“Come along,” Alistair encouraged. “We will make it all right.”
Tristan sighed wearily as he rose from his chair and followed his brother-in-law to the door.
“Good God I hope so,” he murmured.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“Ophelia, you look magnificent!” Amelia praised.
Ophelia did her best to smile behind the blue and gold cat-eye mask she had made and painted herself. It matched the very last gown Tristan had given her, the one she’d chosen to wear for Amelia’s costume party. The gown- as well as Ophelia’s complexion- went better with silver, but with the heavy gold necklace locked around her throat, she chose to lean into the more audacious metal.
By her side stood Abraham. She’d hoped that he had not caught rumor of Amelia’s party and she would be able to attend alone, but when he showed up earlier at her house wearing an a gold mask and matching suit, those hopes had been dashed. He’d held her hand tightly- far too tightly- during the carriage ride over. Her fingers, red from his grip, were presently pressed tightly between his arm and his side.
“Thank you, darling,” Ophelia replied, taking in Amelia’s black and deep purples silk dress; matching gloves, and glittering dark purple mask, “You look quite amazing yourself!”
Amelia moved her mask away from her face and wagged her eyebrows.
“Dominic and I thought we would do a little play on our differing attitudes. I am his twilight and he is my midnight.”
Though she was happy for her friend, Ophelia’s heart twinged. Amelia had no idea how lucky she was to be married to a man she loved.
Amelia’s smile faded a little as her eyes ran up and down Abraham.
“Are you the sun as well, Lord Weavington?” She asked.
Abraham chuckled as he looked down at Amelia and shook his head.
“Close, my dear host. I am Midas,” he answered.
Amelia gave him a forced smile.
“How… clever,” she replied, “And I hear you two are now engaged!”
Ophelia’s friends had all come rallying at her door after Abraham had submitted the news to the local paper, but she had been too upset to receive them. She feared that as before, they would pull the truth from her and put themselves in danger. After Abraham had threatened her the other night, she sensed he’d stop at nothing- or no one- to make sure his plans were accomplished.
Ophelia forced a smile and nodded her head.
“Yes, apologies for not being able to deliver the news in person. So much to do now, you know.”
“Wedding plans,” Abraham interjected. “We wish our union to be well-known and glorious.”
Amelia pursed her lips and nodded as she looked up at him.
“I see. Well. That is a perfectly reasonable explanation,” she replied.
“Your wedding was not so, was it Your Grace?” Abraham asked, shifting his body between Amelia and Ophelia. “It was a morehurriedaffair, I heard? Something more like a fire sale?”
Ophelia felt her cheeks burn in anger as she tried to slip her hand from his hold.How dare he?!She tugged, trying to break free, but could not loosen herself.So she peered around Abraham’s body, giving her friend an apologetic look.
A look of shock appeared on Amelia’s face, but anger simmered through her stillness, and Ophelia watched as Amelia’s wide eyes softened and her smile grew positively devilish.
“There certainly is a fire in my marriage, Lord Weavington,” she replied, raising her chin proudly. “And I would warn you not to get too close to it.”
As she said so, Dominic wearing a skull mask and pitch black suit, appeared from behind Amelia. Ophelia watched, her heart filling with a longing for Tristan as she watched the man slip his hands protectively around his wife’s waist and pull her back into his chest. Dominic’s smile was just as devilish as removed his mask and rested his chin atop her head.
“You are here,Abraham, because of our dear friend Ophelia, and for her sake only,” Dominic stated, forgoing a more well-mannered welcome, “Even so, speak like that to my wife again, and I will personally be taking you outside.”
Ophelia’s stomach churned as the two men stared challengingly at one another, not at all sure what was going to happen. Then suddenly Abraham’s body relaxed. She heard him chuckle, and then watched him bow his head as he took a step a step back by her side.
