“You have to understand.” Regal’s expression was one of deep sincerity with just a touch of shame. Seriously, the man belonged on the stage. “That day… so much blood… half her face was gone… just gone. My beautiful, beautiful Perri… I don’t know how she survived.” There was the slightest shift in Regal’s expression. “Beautiful no more of course. You appear to be a good friend to her. I’m assuming you’ve seen under the veil. Is she horribly disfigured?”
“A man would have to be low of birth to make comments about a woman’s appearance.” Brandth rose to his feet. He was tired of this conversation. Unable to stomach being in Regal Soutner’s company a moment longer. His death could not come quickly enough for Brandth’s liking.
And what was the point in wasting any breath on essentially a dead man?
But damn, Brandth wanted this man to hurt… Hhmmm. Sliding his chair under the table he looked at Regal and smiled. “Though I would impart one observation I have made before I take my leave. Beauty such as Perri Gloomenthrall has, is only comparable to the sun. A mere glimpse of it will fire a man’s soul, and cleave his heart in two. And he can only pray, on bloodied knees, that a Goddess such as Perri, who walks this earth, will accept such a paltry gift of half his heart.” Leaning down, he hissed forcefully into Regal’s ear. “And you, prancing dolt that you are, you threw her away, and are too stupid to even realise your error.”
“You think yourself so far above me? What if all here were to discover you were dallying with another man’s wife?”
“Women are allowed very few laws in this land. But one they can claim is abandonment, and you were gone ten long years. She has a very good case. Besides, if you speak up, tell everyone what she is to you, how will all those fair maidens and their wealthy parents feel about you misrepresenting your intentions? It won’t just be the Gloomenthralls baying for your blood then.”
For just a moment Regal’s mask fell, the man’s true self shining through unfiltered, and it was twisted, dark, and so very ugly. Brandth prayed as he walked away that Perri and Alia were not underestimating him. Pure evil lurked under that angelic façade.
Determinedly Brandth pushed away the interaction. Regal had sought him out to deliberately sow seeds of dissent and perhaps do a little fact gathering. Perri’s mere existence clearly aggravating him. And not knowing what she planned to do or say next, must be making Regal grind his teeth in frustration. And people who irritated or got in Regal’s way, historically tended not to last long. Even now Baron Soutner was plotting and planning something. Brandth could sense it.
Likewise, the Gloomenthrall women were no doubt doing a lot of plotting and planning themselves. It wasn’t so much a question of whether Regal would be the recipient of their vengeance, but how soon the final act would take place. And once their goal was achieved, there would be no reason for them to linger any longer at the Palace.
Cruddy Hell. Brandth knew he’d said he’d be satisfied with just one night… but he’d been lying. One night had only kicked the smouldering need for Perri into a raging blaze of want and desire. And not just for her lush body. He craved to hear her voice take on that delightfully waspish tone when she was peeved or fed-up with him.
He didn’t know what was under the scarf, or behind the mask, but Brandth knew Perri, from the tips of her dainty feet to her bonfire cascade of hair. And he wanted her, no, more than that, he loved her.
But he’d promised to back off after their shared night… hold on, no he hadn’t. All he’d promised to do was neither speak of it outright or via innuendo. Which left him… oh, yes, a plan forming. It was going to irritate Perri beyond measure. She’d be hissing mad when she discovered his loophole, and she wouldn’t hesitate to scold Brandth and express exactly what she thought of him.
The idea of Perri scolding him getting Brandth a little hot and bothered. He wondered how long it would take for her to come to the realisation that him getting under her skin caused the same reaction in her?
* * *
Perri, seated across the cavernous dining hall, held her breath as Brandth walked away from Regal. Heavens. What had Regal said to him? Had Brandth believed any of his poisonous lies? Nerves quivering low in her tummy as she realised Brandth was walking towards her. Not because it would be her first time interacting with him following their recent intimacies. Last night was in the past. Behind her. Never to be spoken of again. No, these feelings of trepidation currently plaguing Perri were because she knew what a very good liar Regal was. A small part of her fearing that Brandth had fallen under her soon to be dead husband’s spell, and was coming this way to revile her.
Annoyingly, Brandth looked rather marvellous today. His fitted jacket of dusky blue bringing out the honey flecks in his brown eyes. Stopping beside the sisters he formally bowed.
“Lord Brandth De’Luca.”
Um, what? Luckily her sister’s tongue wasn’t stuck to the roof of her mouth in confusion.
“Lady Alia Gloomenthrall, and this is my sister, Lady Perri.”
“Delighted. I was wondering, Lady Perri, if I might escort you to this afternoon’s high tea party being held down by the river? It’s a rather lovely scenic walk.”
What? What? Perri stared at the crooked arm he’d extended in her direction.
“I’m sure my sister would be honoured.” Alia grabbing Perri’s hand, placing it upon Brandth’s arm, before giving Perri a discreet pinch on the thigh.
Ouch. Shooting abruptly to her feet, she was gifted by a flashing smile from Brandth. “Wonderful, you appear just as eager as I to get out and enjoy some fresh air. Lady Alia.” Brandth nodded a goodbye, and began escorting Perri towards the nearest terrace doors. “Beautiful day for a walk, isn’t it?”
“Yes…?” Perri acknowledged as they descended the stairs to a gravelled walkway, Brandth steering them to the left.
“Do you visit the Golden Palace often, Lady Perri?”
“Why are you acting like this?” She looked around, no one was nearby, and in a few short steps they would be granted even more privacy, as the path would be surrounded on both sides by a sparse forest populated by elms underpinned by fields of yellow and white wildflowers.
“This is how a gentleman, in this particular case, me, gets to know a lady, that would be you, with the prospect of amusing conversation in the future, along with a little flirting, and perhaps, if he plays his cards right, a thank you kiss might be his reward for acting as an escort.”
“Brandth-”
“Oh, we’re on a first name basis out of the gate. I too must admit I felt an immediate connection with you… Perri.”
“What is this game you’re playing at?”
