Enticing Eve: Scandalous Secrets, Book 2 (19 page)

“Pish-posh,” she slapped his hand. “My granddaughter loves you, and I am certain you love her. By aiding you, I am ensuring her future happiness.”

The Dowager Viscountess’s light tone turned dire in an instant as she issued a warning. “Do not cause me to regret my decision to help you, Mister MacAlistair. I can be quite a formidable woman when I want to be.”

“Of that, Lady Weston, I have no doubt,” Colin assured her.

She then kissed his cheek and rose from the sofa. “Good day, my dear.”

Colin stood, offering her his arm. Instead, the Viscountess reached for two scones that remained untouched on their plate. After wrapping them in a linen napkin, she stuffed them into her rather large, feathered reticule of orange.

“I had no idea birds of that particular shade existed,” he teased her.

The Viscountess’s laughter, unladylike and raucous, echoed throughout the small room as she snapped her reticule closed. “I may never forgive you, dear boy.”

“For my observation?”

“No,” the Viscountess straightened her posture, “for making something of yourself. If you hadn’t done so, I might have great-grandbabies by now.”

With that last comment, she tossed her reticule over her shoulder then turned on her heel. As she exited the room, the Dowager Viscountess called over her shoulder, “No need to escort me to the door. We serve dinner at five o’clock sharp, so don’t be late.”

Colin walked to the doorway, watching his guest until she’d turned a corner and out of view. Brilliant woman! Dinner was the perfect time to start courting Eve—

Dinner.
 

Oh, good Lord, what will Lady Weston’s cook prepare? After contemplating whether or not he should eat before traveling to the Viscountess’s estate for dinner, Colin decided against it. After all, the last thing he wanted to do was injure her chef’s feelings and besides, becoming ill was a small price to pay for marrying Eve.

His mind raced with the preparations that needed to be made. Colin would ensure that, although not a grand event, their wedding would be special for Eve as would their courtship.
 

Tonight, Colin decided, was the perfect time to give her the ring he’d bought for her so long ago. Reaching into his vest pocket, he removed a wooden ring box then pried it open, revealing a large square cut emerald surrounded by tiny diamonds cushioned against green velvet. He removed the ring, turning it in his fingers.

It had been in his pocket for over a year now, ever since he could afford a jewel of its size and quality. He should have returned then. He could have as he had already amassed enough wealth, but he chose to wait.
 

No longer.
 

Colin was tired of waiting. It was time he fought for what he wanted, and he would do just that – starting tonight.

Eve had no idea what was in store for her.
 

Chapter 8

Eve stared blankly at the blurred splotches of black ink on a page that had she spent the better portion of the past half hour attempting to read. Slamming the leather-bound novel shut with an exasperated moan, she placed it on her lap as memories of last evening’s events continued to pummel her. She couldn’t escape the wanton way she had behaved and the harm she caused to so many.

Her cheeks burned from shame and anger at her own stupidity. That wasn’t all, though. No, jealousy had reared its ugly head several times over the course of a very long and sleepless night.
 

Why did it bother her to see Victoria alone in the gardens with Colin?

Jealousy coursed through her veins. Slowly, like a spindly vine it proceeded until it wrapped around her heart and squeezed so hard she thought it would burst.
 

Somewhere before dawn, Eve began to wonder if that involuntary response is what led her to toss away her future with Tristan for one kiss with Colin.

Meaningless
… her words came back to haunt her. There was nothing insignificant about her encounter with Colin. Try as she might to convince herself otherwise, Eve grasped that their indiscretion was brimming with significance though she could not admit it aloud. Not yet. Nor would she admit aloud that kissing Colin was a conscious choice, one she made without any thought of the repercussions that would follow.
 

 
At that realization, she swallowed hard against the bile rising in her throat as guilt and shame merged into a toxic brew.

It all seemed so different in the light of day. Eve
 

thought she loved Tristan; she was certain of it in fact until Colin’s return. After a cold, dark night with nothing but her thoughts to consume her, Eve witnessed the sunrise from her bedchamber. As the morning lightened, so too did Eve’s conscience.
 

With this morning’s sunrise came the knowledge that Tristan was her second choice.

The sound of footsteps bounding down the hall combined with the
whoosh
of rustling skirts snapped Eve from her inner turmoil. She need not turn to learn the identity of her visitor; Victoria was the sole person to call without being formally announced by Eve’s butler. Lady Victoria Montgomery was family, like a sister to Eve. Grandmamma insisted that the duke and his family be treated as such
sans
any formalities.

Eve studied her friend as she strode across the sun-filled room, a flourish of sky blue and cream. She looked light and lovely, radiating warmth and beauty like the summer sky itself.

“What think you of this fine weather today?” Victoria asked, her jovial tone meant to cheer her hostess, Eve suspected.

Forcing a grin for her guest, Eve responded, “It is beautiful today although it did get quite chilly last night.”

“From what I understand, the temperature rose several degrees last evening,” Victoria quipped, wrapping her arms around Eve’s shoulders from behind. “We can discuss it if you wish, or we can drown our sorrows in brandy – I have it on good authority that brandy works for the men.”

Eve arched her brow in challenge. “I never cared for the taste.”

“Ah, well,” Tori rested her head against her friend’s, “conversation it is, then.”

Victoria proceeded to join Eve on her chaise, leaning against the worn velvet brocade as her teasing demeanor helped to lessen Eve’s tension and guilt. It was now a dull ache encasing her muscles.

“I have made quite a mess,” Eve announced with a sigh, resting her head on her friend’s shoulder.

“That may be a bit of an understatement,” Tori’s tone shifted from jovial to serious in the blink of an eye. “But you followed your heart. How were you to know that doing so would lead you down such a rocky path?”

Victoria had a way of funneling through the subterfuge, causing Eve to laugh in spite of herself and her dire situation.

“At least you can laugh about it. Surely, that is a positive sign?” Tori turned to face her friend. “How are you, truly?”

Eve expected this question. “I feel so much guilt for hurting Tristan and so much rage at Colin.”

“You’re also angry at yourself, I presume?”
 

“More than I can express,” Eve managed though her voice cracked mid-sentence. “How is Tristan? Have you spoken to him?” her voice grew hoarse, her vision now clouded with concern.

“I spoke with him last night. He feels betrayed and furious,” Victoria sighed. “I must confess to being concerned about him. He departed for London before dawn this morning.”

“I care for Tristan. It was never my intention to hurt him,” Eve confessed, uncertain whom she was trying so hard to convince – herself or Victoria.
 

Her love for Colin was explosive and all consuming, a passion she never experienced with Tristan. What concerned her was the fact that Eve knew Tristan would protect her and Grandmamma. Could she trust Colin to do so? The past proved that he was unreliable.
 

Eve’s heart skipped a beat whenever she remembered their past.

 
“You spoke with Colin yesterday. How much did he tell you?” Though Eve tried to cage her jealousy, the sharp-clawed monster still managed to slice at her abdomen.

“Colin explained that you and he were once in love.” Victoria’s sweet tone did little to sedate the daemon inside Eve.

“I loved him at the time but I doubt he ever loved me.” The thought of it made Eve want to throw something in an attempt to seize control of her spiraling life.

Victoria offered a sincere smile. “He loved you. Of that I am absolutely certain.”

“When did you become so well acquainted with one another?” Although not meant to be accusatory, Eve’s unchecked cadence made her question sound very much like an accusation.

“Eve Weston, are you envious?” Victoria teased.

Hot with shame, Eve’s cheeks must have turned a remarkable shade of crimson.

Her friend grinned as if she understood. “It is only fair, considering I have been so of your betrothal to Tristan for quite some time. Rest assured, I consider Colin to be like a brother and nothing more.”

“What?” Eve blinked, unable to believe her ears.

“Colin is like a brother to me,” Victoria asserted.

Eve shook her head. “Though I am strangely relieved by your admission that isn’t what I am questioning. What did you say about Tristan, and why did I never see it?”

“You weren’t meant to see it,” Victoria spoke with an air of nonchalance. “You both deserved to be happy, and the fact that you found bliss in one another made me ecstatic for you.”

Eve saw her friend in a new light and respected her for it. “You are one strong lady,” Eve’s tone was rich with admiration.

“We have that in common,” Victoria winked.
 

The book in Eve’s lap again drew her attention. “I feel like a wretched person. It surprises me that you don’t see me in the same light.”
 

“You are my friend, and I refuse to judge you. Although …” she paused and Eve could feel the heat emanating from her friend’s gaze. “I believe you are fooling yourself where Colin is concerned. You would never have kissed him if you didn’t feel something for him. Based upon what I witnessed in the garden, you are in love with him.”
 

“I barely survived Colin’s first desertion,” Eve’s shoulders slumped, the awful truth weighing her down like quicksand, threatening to bury her. “I don’t know what I would do if I allowed him access to my heart only to be betrayed again. I can’t be vulnerable any more than I can allow myself to be his pawn again.”

Victoria nodded, “Only you can decide whether or not to place your trust in Colin again. If it is any consolation, I do believe he loves you just as I believe he had his reasons for leaving.

Warning bells began to clang in Eve’s ears.
Reasons?
What did Victoria know of Colin’s reasons? A sudden clarity hit Eve directly in the abdomen, all but winding her. “You know why he left, don’t you?”

“I can’t say,” Victoria averted her eyes, studying her patrician fingers.

“You’re my friend, Victoria. How can you keep this information from me?” Eve insisted.

“It isn’t my truth to reveal,” Tori’s eyes were brimming with empathy. “You are my friend and I love you dearly. I hope one day you can understand why I am unable to say anything further.”

Eve’s rage boiled to the surface, and the sole person she could take it out on was her dear friend sitting beside her. So, she chose the tact that would do the most harm.
 

“Is this about Tristan?” Eve’s cadence dripped with the venom of a thousand snakes. “You withhold information from me about Colin because Tristan fell in love with me and not you.”

“I beg your pardon, Miss Weston,” Victoria’s reply was sharp and judging. “I mistook you for my friend when I confided my feelings for Tristan to you.”

Tori’s remark was just the spark Eve’s temper needed. Slamming the heavy tome upon the table in front of them with a loud
thud
, she stood, fully releasing her wrath.
 

“Admit
 
it.
 
This is about Tristan.” Eve paused to consider the events that unfolded the prior evening. “Or could it be about Colin – the fact that I kissed him after you were alone with him in the gardens?”
 

Tori stood then marched towards a violet settee, using it as a buffer to separate herself from her host. “I am here because I care about you –
my friend
.” She emphasized her last words, causing regret to settle upon Eve’s battered heart, weighing it down even further.
 

How much heavier could it get?
she wondered.

Eve met Victoria’s heated gaze. “I’m behaving like a petulant child, am I not?”

“If you think for one moment that I will object, you are sorely mistaken.” Victoria placed her hands on the back of the settee and inhaled. She then pointed at the thick tome now sitting on the table in front of Eve, before adding with her undeniable wit, “On second thought, I fear if I were to anger you further, you would toss that book at me. As a priceless vase that has belonged to my family for generations can attest, you have very good aim.”