.
Young William took Natalia’s disfigured cat into his arms with a look that said how much he’d rather just let the feline go. Starlight had obviously survived many things. What was a trip to town?
“I’ll be right back,” Natalia told him, though her eyes were shining at her hissing friend. Last year, her cheeks had been fatter and with her golden red hair, she’d often reminded him of a chipmunk. At eight, her face had slimmed, making her very pretty. And with her hair’s streaks of gold more prominent and the red more vivid, he often—like others—compared her with a fox.
And the fox was in more than her hair and looks, it was also her attitude. She was clever, and even though her words could hold a sharp bite, William ignored the warning. But that was likely because there was more to his Tally than she allowed others to see. She could be mean, but just as easily, she would be sweet.
And Starlight was the biggest benefactor of this.
What Tally saw in such a creature, he didn’t know, and the animal’s name didn’t make any sense at all. There was nothing about that cat that reminded him of starlight. Instead, he imagined the cat did better in the shadows, preying on both the strong and the wicked. Julius’ town was so small, in fact, that whenever a person didn’t return home on time, they would jokingly place the blame on Starlight and claim that cat to have had its savage way with man, woman, boy, or girl.
“Don’t look at her that way.” Natalia’s eyes, which often reminded him of the most precious metal on earth, were now on him. She frowned. “Starlight can sense when she’s not liked. That’s why she’s hissing.”
Was that it?
William looked down at the only good eye the cat had and tried for a smile. The hissing didn’t stop. “Won’t she find her way home if I simply put her down?” Quigley House, which was where Natalia lived, wasn’t far.
Natalia shook her curls, the golden threads caught in the light while the red became inflamed. “No, I’ll be quick.” Then she smiled and held up the coins her mother had given her. “You do want chocolate, don’t you?”
She already knew the answer. “Yes, please.” He even petted Starlight for added benefit.
Natalia slipped away and joined the line of those who waited for the treat. A few of his friends were amongst the group. They’d all come to town when Lorenzo’s father and Julius’ mother had decided to meet with some of his old military friends.
William worked hard to keep the rumors of their affair away from Natalia, but he grew angry with her father’s blatant disregard for his family’s wishes. When Starlight hissed again, William relaxed his hold on her. Had he been holding her too tight? Why was the cat so angry? Starlight kept fighting to get down, so he tightened his hold once again.
Julius came over while William waited anxiously for Natalia’s return. “I can’t believe you’re holding that thing.” His young friend had his own chocolate and his violet gaze was slitted at the cat. “Have you ever seen anything more hideous? It’s likely got a disease.”
“Likely.”
“So, why hold it?” Julius asked.
“Tally asked me to.” He looked at the girl again and smiled when their eyes met.
“Would you jump off a bridge if my cousin asked you to?” Julius sipped his chocolate.
William thought about his reply.
Julius sucked his teeth. “There’s only one answer to such a question, William.”
William agreed, but it was likely that he and Julius had come up with different answers.
“She already has a brother,” Julius told him.
William’s usual reply to that had been, ‘What’s one more?’ but that was not what he was thinking any longer as he stared at Natalia. He didn’t want to be her brother.
Natalia started toward him with two cups of chocolate in her hands, but he froze as she dropped them and started at a full run in their direction.
He frowned, wondering what was the matter.
“Starlight!” She took the cat and that was when William realized the feline had stopped hissing some time ago. “Starlight!”
He moved closer as panic started to build in him. He must have held her too tight, squeezed when he’d not been paying attention because the cat wouldn’t stop fighting him. He watched as Natalia rubbed the cat’s head and moved it from side to side. There was no response and those vicious eyes that Starlight set on people were closed.
“She’s dead,” Julius said, amazed.
Natalia looked up and the look on her face broke William’s heart.
“I—”
The scream from her lips cracked the peace like lightning and a warning to a coming storming.
And deep inside William’s soul, he knew he’d lost her.
William left the house but only to walk to the one next door. He navigated his way through Francis’ mansion and alerted a maid to draw him a bath before moving into his own room.
Natalia.
She was a burning thought in his mind, and now William was sure he knew why. Leah reminded him of Natalia, not only because both women had called him Liam, but because there was another similarity between them.
His need to protect them.
But he’d failed Natalia and, deep down, William had never forgiven himself for that. She’d needed his protection. He’d promised that he’d free her from the pain her home caused, but on the night she'd needed him most, he’d been busy shedding blood.
And then she’d disappeared without a trace. Where had Romina taken her children? Julius thought Romina had simply fled to Spain where her parents originated from, but William had gone to Spain himself years ago while on an assignment for the military. He’d used the small spare time he’d had to look for evidence of them—of Tally—only to find she wasn't there. Her grandparents had claimed they’d not seen Romina, Lorenzo, or Natalia in years, but when he’d told Julius and the rest of the Hext clan, which consisted of his only remaining uncle’s family, they’d all simply assumed that William had been lied to. Perhaps whatever had taken place that night had encouraged Romina’s family to keep them hidden.
And for a while, William had allowed himself to think that. He found it hard to imagine Natalia as a woman now. She’d be twenty-six, and he was certain she was beautiful.
Deep down, he’d known his intention for her when he’d gone to find her. Even during those years, William had already started to make investments with the little money his father had managed to accumulate, which had all paid off. His wealth had started to grow and with it, a dream his fourteen-year-old mind hadn’t been able to form properly as of yet.
He’d intended to marry Natalia. He’d gone to Spain with the intention of winning his queen’s heart.
But she’d not been there.
And he was no longer convinced she ever had been.
The bath came while he was in his thoughts. He bathed quickly and dressed before starting from the door. His path was blocked by an amused Frank.
William stared at his friend. “I forgot to ask you how your talk with Mrs. Wells went. I was surprised to find you still in the room when I arrived.”
“As was I.” Frank backed away from the threshold so William could step out and close the door behind him. “I didn’t expect to find her an intellectual match.”
A thread of pride slipped its way around William’s heart, but he held back from showing it as he started down the hall. “So, you approve of her teaching the women.”
“Without question,” Frank walked at his side. “Of course, we didn’t agree on every point, but there is no doubt in my mind that she knows what she’s talking about.”
“Good.” William started down the stairs.
“We spoke for nearly two hours and not once did I feel the time move. I didn’t expect to find the conversation so pleasant.”
William glanced over at Frank to find him watching him. “Well, thank you for your assistance. I’ll handle everything from here.” He started moving again, quicker this time, but Frank was right on his heels.
“What happened in her room?”
William spun around when they reached the landing. “None of your business.” And holding Frank’s eyes, he said, “Stay away from her.”
Frank smiled. “I will if she tells me to.” And the look on his friend’s face made William’s blood boil. Frank had been no more than his equal as children and yet, by appearance alone, everyone had loved him. Even Natalia. His features touched on all the finer points of good breeding, while William looked just as wild as he felt.
But he’d never wanted to be Frank. William was proud of the man he was, the man he’d created himself into. He’d not trade it for all the titles or ‘noble’ noses in the world.
Though if they continued this conversation, Frank was likely to find his nose broken.
He stepped into his friend’s space and said, “Don’t go there with me. Not where she is concerned.”
Frank looked surprised. “You’re already serious about her? William, she’s legally tied to another man. There’s nothing you can do about that.”
“We’ll see about that,” William promised, though he had no idea where this conversation was coming from. He didn’t want Mrs. Wells as a wife. She’d likely kill him in his sleep.
Why did the thought of her attempting to do just that thrill him so?
“What’s going on?” Francis came through the front door with Genie at his side and a child’s white carriage between them. The sight of the family altogether pulled at something deep within William, a part of his soul he’d not allowed himself to explore in the past.
And yet more recently, he found himself doing just that, wishing and hoping for something that had once been forbidden, but now…
“William is likely to be engaged by Season’s end,” Frank announced. “He’s fallen for—”
William swung without thinking, but Frank seemed prepared. The block was quick and precise.
Frank grinned. “I’ve been training again.” The smile and the information settled a part of William.
But he grunted when Genie squeezed her small arms around him. She was a short woman but very strong.
“Oh, William, I’m so happy for you.” She looked up and there were tears sliding out of her green eyes. “I thought there was no hope for you.”
No hope?
“Why did you believe such a thing?” He settled an arm around the woman he’d known most of his life. Summers at Francis’ had led to him meet not only Francis’ sister Lorena, but her best friend in the world, Genevieve, as well. He hadn’t even seen the small woman move, yet there she was giving him her warmth, trying to make him feel better as she did with all the other Men of Nashwood. He touched her hair. “Don’t you think a woman capable of loving me?”
“Of course, I do!” She glared. “We all love you,” she said, speaking on behalf of the Spinsters. “But we worried. You’re so closed, more closed than the others.”
No, that wasn’t true. He was as equally closed as the other men, the difference was that William wore his secrecy like a uniform. He didn’t hide it. What he allowed a person to see was all they ever got from him.
Except when it came to those he trusted.
He smiled down at Genie and turned to Francis. “Come get your wife before I steal her away.”
Genie laughed even as her husband did exactly as William instructed. Though, of course, William would never steal his friend’s wife.
The only wife he wanted was Mrs. Wells.
“Who’s the woman?” Francis asked with a grin and a possessive arm around Genie.
“Mrs. Wells,” Frank supplied for the couple.
William shifted as though he would attack again, but Frank shifted as well. Every ready. He was proud but planned to try and take Frank when he was unaware later.
“Mrs. Wells?” Genie asked, turning from the nursemaid who’d taken their sleeping child away. “But she’s already married.”
“Women have been known to become widows,” William said, holding nothing back.
Francis glared, visibly angered that William would make such a threat in front of his wife.
But Genie surprised them all when she said, “Good. Any man who harms a woman enough to make her flee for her life doesn’t deserve her.” Then she took a deep breath before starting in the direction that the nursemaid had gone. “If you men would excuse me.”
They waited until she was gone before speaking.
“She’s stronger than we thought,” Frank said.
“Yes,” Francis agreed. “Perhaps she’ll not turn against me when our secret comes to light.” There was a shadow in his eyes.
“She won’t,” William said. And he was sure of it. “We did what we had to do, and we kept Julius’ secret because it was not ours to tell.”
“Yes,” Francis said absentmindedly. Then he turned to William. “This Mrs. Wells, is she the one we’re to meet soon?”
William hesitated then nodded. There was no point in acting as though he wouldn’t go after her. He would. He simply didn’t know what he would do once he caught her.
She’d proved herself to be a cunning opponent. He’d have to stay alert during their next meeting.
He couldn’t wait.
A footman approached William then and handed him a note.
William quickly opened it and grinned. His naval ally had come through.