Page 3 of Scandalous: Family Ties and Spies

A moment later, the an dara sealladh had swept over her, and shown her how dangerous the man was where she was concerned. When she’d emerged from her trance, she’d decided then and there to avoid her ruination by avoiding the man at all cost. Over the past two years, she’d become adept at hiding in the shadows as far away from Valeran as possible.

Despite being blind, Valeran moved around with a confident ease. If someone hadn’t known he was blind, they would have been none the wiser. Amalie had quickly learned Valeran recognized people by their voices, much in the way someone who could see remembered faces. It had made her speak in his presence in a soft, indistinguishable voice whenever he was near.

With a family the size of hers, it had been easy to hide from Valeran as a mouse would a cat. But it hadn’t kept her from watching the man from behind a shroud of anonymity. Gossip continuously spoke of his reputation as a heartbreaker, a fact her vision had emphasized.

Despite knowing what would happen if she ignored the an dara sealladh, it hadn’t kept the man from frequently haunting her dreams. Dreams filled with images of wicked passion and sinful pleasure. But it was more than that. Valeran stirred something deep inside her. Something that frightened her as badly as her vision the night they’d met.

“Really, Val, you’re completely heartless.” The woman’s plaintive tone tugged Amalie out of her contemplation. Valeran’s companion had to be Lady Chattfield, the latest of his conquests.

“You seem to forget you have plenty of other men willing to spend the last night of the year as your escort.”

“But none of them are you, Val.” Lady Chattfield paused for a second before her voice became a sultry invitation. “I know it’s been difficult for us to find a moment alone together, but Clarence will be at a shooting party in the north for two weeks at the end of the year. You would have me all to yourself.”

“An intriguing prospect, but I’ve already accepted Lady Stewart’s kind invitation.”

The soft laugh he released suggested Lady Chattfield did not look happy with his answer. Once more, his laughter made Amalie’s body tighten with pleasure. Sin personified was the only way to describe the wicked, seductive sound.

It was a laugh designed to tease and entice a woman’s surrender. Amalie’s chest tightened, making it difficult to breathe as the images the an dara sealladh had shown her the night she’d first met Valeran rushed into her head.

Ice suddenly clogged her blood. Valeran was coming to Callendar Abbey for Hogmanay. No one had mentioned him, and Amalie had hoped he wouldn’t come this year. Now that hope had vanished. Reconciled to the inevitable, she stared down at her teacup before looking at the biscuits in front of her.

Ignoring the voice in her head, she reached for the treat. The house party at Callendar Abbey would be no different from all the other times Valeran had attended a family event. All she had to do was offer him a polite, unrecognizable greeting, then turn and walk the other way. But it was more than that, and she knew it.

It was starting to hurt every time she turned away from him. Amalie didn’t understand why, but it did. Just the mere sound of his voice could steal her breath away. One day, she’d find herself stumbling out of the shadows and into his path. What then?

“You really are beastly, Val. Have I ever asked you for anything before?”

“Constantly,” Valeran replied with a chuckle edged with a cynicism Amalie recognized. “And I have given way each time you see a trinket or bauble, you can’t afford yourself.”

“Are you saying I’m greedy?” The woman’s annoyance made Valeran laugh again. Amalie frowned. His laugh had changed. Boredom or irritation?

“No, Miriam, but you’re definitely spoiled and pampered.”

“Now you’re being cruel. I should just get up and leave this minute.”

“We both know you won’t do that,” he replied smoothly.

The woman gasped, then softly sighed. Amalie flinched. Valeran had obviously paired his confident words with a gentle caress to soothe the woman’s irritation. She knew exactly how spellbinding the man’s touch was. With a simple introductory touch, she’d been rendered speechless. The shock of it still had the power to make her heart pound with something she refused to name or reflect upon.

But she understood and feared what the an dara sealladh had shown her. The gentle voice of her mother brushed through her thoughts. While their gift usually showed only glimpses of the past or future, whatever they saw eventually came to pass. Another voice countered the thought with the reminder that Lady Patience had seen the future a long time ago, yet had been helpless to prevent tragedy when it happened. Unlike her mother, Amalie was determined to avoid what most of the Rockwoods would deem unavoidable. She’d taken steps to prevent the events the an dara sealladh had shown her.

Familiar, jeering laughter in her head silently mocked her. It whispered the word coward, while tendrils of shame curled through her. Her stomach lurched unpleasantly. The Rockwoods were known for many things, chiefly their impulsive, well-intentioned meddlesome natures. But no one could ever accuse them of cowardice until now. Amalie closed her eyes.

But was it really true? Did hiding in the shadows make her a coward? The an dara sealladh had shown her what would happen if she didn’t keep her distance from Valeran. It couldn’t be cowardly to save herself from ruin, even her heart, could it? Inhaling a deep breath, Amalie released it slowly.

No, she’d done the right thing walking away from Valeran that night in Aunt Constance’s and Uncle Lucien’s ballroom. The shroud of anonymity she maintained whenever she and Valeran were in the same place meant the an dara sealladh wouldn’t happen.

Despondent, Amalie absently ate another biscuit, washing it down with her tea. She wished she could go home to Crianlarich Castle now and avoid the Hogmanay events at the abbey altogether. Valeran’s presence would add one more layer of stress to the discomfort all the noise and revelry the party would bring. Miriam’s whining voice pierced her musings.

“Really, Val, darling, I fail to see how you could possibly find the Rockwoods more entertaining than me.”

“I doubt there is anyone who can be as entertaining as you, Miriam.”

At Valeran’s quiet reply, Amalie cocked her head in puzzlement. Good Lord. Had that been sarcasm? Surely he hadn’t just insulted the woman, had he? Lady Chattfield’s high-pitched laugh made Amalie wince. The woman’s tittering made Amalie think Valeran had softened the verbal blow with a smile as the woman was oblivious to what Amalie was certain had to be derision.

“Oh, I do love you, Val. You always make me feel cherished.”

For the first time since hearing Valeran’s voice behind her, Amalie actually experienced amusement. The woman’s sigh of adoration said Miriam was fawning over the man, just like every woman did when Valeran took an interest in them. The memory of moments when she’d witnessed him flirting with her aunts and cousins tightened her chest.