Heart Dance (20 page)

He blinked. “I am glad that you admit to the link,” he sent a burst of affection for her down it that warmed her, removing the cold of terrible memories, “but you deny the trust. And we’re HeartMates.”

Hearing him say the words aloud tightened her chest. “We barely know each other.”

His eyelids lowered, his gaze became sensual. “Wrong. We know each other well.”

Swallowing, Dufleur whispered, “We may have connected in bed.”

The lust was gone in a burst of laughter. “Understatement. We’ve explored each other in linked dreams. Completely usual HeartMate behavior. All HeartMates I’ve known have dreamt of lovemaking with each other.”

She found her teeth set. “I know nothing of any HeartMates.”

With a tilt of his head, he considered her. She wondered if he’d push. She understood that he hadn’t yet, and then wonderedat his restraint. GreatLords weren’t known for patience and restraint. “Dufleur?”

She dared not reveal her secrets to him. Not this man who was related to D’Willow, who was still finding his place in society,connecting with allies, vulnerable to scandal himself. She met his stare with a steady gaze of her own. “I know nothing of HeartMates,” she repeated. “Don’t know the weaknesses or strengths of that . . . condition.” Her lips thinned, then she went on. “Even a loving marriage is outside my personal knowledge.” She didn’t like admitting that, but it was the truth.

His eyebrows raised. “Your cuz Ilex Winterberry is Heart-Boundto Trif Winterberry. You witnessed that.”

A snort escaped her. “I’ve seen very little of them. My mother doesn’t care to associate with the Clovers.” Commoners. “They are a newlywed couple and happy, I think, and Ilex is learning to live with a large Family.” She crossed her arms. And she’d been busy working on her experiments in the morning and evening afterher day at Dandelion Silk, with little opportunity to socialize.

She tried a quick smile. “And the Clovers scare me. Such a big, loud Family.” She’d spent a couple of hours on New Year’s Day and Yule with them and had returned to Winterberry Residencewith her ears ringing.

At that moment Fairyfoot pushed the door open and trotted in, pulling a large envelope that clinked with the new ceremonialFlair keys that had been made for the property.

“This will not be our home.”

Fairyfoot sniffed.
Want someplace of My own.

“Fairyfoot,” Saille said mildly. The cat glanced at him, and her eyes rounded. Then she smiled.

“She’s not blackmailing you, is she?” Dufleur asked, stoopingto pick up the envelope.

“No, we simply have an understanding. Fairyfoot, if the new place is infested with rodents, perhaps my Fam, Myx, would like to hunt there, too.”

“That, too,” Dufleur said. She sent an awkward smile to Saille. “Thank you for the lilies.”

“I’m going with you.”

“I didn’t ask—”

“I want to ensure the place is safe.”

“The Councils—”

“Dufleur, you never answered my original question. Don’t be too stubborn.”

“Or what?”

“You aren’t the only one who knows you’re my HeartMate, and the weight of Celtan culture favors my suit.”

She gasped. “Who did you tell?”

“Your cuz Ilex Winterberry has known since you first found my HeartGift.”

Her breath puffed from her. “Oh. Yes. I suppose. He hasn’t said anything.”

Saille stood, closed the distance between them, lifted her free hand, and kissed her fingers. “He knows that courting and winning a woman takes time and finesse.”

Dufleur shrugged a shoulder, withdrew her hand. “I don’t think—”

“Don’t try and keep me out of your life, Dufleur.” It was a silky threat.

“Can’t I have some privacy? Some secrets of my own?”

He flinched, and his eyes flickered dark, those shadows comingto the fore. “For the moment. Everyone has secrets.”

Now her curiosity was stirred. “Even HeartMates?”

"Until the HeartBond, I’m sure.”

“You’re the matchmaker.”

He inhaled. “Yes. Yes, I am.”

Later that evening as Saille dressed for socializing, he consideredhis HeartMate. Dufleur was keeping secrets from him, and he wanted her, so much. All of her, including her secrets. But he wanted her to tell them to him, trust him with them.

And as long as she still held his HeartGift, he was satisfied, since he thought the dreamtime loving between them would continue.

He wanted real loving. Wanted to feel the contours of her flesh with sensitized palms, wanted to probe her mouth with his tongue once more, wanted to sink his body into hers again and again.

The trip to the new, ugly workplace—laboratory?—had been made in silence, though he’d caught her quick looks at the glider, himself, and his Family driver. Saille had helped her from the glider himself, cherishing the feel of her fingers in his hand, tuckingher arm in his. She’d only struggled briefly.

Now Saille donned more new evening clothes. He’d dance with Dufleur this evening, at least, though it had to be later. Business first. He must work on righting his MotherDam’s errors.His own secrets.

Still, he knew he’d have Dufleur sooner or later. Celtan culturecelebrated everything to do with HeartMates. That was on his side. He’d also sensed she’d been wary because of his name, the ruin his MotherDam had caused her Family. That had been a deep, aching wound in her, still bloody. The loss of her father, the Residence, the change in her circumstances. The lingering fear that she would fail to keep herself and her mother from poverty.

His mother rapped on his door and bustled in. “A new cloak.” She carried it over her arm. He kissed her. “Have I told you today that I love you, Mama?”

She pinkened. “Yes, Saille. I love you, too.” She looked away. “Yet I let
her
order our lives, keep me here, and send you away.”

He gripped her hands. “I don’t blame you. Or myself. Neitherof us were strong enough to fight her, and doing so might have ripped the Family apart. She’d have disinherited us.”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so, because then we’d be free to live our own lives. But she’d have made our lives wretched. Even more awful than they were.” Her smile was wan. “But I regret that I didn’t insist on living with you.”

“She liked you here, under her thumb.”

“Yes.” She blinked, took out the cloak and bustled around him to set it on him, smooth it over his shoulders. “You made excellent contacts last night.” She sighed. “The first ball of the year.”

He turned, grasped her hand. “Come with me tonight. Dance, enjoy yourself.”

Her mouth fell open. “Me!” She made pushing motions. “No, no. I don’t want to experience that crowd. I haven’t been at such an event for years.
She
only went occasionally, and took my sister, who loathes such things most of all.”

“Oh? Such a poor creature D’Willow was. Despite her power, such a small soul.” He bowed elegantly over his mother’s hand.

“Thank you for being the man you are,” she whispered. “I am so proud of you.”

He flushed. “Thank you.”

She hesitated, looked aside. “You told us all how she might have hidden our HeartMates from us when you offered to find matches for us. Did she do that to you also?”

He didn’t know how much to tell her. He loved her. He trusted her. He didn’t want to tear at any loyalties she had or hurt her.

Sighing, she glanced back at him, her eyes shiny and chin quivering. “Your silence is enough. You were right. She was a very poor creature. In more ways than one. Had she been a differentkind of person, we all would have loved her. But she preferredpower and dominance more. Pitiful, really, and worse because we didn’t stop her. We could have. I regret that more than I can say.”

He waved a hand. “It’s done.”

She pressed her lips together, shook her head. “It isn’t really. She still hovers over us like a malignant spider. I wish she were gone from our lives for good!” Her expression turned fierce. “She hurt us, but most of all, she hurt you.”

“Shh.” He hugged her.

She snuggled for an instant, then stepped back, wiped her eyes, and blew her nose on a softleaf she drew from her apron pocket. “You’re very good for us.” Her expression hardened. “It is quite a contrast. And I’m sorry that she hurt you.” With a shrewd glance, she said, “It isn’t only the wish to form good alliancesand bring in business that you attend this social season, is it?”

He found himself smiling. “No, I’ve found my HeartMate.” He shrugged, and his smile faded. “But D’Willow harmed her, so it will take some wooing to win her.”

“I’m sor—”

Saille put a hand over her mouth. “No more apologizing. We are all sorry. But we’ll deal with the past, only to move on to our future.”

“You’re right, of course.”

Raising his brows, he said, “Don’t tell me that too often, or I’ll become as egotistical as D’Willow.”

“Not possible. She was pampered and had her own way all of her life.”

The calendar sphere dinged. And his mother took on her bustling housekeeper manner, heading for the door to hold it open for him. “The glider will be waiting for you.” She stopped him as he exited for a kiss on the cheek. “Blessings, my son.”

“Thank you. Blessings, mother.”

A cold glider ride later, Saille studied Tinne and Genista Holly from across the salon. This was the first time he’d seen them together since the revelation of his MotherDam’s journal. He’d accepted the invitation to this small gathering just to see them, knowing that Passiflora Holly and Dufleur were attending another large ball. Gossip was circulating that Passiflora was consolidating her HeartMate’s position so that he could run for the Captaincy of the FirstFamilies Council. So she was concentratingon the larger gatherings. None of the Hollys had even hinted to him that they’d like his vote. But he was certain Passiflora knew of his obsession with Dufleur, and that would place him more on the side of the Hollys.

Tinne hovered beside his wife, who looked pale and listless, her mouth set in strained lines.

Saille ached for them. Even their physical cues spoke of a couple who hurt—separately and together. Everyone knew that they’d lost an unborn child just a couple of months earlier.

That was always a terrible strain on a marriage—even a HeartBond, which this hadn’t been.

Shifting his weight slightly to fade even farther into the shadows so he could examine their relationship completely, he also shifted his Flair sight.

And immediately learned several things. The marriage he’d briefly consulted on three years ago had grown stronger than he’d anticipated. The couple had bonded on many levels. But the loss of their child had been a great blow.

Tinne lifted his head from speaking to his wife and turned a brilliant gray gaze upon Saille. Then the younger man stiffened and nodded.
We will talk later
, Tinne sent mentally.

Saille was a little dazed at the telepathy. No one else from the FirstFamilies had spoken to him mind to mind, and the intimacyand strength of that communication surprised him. He’d known the FirstFamilies, through centuries of ties and tradition, had their own shared “channel,” but hadn’t expected it to be so strong.

He returned Tinne’s nod. A few minutes later, Tinne excused himself and his wife to their host.

Come
, he said to Saille, not looking at him, as he led Genista from the room to the entrance hall.

Saille mentally ordered his Family glider to drive to the front door, bowed to his host with a few murmured words of appreciationfor the pleasant evening, received a bow in return, then left to bundle into his coat and step out into the gray night of winter.

Tinne was handing his wife into a sleek Holly Family glider, when Saille’s old clunky one slid behind the vehicle. He alreadyknew that his chauffeur would be pressing for him to buy a model more like the Hollys’.

Shrugging, he lifted the door open with a grunt, then slid into the heat. His face tingled, as the quick chill to his skin warmed. Tinne joined him on the cushy bench, snapped the door shut, and stared straight ahead. “You wanted to comment on our marriage, matchmaker?”

Who is this?” A thin, blond woman let her haughty gaze
slide down and up Dufleur, causing her to petrify. The lady was obviously of the highest class, a FirstFamilies GreatLady or GrandLady. She wore an incredible emerald necklace.

They hadn’t been introduced, and Dufleur saw no indication of her House, so she was only miserably aware that she was outclassed.

The woman said, “Oh, it’s Passiflora’s little bit of baggage she’s hauling around, so she can charm Holm into the Captain’s seat of the Council.”

There were four Councils that ruled Celta, but the woman clearly believed only the FirstFamilies Council mattered.

Dufleur wasn’t used to handling insults. She glanced under her lashes, but no one she knew and liked was near to help out. She was all too certain that if she said what she wanted the woman would be highly offended. So she took a step back, and another woman bumped into her.

“How rude!” the newcomer said.

"ThymeHeir,” the blond woman said in a disparaging tone. “She didn’t even greet me properly.”

“Oh, the mad Thymes, I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised.” The other woman’s laughter was more of a bray. Dufleur knew this female. One of her mother’s old “friends,” a woman of lesser rank than the Thymes.

Sixteen

Fire crawled up Dufleur’s neck, heated her cheeks. She
didn’t know what to say. All she could think of was the facts. “I am not mad, nor was my father,” Dufleur managed. She stared at the woman who’d pretended to be her mother’s friend and had listened for years to her mother’s complaints about her father.Were there many of these women around, spreading gossip about the Thymes? Dufleur’s mother had not been wise in choosing her friends.