Her eyes stayed on Matteo’s face. He was very astute. She did not know why that took her by surprise, but it did. Thinking of him, for the longest time, as a man who preferred pleasure and ease over everything else, she was now just realizing how there was more to Matteo Castor than met the eye.
Indeed, she saw in her mind’s eye how he moved across the Wakefield music room with confidence, speaking to one friend and then to another. She could also recall the calm way he supported her, especially during the first few minutes of their arrival when she was nearly overwhelmed with nervousness.
This false engagement, which they had agreed upon, was meant to make things easier for both of them, a convenience for her, peace and quiet for him. But what Helena did not count on was that being betrothed to the Duke of Valen would make people see her in a different light. She was suddenly sought after, suddenly the first person to give an invitation to.
She pictured herself in her mind. How different she was now from the girl who attended her first season, hoping to find the man she would marry. Now, here she was, still looking—but not for herself, rather for her sister.
Suddenly proud of how far she had grown since the young debutante of six years ago, Helena felt her heart swell. She stillhad a long way to go, but she knew that she was on her way. And that, in itself, meant the world to her.
I have this engagement to thank for that, for making me see some parts of myself that I did not notice before.
“And of course,” Matteo continued, placing a kiss on her hand, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “You must wait for her to make the call.”
She laughed at his words.
“Yes, I think I shall heed your advice, Your Grace.” Helena drew in a deep breath, sank even deeper into the chair, and closed her eyes. “After all, she is the one who wants to renew ourfriendship.”
“Good.”
She heard the smile and approval in Matteo’s voice just as she felt him trace her hand with his fingertip. Her hand tingled, feeling the soft movement, but she forced herself to seem unaffected, to feign indifference. When her heart started to beat rapidly, Helena pulled her hand away and stood up.
“I must get ready for supper, Your Grace,” Helena said louder than she had intended.
Matteo, still languid against the chair, seemed to be watching her every expression.
“I- I shall see you again tomorrow evening.”
Standing up, Matteo nodded.
“I look forward to it, Helena.”
To her consternation, he took her hand again and kissed it. Without saying another word, he walked to the door of the sitting room and, with one last look, smiled at her.
When she was alone, Helena walked to the settee and lay her whole body down on it. Facing the ceiling, she attempted to even out her breathing.
Matteo was affecting her in completely different ways now, ways that she had not known he could. With feelings that she had not known she could feel. Should she be worried? Yes, she should. Matteo was much too charming for his own good. But no, it was more than that. She was also starting to see in him things that surprised her.
You must stay guarded. All of this is nothing but a pretense. You cannot let yourself forget that. You must remember this, for your own good.
Yes. As long as she remained mistress of herself, in possession of her thoughts and feelings, she would be away from danger. And she would keep reminding herself that.
“… But I would not believe them until I heard it myself. And so, I climbed up the tower?—”
“No!” Faith and Grace both exclaimed.
“Why would you do such a thing?” Chastity asked.
“At the time, I felt that I had no choice,” Matteo said. “Everyone believed Michael over me.”
Helena, Chastity, Faith, Grace, and Matteo all sat together in the Huntington House sitting room as they exchanged stories. On Matteo’s turn, he had relayed his experience in a French chateau belonging to a great uncle of his. The dimmed atmosphere of the room, together with the dancing of the firelight, had made storytelling a natural sequel to the music that they had recently enjoyed.
When Matteo had arrived at Huntington House earlier that evening for the planned family supper, he had not been sure what to expect. But the fact that the Earl and Countess would not be joining them did not come as a surprise to him. He was taking it as a fact as well that Helena was basically the parent to all her younger sisters, not just Chastity.
The more time Matteo spent in Faith and Grace’s company, the more he observed that they were like two forces opposite in theircharacteristics. Where Faith was sharp and serious, Grace was cheerful and mischievous. One an immovable object, the other an unstoppable one.
Dinner had fared well, they spoke of various topics ranging from his country seat, Valen Castle, to Chaucer, to the popular composers and—to Chastity’s embarrassment—her suitors.
When they had removed to the sitting room to play the pianoforte for Matteo, the two younger sisters had become more comfortable with him.
