He had almost kissed Samantha last night.
It took everything within Cassian to keep from pulling her closer and placing his lips against hers.
Had they been alone, he may have done just that, but others were watching, which included Simon, Ajax and Ares, who smirked at him. Then there was Malcolm, Samantha’s older brother who had first greeted him with a glare but now watched with curiosity. Finally, Maia and Petra grinned.
Instead of remaining, Cassian had bid them goodnight. It was better than enduring their teasing. Or worse, being forced to answer questions from Malcolm.
He slept later than intended the next morning, which meant that he had not seen the sunrise.
He also did not attend breakfast but instead prepared for the day and made his way to Hollybrook Park for a meeting with Lynwood.
His position as a man of business for the viscount was easy and only required that he be present around the time shipments were received, delivered and payments collected, or the occasional meeting, such as today. There were concerns that smuggling would soon become less lucrative now that Napoleon was exiled on Elba and that the last battle had been fought months ago. On the other hand, smuggling still helped citizens avoid paying high taxes, yet they had one deep concern. With the Royal Navy no longer concentrating on French ships, they could now patrol the English coast more often and pay closer attention, which brought added risk to the smugglers who brought goods into England.
That was what he and Lyndwood discussed. It wasn’t the first time that such a conversation had taken place, and it likely would not be the last, but they decided to revisit all concerns after Christmas, which allowed Cassian to return to Nightshade Manor, where he would remain until the day after Chedworth and Antonia married.
He had also given thought to his discussion with Eugenia and it was true that he could provide a comfortable life for any wife, if he decided to court Samantha and marry her. His title, if used, equaled that of her father, but Cassian still needed to right the wrong dealt to his father and the loss of a heritage that had been his family’s since Henry II was king.
However, Samantha was here now and he was going to spend time with her and then focus on his future after she and her family left Nightshade Manor. That was the very reason he had gone in search of Samantha and caught a glimpse of her as she entered the music room followed by her brother, Malcolm.
If she was going to play, he very much wanted to listen, and as her music reached his ears, Cassian stepped into the music room. She smiled and nodded and he took a seat.
The first song was Brightest and Best, which he very much enjoyed.
“I believe that is a good choice,” Malcolm offered.
“Choice for what?” Cassian questioned.
“Lady St. Alban has asked Samantha to play music on Christmas Day to accompany the others so that they might sing.”
“I came here to practice and to make certain that I still recalled some of the songs,” she offered.
“You play them every year,” Malcolm reminded her.
“Yes, but only once a year, in December and why I must practice.”
“What is the next one?” Cassian asked.
“Gloucestershire Wassail.” With that, she put her fingers to the keys and began to play, a tune that Cassian was familiar with but was disrupted with Malcolm laughing in an almost uncontrollable manner until he suddenly settled as if nothing had occurred.
“Samantha…” Malcolm seemed to warn as she came to the end of the song.
“Do you think God Rest You Merry Gentlemen would be a good choice?” she asked, ignoring whatever her brother wanted to impart, then set to play.
Again, it was a song that Cassian knew well, but it certainly was not sad, so he could not understand why Malcolm swiped away tears at the end, then glared at his sister.
Only then did Cassian realize what she was about. She was not being mindful and intentionally lacing her notes with emotions.
Except, if that were the case, why wasn’t he bothered?
Was it possible that she could make only one person experience what she decided and had targeted her brother?
“Stop it!” Malcolm ordered.
“Very well,” she finally said then began to play a third song. This one did stir emotions in Cassian but not because of anything she did, but because of memories from his childhood, his family gathered around while someone played Noël Nouvelet.
“That was very nice,” he offered after she had finished and wondered if she had intentionally sent emotions to him because he suffered the greatest longing, an ache deep within, for the past, of his family and had the sudden need to find Nina, his sister. They did not visit as much as they should, even though they saw each other nearly every day, but at the reminder that they had both lost their parents, and remembering the Christmases of their childhood, he simply wanted to find her.
“Excuse me.”
