Elara looked at him, startled.
“Mymother?” she asked, and Constantine nodded; a soft smile lifting the corners of his usually straight lips.
“She coddled us all. Evander and Adrian’s friends, I mean,” Constantine confessed. “However, she always made me believe that she had made me her favorite of their friends. It was strange. It was as if she somehow knew, by looking at me, that I was not shown such endearment at home. I could understand why she suffered so much after Evander’s death. As much as she showed us all affection, it was clear that her sons received the most.”
Constantine’s lips twitched as a sparkle of mischief erupted in his green eyes.
“And her daughter, of course,” he added.
Elara marveled at the new information. “I had no idea,” she murmured.
Constantine let out a soft, humorless laugh.
“I told you, Adrian, Evander, and I were friends at one time,” he said, his tone goading. “Not best friends,” he clarified with a pointed look. “That placement was always Damien’s. However, we were friends. Until adulthood took over us, and we went our separate ways. Until Augustus came to me one day, telling me of the ruin Evander was about to bring down upon him. Then I wondered if we were ever truly friends at all.”
Elara’s mind exploded with questions and theories, creating a spiderweb of thoughts that left her silent and musing.
“It is late,” Constantine sighed, pushing up from his seat. “And as much as I surprisingly enjoyed this conversation about past memories, I am going to retire for the evening.”
Elara’s gaze shifted up to him as he turned to her with a resigned expression.
“If you are going to accompany me, you must be ready by twenty-past ten at the most. The first race starts at eleven. It is only a brisk few-minute walk from here, but from what I saw today, the seating area fills up early. We need a good spot to be able to keep our eyes out for my brother.”
“I will be ready,” Elara promised, rising from her own seat.
Constantine’s brow perked as a smirk twitched on his lips.
“Are you certain?” he asked, his tone goading. “As I have no valet, you have no lady’s maid. Do you even know how to get yourself ready?”
Elara tsked her tongue and gave him a glowering stare as she crossed her arms.
“I am not as helpless as you,Your Grace,”she replied, her voice oozing with sarcasm.
To her surprise, Constantine chuckled, and in turn, she found herself smiling.Genuinelysmiling at him.
“We shall see,” Constantine mused, turning to go down the hall of bedrooms.
Elara followed, stopping as she reached her door and put her hand to the handle. She was just about to turn it and go inside when Constantine spoke.
“I hope you are prepared, Elara,” he stated, his deep tone barely above a whisper so as not to wake William.
Elara looked up and found him standing in front of his bedroom four doors down, a look of genuine concern on his handsome face.
“For what?” she whispered, her brow furrowing.
“For the truth,” Constantine replied. “If we do find any information about your brother, it...” he paused, let out a sigh. As if he did not like what he was about to say. “It may not be what you presumed.”
Elara drew in a breath, trying to steady herself at the very real possibility that he could be right.
“Whatever happened to him,” she whispered back, pushing away the fear rising within her. “Whatever he might have done. He is still my brother. The truth is exactly what I want.”
She and Constantine locked eyes for a long moment; a strange tremble took over her stomach as they gazed deeply into one another’s eyes. Then, as his jaw flexed, Constantine nodded. Without another word, he opened his door and went inside.
Chapter 15
Five Days Later
“Come now, admit it,” Elara goaded as William giggled in her lap. “This was a good idea.”
