls,
“Damn you. Stop patronizing me, young lady. You will not have it, no matter how
much you beg. Now get.” She lowers her voice, “Be your sister, not yourself. No
singing and dancing, and making everyone play games with you. Be hateful and
entitled and impatient and annoyed, often for no reason.”

“She is that bad now?”

She nods once.

I turn from the kitchen, looking like someone peed in my
cereal. Baylor was always entitled, but she was never so awful as this. The
power of her magic has ruined her. When I get back to the foyer, a man is
speaking to Sam and Bastion. I would know his back anywhere. I have climbed it
a hundred times and hid behind it. My heart stops and my mouth
is
dry instantly.

I get close enough to hear his voice. It is like a song in my
mind. I nearly tear up, but I remember to be her.

“Father, when is dinner ready?”

He spins, “My darling, I never knew you were coming. Lucky
thing I told Cook to put on a feast. It was to be me and the search party for
Erralynn.”

Bastion’s gaze fixes upon me, “She might have been taken. We
were just discussing that with your father.”

My father stifles a yawn, “Come,
let’s
discuss it over a meal. I am spent from the day’s ride.”

Bastion gives me a look, “Your father was unaware that Lance
and Heidi were home from their year’s journey with my brother.”

I nod, “That, and the heir prince is home, fully recovered.”

My father gives me a sideways look, “It is troubling that
Erralynn is still missing with your mother, and the others are home. I had
always hoped they were with your mother. Now I fear she and Erralynn are dead.”
He says it matter-of-factly, eyeing up Bastion and Sam.

Bastion nods, “They were not with her from the start.”

My father frowns, “And the heir prince, where was he?”

Sam smiles and speaks completely wooden and unconvincingly,
“After my doctors worked on him, he spent a few months hiding, while trying to
reveal who was behind the assassination attempt on his life. We spent most of
the time hunting. He brought his help to my hunting lodge in the hills.”

“And yet you are here for dinner? The king and queen didn’t
want you there?”

Bastion slaps Sam on the
shoulder,
“My parents wanted my brother all to themselves tonight. They are quite
excited, as you can imagine.”

My father walks into the dining room, “The king and queen must
be relieved at how quickly he has healed.”

I give Bash a look, “I bet it didn’t feel quickly to him.”

Bastion’s eyes narrow, “I don’t know, he is fond of hunting.”

I nod, “Yes, all of you men do like a hunt.” I follow my
father, “But that is why we are here for dinner. They are meeting with him,
having him checked out with their doctors.”

“So fortunate he is normal again.” My father rolls his eyes as
we join a small party of men his age, “How easily you have been dismissed,
my
dear.”

The way he says it makes my stomach ache instantly. He is
aligned with Baylor for the throne. I can see it. I can sense it. He is
disappointed that the heir prince is found and normal after a year, and he is
barely bothered that Mother and I are missing.

Bothered, but not desperate, as I would have
imagined him.

Desperate like I was, when I discovered Rosie was dead.

Desperate like I was, when my mother hanged herself.

Desperate like I was, in the closet Mary locked me in, or when
she beat me, or when every person I ever met looked at me like I was a freak.
Apart from the two people standing next to me. Sam never did, and
Bastion—well, he’s always known who I really was so he didn’t need to.

I hate my father; it dawns on me when I watch him laugh with
his friends as they introduce the duke, Sam. I can feel the emotions overwhelming
me. My father loves his one daughter more than the other two. My already
damaged heart breaks further.

Sam takes my hand in his, behind my back and holds it for the
briefest of seconds before taking theirs and laughing with them. His only
saving grace is that he is actually very wealthy and his family is horrible.
His father and mother don’t even live with him back home. When he decided to go
to regular high school with us, his friends, instead of the academy his father
had attended, they left him with a bunch of help. They visited every now and
then. I realize now, how hard his life was. I look around and realize my father
has not ever been much different than his.

I am the only female in the room so I am instantly occupied by
several of my father’s friends.

“It’s almost as if you have matured even more since the last
time I have seen you.”

I nod at the man, forgetting his name but remembering the nose
hair—yuck. “I swear
,
you have aged before my
eyes.”

I can feel it. The last time I saw him, he gave me a
butterscotch candy and told me to go and play the harp for them all.

Bastion gives me a soft smile, but I can see the concern in
his eyes. “My darling, will you sit next to me, even if it is in poor taste?”

I meet Bastion’s gaze and smile, “Certainly.”

Father slaps Sam on the back, “You, young man, must sit next
to me. I must hear of the game and sport in Norland. I have heard it is fine.
We don’t ever go North, I would love a reason to.”

Sam’s eyes are wide when he sits, “I would love for you to
visit.”

We sit as Cook’s help starts to pour into the dining room with
bowls of soup for us all to start with.

Father gives me a sideways glance, “You have any idea how the
prince stayed hidden for so long from the people searching? The king sent out
hordes.”

I look up at Bastion and then my father and his friends. “No.”
I don’t want to look at Sam and force him to answer but he does anyway, “The
prince wasn’t attacked right away. He came and stayed with me so my doctors
could work on his scars. We have advances in medicine that you do not. The
scars are gone.”

My father appears to be holding his breath. He glances at the
other men at the table, “Fantastic news. However would you have accomplished
that?”

Sam winks at my father, “If I told you that, I would have to kill
you.”

The room is silent until my father starts to laugh. Then they
erupt into chuckles and back slaps.

I laugh nervously.

The laughing settles and Sam nods, “But when someone
recognized him after the surgeons fixed his face, he had to go into hiding.
That attack came then, in the foothills around the kingdom. We were on our way
back to his castle to tell his parents he was fine, and they came for him.”

My father frowns, “Did anyone know who the attackers were?”

Sam gives me a look and nods, “The prince did. I believe he is
with the king now, discussing it. We went to my hunting lodge from there.”

My father looks uncomfortable, horrendously uncomfortable.