Grave Consequences (Grand Tour Series #2) (24 page)

“Vivian,” I said, catching her hand, my desperation to reach her rising. “You’re fond of him. But I’ll ask it again. Do you
love
him?”

“Sometimes, Cora,” she said with a sniff, “it is not love that is required of us, but other things.”

She left me—feeling utterly confused—as she went to Andrew, offering him her hands and then her cheeks for him to kiss, one and then the other, in the European style. His eyes shifted over to me, with a mixture of suspicion and triumph. He’d not bothered to apologize for last night—not even a note of regret. Perhaps he didn’t even remember it, given how much he’d imbibed.

I stifled a sigh. It was up to them, not me. And if their rift had been bridged, at least Andrew likely wouldn’t come after me again if he had a few too many glasses of champagne at the party.

Were the Morgan and Kensington patriarchs so powerful that they forced even their children to kowtow to their wishes?

“Did I see roses headed toward your room?” Hugh asked, sidling near.

“Perhaps.” I gave him a brief smile, then looked through the crowds, hoping to see William.

“A secret admirer?” he asked. By the lilt in his voice, I knew he knew more than he was saying. I quickly scanned his face, worried for a moment that it had been he who had sent the arrangement.

“It appears so,” I said. “It was unsigned.”

“Well, that
is
mysterious,” he said.

“Indeed.” I squinted up at him, studying his expression. “Hugh…did you send them to me? To toy with my emotions?”

“Me?” he said, bringing a hand to his chest, his eyebrows arching in surprise. “No, my dear. I require at least a kiss before I send such an extravagant gift to the women in my life,” he said. “Now that can be arranged….”

“Hugh.”

“All right,” he said. “You are truly in the dark as to who might have sent them?”

“A bit,” I hedged.

“Something tells me you’ll know before the night is over.” He turned to shake hands with Felix, and, a moment later, Art and William joined us too, followed by Yves and Claude. I smiled at Will, and his eyes flashed with curiosity at my bold manner. Quickly, I looked away; at least he’d know I was thankful for his grand gesture. I hoped there would be dancing at the party and he’d find an excuse to take me for a turn on the floor.

Together, our group moved out of the hotel and down the front walk, then to the right, toward the private gardens and beach. I was thankful that the wind had died down, leaving the water fairly still, the boats moored just offshore, others in slips down in the harbor a half mile distant. The city spread upon the hills below, reaching higher and higher to mountains above. And down here, by the lake, there were orderly lines of trees and hedges. A tent had been erected, and inside were elegant tables full of food. Waiters circulated among the guests, bearing trays with glasses of champagne and sparkling pink soda water.

I selected a glass of the soda, taking a sip. It tasted sweet, of raspberries with sugar.

“Come, Cora!” Lil said, coming to take me by the hand. “The dancing has started, and no one will ask us to dance if we’re hiding up here in the tent.”

“You two go on,” Nell said, a plate of food already in her hand. She appeared to have more interest in the mounds of food on the buffet table than any dancing. “I’ll join you in a moment.”

Two gentlemen watched us pass, open admiration in their eyes. “You look beautiful tonight, Lil,” I said, glancing over to my younger half sister. “Is that a new dress?”

“It is, but you know as well as I that those men were watching you pass, not me.”

“You never know,” I said, smiling at her. “You’ve grown up while we’ve been on tour. You’re coming into your own. Soon you’ll have your own suitors.”

“Maybe,” she said, her cheeks drawing a pretty blush at my praise. “Though Father will have a say in who will be welcomed at our door.”

“Well, Father isn’t here now. What’s to keep a Kensington girl from a little innocent flirting?”

Her green eyes—so unlike mine and Felix’s—went wide with surprise and delight.

We reached the edge of the park where it bordered the lake. The sun was setting now, casting lovely reds and oranges into the sky, and mirrored in the water. The rows of electric lights extended out onto three floating platforms, where a string quartet was playing a lively tune and couples were already dancing. “Oooh, look,” Lillian said, pulling my attention to the right.

I followed where she pointed. A juggler was sending seven balls up and into an oblong circle above his head; then, every third ball, he caught one behind his back. The small crowd gathered around him clapped as he took off his shoe and added that to the mix.

“And there are games!” Lil said, pulling me forward. I looked around and saw Antonio following behind us. As usual, we had our guard, which comforted me more than irritated me in this distracting new environment. Antonio would make certain no harm came to me or Lil. I could simply enjoy the party.

Lil and I did our best to toss beanbags through a board with five holes, failing miserably at the task, then we went on to watch a magician atop a wide, overturned barrel. His eyes moved over us, and he smiled. He beckoned Lil closer, and we stepped forward. “M’ladies,” he said with a British accent and a gallant bow. But when he straightened, he frowned at Lillian. “Are you American, miss?”

“Why, yes,” she said.

“Is it your custom to wear coins behind your ears?”

“What? I don’t have—”

But he was already reaching up to her ear and pulled a gold coin from it.

“What… How did you…?” she said in delighted wonder, fingering the gold coin a moment before handing it back to him.

“And My Lady of the Blossom,” he said, looking to me. He leaned closer, and I smelled it before I saw it. A red rosebud. He grinned and handed it to me, and I furtively looked around for Will. Had he arranged this? Or was it a coincidence?

We moved on to the next station, a game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Lil and I were both blindfolded, turned several times, and sent in the direction of the target. People laughed and shouted at us, mostly in French and German, which didn’t help us at all, of course. We called out to each other and eventually found our goal and pinned our “tails” on. I lifted my blindfold to see how I did, and there, at the top of the target, was a long-stemmed rose, sitting atop it. “Lil, did you see who put that there?” I asked, turning to peruse the crowd, looking for Will.

“The tail?”

“No, the rose!”

She shook her head. “Wasn’t it there all along?”

“I don’t think so,” I mumbled, disappointed when Will didn’t appear. I edged closer to Antonio. “Did you see who pinned the rose there, Antonio?”

He gave me a confused look and glanced to the target. “No. It wasn’t there before?”

“No. I don’t think so.” Maybe it was my imagination. I simply had roses on my mind, and I was paying more attention to them than any of my companions were. It was an odd coincidence, nothing more.

The two young gentlemen who had watched us pass earlier were suddenly before us. “Ladies,” said one in a heavy German accent. “Might you favor us with a dance?”

Lil smiled and ducked her head, blushing, but I looked from one to the other and then glanced over to make sure our guardian was still in place. “Certainly. We would have your names first, however.”

“I am Gebhard Schlict,” said the younger one, his eyes shifting to Lil in open admiration. He had fair hair and beautiful blue-green eyes. “And this is my cousin, Sebastian Schlict.” His relative was taller, with sandy hair and brown eyes, pleasing enough to look at and friendly in demeanor.

“We’re glad to make your acquaintance,” I said, giving them a small curtsy. “I am Cora Diehl Kensington, and this is my sister Lillian.”

“You are Kensingtons?” said the younger man with a bit of awe in his tone. He shared a look with his cousin. “You are kin to Wallace Kensington, of America?”

“One and the same,” I said, wondering over the strange wave of pride I felt at the instant respect the Kensington name commanded. In the short time the name had been mine, I’d certainly come to enjoy that.

I took the older cousin’s arm, and we made our way down to the floating platforms, walking across a gangplank to enter the least crowded one. The men spoke excitedly of their family enterprise mining in the Alps, and they wondered if our father accompanied us. They barely hid their disappointment when we let them know he did not, but still they managed to lead us gallantly through a turkey trot and then a waltz as the last rays of the setting sun gave way to the gathering dark.

When we exited and thanked our partners for the dances, I spied Will, high on the hill beside Art, near the tent. He smiled at me and lifted his champagne flute. My stomach rumbled, and I thought it might be a most excellent time to return to the tent for food. But a servant came up to me then, a red rose in his hand. “Pardon me, mademoiselle,” he said, with a crisp bow. “My lord bids you follow the trail,” he said, gesturing back behind him. Even in the growing darkness, I could see the meandering trail of red rose petals up the grass to the top of the hill. “Your lord, is it?” I asked, taking the rose from him and looking for Will again. He had disappeared. Was he waiting for me at the end of the trail? I grinned, and, seeing that Antonio was absorbed in keeping watch over Lil, who was still chatting with the young, blond Gebhard, I turned and slipped away. A moment alone with Will, to thank him, would be so lovely.…

I picked up my skirts and hurried up the grassy knoll, ignoring Hugh’s questioning gaze as I passed. The trail extended into a gazebo, illuminated by a gas lamp. I hesitated and looked back over my shoulder. The nearest people were now twenty yards away. “Will?” I whispered. I tentatively climbed the steps into the gazebo.

A man in a formal black jacket leaned against the far railing, deep in shadow. It took me a moment, but before he had taken three steps, I knew he wasn’t William.

“Mon ange!”
Pierre de Richelieu said, his face the very definition of joy as he strode over to me, hands outstretched. “Forgive me. I simply could not stay away.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

~Cora~

He took my hands in his, kissing me on both cheeks as he smiled at me. “You look surprised to see me. You received my gift of the flowers, yes?”

“Th-those were from you?” What an idiot I’d been. To think that Will could afford such a gift, given his circumstances.

“But of course! Who else would they be from? Do you have so many admirers you cannot keep track of them? Why, certainly you do!” He grinned, and I had no choice but to smile back at him. He embodied exuberant pleasure, ease. And he was so pleased to see me, it was infectious. But I could not seem to find my tongue.

“Forgive my largesse,” he said, gesturing toward the trail of petals. “But I do love a dramatic, romantic moment.” He lifted my hands to his lips, kissing the knuckles of one and then the other. “Oh, how I have missed you since you left, my sweet! Nothing has been the same since we parted. Nothing.”

“P-Pierre,” I stuttered, “did you not receive my letter?” Even as I said the words, I knew it was impossible. There hadn’t been time.… He probably left before—

“Your letter? No.” He shook his head in sorrow. “What did it say?”

“Pierre,” I said, aching over what must be said, all over again, and finding it twice as hard in person. “You are so lovely. So kind and generous. But you and I…” I shook my head. “I simply don’t think we are meant to be together.”

He frowned, inhaled and held the breath, lifting his chin. He studied me and then slowly exhaled, nodding. “Cora, we are just beginning to explore what we might have. Would you stamp out a sprout before you’d yet seen its flower?” He shook his head. “I hear your heart, dear one. Your doubt. But I cannot let you go so easily.” His eyes searched mine, and he lifted a hand to cradle my cheek.

I stared up at him, wondering what else I could say…to tell him without it becoming a knife wound, slashing his heart.…

“Cora?” Will asked, behind me.

I turned slowly, feeling vaguely nauseated. He’d certainly seen. Seen Pierre speak to me in such a caring manner, caress my face.“Will,” I said, feeling caught and unaccountably guilty. “L-look who’s here!”

Pierre moved past me to shake Will’s hand enthusiastically. “Imagine my good pleasure when I received word that you were coming to this hotel! I despaired I’d never find you!”

“Yes, well,” Will said, shooting me a confused glance, “that is fortunate.” He paused, and a flash of displeasure washed through his eyes. “I understood we wouldn’t enjoy your company again until we met in Vienna.”

“As did I!” Pierre said gleefully, his eyes still solely on me. “Happily, I was able to revise my plans.”

“What a nice surprise,” Will said, no note of joy in his tone. Pierre appeared not to notice. Or ignored it. “How long might you sojourn with us before Paris calls you back? A day? Two?”

“No, no, no, my friend,” Pierre said, clapping him on the back. “I have two weeks before I must tear myself away.” He spoke to Will but smiled at me. “I’ve arranged to meet Cora’s father in Vienna to discuss a certain business venture. It’s become clear to me that nothing could have greater import.”

“Speak with my f-father?” I said.

“Yes,” Pierre smiled, clearly pleased. “It came to me, after you departed. That Montana Copper might be the perfect partner for a certain business enterprise of my own. Monsieur Kensington telegrammed me in return, suggesting a rendezvous in Vienna. It is perfect, no?”

No, I wanted to say.
No, no, no!
He continued to smile at me, then at Will. “I would very much like to travel with you to Vienna and perhaps as far as Venezia.”

“You showed us great kindness in Paris and beyond, Pierre,” Will said, as polite in his tone as a servant, now, “but I regret I must say no. It is against our policies to accept any other travelers, being in the employ of our clients’ fathers, solely to care for their children.”

“But what of Arthur Stapleton?” Pierre asked, his forehead wrinkled in confusion.