Page 59 of Waking Roslyn

He spared a glance at me over his shoulder and raised the goblet in salute. “Rose.” Then he drained it.

I sighed inwardly, hoping that was the one and only drink he would consume before we left. “Will Lisette be coming down soon?” I asked.

“I would assume, since she’s the one who wanted to attend this little soirée.”

I was tempted to remind him once again that he need not attend if he didn’t wish it, but he hadn’t reacted well when Lisette suggested the same, and it wasn’t my place anyway, so I bit my tongue.

Fortunately, I had only a minute or two to fidget before Lisette swept into the room, looking radiant and nervous. “You look lovely, Lisette,” I assured her as Edmund drained another small measure of alcohol.

“Come along,” Edmund prompted as he tugged on his vest and strode toward the door. “Mr. and Mrs. Sutton will be waiting.”

We gathered our cloaks, and I followed after Lisette and Edmund as they walked out to the carriage and we climbed inside.

The horses pulled away, and a tense silence settled in until Lisette spoke up in a careful tone. “Darling, I do hope you will remember to address Sir James and Princess Marilee by their titles. It would not do to slip up and call them Mr. and Mrs. Sutton.”

Edmund snorted. “The only reason he is a Sir is because he married her.”

“Yes, and the only reason I am Lady Rockwell is because I married you, is it not?” she said in a conversational way.

He sighed and patted her leg. “Fear not, my dear. I shan’t insult them.”

“It’s just that you’ve called them Mr. and Mrs. twice now—”

“I was raised in a castle, Lisette,” he snipped at her. “You needn’t remind me how to behave among society.”

Her smile was pinched. “Of course, dear. My apologies. I think I’m simply nervous.”

He huffed. “No need for that. There is nothing special about them.”

Lisette’s brow pulled down in a frown. No doubt she was thinking the same thing that I was. Making a good impression on Dalthian royalty was important by any standard, but since our sole purpose here was to repair the family reputation, it was even more important.

As we pulled up the Suttons’ torch-lit drive, I had my first view of this manor in the moonlight. It was not nearly so grand as Bridgefield, but it appeared warm and inviting. As soon as we pulled to a stop, the door was opened by a waiting footman.

Once we’d alighted from the carriage, Lisette placed her hand gracefully upon her husband’s arm and we all ascended the steps.

The chandelier in the entry made the marble floor glow, and I soaked in the warm atmosphere as our cloaks were taken.

“You’ve arrived!”

I looked up to see Her Highness descending the stairs. Her golden curls glistened in the lamplight and her purple and silver gown rustled with each step. A gentleman, who I had to assume was Sir James, trailed behind her, his expression pleasant but his body tense.

She went directly to Lisette and took her hands in hers. “Lady Rockwell, it’s so lovely to see you again. And Miss Rose”—Princess Marilee turned to me—“welcome.”

“Thank you for the kind invitation,” Lisette said.

Marilee nodded and turned to Edmund with a much more reserved smile. “Lord Rockwell. I’m happy to see you looking so well.”

Edmund gave a stiff nod. “Your Highness.” Then he turned to Sir James and a sneer curled his lip. “Jamie.”

I was surprised, both by the informal greeting and the way that Edmund made it sound like an insult, especially after he’d told his wife that he knew how to behave among society.

Sir James held his composure, though his jaw tensed and his voice was cool when he said, “Ed.”

“James,” Princess Marilee said in a chiding tone. Clearly, there was a lot of history here, and none of it was good.

Sir James let out a sigh and turned back to Edmund, affixing a more pleasant expression on his face. “My apologies. Lord Rockwell.” He gave a barely discernible bow. “Lady Rockwell.” His bow was much more genuine. “Welcome to our home.” He stepped back and gestured us inside. The smile he directed at Edmund was forced, but his expression softened when he turned to Lisette and me.

“Thank you so much for having us,” Lisette offered as Sir James bowed over her hand.